Seen Around Church – Week of October 4, 2026
October 7, 2026By Director of Spiritual Formation Rebecca Guzman
1. Listen to a read-aloud of The Present by Bob Gill. Arthur finds a beautifully wrapped present and spends days imagining what might be inside. But before his birthday arrives, someone comes collecting toys for children who do not have many, and Arthur gives away the unopened present. What do you think made Arthur decide to give it away? Do you think giving the gift brought him joy even though he never knew what was inside?
2. Play the Gift Pass Game. Wrap an empty box or small object like a present. Sit in a circle and pass the gift while music plays. When the music stops, the person holding it names something they could give that does not cost money—kindness, time, help, a hug, encouragement, friendship, or something else. Keep going until everyone has had several chances to share.
3. Make a Giving Coupon. Decorate a small piece of paper as a “gift certificate” for something that can be given to another person: helping with a chore, reading together, making someone a snack, playing with a sibling, writing a note, or spending time together. Give the coupon away sometime this week and notice how it feels to give something instead of receive something.
4. Wonder Questions
- I wonder why giving can sometimes make us happier than getting.
- I wonder what Jesus means when he says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
- I wonder what we can give even when we do not have money.
- I wonder what our choices show about what we treasure most.
