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Ascension Day and the Road to Heaven

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*I was given a Road to Heaven game from Inspirational Design LLC in exchange for an honest review.  I promise to always give my honest opinion to my readers, as helping you find good Christian resources is my top priority!  

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I don’t know about your house, but around here, we love holidays.  Any excuse to celebrate is a good one! It’s hard to imagine a better reason to celebrate than the fact that we have an opportunity to be with Jesus in heaven one day.  Easter is a grand celebration of that.  We should not let the ball drop after Easter.  If you only celebrate salvation once a year, it won’t have much of an impact.  Last year we decided to continue our heavenly celebration with Ascension Day!

Ascension Day is a celebration of the day that Jesus ascended to Heaven. In 2016, Ascension Day is Friday, May 6th. Click To Tweet

What is Ascension Day?

Ascension Day is a celebration of the day that Jesus ascended to Heaven.  It occurred 40 days after Resurrection Sunday (a.k.a. Easter).  To determine the date, we count 40 days forward from Easter to arrive at the date for our Ascension Day celebration.  In 2016, Ascension Day is Friday, May 6th.  

While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.” Luke 24:51-53 ESV

How To Prepare for Ascension Day

If you want to build anticipation, spend the time leading up to Ascension Day studying what the scriptures say happened from the time of the resurrection until Ascension Day.  Discuss what you think Jesus may have taught about during this time.  Study heaven and build some anticipation.  Most importantly, talk about salvation and the plan set out for us to follow if we want to live with Jesus in Heaven one day.  

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The Road to Heaven

At the Teach Them Diligently Conference, we found a unique and fun way to teach God’s word and His plan for us.  If you have been around church very long, you may have heard about the Roman Road, a set of verses in the book of Romans that lay out the plan of salvation.  We have found a board game, entitled “Road to Heaven,” that gets kids (and adults alike) thinking about what it takes to get to heaven.  

Check out the Road to Heaven game! Click To Tweet

In this family-friendly game, the goal is to move from the “In the Beginning” space, around the road, and finally to enter Heaven.  While traveling toward Heaven, players learn about the Bible through a series of Blessing and Knowledge cards.  The game even comes with a Bible so players can look up the noted scripture references and check their answers.  Along the road, you might encounter Hallelujah spaces that move you forward, or Repent spaces that force you to go back.

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There are also tokens that help solidify concepts.  For example, you must have a cross piece before you can enter into Heaven.  If you collect two earth pieces (worldliness), then you must move your piece backwards.  If you collect three Lamb’s Book of Life tokens, you get to go straight to Heaven.  Be careful though!  If you land on a Sacrifice space, you might have to give up a cross or Lamb’s Book piece!

One of my favorite aspects of the game was the Temptation Space.  If you land on it, you have a choice to roll a die and be rewarded, or risk receiving the negative Worldliness earth piece.  I had a little secret satisfaction because my children received a Worldliness earth each time they risked temptation.  They quickly learned that temptation just wasn’t worth it!

Over all, this game was a fun way to introduce and review basic salvation concepts.  We had to clarify a few things, such as the fact that there is really only one Lamb’s Book of Life.  As with any game, there was a bit of a learning curve when it came to the rules. The game was recommended for ages 8 and up, but we let our little ones play on teams with us so we could all join in the fun.  All our kids thought it was fun and wanted to play again.  I can see this becoming a family favorite that we play for years to come.  I hope that your family will enjoy The Road to Heaven too!

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More Ascension Day Fun

Try celebrating Jesus’ return to Heaven with ice cream sundaes and whipped cream clouds! Click To Tweet

If you want to have more Ascension Day fun, or just have some fun celebrating Heaven after you play the game, try celebrating Jesus’ return to Heaven with ice cream sundaes and whipped cream clouds.  It’s the fun of party food and a reminder of Jesus taken up into heaven all rolled into one!

Whether or not you celebrate Ascension Day or not, make sure you take time to celebrate Jesus. Talk about how your children can live in Heaven with Him one day.

“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:20 ESV

 

Filed Under: Devotionals, Family Life, Family Time Tagged With: Easter, Family, Family Bible Study

Comments

  1. Alison says

    May 6, 2016 at 12:30 pm

    I have never heard of this before and I think it is a great way to celebrate the day especially when sundaes are involved! We love games at our house so I think this would be a fun family activity!
    Alison recently posted…Best Guacamole EverMy Profile

    Reply
  2. Faith says

    May 6, 2016 at 12:59 pm

    This is such an important day in the Christian calendar! It is so often overlooked, but it is the day that Jesus was seated at the right hand of God and promised us the Holy Spirit! Thanks for the suggestions for passing this great truth on to the next generation!

    Reply
  3. Christina Aliperti says

    May 6, 2016 at 5:00 pm

    What am important day to celebrate. I love this board game, Anyone who knows me knows how much I love games that also teach children. I love it!

    Reply
    • admin says

      May 6, 2016 at 7:53 pm

      It is a good one. I like my board games too!

      Reply
  4. KatR says

    May 6, 2016 at 9:52 pm

    I don’t care much for any holiday. Both of my parents are gone, my sister lives far away and my children very rarely come to visit. I find holidays to be rather depressing.

    Reply
  5. Andrea says

    May 7, 2016 at 4:47 am

    What a beautiful way for this message to come across – and any time there’s ice cream sundaes and whipped cream about 🙂

    Reply
  6. Helen says

    May 7, 2016 at 8:16 am

    This is not something I had thought of doing before, but you’re absolutely right – we should celebrate salvation more often than just at Easter. The game looks fun, I’ve never heard of it before!
    Helen recently posted…The Sum of Endurance – {The Close of Day}My Profile

    Reply
  7. Jennifer DeFrates/Heaven Not Harvard says

    May 7, 2016 at 8:30 am

    That game sounds like a really good addition to family game night! When I was young, we had a Pilgrim’s Progress game that helped me understand some of these same concepts from a very young age.
    Jennifer DeFrates/Heaven Not Harvard recently posted…How to Pray on this National Day of PrayerMy Profile

    Reply
  8. Pamela says

    May 7, 2016 at 10:25 am

    What great family ideas! I never thought to celebrate Ascension day when my daughters were young. I wish I had. I’ll pass the ideas on to my daughter for the grandchildren — or do myself with them when they are over. Now that’s a good idea! Appreciate the time you took getting this ready to share.
    Pamela recently posted…Pamela’s Daybook: May 6My Profile

    Reply
  9. Marie says

    May 7, 2016 at 5:55 pm

    A great way to make memories and start traditions
    Marie recently posted…Mileage Tracker AppsMy Profile

    Reply
  10. Ai says

    May 8, 2016 at 4:04 am

    The game and even celebrating Ascension Day are great conversation starters with kids, who are already naturally curious. These are good opportunities to bring the gospel when we are around our kids!
    Ai recently posted…The Amazing Powers of a SuperMomMy Profile

    Reply
  11. Inez says

    May 8, 2016 at 9:55 am

    I love this idea! I hadn’t thought of celebrating Ascension Day before. I will definitely keep that in mind as my son gets older. Sounds like a fun game, too!

    Reply
  12. Caroline @ In Due Time says

    May 8, 2016 at 2:09 pm

    Interesting! I will have to look into this some more. Thanks for sharing and enlightening my mind!
    Caroline @ In Due Time recently posted…To the Woman Hurting on Mother’s DayMy Profile

    Reply
  13. Kristi says

    May 8, 2016 at 9:25 pm

    I have never heard of that board game. Sounds like a great way to open up conversation while playing a game. Thanks for sharing about it and liked that you brought Jesus’ Ascension into a themed snack with a cloud of whipped cream! So cute!

    Reply
  14. Jennifer Corter says

    May 9, 2016 at 5:44 pm

    This looks really interesting! I’ve never heard of this before! Neato!
    Jennifer Corter recently posted…Reflections On Motherhood And DisabilityMy Profile

    Reply
  15. Rachel Dahl - a la modest says

    May 9, 2016 at 7:32 pm

    That’s so neat! What a fun way for children to learn about ascension!
    Rachel Dahl – a la modest recently posted…A Breastfeeding Mother’s Gift: Breast Milk JewelryMy Profile

    Reply
  16. Danielle Wells says

    May 11, 2016 at 10:53 pm

    I love the way you celebrate – with icecream!!! 😀

    Reply
    • admin says

      May 14, 2016 at 7:15 am

      We always find an excuse for ice cream!

      Reply
  17. Jed Jurchenko says

    May 13, 2016 at 7:32 am

    I had never heard of anyone celebration Ascension Day before, but it is certainly worth celebrating. I especially love the game. What an awesome teaching tool!
    Jed Jurchenko recently posted…10 Things You Might Not Know About Me–Jed JurchenkoMy Profile

    Reply

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Hello! I'm Tara. My kids and I spend a lot of time in our van (and elsewhere) singing, playing , and praying. Join us as we navigate through the winding roads of life, enjoy the journey, and arrive at a place where we love Jesus with all our hearts. Read More
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