Sponsored by Alive in Christ’s Children’s Ministry and Caring & Fellowship, children of all ages came with their families to create crafts, compete at Martin Luther trivia, participate in a cake walk, and play carnival games like ring toss and spin-a-prize.
Michelle Klenklen, who came with her daughter, Lauren, 5, said they came to learn more about Martin Luther and for some good family fun.
They might have learned a lot from playing trivia or from the young people who played and dressed the part of Martin Luther’s contemporaries. During the 1500s, a Roman Catholic monk named Martin Luther fought to reform the Catholic Church. Struggling with contradictions he saw between the Bible and Catholic practice of that era, according to articles written by PBS, he worked to expose the abuse of power and corruption of the church. He was excommunicated. His followers became known as Lutherans.
“It is the changing of the church to a different understanding of God and his love for us,” said Amy Kollmeyer, the developer of children’s and music ministries at Alive in Christ. “You cannot be saved by your works; it’s God’s grace that saves you.”
Upon arrival at the Reformation Celebration, children received a plastic bag with a “passport” that told them which rooms to go to. All of the doors lining the hallway were numbered and open with an adult waiting to welcome each newcomer. Inside, child could play games and win prizes.
Also open for everyone, was a dining room set up with a buffet table full of German-style foods, like sauerkraut and sausage, in celebration of Martin Luther’s German heritage.
Friends of church members also came out for the event.
Friends invited Theresa Smith and her daughter, Lindsey, 9. She has been looking for a church for her family and said that she would probably come back to Alive in Christ.
“My kids really like it,” Smith said.
By Cecilia Garza 
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