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 mont 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 SING/LISTENto Nature to Nurture by Heather Price from the Full of the Spirit Album No.8
FIRST READING: JEREMIAH 8:18-9:1
READ The Pond By Nicola Davies
WATCH
DRAW: This is a sad story and there is also hope in it DRAW you favourite parts of the story or show the emotions that are in the book or in the Bible Passage.
DO: You might like to try some of these prayerfilled refection activities by Sun Hats and Wellie Boots,
PSALM 79: 1-9
READ:
How does the Psalm make you feel? Draw it or point out the emotion from your phone’s emoji’s, even show it in your body.
SECOND READING: 1 TIMOTHY 2:1-7
READ: What everychild should Know about Prayer by Nancy Guthrie (you can buy it here)
WATCH
SING For There is one God by Colin Buchanan on his album Boom Chicka Boom
PRAY: Choose an interactive prayer to use( one that you may not have used before)
GOSPEL READING: Luke 16:1-13
READ: Supply a set of puppets or let them make some so that they can play out the passage. Go outside and pick up some of natures bits and pieces to make puppets or three dimensions drawings. Read it from a Children’s Bible such as The Beginner’s Bible or the ICB version from Biblegateway (you don’t need to explain this passage, just let it play out and see what the text brings out in everyone)
OR READ: The Cloud Spinner by Michael Catchpool
WATCH
a Storypath suggestion
Colouring in
PRAY
May you God,
be the reason,
i do things.
Nothing else
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.