Holy Name of Jesus, Year A 2023: Ideas to share the Revised Common Lectionary Readings with all ages.

It seems that most of Australia is on the move this Season of Christmas. Some may visit churches other than their home church, some might zoom into services and others might take a break from formal worship. So I have stuctured these suggestions around infromal family faith formation experiences for those away from home or away from the usual structure.

If you are a small congregation who 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.

Faith is portable, we live it, share it everyday. I hope these simple ideas help your family form their faith, no matter where you are.

We are in a new season the season of Christmas, it’s liturgical colour is WHITE (though some feel GOLD, is a better colour to be using).

For this day there are three sets of readings, Christmas 1, New Year’s Day and Holy Name of Jesus. You can find out which set of readings your congregation is using or if worshipping away from the congregation choose one or work through all three.

Find something white, create a cross from whatever is around you and light a candle as a centerpoint for your worship experience if away from a formal congregational meeting place (often known as a Church)

FIRST READING: Numbers 6:22-27

WATCH

WRITE a Blessing of your own to use.

SING

BLESSING Activities on p.7

PSALM 8

God, our living God,
you are amazing! (star jump)
You are higher than I can look, (Look Up)
You are wider than I can see. (hold your arms outside ways from your body)
But I can hear you – (cup your hand over your ears)
Listen!
We can hear you in the laughter of a little child, (big smile)
We can hear you in the babbling of a baby. (pretend to rock a baby in your arms)
You don’t need words to tell us of your power. (flex your muscles)

Why do you need us at all? (Shake your head)
We are so small, and the world is so big, (crouch down low)
the stars are so many and space is so enormous.(look up and around)
God, our living God,
you are amazing! (star jump)
You made everything. (look around you)
Why do I matter? (shake your head)

But we do matter! (point to yourself)
God cares for us most of all, (big smile)
and through us God cares for all the world. (pretend to stroke an animal)
You put everything into our care, (pretend to gather things close to you)
all the animals, all the birds, all the fish, (link your thumbs and pretend your hands and fingers are butterfly wings OR make your hand swim like a fish)
everything that creeps or flies or runs or swims, (creep 2 fingers up your arm)
even the land and the air and the sea. (pretend to make choppy waves with one hand)
It is all ours to look after. (gather things around you)
God, our living God,
you are amazing! (star jump)

Thanks again to Rev Purdie actions by me.

SING Dominion Item 6 on the Trust album from Seeds Family Worship

SECOND READING: Galations 4:4-7

READ Can I be your Dog by Troy Cummings

WATCH: by Troy Cummings

SING Totally God and Totally Man by Sovereign Grace Music

DO: Look at your family tree, where do you fit in? If you are adopted speak about your adoption and how you fit in.

Phillipians 2:5-11

READ Maybe God is like that too, by Jennifer Grant

WATCH

A Storypath suggestion

SING Totally God and Totally Man by Sovereign Grace Music

GOSPEL READING: Luke 2:15-21

READ: Whirl Storybook Bible

OR from the BIble for Kids App find the bubble with the Manger in it, then read or listen to pp 5-8

MAKE

Question to Ponder How would you share good news?

PRAY

Help me to not be afraid

to share your Word God

Amen

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.

Passion Sunday Year B: ideas to engage the whole family(especially the youngest) in the set RCL readings for today

WELCOME

This week there are 2 distinct sets of readings, one for Palm Sunday, every child and young at hearts favourite or Passion Sunday normally a more solomn service. I will post them seperately.

Either service marks the start of Holy Week, here are some Holy Week resources you might like to use with your family at home here, or here. or this one.

WHO ARE THESE IDEAS FOR?

You have found a page that uses easily found ideas to help you share the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) readings with children. Instead of sifting through many websites, facebook , pinterest, instagram, and blog posts; 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.

These ideas can be used in a church setting as you parent in the pews or in your own home while connecting to a broadcast service or for your daily family devotions.

They are for use by parents, grandparents and carers and for small congregations who do not have a Child and Family Ministry.

GETTING READY

If worshipping at home. You may want to set up a space to bring out or keep up through Lent.

The colour of Lent is purple, not the same blue based purple as Advent but a red based purple.

Set up a candle, and what ever helps you focus on the season, it might be a cross, some sand (to symbolise the desert times of the people of God), or cactus plants, some rocks(to represent challenge) for example, or anything that inspires you from any Lent studies you or your family ae doing.

A Book that I would recommend for sharing about Lent with Children is Make Room A Child’s Guide to Lent and Easter by Laura Alary You can see an adaption of this book in a Godly Play method here

If able to worship in the Chruch 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 readings.

For adults and older students you might like to take a journal with which to record anything that grabs your attention during the service. Write a precis of the message (traditional or sensory word), draw or write a response in and keep a record of emotions.

LET’S BEGIN

You might like to start with the Lords prayer if at home, or either of these suggestions can be used when the Lord’s Prayer is said within a set service.

either IN ACTIONS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOugEQpcc_k OR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMjm93ylL2w

Or if you are looking for a more contemplative version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NuUo-igXDU&fbclid=IwAR2FasYCU-9mP1PaLQDjweXyhyUnJutt4J28KycjzeUEttWSesipX2jmJxE

During Prayers of the People, Ask God’s guidance to find a person to do something really nice for.

FIRST READING: Isaiah 50:4-9a

READ: Mae’s first Day of School by Kate Berube

WATCH

Understand why it was suggested here

PSALM 31:9-16

Psalm 31: My hiding place

Where can I hide? (look around you)
I cannot find anywhere that feels safe. (shake)
Everywhere there are traps set for me. (look around you)
Everywhere people whisper about me. (put your hands over your ears)
Be my safe place, O God. (give yourself a hug)
Be my hiding space, my refuge, my shelter. (crouch down small)
I put myself in your hands. (hold out your hands)
Be strong! Fill your heart with courage! (show the muscles on your arms)

A psalm retold by Rev Purdie https://www.conversations.net.nz/psalm-31-strength-in-exhaustion.html Actions by me

Describe those feelings in this Psalm. Show how these feelings look like in your body or draw it, or point out what it feels like from a set of emotional cards https://innovativeresources.org/resources/card-sets/bears-cards/ or the Bears App https://innovativeresources.org/resources/digital-applications/bears-app/

SECOND READING: Phillipians 2:5-11

READ: There was an old woman who lived in a shoe by Jane Cabrera

WATCH

Understand why it was suggested here

SING Seeds Family Worship Vo. 8 The Word of God No.4 Jesus Christ is Lord

PRAY:

For those you love today.

GOSPEL READING: Mark 14:1-15,47

READ: Meet Jesus in Mark by Matthew Sleeman omit the last paragraph

OR The Jesus StoryBook Bible, Washed with tears, pp.280-285

DO: Use your nose to find things with a lovely aroma, ie, cooking, flowers, perfume, clean sheets etc

DRAW:How would you honour someone, maybe for their birthday?

SING A Generous Heart from Waking With the Wise by Soveriegn Grace Kids

OR Mark 15:1-39(40-47)

READ: Meet Jesus in Mark by Matthew Sleeman, read both Mark 14:14:53-15:24 and Mark 15:25-47 omiting the first paragraph of Mark 14:53-15:24

OR The Easter Story retold by Rachel Elliot published by Parragon start at the page that begins “The Chief Priest took Jesus to Pontias Pilate”end on the page that finishes “his last breath” you can read the fist paragraph on th enext page but stop there for today.

ACT: out the passage. You can do this with people, or your toys, you could make puppets for each of those mentioned, you could make a felt scene( use a firm felt board as the background and cut out shapes from coloured felt squares, they will stick to the backing board)

PRAY

It must not have been nice,

for you to die

like that

but I know there is more to the story

Help me to understand that

Amen

Blessings

Wendy L.

Please check local guidlines before using items that are not mine and acknowledge this page if you have found it useful, especially if you are using this page for congregational use.

Look out for daily ideas during Holy Week on the Facebook and Instagram pages

Palm Sunday Year B: ideas to engage the whole family(especially the youngest) in the set RCL readings for today

WELCOME

This week there are 2 distinct sets of readings, one for Palm Sunday every child and young at hearts favourite or Passion Sunday normally a more solomn service. I will post them seperately.

Either service marks the start of Holy Week, here are some Holy Week resources you might like to use with your family at home here, or here.

These ideas can be used in a church setting as you parent in the pews or in your own home while connecting to a broadcast service or for your daily family devotions.

They are for use by parents, grandparents and carers and for small congregations who do not have a Child and Family Ministry.

GETTING READY

If worshipping at home. You may want to set up a space to bring out or keep up through Lent.

The colour of Lent is purple, not the same blue based purple as Advent but a red based purple.

A Book that I would rcommend for sharing about Lent with Children is Make Room A Child’s Guide to Lent and Easter by Laura Alary You can see an adaption of this book in a Godly Play method here

LET’S BEGIN

You might like to start with the Lords prayer if at home, or either of these suggestions can be used when the Lord’s Prayer is said within a set service.

either IN ACTIONS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOugEQpcc_k OR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMjm93ylL2w

Or if you are looking for a more contemplative version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NuUo-igXDU&fbclid=IwAR2FasYCU-9mP1PaLQDjweXyhyUnJutt4J28KycjzeUEttWSesipX2jmJxE

To set the Palm Sunday mood you might like to Sing or watch, Wave those branches High by David MacGregor.

Today you might like to Pray during Prayers of the People, by pointing to or pulling off a leaf from either a Palm frond or one that you have drawn, and as you do so name and pray for those people you admiire or those who you want to encourage. If you have drawn a palm frond you could put the names of the people you mention on each frond.

FIRST READING: Isaiah 50:4-9a

READ: Mae’s first Day of School by Kate Berube

WATCH

Understand why it was suggested here

PSALM 118:1-2,19-29

READ: We will Rejoice by Karma Wilson

WATCH

How does this Psalm make you feel?

Describe those feelings, Show how these feelings look like in your body or draw it, or point out what it feels like from a set of emotional cards https://innovativeresources.org/resources/card-sets/bears-cards/ or the Bears App https://innovativeresources.org/resources/digital-applications/bears-app/

SECOND READING: Phillipians 2:5-11

READ: There was an old woman who lived in a shoe by Jane Cabrera

WATCH

Understand why it was suggested here

SING Seeds Family Worship Vo. 8 The Word of God No.4 Jesus Christ is Lord

PRAY:

For those you love today.

GOSPEL READING: Mark 11:1-11

READ: from a children’s Bible my choice is The Beginner’s Bible

OR Meet Jesus in Mark by Matthew Sleeman first paragraph only

OR 10 great stories from Mark pp48-51

COLOURING IN: the Beginner’s Bible Easter Coloring IN Kit

QUESTION? Where are the palm leaves in today’s reading?

OR John 12: 12-16

READ from a Children’s Bible my choice is the Beginner’s Bible

OR Biblegateway

EXTENSION: read the two passages at home and spot the differences. Then remember an event you were all at do you all remember it the same way?

Blessings

Wendy L.

Please check local guidlines before using items that are not mine and acknowledge this page if you have found it useful, especially if you are using this page for congregational use.