As many in Australia are traveling this weekend, this is a resource you can take with you, and use as a family, either with or without a service to attend either physically or by Zoom.
Each week I compile a number of resources to help you, your family, or your congregation 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 your family’s faith formation.
My objective is for faith to be a lived experience and for children to learn how to worship, explore the Bible, and pray by participating in Worship with others. 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 idea is to form a lifelong love of Christ, for the Word of God, and to participate in Worship. Faith is portable, we live it and share it, every day. I hope these simple ideas help your family or congregation form their faith.
FOR CONGREGATIONS:
f you are a small congregation, that suddenly has children in your pews, these can also be used in your services, shared direct from this site, or copied into your order of service. Create an area as close as possible to where the major liturgies of the service occur, for parents/guardians to worship with their children, and fill this area with books and toys in it that will enhance their spiritual experience. (Ie not toys for “keeping them quiet”). You will find some ideas in these posts Spiritual Delights or Toy Box tat! and Make the books appealing.
Suggest that visiting families pack a special backpack, filled with a children’s storybook bible, other books that speak about ideas in today’s readings, and drawing or craft materials that children can use to respond 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 you can use your iPad or iPhone. You could write a precis of the message (traditional words or pictures), draw, and 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.
Today is the start of the season of Easter and its liturgical colour is WHITE.
If worshipping from home you might like to set up a table or space with a white cloth, a cross, a candle, and some things that focus your mind on today’s readings, for example, symbols of new life Traditionally they could be a butterfly, egg, emerging plant etc.
THE LORDS PRAYER IN ACTIONS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOugEQpcc_k
OR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMjm93ylL2w
For prayers of the people
Place a big bowl of small easter eggs on the table.
Each person takes one and places it in their mouth letting it dissolve slowly
Pray
Thank you God for the good things in life.
Now reach in one at a time take an egg and say
Dear God, help me to share the sweetness of life with ______(name someone who needs uplifting)
(take the egg and place it somewhere safe for a time when you can give it to that person, Don’t forget that sometimes we too need some sweetness in our lives so remember to pray for you too. )
IF worshipping in a Uniting Church In Australia you might like to teach the little ones this way to Acknowledge Country
FIRST READING: Acts 10:34-43
READ: He is Risen by Patti Rokus
MAKE:
MAKE this story telling cross from the Baptist church in New Zealand
You will need this template
and instructions
OR MAKE a finger puzzle that also tells the easter story
SING: Jesus Came to Earth from Awesome God by Sovereign Grace
Jeremiah 31:1-6
READ There There by Sam McBratney
a Storypath suggestion
SING A Cheerful Heart by Sovereign Grace Kids
PRAY: Purchase Heart shaped post-it-notes, or cut them into heart shapes. Then as you think of a person or a situation, that makes you happy draw or write on the post-it note, while praying for them. You could add these smaller hearts to a larger heart.
PSALM 118:1-2 and 14-24
READÂ I will rejoice by Karma Wilson
DRAW: Anything that makes you happy.
SECOND READING: Colossians 3:1-4
READ: Perfect Square by
A Storypath Suggestion
DO: follow the idea in this book and cut up a square to make a picture
OR Play with toys that transform, eg lego, transformers, etc
OR Acts 10:34-43
READ: You are all my Favourites by Sam Bratney
a Storypath suggestion
MAKE: Paper chain people, God’s story is for sharing with EVERYONE
PRAY:
PRAY: Entwine your fingers
God help us all to come together
Amen
GOSPEL READING: John 20:1-18
READ: The Jesus Storybook Bible, God’s Wonderful Surprise pp.310-317
SING He is Risen by Colin Buchanan on the album The Boss of The Cross
Colouring in There is a free colouring in page on p.20 that is appropriate for today (you do need to submit your email address to receive the download if you haven’t already downloaded the lent edition
OR Matthew 28:1-10
READ The Whirl Story Bible, Jesus is Risen, pp.326-329
SING Jesus Christ was raised to Life by Colin Buchanan on the Boss of the Cross album
MAKE: If you made a Gethsemene Garden on Good Friday, today is the day to continue playing with it and continue the story. If you didn’t make a garden, make one now with whatever you have available to you, lego, the garden, bits and pieces laying around, make a place for a tomb, leave the tomb open and draw or make characters to fit today’s story.
OR if you like to draw, create a cartoon from today’s reading.
Blessings
Wendy L.
Please check local guidelines before using items that are not mine especially if you are using this page for congregational use. Please acknowledge 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.
If you are in Australia and would like to teach your children to Acknowledge Country here is a video that will help, and a great book to help understand, We love Country. Most Uniting Church Congregations will say an Acknowledgement of Country towards the start of the service.
WELCOME: Everyone is welcome here.
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.
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.
The Cross in My Backyard 