Prayer Rock: Inter-generational Activity (suited for large spiritual gatherings)

A "Exciting Occasions" Project


Well, the first thing you will need is a copy of the Prayer Rock Poem. Make sure you have enough copies for everyone attending the event. To save paper, you should be able to fit four poems on an 8-1/2" x 11" sheet of paper to use as your master, and then cut the copies into strips.

You will also need a small rock for each participant. I got smooth river stones from a local florist, but if you live near a beach, or river where stones are free, you can make this a more extensive activity for the children by taking a field trip to gather pretty rocks prior to your actual event.

There are many ways to use this "rock" theme when planning a large spiritual gathering. I will list the ways we used this theme at last month's Unit Convention, and suggest a few more, but I'm sure there are other variations that can be achieved. Let me know what you come up with.

The first thing I did was to arrange to have a "children's presentation" added to the convention program. I made sure that this time slot was not near the beginning in order to give the children time to consult. As it turned out we were given the final spot on the program under the heading "Devotions." I also asked the Convention Committee for an estimated number of people attending so that I could have enough materials.

During the children's program the kids sat in a circle and I gave each child a small, smooth river stone (about the size of a quarter). We read the poem aloud and began consulting on not only the importance of daily prayer, but on what the similarities are between the mineral kingdom (rocks) and being a Bahá:'í. We talked about being firm and steadfast, silent about the faults of others, how rocks are transformed by heat into lava the way our souls are transformed by tests. One child mentioned that if people in glass houses throw stones they break their own house. The children were told that the adults would be asked to think about these things too, and we were going to jokingly tell them that the rock was to remind them that when they are teaching they should "be a little boulder."

When presenting the rocks to the adults, you may decide to have an activity where the children wrap each stone in a small piece of fabric tied with a ribbon, or you can roll up the poem into scrolls. In any case, it would be nice to have the children carry the stones in decorated baskets when they are presenting them.

I got positive feedback from the adults after the convention was over. It's always wonderful to have interaction between children and adults, especially in larger communities where the children are often engaged in totally separate activities.

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