Children's Lenten Programs

2007 Children's Lenten Program: Pennies for the Playground

Playground Update: It's Completed!
In 2007, during the season of Lent, we asked your help to build a playground that is an integral part of supplying water to the village of Akramah in Ghana. More than $11,000 was raised and the playground is now completed.

Click here to learn more about the project and see pictures of the village children playing on their new playground.

2008 Children’s Lenten Program: Bread for Itipini

There is a community in South Africa of about 2,500 people who live on a garbage dump. The name of their community, Itipini, literally means “little garbage dump.” The people who live there are among the poorest of the poor in the world, and about 75% of the residents of Itipini are women and children. Despite their impoverished living circumstances, they are not without hope. A program is in place in Itipini to provide its residents with education, health care, and food.

Help the children of our parishes further the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by collecting money to buy bread and milk for the children of Itipini in South Africa. For each Sunday in Lent, Bread for Itipini will include a brief lesson plan, with information, photos, prayers, and scripture. The lesson can be used for a brief Sunday School program or a children’s sermon. Bread for Itipini can also be a parish-wide project. All you need is a shoe box! Click here for your box top.

Click here to read Bishop Rabb's invitation to the parishes in our diocese to participate in this lenten activity.

Download a flyer for this project.

Learn more about Itipini.

Creative Itipini Projects
Our churches are finding creative ways to integrate Bread for Itipini into their parish life.

Itipini Advocates
(a list of parishes and schools who are helping us provide Bread for Itipini)

Week 1 - Homes and Cooking in Itipini

The children of Itipini eat porridge called mealie at nearly every meal.

Download Homes and Cooking in Itipini in Adobe PDF format

Week 2 - Water in Itipini

In Itipini there is only one faucet for everyone who lives there. And that’s a lot of people – about 2500 people...

Download Water in Itipini in Adobe PDF format

Week 3 - Going to School in Itipini

The children of Itipini walk to school every day.

Download Going to school in Itipini in Adobe PDF format

Week 4 - Things Children Do in Itipini

The children of Itipini had never eaten green beans until they grew them for themselves. Do you garden? Do you eat green beans?

Download Things Children Do in Itipini in Adobe PDF format.

Week 5 - Bread for Itipini

Every day after school the children of Itipini get a snack of bread and water. Sometimes they get peanut butter with their bread. Sometimes they get fruit for a special treat.

Download Bread for Itipini in Adobe PDF format.

Creative Itipini Projects

Below are some creative ways to integrate Bread for Itipini into your parish life.

The Cathedral of the Incarnation, Baltimore:
“On February 10 we will have a special coffee hour where we will serve mealie, crackers and water. No goldfish. No juice. Also at coffee hour we will have the kids decorate their boxes. We hope that serving mealie at coffee hour will be one way to engage the whole congregation in the project.” (from Amy Myers, Cathedral Outreach Coordinator)

Emmanuel Church, Baltimore:
The Rev. Diane Tomlinson, Assistant Rector, has prepared a Lenten booklet with an activity for each day that helps the children decide how much to put in their bread box. Click here to download the booklet.

Itipini Advocates

We thank those who are helping us provide Bread for Itipini

All Saints', Frederick
St. Andrew’s, Baltimore
St. Andrews, Glenwood
The Cathedral of the Incarnation
Emmanuel, Baltimore
Epiphany, Dulaney Valley
Holy Trinity, Churchville
St. James', Monkton
St. James’, Westernport
St. John's, Kingsville
St. Margaret's, Annapolis
St. Mark’s, Highland
St. Paul’s, Poplar Springs
St. Peter’s, Ellicott City
Redeemer, Baltimore
Sherwood, Cockeysville
St. Thomas', Hancock
St. Timothy’s School
Trinity Church and Trinity Day School, Towson