Reformation Party 2011

We started planning our Reformation party late in the game this year. Who am I kidding? We start planning late every year. However, when Matt told me his vision for this year's party was completely different than anything we'd ever done before, I started to get nervous, especially with the late start date. We normally follow the party plans laid out in Doorpost's Night of Reformation. This year, Matt wanted to start from scratch with an all new party format.

I was already feeling way overwhelmed with my packed schedule and the thought of reinventing the wheel for the party didn't sound very fun to me. When Matt told me he wanted to cover church history from Moses to Tyndale I about fell off my chair. I was told I wouldn't have to do any of the work to prepare for the party, but I knew better. I agreed to the new plan because I knew it meant a lot to Matt and the kids. And just like last year, we found that when we all work together as a family on a project, the Lord does amazing things.

Matt wanted the theme of this year's party to concentrate on one of the five solas of the Reformation--"Sola Scriptura," or "by scripture alone." Matt put together a worship service and thought of games for the kids to play all of which illustrated the truth that scripture alone is sufficient.


Grace took her Daddy's vision for the party and ran with it. She did tons of research, practiced (and practiced and practiced) playing the hymns her Daddy picked out for the worship time and put all the little details of the evening together. Elizabeth and Paul did a fantastic job of helping for the big event as well.

Matt's parents arrived early the day of the party to help as needed. They were extra hands that filled in the blanks for us. We had a total of twelve adults and twenty two kids in attendance. The big kids manned the games and crafts and the babies provided cuteness, so we had about fifteen kids actually playing the games.

After dinner, we all convened in our living room to begin the evening in worship. We then broke for games, which we had stationed all over the house.

The Ethiopian Enuch pinning the 95 Thesis on the Castle Church


Presenting the found scroll of The Law to King Josiah

Packing Tyndale's English New Testaments to smuggle across the English Channel and into England.

Wycliff's lollards smuggling English Bibles into the English countryside.



Showing off a finished matchbox Bible craft

Moses descending from Mt. Sinai with the 10 commandments

Elizabeth in the Throne Room of God. Hot coals (red licorice) to put in party goers mouths.




Pretty girls and pretty hair

After everyone had played all the games, we reconvened in the living room to finish our evening in worship. After all our guests went home and we had gotten our littles into bed, we had a debriefing time. We discussed improvements that we can implement next year, but mostly we came away thinking, "Wow. God is pretty amazing." We hope our guests thought the same thing.