John 17:20-26 – The Cross in My Backyard

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 and for the Word of God.

Today is the last day of the EASTER season. The Liturgical colour is White (though many substitute GOLD).

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

You can do this by setting up a candle, 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.

FIRST READING: Acts 16:16-34

READ: The Spark Story Bible, Paul and Silas, pp.421-425

OR The Whirl Story Bible, Paul and Silas, pp. 362-365

PLAY: Act out this play, make puppets or create characters for all involed, don’t forget the slave girl or the jailer.

PRAY: SING any song you know make it into a prayer, check out Snack Music or Colin Buchanen’s

PSALM 97

Rejoice! The Lord is King!
Lift up your heart,
lift up your voice; rejoice;
again I say, rejoice.

Power! All the forces in the planet (punch out your fist thrusting from your body)
are powered by the Lord.
Love! All the love in the universe (Make a love heart with your hands)
flows from the Lord.
Joy! All the happiness in the world (Jump)
is given by the Lord.
Thanks! All our thanks we give back to you. ( spray open your hands at shoulder level as you push them forward from your body)

My thanks again to Rev. Purdie, actions by me

HOw does this psalm make you feel? Express it by drawing, showing it on your faceor finding an emoji that reflects how you feel. Is there a word that seems important to you?

SECOND READING: Revelation 22:12-14 and 16-17 and 20-21

READ: Possum’s Harvest Moon by Anne Hunter

WATCH

A Storypath Suggestion

LOOK: There are a lot of symbols we use in this reading. So point out the symbols in your church, they may include the alpha and omega, the lamb or the Bride as mentioned or you might have some other symbols around the church.

PRAY

We wait for your world to come (hands on your waist)

Amen

GOSPEL READING: John 17:20-26

READ: BECOMING ME A STORY OF CREATION by Martin Boroson

WATCH:

A Storypath suggestion

PLAY: Play with Babushka Dolls, or nesting toys to signify that we all rest in Christ.

PRAY: the five finger prayer, this is alsoa great prayer of teh people for Children

SENDING HYMN 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. Please acknowedge this page if you find it useful. Thank you.

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

I have qualifications in Education, Theology and Children’s Spirituality, and have worked as a Children and Families Worker in a city church. I use simple and easily found ideas to help you share the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) readings. This is a ONE STOP SHOP where I have done the sifting for you to find theologically and developmentally appropriate material for your congregation or family, saving you time from sifting through many websites, facebook , pinterest, instagram, and blog posts.

How wonderful that you have bought your young child to church, don’t waste this opportunity to share the faith stories and experience the wonder of worship.

If you are a parent or Guardian

Prepare a special church bag in advance each week so that you are ready for the rush on Sunday Morning.

Sit towards the front so they can see what is going on.

Sing or sway during the Hymns

Read during the Bible readings,

Pray during the prayers,

Colour, Draw or Craft during the sermon.

Craft or drawing or play are for spiritual responses not for a perfectionist piece that can be shown off. Don’t throw these out when you leave the church. Keep them at home in a special box, and bring them out to remind your child what has been happening or use as future prayer points.

Remember that little ones will need their own space to move and wiggle,

You have bought your child to worship. Enjoy engaging them in it.

If you are a small congregation without a Child and Family Minister have an area available near the front for parents/guardians to worship with their children, and print off this information so that it is readily available or direct them to this site. Set up an area with books and toys in it that will enhance their spiritual experience. (Ie not just toys for “keeping them quiet”).Spiritual Delights or Toy Box tat! andMake the books appealing

If you would like these ideas as a PDF file sent to you each week, please contact me.

FIRST READING: Acts 16:16-34

READ: The Lion PictureBook Bible pp.364-365

OR The Beginners Bible Earth Quake in Prison, pp.500-503

PLAY: What do you do when you are in a difficult situation. Pray, call for Mum or Dad, Sing, pat the dog, hide, etc. Parents might like to make some cards of these possibilities. Put the cards down then ask your child to point out the picture of what they do, then ask them what Paul and Silas did.

PRAY: SING any song you know make it into a prayer

PSALM 97

Rejoice! The Lord is King!
Lift up your heart,
lift up your voice; rejoice;
again I say, rejoice.

My thanks again to Rev. Purdie http://www.conversations.net.nz/psalm-97-rejoice-the-lord-is-king.html

DRAW: quarter a page with a texta to make four spaces. Draw a picture for each of the four strong words in this Psalm, Power, Love, Joy and Thanks.
SECOND READING: Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

READ: The Jesus Storybook Bible p.348 Read from the second paragraph down.

PRAY

We wait for your world to come (hands on your waist)

Amen

GOSPEL READING: John 17:20-26

COLOURING-IN: https://store.illustratedchildrensministry.com/collections/coloring-sheets-posters/products/bible-story-coloring-pages-spring-2019 PURCHASE IS DOWNLOADABLE AND IS IN AMERICAN DOLLARS FOR 14 WEEKS (12WEEKS IN)

PLAY: Play with Babushka Dolls, or nesting toys to signify that we all rest in Christ.

NOO! You are not finished even if the service has. Now is the time to continue teaching your child beyond the walls of the church.

Use the craft or drawings during the week to talk about the service or the stories.

Use any of the readings during the week, at bedtime, as story time or during the day in play or prayer.

Enjoy sharing your faith with your child.

Blessings

Wendy L.

Tag: John 17:20-26

EASTER 7C: Revised Common Lectionary: ideas to involve even the youngest.

EASTER 7 YEAR C: Ideas to help you share this weeks RCL readings with the 3’s and under.