Fun Lego video shares Easter message in Gaelic and English

A fun and interactive video series which combines Lego with the Gaelic language to bring the Bible to life is building on a successful Christmas release with a new film for Easter.

The intergenerational Easter story video, which will also be available in English in a version specially recorded for a Scottish audience, will be distributed to education authorities, Gaelic medium units, schools, homes and churches nationwide.

The video comes with an accompanying resource pack including instructions to enable children to build their own version of the empty tomb from commonly available Lego pieces, as well as bi-lingual guidance notes for teachers.

Created by Coventry-based Christian media ministry Go Chatter, the video has been translated into Gaelic by the Church of Scotland Gaelic Committee and has been supported by funding from national Gaelic development body Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

"Whether in school, at home or in a faith setting, this video provides a wonderful fun way of learning about God's love in Jesus," said Rev Hugh Stewart of the Church of Scotland's Gaelic group.

"It's a gift from the Church to the children of Scotland and it's a Gaelic inspired initiative with the English version following on as a result. We hope parents and grandparents will also watch it with younger family members."

The Easter video will be followed by a further six Bible-themed animated videos from Go Chatter later this year, and follows its Christmas-themed Lego video released last Advent.

The bi-lingual Church of Scotland version was downloaded by 431 schools, churches and individuals, with almost half the videos screened at church services and around a fifth used in schools, with the remainder screened for personal use, or for youth or other church groups.

Go Chatter estimates these were eventually watched by over 41,000 people, with just under 1,000 watching the Gaelic language version.

"In a sense, that was a pilot to see what the response would be and we were very encouraged by the reaction from parents, grandparents, teachers and children," added Mr Stewart, who is minister of Lochs in Bernera linked with Uig on the Isle of Lewis.

Dan Rackham of Go Chatter commented: "Following on from the success of the joint Lego Christmas project where over 400 churches in Scotland showed the video in their services we were delighted when the Church of Scotland asked us to work with them on a Lego Easter resource for churches and schools in Scotland.

"Go Chatter Videos are really excited about the launch of the Lego Easter video in collaboration with the Church of Scotland. We've really enjoyed working with the Church of Scotland and are excited about how these resources could engage lots of children and even adults this Easter."

Roddy John MacLeod, Lord MacLeod of Minginish, convenor of the Church of Scotland Gaelic group, thanked Bòrd na Gàidhlig for its support for the project and said: "The Gaelic Committee of the Church of Scotland warmly welcomes this engaging video and congratulates Go Chatter, who produced it, and Rev Hugh Stewart, who headed the team which produced the Gaelic version, on a splendid achievement. Who would ever have believed that the Easter story could be told through the medium of Lego?

"This video tells the Easter story in a highly imaginative way and it is our prayer that it is watched and enjoyed, whether in school or home, by Gaelic children throughout Scotland."

The Lego Easter Story (Sgeulachd Lego na Càisge) video can be downloaded free in either Gaelic or English at Easter Archives - Go Chatter (gochattervideos.com)

The videos are part of an exciting year for new Bible resources for young Gaels with the publication of the first new Gaelic Children's Bible in decades, in conjunction with the Scottish Bible Society, also taking place in the next few weeks.