17th Sunday after Pentecost, Year C, Revised Common Lectionary: ideas to involve even the youngest.

Welcome. You have found a collection of ideas to help you contemplate the RCL readings. While designed to be used during a Sunday service at church or by zoom, these readings can also be used during the week to help you remember and build on what you experienced on Sundays. My objective is for faith to be a lived experience and for children to learn how to worship and explore the Bible and pray by participating in Worship with you. The goal here is not for them to learn names or facts though they may want to do that for themselves, but rather to find ways of connecting with the text and sharing that with others. The ideal is to form a life long love of Christ, for the Word of God and to participate in Worship.

We are now in the longest season of the Liturgical calendar, After Pentecost, it is often refered to as Ordinary Time, as no big celebrations occur in this season. The Liturgical colour is Green.

If you are worshipping from home you may like to set up a worship area and define it with a GREEN placemat, or ribbons.

The month of Septemebr is also the Season of Creation, and you might like to add flowers, animal toys, twigs, dirt etc. as well as setting up a candle,(or as this years theme is the burning bush you might like to add something like this) then add the things that remind YOU of God, a Cross, a Bible that everyone likes to read from, a special object, even something from one of the readings.

If able to worship in the Church buildings pack a special backpack, as well as filling, it with your Covid Safe equipment, add the books or materials required to help your young ones relate to today’s readings.

For adults and older students, you might like to use a journal with which to record anything that grabs your attention during the service. This could be a special, bound book or use your ipad or iphone. You could write a precis of the message (traditional words or pictures), draw, keep a record of emotions and hymns that you did or did not like. You could use a template like this free download. Remember, this is for you, you do not have to show anyone what is in it unless you want to, and you feel safe to do so.

CONGREGATIONAL USE: Though parents are the best at sharing their faith with their children. If you are a small congregation where children are a very small, or rare part of your congregational life, please feel free to make these suggestions available to your congregation. I am very happy for you to copy and paste ideas from here into your own Order of Service or for you to supply a link to this page. An acknoledgement though is always appreciated.

LET’S BEGIN:

THE LORD’S PRAYER:

You might like to start with the Lord’s Prayer if at home, or say the Lord’s Prayer within a set place if following along in a service. Here are 4 options

2 with ACTIONS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOugEQpcc_k OR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMjm93ylL2w

A more contemplative version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NuUo-igXDU&fbclid=IwAR2FasYCU-9mP1PaLQDjweXyhyUnJutt4J28KycjzeUEttWSesipX2jmJxE

Or for a more Intergenerational approach try Number 1 on the Table Settings album by Liturgical Folks

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COUNTRY

If you are in Australia and attending a Uniting Church in Australia, in many cases an Acknowledgment of Country will be said. You can teach your young ones to do this too.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

https://www.childrens-ministry-deals.com/blogs/childrens-pastors-only/how-to-pray-the-five-finger-prayer

INTRODUCTORY SONG Hey Ha Ha from the Full of the Spirit Album by

Heather Price Music

OR To celebrate the Season of Creation LISTEN/WATCH to Creation, Sing out!(Psalm148) Sung by David and Dale MacGregor

FIRST READING: Lamentations 1:1-6

READ When I’m feeling Sad by Trace Moroney

WATCH

DO: How do you feel when you are Sad? Draw it or show it or point out the emotion from the emoji’s on the phone.

PRAY

No matter how I feel

(show some emotions)

I am thankful

I can talk to you about them

God,

Amen

PSALM: Lamentations 3:19-26

Listen: No. 8, Your Faithfulness from When you lie down lullabies Vol. 10, by Seeds Family Worship

OR Because for the Lord’s great Love No. 8 from baa-baa-doo-baa-baa by Colin Buchanan

Meditate: Turn on a battery operated candle and ask your child to sit still, turn the candle off when they are done. Some will sit quietly but for many it will take a few attempts, and it could be as quick as a second.

OR Psalm 137

LISTEN Psalm 137 on Psalm Settings by Liturgical Folk

MAKE a memory bracelet, to help you not forget to Pray. Take 3 cords of embroidery thread (3different colours) for the Trinity Father, Son and Holy Spirit, plait then then tie the ends together to go around your wrist.

SECOND READING: 2 Timothy 1:1-14

READ: The Whirl Story Bible, Timothy’s Faith, pp.390-393

SING/LISTEN: 2 Timothy 1:7 on Follow the saviour by Colin Buchanan

DO: Write an encouraging letter or email for someone you know.

PRAY:

Choose someone you know that needs some encouragement and pray for them.

GOSPEL READING: Luke 17:5-10

WATCH

CRAFT Craft 2 Mountains Moved Plate

PRAY

Crouch down

Help me God,

to have faith

in you

Amen.

SENDING SONG Tell the World by Hillsong Kids Learn the actions here

Blessings

Wendy L.

Please check local guidlines before using items that are not mine especially if you are using this page for congregational use. If you find this page useful an acknowledgment is always appreciated. Thank you.

I am writing this on Wurundjeri land and wish to pay respect to all Elders, past, present and emerging.