Welcome to our families page. We will be posting links and ideas for creative worship that can be enjoyed be people of all ages.
Sunday 28th June – Fisher’s of Men
Activity for Children
Make a 3D fish from paper and talk about how God made ‘all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea.’
Activity for Everyone
Take time to read this lovely article about creating a prayer net, inspired by Ely Cathedral.
Maybe you could create your own prayer net at home (if you do send us a picture of your prayer net) or as you pray today think about how your prayers are joined with other prayers from all over the world.
Story
Listen to this story about how Jesus called Peter, a fishermen to follow him and tell others about him
Music for Children
Watch this YouTube clip with a song about Jesus calling fishermen to follow him.
Music for Everyone
Commit again to following Jesus with this song, ‘I will follow’ by Chris Tomlin
Sunday 21st June – God’s family
Activity for Children
Grow a egg cress head. You’ll need an egg shell, permanent market pen, cotton wool and cress or mustard seeds. Draw a face on the empty, clean egg shell, dampen the cotton wool with cool water and place in the egg shell before sprinkling the seeds on top. Place in and egg cup (or other suitable holder, an egg box would do) and leave in a warm sunny spot, like a window sill and watch them grow
Talk about how Jesus said “And even the hairs of your head are all counted”
Activity for Everyone
Who are your brothers and sisters in Christ? Perhaps you’ve not seen or spoken to them for a while due to lock down. Make time to get in touch with one another and let them know that God loves them. Maybe you could send them a message, letter or post card.
Worship music for children
Thank God for creating you as you are with ‘If I were a butterfly’
Worship music for everyone
Reflect on how you are a child of God, part of his family with the song ‘Who you say I am’ by Hillsong
Sunday 14th June – Mission
Activity for Children
Create prayer footprints. Either draw around your feet or paint them and place them on paper or card to make footprints. Cut them out and put them somewhere you will see them often. Each time you see them ask God where he’d like you to take his message and share it with others.
Activity for Everyone
Create your own contact circles either as a family your own. You’ll need a big piece of paper (I’ve stuck two sheets of A4 together) and some coloured pens. Start by drawing a circle in the centre with your names in it. Draw a bigger circle around the first and write in it all the names of people you see all the time, family members and close friends. Then draw another bigger circle write the names in of people you are in contact with regularly, it may include teachers, class-mates, co-workers or friends. Draw one more circle and write in the names of people you see occasionally, this might include wider family members and old friends who you keep in touch with. Finally, look at all the names, think about how you can show them who Jesus is.
Story
Listen to the story of Jesus sending out the 12 disciples:
Worship Music for Children
Sing along to this song ‘as for me’ all about serving God:
Worship Music for Everyone
Reflect on what God is calling you to do while listening to the song ‘New Wine’ by Hillsong:
Sunday 7th June – Trinity Sunday
Activity for Children
Check out this great idea for a Trinity Subdae, using different flavoured ice cream
Celebrate Trinity Sunday with “Trinity Sundaes”
If you don’t have Neapolitan ice cream you could use different flavoured sauces or make a three layered cake. Talk about how the layers or flavours represent the different persons of the trinity, God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit, but they are all one God.
Activity for Everyone
To remind you of the trinity and the three persons of God working to get her in unity you could try making this key chain from different coloured cords:
Story
Watch this fun explanation of the holy trinity
Worship Music for Children
Celebrate the trinity with this trinity song, ‘3 in 1’
Worship Music for Everyone
‘Praise God from whom all blessings flow’ with this beautiful version of the doxology
Sunday 31st May – Pentecost
Apologies for the technical glitch and delay in posting this week’s creative worship ideas
Activity for Children
To create a hanging paper flame you will need red orange or yellow paper, glue, scissors and some string. First cut the paper into a square. If you are making a two tone flame stick two sheets together. Fold the paper in half diagonally, and then in half diagonally again. Cut strips into the paper as shown in the image making sure not to go all the way to the edge. Unfold the paper. To create the flame starting in the middle fold the corns out to meet each other and secure with glue. Repeat the process working from the centre outwards alternating which direction you fold. Finally make a hole in the top and tie a loop of string to hang it.
Activity for Everyone
Take some time to think about the gifts, skills and abilities that God has given you? What do you enjoy doing and what are you good at? It might be sewing, being creative, generosity, administration or organizing people – God gives lots of different gifts. Reflect on what you can do with the gifts God has given you to honor him and help others? You could create an action plan for how to use your gifts.
Story
Watch this retelling if the story of Pentecost by children.
Worship Music for Children
Enjoy this song for children ‘God is bigger than a dinosaur’
Worship Music for Everyone
Invite God to set you on fire for him again with this song ‘Burn like a star’ by the Rend Collective:
Sunday 24th May – Jesus Prays
Activity for Children
Play dough prayers – with some play dough create shapes and models of things you’d like to thank God for, it might be an animal, your favourite food or a person who is special to you.
In case you don’t have play dough here is a recipe by BBC Good Food to make your own: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/playdough-recipe
Alternatively here are the activity sheets from Roots for this week’s service.
Activity for Everyone
Drawer your own prayer tree. This is an activity you can do on your own or as a family. You’ll need lots of pens and a big piece of paper (I’ve used two pieces of A4 taped together). Draw around your forearm and hand to create the trunk and branches. Fill the space inside the arm with as many words as you can think of or fit in to describe God. Around the branches write the names of people or situations that you want to pray for. If you want you could drawer leaves or flowers around the names, or cut out shapes, write on them then stick them around the branches.
If you are not sure where to start, you could use method of praying using your hand from this week’s service.
Story
This week’s story from YouTube is about Jesus praying for his disciples
Worship music for Children
Listen to this song, ‘I will pray’ on YouTube
Worship music for everyone
Take time to pray to God with this modern version of the Lord’s Prayer by Hillsong:
Sunday 17th May – The Unknown God
Activity for Children
God made people of every size, shape and colour and he loves us all. Why not make some paper chain people following this YouTube video and colour them in to remind us that God loves everyone.
Activity for Everyone
There are lots of different ways we can engage with God and pray, which can be helpful, especially when we are finding things hard. Below is a link to a website all about praying in colour, which uses drawing, doodling and colouring to help us pray – why not give it a go!
Story
Watch this story on YouTube about Paul speaking to the people in Athens about the unknown God.
Worship for Children
Sing along to this version of ‘He’s got the whole world in his hands’ by the Little Worship Company.
Worship for Everyone
Take a moment to spend time with God, focusing on him, using this song ‘Nothing Else’ on YouTube.
Sunday 10th May – Do not let your hearts be troubled
Activity for Children
Just as the basket for Moses floated on the water explore what does and does not float. You’ll need a large clear bowl full of water and lots of different objects (that won’t get damage when they get wet), you could also make different shapes out of play dough. Talk about how trusting in Jesus helps is to ‘float’ when we feel like we are sinking.
Activity for Everyone
Do you know anyone who is struggling at the moment? Try making a paper basket following the YouTube video below and filling it with treats to give to them.
Story
Watch this story about the birth of Moses on YouTube
Worship for Children
Sing along to ‘Be bold, be strong’ with this YouTube video
Worship for Everyone
Reflect on and thank God for all He has done for you while listening to ‘No longer a Slave’ on YouTube
Sunday 3rd May – The Good Shepherd
Activity for Children
Make a Shepherd and two cotton wool sheep. You will need two toilet rolls, stiff card and paper, fabric scrap, elastic band, string, a straw or pipe cleaner, cotton wool, pens, glue and scissors.
For the shepherd cut a strip of paper that fits around the roll and half the length for a coat. I folded back the corners to create the collar. Then cut a strip of card for the arms and create hand shapes at either end and stick the center to the roll just over halfway up. Cut out a face shape from the paper, draw a face and stick it on. Cut the scrap of fabric to create a head dress hold it in place with the elastic band. I also also used string to add a belt. Finally shape the straw or pipe cleaner to make a staff, cut to length and stick to one hand. If you don’t have either of these you could cut the shape from card.
To make two sheep cut a toilet roll in half. Cut strips of card, fold in thirds and glue the center third to the base of the roll, one at either end to create four legs. Cut a head shape and glue to the inside of the top of the roll. Finally cover in cotton wool (this is the bit I got my toddler involved in).
Use the shepherd and sheep to talk about how Jesus is the good shepherd, and takes care of his sheep.
Activity for Everyone
Take time to reflect on Psalm 23 and how God is protecting and providing for you at this difficult time. To help you could print out a copy of the psalm and illustrate the text.
Alternatively you could try making a Psalm 23 prayer bracelet or bookmark using the instructions on this link: http://www.maryclareevans.com/?p=843
Story
Watch this story on YouTube about how Jesus is the Good Shepherd based on John 10:
Worship for children
Sing along with this song about Jesus being the good shepherd on YouTube:
Worship for Everyone
Enjoy this new take on God as our shepherd by Amanda Cook and chose to trust him and follow his lead
Sunday 26th April – Road to Emmaus
Activity
Take a short walk around your garden (or near your house if it’s safe to do so). What can you find that reminds you of the stories of Jesus? Collect items or take pictures of them. If doing this with children talk about the items you have found together, thanking God for what he’s said and done.
For those who are a bit older, can you find bible reference for the stories you remembered?
Story
Watch ‘The Seriously Surprising Story’ from YouTube:
Worship for Children
Sing along to this version of ‘this little light of mine’ on YouTube
Worship for Everyone
Reflect on all Christ has done for us while singing ‘Christ is Risen’ by Phil Wickham on YouTube
Sunday 19th April – Doubting Thomas
Activities for children
Draw around your hand on a piece of card and cut it out. Then draw around a coin in the center of the hand and cut it out to create a hole. Use it to remind you that Jesus really did die on the cross for you!
Activities for Everyone
Are there things you are struggling to believe at the moment? Write then on bits of paper, put them in an envelope and give them to God – praying “help my unbelief”.
Set a reminder or a note to come back to it in 6 weeks and see how God has answered your prayers
Story
Watch this YouTube video about the story of doubting Thomas:
Worship for Children
Sing along to the YouTube video of the song “He’s Alive, He’s Alive”:
Worship for Everyone
Step out in faith singing Raise A Hallelujah by Bethel Music on YouTube:
Easter Day
Activities for Everyone
Make a tissue paper strained glass cross. Using a piece of coloured card, fold it in half lengthways and cut the corners out to make the shape of a cross. Then cut the center of the cross out, leaving a thick (2cm) border all the way around. Tear up strips of tissue paper and stick them over the cross until it’s completely covered. Once done turn it around and hold it up to the light!
If you are doing this with a toddler it might be easier to place a sheet of clear sticky back plastic behind the cross to stick the tissue paper too instead of using glue. Trim the sticky back plastic and tissue to fit the cross.
Activities for Children
Cut out of card the shape of a cross (If you made the tissue paper stain glass cross you could reuse the cutout). Place it on top of another piece of paper and hold it in place (I used blue tack) while you let your little one draw / scribble over it. When you remove the cross it should create a joyful picture of the cross!
If you made an Easter garden don’t forget to roll the stone away from the tomb today!
Story
Learn more about what happened on Easter Sunday from the story ‘The very best morning’ on YouTube:
Worship for children
Sing along to the song “Jesus is alive” from YouTube:
Worship for everyone
Celebrate that Jesus has risen with this song ‘Because he lives’ by Matt Maher on YouTube:
Good Friday
Activities for Children
Create an Easter garden, using what you can find in your garden. For inspiration watch the YouTube clip below:
If you don’t have seeds you may have some flowers or moss from your garden you could use.
If you make an Easter Garden send us a picture that we can share!
Activities for Everyone
Create a cross from coins, and reflect on how God has “paid in full” for the things we have done (see Colossians 2:13-14).
Story
Learn about the story of Easter by watching this YouTube video:
Worship for Children
Sing along to this song about Easter, This is how God shows us his love on YouTube:
Worship for Everyone
Reflect on what Jesus went trough and achieved for us on the cross while watching this YouTube video of the song Jerusalem by CityAlight:
Palm Sunday
Activities for Children
Create hand palm leave to use in worship. Draw around your hands on green card, cut them out and staple them onto empty toilet rolls. If you don’t have green card you could use white paper or card and colour them green or use green paint to make hand prints and cut around them.
You could also try some of the activities on the Roots activity sheet for this week:
Activity for Everyone
Make your own paper palm crosses following this YouTube guide:
Story
The Pennywell Farm donkeys have shared this retelling of Palm Sunday:
Worship for Children
Praise God with this action song from YouTube, “I’m Gonna Jump Up and Down”:
Worship for Everyone
Reflect on Jesus as described in today’s reading in Philippians 2:5-11 while listening to this song by CityAlight: