4 May 2025
Bible readings for today |
CollectHoly God,
throughout the generations the prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah; prepare us to receive him, turn us from darkness to the glorious light that is your Son, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. |
Breakfast on the Beach (John 21:1-19)
Jesus helps the disciples catch a miraculous catch of fish, and Jesus challenges Peter about his heart
Peter and the big breakfastIn this story from the Lost Sheep, Peter is back on the beach. He’s sad, ashamed, confused and the fish aren’t biting. If you’ve ever felt like this, then sit by the fire and tuck into our big breakfast story.
Download the full storytelling toolkit, with images and script (AUD10) We have also shared two free bookmark resource that they have produced (All copyright and images from Lost Sheep) 
Activities
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All Age Service ResourceA resource idea from Annette Osborne, SUNZ.
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...) Annette Osborne, from Scripture Union NZ, has put together a a wonderful All Age resource 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 her prayer is that people of all ages will remember this service long after they have forgotten the words. See here for more info: and download the file attached to this post. There are also some extras to add into your service to engage the senses:
Gospel ConversationsThe Diocese of Dunedin is continuing to look at the fascinating resurrection appearance stories, and this week we are on the beach with Jesus preparing breakfast for his friends. Rev. Michael Godfrey leads Esther, Jerry and Anne as they dig into the story with relish! New starts, new challenges and - believe it or not - "anthrax" all play a part in this week's discussion.
Visio Lectio
A beautiful image from the Visio Lectio project, created by the Anglican Diocese of Auckland. © Sarah West. All Rights reserved, shared with permission.
Download Terms of Use Look up, in and out!Look up! When the fishermen couldn’t catch their usual catch of fish, Jesus asked them to try fishing a different way. Stepping out in faith, and trying something new, can be daunting – but we can trust our good, loving God. How can you step out of your comfort zone this week and do something different?
Look in! The fishermen in the boat worked together to pull up the nets of big, heavy fish. Think about how you can work together with your friends this week, sharing the load. It can be fun, hard work – but rewarding! Look out! When Jesus spent time with his friends, it often included kai! How can we share generous hospitality (manaakitanga) with others this week? Who can you offer a drink, a biscuit, or share lunch with? From 'Journey to Pentecost' by Strandz Other ResourcesBreakfast on the Beach (Sermons4kids)
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Saul's Conversion (Acts 9:1-20)
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In a creative illustration, Worshiping with children looks at how you can use the Dr Seuss story of 'Green Eggs and Ham' as a parallel for Saul's conversion. While the Dr Suess character is adamant they do not like green eggs and ham until they try them, Paul was adamant he hated Jesus until he encountered God. The story is long, so they give some helpful advice on how to shorten it appropriately!
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