1 March 2026

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Bible readings for today

• Genesis 12:1-4a
• Psalm 121:1-8
• Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
• John 3:1-17 or Matthew 17:1-9

Liturgical Colour: VIOLET

Collect

Come Holy Spirit, to all baptised in your name, 
that we may turn to good 
whatever lies ahead 
Give us passion, give us fire; 
make us transform the world from what it is, 
to what you have created it to be. 
This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen.

Haere mai e te Wairua Tapu,
ki te hunga katoa kua iriiritia ki tōu ingoa,
kia tahuri ai mātou ki te pai mō ngā mea katoa e takotō ake nei.
Hōmai he wairua hihiko, te ahi kā;
kia meinga ai mātou te whakatahuri i te ao onāianei,
kia rite ki tāu e pai ai.
E īnoi ai mātou i roto i a te Karaiti tō mātou Ariki.
Āmine.

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The Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9)

When Jesus takes Peter, John, and James up a mountain to pray, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 

Input for Leaders

​What is Transfiguration?
The word "transfigured" is a very interesting word. The Greek word is "metamorpho" and it means to transform, literally or figuratively to metamorphose, or to change... In the case of the transfiguration of Jesus Christ it means to match the outside with the reality of the inside. To change the outward so that it matches the inward reality. Jesus' divine nature was "veiled" in human form and the transfiguration was a glimpse of that glory. Therefore, the transfiguration of Jesus Christ displayed the... glory of God incarnate in the Son.

​Gospel Conversations 2023 (Diocese of Dunedin) - When Peter commented on the Transfiguration, God suggested he try listening instead. With that as a background, it is a daunting challenge for us to try to discuss this mystery!

Transfiguration (Diocese of Wellington) - Bishop Eleanor, Assistant Bishop of Wellington, shares a short talk about a painting of the transfiguration, as apart of the Wellington Lenten series for 2019

Visio Lectio
Free downloadable image by Sarah Lea West. All Rights Reserved, shared and distributed with permission.
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Intergenerational Worship

Transfiguration Sunday (Intergen Australia) Year A 2023.
Bible referenes: Matthew
Written and compiled by Elizabeth Waldron Anstice. 

Talks

​​A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 17:1-9 (Gary Neal Hansen) - How do you help kids find something useful in a story that their parents probably find baffling? (Includes some great wondering questions)

The Transfiguration (Sermons 4 Kids) - Simple telling of the story with object lesson

​Transfiguration of Jesus (Ministry to Children) - Full lesson plan

Jesus Shines (RFour) - simple Ask Tell Share talk

​Flashlight Talk (RFour.org) - simple Ask Tell Share talk

Children's object lesson with glowing bottle (childrensministry.com)

Children's object lesson - with invisible ink (April Fiet)
​
Jesus disguised! (Sunday School Works)

Activities

Build a tent
You'll need: string, scissors, some bamboo canes or sticks or tent poles, old sheets and blankets.
See if the kids can work out two to make a tent from the supplies. 

Spot the Change (Family Faith Ministry)
Intro if using as a starter - Can you tell when something changes? Sometimes seeing how something has changed is easy and sometimes it is hard. Today, we are going to learn how Jesus’ appearance changed on the mountain. Everyone who was with Jesus noticed the change. Before we discover what happened, let’s play a game to see how well you see changes. 

• Divide children into teams of 3–4.
• One team stands at the front while everyone else studies how they look.
• Send the team out to change one thing about one person (e.g., hair, clothing, accessories).
• The team returns, and the others guess what changed.
• Repeat so each team has a turn.

Asleep, awake! 
Play the traffic light game (Playworks) but instead of using "Red light" and "Green light" use "Asleep" and "Awake!".

Pray it!

Give each child a battery tealight or glowstick
Say: “On the mountain, Jesus’ face shone like the sun. God’s light was with him — and God’s light is with us too.”

Go around the circle - each child can turn on their light and thank God for something that feels like God's light or goodness in their life (out loud or in their hearts). 

Finish with a simple prayer like 
Jesus, Shine your love in our hearts. Help us shine your light this week. Amen.

Questions

• If you could have lunch with anyone dead or alive, who would it be? 
• I wonder how Peter, John and James felt when they woke up and saw that Jesus looked different?
• I wonder how they knew it was still Jesus?
• I wonder how we can know it is Jesus?
• I wonder why Peter wanted to build a shelter for Jesus, Moses and Elijah?
• Have you ever felt a bit like Peter? Wanting to keep something for ever, that was only meant to last a short time? Perhaps you found a butterfly and wanted to keep it in a jar for ever, or looked after a bird in a box, but didn't want to say goodbye to it? 
• I wonder why Peter, John and James were quiet after the loud voice said: "This is my chosen Son. Listen to what he says!”
• I wonder what happened next? 
• I wonder what they spoke about between that event, and coming down the mountain the next day?

The Transfiguration in Art

​If you want to mark Lent in a simple rich way, how about creating a space where your kids can spend some time with Jesus-related art. Try these questions or make up your own:

• What do you see? 
• What part of the bible / God's story is this painting about?
• What might this show us about Jesus? About people? About our world?
• What do you think is important in this picture?
• Does anything in this picture have more than one meaning?
• I wonder what God might be saying to you through this picture today?

​Transfiguration by Sieger Köder

Preschool Play

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

Tent-building - bring out a pop up tent, or fling an old sheet over a table to make a "tent". Tell the story inside with puppets, act it out with a torch and shadow silhouettes, or just load in lots of cushions and tell it while all the kids snuggle down.
Things to chat about: What happens when we are somewhere amazing and it's time to go? ​

Dressups - hats, scarves, sunglasses etc. Try a quick game of "Where has [name] gone? She was just here but now I can't see her." Toddlers will find this hilarious and love to show you that it is still them. 
Things to chat about - sometimes people look different but they are still them.  ​

Media

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Nicodemus (John 3:1-17)

Today's reading tells the story of when Jesus talked with Nicodemus - an important Jewish teacher.

Places of Wondering (Intergen Australia)
Year A 2023, Lent 2.
​
​Bible references: Genesis, John, Psalm, Romans​
Written and compiled by Elizabeth Waldron Anstice.

Talks

Butterfly Talk
You will need: Tiny pompoms, glue, pegs, googly eyes, pipecleaners, ziplock bags, lollies (milk bottles, raspberries/blackberries, marshmallows), cheerio cereal, print outs of a caterpillar template. 

• Get them to choose 5 pompoms and hold them while you talk about....butterflies.  Who has seen any butterflies this summer?  Watched them lay eggs, watch the caterpillars grow, seen the beautiful chrysalis and the amazing butterfly come out?  Well....  Lay your pompoms out on the table as you listen to this story:
• Our bible reading today is when Jesus talks to Nicodemus.  Nicodemus was a very important and clever Jewish teacher and he came to ask Jesus some questions (at night!).  He could see that the things Jesus was doing were more amazing than an ordinary man could do.  He was very surprised when Jesus said to him that everyone, including him, would need to be ‘born again’ to be able to be with God.  Nicodemus was confused!  How can you be born again?  Well you can’t!  Unless you think about a change that happens in your heart.  Your heart can be transformed just like a caterpillar is completely changed into a butterfly.  Because to be ‘born again’ is talking about the change that happens inside you.  That change can happen when you want God in your life and want to try and put Him first.  So let’s build our caterpillar and then transform him/her into a butterfly! 

Butterfly craft: 

• You have 5 pieces of a caterpillar: caterpillar body x 2, pompoms, antenna, ziplock bags for wings. Stick the caterpillar card to the peg, the side with writing on goes on the bottom.  Then glue the pompoms to the peg. The head will be the end that opens.  Add a pipe cleaner if liked for an antennae.
• God’s love and learning more about Jesus from the bible is like a gift to us that transforms us.  So I have a gift for you, to help you remember God’s love is like a gift, you only have to accept it!  Who is going to accept my gift?! (lollies)
• ​The lollies are going to be your butterfly wings, so you will want an even number.  You can choose 2 milk bottles, 2 blackberry/raspberries and 4 marshmallows and few cheerios.  Put them in the ziplock bag, half on each side.  Then close the bag and hold it in the middle with the peg.

Questions

• What is wind?

• Where does wind come from?

• What is the Holy Spirit?

Activities

Popcorn Parachute
You will need - Parachute, Pompoms or small light balls

• Talk very briefly about what potential is.  Liken it to popcorn.  We are like popcorn and if we let God into our lives, through the spirit, we can burst with joy!  And change into something new... 
  
• All stand around the parachute and give everyone a woolly pompom.  Explain that the parachute is like God’s love, when they are ready they can thrown their pompom (themselves) into God’s love (the parachute) watch how high they can leap!  Can we get them to touch the ceiling?  Is there nothing they cannot do?!!

Caterpillar Race Game (PBS Kids website)
You will need - balloons and cones or obstacles.

• Form two teams of three or more. The course should be about 20 feet long, marked with a start and finish line.
  
• To play this game you'll need balloons and cones or obstacles. Set up the course with four obstacles for each team. Space them out evenly between the start and finish lines.
  
• Each team lines up single file. Each player sandwiches a balloon between herself and the person in front of her. Each team is a little caterpillar!
  
• First team to run around the cones and back while keeping the balloons between them, wins. (And you can't use your hands to get the balloons in place!). On your marks, get set, go!

Holy Spirit Windmills 
​You will need - A template and pencil for each child, thumb tacks, crepe paper in red, orange, yellow and blue, stuff to decorate with.

• Cut out the template. Get the children to decorate it. Cut down the dotted lines on the template.
• Pull the four corners with a * into the middle.
• Take a thumbtack, and carefully push through the centre of the template and all four corners. Take a pencil and push the thumbtack into the pencil. Make sure that you don’t push it all the way.
• Attach crepe paper streamers to the windmill. You may like to wrap them around the pencil. Or have them attached to the wind mill.
• Test that it works by blowing it.

Scenes from the Story (Jesus without language) - Create a three-sided stage showing scenes from the meeting of Jesus and Nicodemus. 

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The Call of Abram (Genesis 12:1-4a)

Input for leaders

Genesis 12:1-4a marks the divine call of Abram, where God instructs him to leave his country, community, and father's house for an unknown land. God promises to make Abram a great nation, bless him, make his name great, and bless all families of the earth through him. At age 75, obedient Abram departs Haran for Canaan with Lot.

Genesis 12:1-4a
The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation,
    and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.”
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.

Resources

Gospel Conversations 2026 (Diocese of Dunedin) - In this little passage from Genesis we have the launching of the People of God, sent out blessed by God to be a blessing to the nations. As Abram sets off from his home and family, we ponder together issues of nationhood and calling and blessing. Grace Morris, Jenny Dawson and Anne van Gend join Michael this week.

Dive into a Bible study using the Bible Project resources

Media