© 2021 - 2026  Strandz

5 April 2026

Bible readings for today

  • Acts 10:34-43* or Jeremiah 31:1-6
  • Psalm 118: 1-2, 14-24
  • Colossians 3:1-4 or Acts 10:34-43
  • John 20:1-18 or Matthew 28:1-10

* The reading from Acts must be used as either the 1st or 2nd reading 

​NZ Daylight Saving time ends at 2am on Sunday

Liturgical Colour: WHITE

Collect

E te Atua te kaihōmai o te ora me te mārama,
pīataata ana tēnei pō tapu,
e kānapanapa ana te Karaiti kua ara mai nei;
whakahōutia tāu Hāhi ki te Wairua i hōmai e ō mātou iriiringa,
kia tika, kia pono tā mātou whakamoemiti ki a koe, kia tīaho ai mātou hei māramatanga i te ao;
Ko Īhu Karaiti tō mātou Ariki,
e ora ana, e kīngi tahi ana me koe me te Wairua Tapu,
kotahi anō Atua, ināianei, ā, mō ake tonu atu.
Āmine. 
Eternal giver of life and light,
this holy night shines with the radiance of the risen Christ;
renew your Church with the Spirit given to us in baptism,
that we may worship you in sincerity and truth,
and shine as a light in the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
​one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Jesus is alive! (John 20:1-19)

The aim of today is to understand that Jesus rose from the dead and brings us hope of new life in him, and that something happy and wonderful can come out of something very sad.

Input for leaders

​Gospel Conversations 2023: (Diocese of Dunedin) EASTER John 20:1-19 -  In one of the most moving Conversations we have had, our team rejoice in the deep mystery, love and hope of Mary Magdalene's encounter with the risen Jesus in the garden. You won't want to miss this one!
A beautiful free downloadable image by Sarah Lea West. All Rights Reserved, shared and distributed with permission.
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Download
Seven Minute Sermon Podcast
Centuries of speculation have given Mary Magdalene a bad reputation. But her life actually provides a great example to follow. This 7 minute sermon podcast from Rev. George Penk is based on Luke 8.1-2 and John 20:14-17

Easy Easter Packs

Games
Here are a few things that might be useful if you are making up Easter Packs to hand out to kids.

Intergenerational Services

Intergenerational Church Services (Scripture Union NZ)
  • What kind of king is this? This service focuses on Jesus and the kind of King he was. What kind of King rides on a donkey? (John 12)
  • In their shoes: Step into the shoes of six people in the Easter story and look at what happened through their eyes. 
  • ​The Colours of Easter: This service explores the events of Easter Sunday, using colours to describe the moments of Jesus' journey.
  • Breakfast on the Beach: Have you ever dreamed of passing a fish around in church? Then this service is for you! (John 21)
Easter Sunday​ (Intergen Australia)
Year A 2023.
​Bible references: John, Matthew.
Written and compiled by Rev Sandy Brodine.
Intergenerational Service Outlines 2026 (Scottish Bible Society) - A set of free to download intergenerational service outlines for Easter Sunday, Ascension and Pentecost.

Kids Talks

Questions to think about

  • What is your favourite part of Easter?
  • What do we say to each other at church on Easter?
  • I wonder what Mary was thinking when she saw the empty tomb?  
  • I wonder why Mary didn't recognise Jesus when she first saw him?"
  • I wonder what you would have been thinking if you'd gone to Jesus' tomb and found it empty?"
  • What do you think the disciples thought when they heard about
    Jesus?
  • How do you think Jesus' mother felt when she found out her son
    was alive again?
  • How can we spread the joy of Easter?

Celebrate with balloons! 

Love this idea from Carmen Kamrath from Childrens Ministry.com
Could be used in so many ways :) 

You’ll need: Helium balloons with ribbons attached (one for every child) and
a large brown blanket or tarp
Before kids arrive, place helium-filled balloons under a large “tomb” formed by a brown blanket or tarp.
Gather children around the tomb and talk about how after Jesus died on the cross he was buried in a cave and the guards covered it with a large rock. Remind them that on Easter morning, his friends discovered that Jesus defeated death and is alive! Then release the blanket so the balloons float to the ceiling. Remind children that just as the balloons rose from the “tomb,” Jesus rose from the grave so we could live with him forever.

As kids leave, give them a balloon to take home to remind them of the Easter message.

Pray it!

5 Creative Prayer Stations telling the story of Holy Week. Includes questions to think about and a script for taking a group of children around the stations. (Flame Creative).  

Easter Egg Prayers (FlameCreative) - simple multisensory prayers using a hollow chocolate easter egg. 
More Easter Resources can be found on our Strandz Website.
Nothing like a few games for Easter fun! Try these:
SAFETY NOTE: If using eggs check for allergies. You can sub raw or hard-boiled eggs out for chocolate easter eggs, plastic easter eggs with lollies in, or ping pong balls.

Activities

Wonder Walks: Gospel of John (Bible Society) - Eight different all-age walks to help explore the Easter story.

Wonder walks: Gospel of Mark (Bible Society) - Eight different all-age walks to help explore the Easter story.
Flowering the Cross
Flowering the Cross is an old Easter tradition! It involves decorating a bare cross with flowers as a symbol of the resurrection. The activity can be shaped to fit the specific message of your service. You will need: wooden cross wrapped in netting or wire, baskets of flowers and greenery.
St John's Johnsonville did this activity as part of an intergenerational service. They displayed John 3:16 in full, and instructions that said "What has been broken in your heart or in your world this year? Choose something to decorate the cross with. Ask God to transform the brokenness with his love and grace. Thread your flower onto the cross."
Easter Outdoor Trail (Scottish Bible Society) - Various options and could easily be adapted to be a fabulous intergenerational activity.
Our Sins are Wiped Away (Children's Ministry) - object lesson about Jesus forgiving our sins.
​Pebble Easter Eggs
A simple and beautiful craft, great for all ages to make, and you could use them in a treasure hunt activity too. (Sunhats & Wellieboots)
Other creative Easter activities

Preschool Fun

Here are some ways you can invite your preschoolers to play their way into the bible story and spending time with God. 

​Share the Story: How about using a small world play tray to tell the story? (Sunhats & Wellie boots) Doubles as a great open-ended exploratory activity after the story. 

Share the Story: A simple version of resurrection eggs for little ones. (Happy Home Fairy)

Hide and Seek: Check out the ideas in this lesson plan for 3-5's (Faith in Kids)

Playdough: Try these Easter playdough mats from FlameCreative.

Happy face, sad face: Make double sided masks out of paper plates, or blow up balloons and draw different emotion faces on them. Things to chat about: What makes you happy and sad? How did Jesus friends feel?

Surprises: Play with a jack-in-the-box or a game like Buckaroo ​where there is an element of surprise. Talk about: What is it like to be surprised? What surprises have you had? Are they good? bad?

Alive again! Play the 'sleeping giant' game with the kids. Talk about Jesus being dead and then alive again.

Media

Songs

We'd love your feedback and ideas

Bible Explore is a team effort, and we'd love their what creative ideas and resources you're using.
If it was a hit for you, it might help others too...
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