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From the Open Files of: |
NW Synod of Wisconsin Resource Center (715) 833-1153 |
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Contributed by: |
Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Chippewa Falls, WI, First Lutheran, Eau Claire, WI |
Imagine this is the first
time you have worshipped at your congregation. Your
2-year old has decided that the service is far too
long, and made it clear you needed to locate the
nursery. Your anxiety mounts as you wander around
the narthex, trying to contain your child and
locate the undersized sign hidden in the corner
which directs people to the nursery. Our Saviours Lutheran Church
in Chippewa Falls , WI decided to make their
nursery impossible to miss. In fact you don't even
have to be old enough to read to find their
nursery. The creative idea was so intriguing that
First Lutheran in Eau Claire, WI decided to adapt
the idea to fit their church. What is the idea? Use
painted handprints on the hallway walls to guide
people to the nursery/preschool room. How did they do it?
They prepainted the white strip on the wall, at
the height of young children. Then during a class
period, they were invited to "paint" their
handprint on the wall and autograph it. As years go
by, additional handprints can be added, or the wall
can be repainted and the process
repeated. How was this idea ever
approved for a church? The worship committee
and building and grounds committee met together to
both determine the need for such a map, and the
types of paint to be used. The janitor did the
prepainting of the white background strip, and the
preschool teacher took care of the actual hand
printing. The reaction of the children
to their "handy map" on the wall is worth the time
and energy alone. They can't wait to show their
parents the next Sunday their contribution to the
map that helps all children find the
nursery/preschool. The photos included in this
file show two models of how this idea would look.
Submitted by: Our
Saviours Lutheran Church,
715-723-6048; First Lutheran,
715-832-8321
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