Children and Families - Scripture Union NZ

Mother's Day Mother's Day has become an established date in our calendars. It is often celebrated in churches. This blog post contains some ideas you can use with your children. It also includes some thoughtful blog posts and suggestions that are helpful in thinking through how to acknowledge the pain and loss often associated with this day. How do we support and encourage mothers, while acknowledging those for whom the grief of losing a mum, or not being able to bear children is a very present hurt? Ridiculously beautiful things to make out of egg cartoons!  Here's a lovely prayer for all caregivers. It is a good one to read out as part of your church service: A child is a precious gift, given into the hands of birth parents, adopted parents, caregivers, relatives, and a church community. Together we undertake the raising of children and together we ask for help, Lord! Read more here...    Here's a very thoughtful post from the Sacraparental blog:   &

Have you ever dreamed of passing a fish around in church?  Then this service resource is for you! (and even if you don't wish to pass fish...) This is an All Age Service, exploring the scene in John 21 where Jesus meets the disciples on the beach around a fire. He makes them breakfast and he gives Peter a special job to do. The service is designed to use the senses of smell and touch to explore the story. It takes a bit of set up beforehand but it is worth it!    Our sense of smell is one of our strongest memory triggers so my prayer is that people of all ages will remember this service long after they have forgotten the words. Credit to Elizabeth Singleton who led a devotion using charcoal, bread and fish in the Auckland Scripture Union office years ago – and I remember it like it was yesterday!  If you would like the script for the service please click here to download a copy from Dropbox.  Here are some extras to add into your service to engage the se

The sky i s dark but the first hints of light are touching the horizon. A c oupl e of Jesus' friends get up really early. Mary from the town of Magdala and her friends wrap their shawls around their shou lders to keep them warm. The Sabbath is over and they are getting ready to head to the tomb where Jesus is buried. They are going to put spices on his body .  As they walk along the road in the early morning of Sunday they talk about all that has happened. About how much they love their friend Jesus and how they haven't stopped crying since that horrible day when he died.  Birds sing to the dawn as they walk along the road. Pink and gold clouds streak across the sky. If it wasn't for the heav iness of their hearts they would have though t the world was a little brighter this morning. But it can't be. Jesus is dead and the world is broken and dark.  As they enter the olive grove where the tomb is the fi rst thing they notice is the big stone that was put ove