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.
If you are worshipping from home you may like to set up a worship area and define it with a GREEN placemat, or ribbons.
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.
THE LORD’S PRAYER:
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COUNTRY
INTRODUCTORY SONG Hey Ha Ha from the Full of the Spirit Album by
Heather Price Music
FIRST READING: JEREMIAH 1:4-10
READ When God Made Me by Matthew Paul Turner
Do: Prepare before Sunday a series of photo’s of your child and what they were doing at that stage, if possible include their picture in utero. Or get them to draw a picture of themselves growing up. If they do a series of themselves at different ages you can staple them together to form a flip book and then the baby will grow into a child as they flip the pages. Or draw on a pad of stick it notes. This is an example of how to make a flip book.
PRAY: Father God,
You knew me
Before I was born
You know what I can do
and how I can be helpful to you
Amen
PSALM 71:1-6
Psalm 71: All our lives long
(for a child and an old person to read – child’s voice in bold)
In you, O Lord, do I live
In you, O Lord, I grow
You are our God, our rock and refuge
You are my rock, like a rock to dive off into the river
You are my rock, like a home well fenced and protected
Hear us when we call, O God, lift us into your arms.
All my life long you have been with me
When I was born and took my first breath,
you held me
All through the years I have leaned on you
Through all the years ahead I will lean on you.
When I was young you taught me
When I grow old you will bless me
I remember all you have done for me
I will tell everyone how great you are!
an excerpt from Rev Purdie
Draw a picture of something that you like about this Psalm.
SECOND READING: Hebrews 12:18-29
Read Wordy Birdy by Tammi Sauer
as suggested by Storypath
PLAY with anything that can be shaken, a rattle, dried peas in a bottle (make sure the lid is secure so there is no chocking hazard), a drink in a bottle, GOD”S Kingdom can’t be shaken.
PRAY
We can’t see you God (point to your eyes)
But you are there (reach out to give a pretend hug to someone)
You lead us
And we follow (walk around in a circle)
Amen
GOSPEL READING: LUKE 13:10-17
LISTEN for younger children
LISTEN for older children
SING Seven Days in the Life of God by Snack Music
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.
The Cross in My Backyard 