© 2021 - 2026  Strandz

15 March 2026

Bible readings for today

  • 1 Samuel 16:1-13​
  • Psalm 23:1-6
  • Ephesians 5:8-14
  • John 9:1-41

Liturgical colour: VIOLET

Collect

God of unchangeable power, 
when you fashioned the world 
the morning stars sang together 
and the host of heaven shouted for joy; 
open our eyes to the wonders of creation 
and teach us to see all things for good, 
to the honour of your glorious name; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 

E te Atua o te kaha e kore nei e memeha,
mai i tāu waihangatanga i te ao,
ka waiata ngā whetū mārama o te ata,
ka umere ngā rangi katoa i te koa;
huakina ō mātou karu kia kitea ai ngā mīharo o tāu nei ao,
whakaakona hoki mātou kia mārama te pai o ngā mea katoa,
kia whai hōnore tōu ingoa korōria;
ko Īhu Karaiti tō mātou Ariki. 
Āmine. ​​

Healing the blind (John 9:1-41)

The gospel reading today tells the story of Jesus healing a man who had been blind from birth.

Input for leaders

Lent 2020 Week 4 (Diocese of Wellington) - one in a series of Lent sermons on the theme of repentance and freedom. Speaker: Rose Morris, Blueprint Church.
Gospel Conversations 2023 (Diocese of Dunedin)
It's the complex story of a man who was born blind being healed, and of his interactions with the religious establishment. It's a story of light and darkness, of hope and new direction, and of some deep challenges as well. 
​Visio Lectio
Free downloadable image by Sarah Lea West. All Rights Reserved, shared and distributed with permission.
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Intergenerational Worship

Dark Places (Intergen Australia)
Year A 2023, Lent 4.
​Bible references: 1 Samuel, Ephesians, John​
Written and compiled by Elizabeth Waldron Anstice.

Talks

Full lessons plans & activities (Trueway Kids) - for a variety of ages.

More than one way to be blind (Ministry to Children)

​Jesus heals a man born blind (Gary Neal Hansen) - paraphrased retelling with wondering questions.

Two types of seeing (RFour) - short, simple, thoughtful.

Questions

  • I wonder how the blind man felt when he met Jesus?
  • I wonder what Jesus was thinking when he saw the blind man?
  • I wonder which part of the story stood out the most to you?
  • What do you think Jesus meant when he said "I am the light for the world”?
  • Why do you think the Pharisees didn’t want to believe that Jesus healed the man’s sight?
  • If you could be someone in today’s story, who would you be and why?

Activities

Mud in your eye activities (Sermons 4 Kids) - A selection of activities on this theme
Scavenger Hunt (for older children)
Preparation
  • Make a list of questions about your building or space.
  • Each question should require children to go and find the answer (e.g., “How many windows are in the hall?” or “What does the poster by the door say?”).
  • Print the questions with space for answers and provide pens.
  • If possible, include a few questions outside as well.
How to Play
  • Give each child (or group) a question sheet.
  • They move around the space to find the answers.
  • The winner is the person or team who finishes first or has the most correct answers.
What’s Missing? 
Preparation
  • Put several different objects on a tray. (Keep it simple for younger ones, more complicated for older ones)
  • Cover the tray with a tea towel.
How to Play
  • Sit the children in a circle with the covered tray in the middle.
  • Lift the tea towel and let them look (and gently touch) the objects for about a minute.
  • Ask everyone to close their eyes. Remove one object from the tray.
  • Children open their eyes and try to guess what is missing.
Seeing the whole picture (folding paper craft)
Preparation
  • One template per child - prefold for younger kids if needed.
  • Felt pens or crayons
What to do
  • Children draw and colour the three pictures:
  • Fold the page like a fan along the dotted lines.
  • When folded, the picture looks confusing. When opened, the full story appears.
Sometimes we don’t see things clearly at first. In the Bible story, people thought (mistakenly) the man was blind because of sin. But Jesus helped them see differently by healing him.

Preschool Play

Full Lesson Plan (Trueway Kids) - a great all in one lesson with a simple story and fun messy activities!

Light and Dark
Torches/flashlights, battery candles, scarves or cloth to make a darker space
Invite children to explore shining lights in a dim space.
They can shine lights on the wall, on toys, or under scarves.
Wonder together: I wonder what it feels like when the light comes on? I wonder why Jesus said He is the light of the world? I wonder how light helps us?

Wash and See
Shallow bowl of water, small cloths or sponges, toy people
Children can dip cloths in water and gently “wash” the toy people.
You might say: “The man washed his eyes and then he could see.”
Wonder together: I wonder how the man felt when he could see? I wonder what the first thing he saw was?

Feeling Without Seeing
Basket with textured objects (smooth stone, soft cloth, sponge, toy animal)
Children close their eyes and feel the objects with their hands.
Wonder together: I wonder what it is like to know something without seeing it? I wonder how we know Jesus loves us even when we cannot see Him?

Art in Lent

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. Think about offering resources for kids to make art too.
  • 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?
Jesus Heals a Blind Man II - by Melani Pyke

Pray it!

Ask the children to blink their eyes a few times.
Say: “In our story today, Jesus helped a man who had never been able to see. Jesus helped him see the world for the first time.”

Pray together:
“Jesus, as we blink our eyes,
thank you for helping us see.
Help us see the good things you give us.
Help us see people who need kindness.
Amen.”

Finish by inviting the children to blink once more and look around, remembering that Jesus helps us see. 👀

Media

Psalm 23 (The Lord is my shepherd)

Storytelling

Know my voice

What you need/Preparation
  • Record an audio clip of famous people’s voices. (eg. Jacinda Ardern, Peppa Pig, the vicar, yourself!)
  • Paper and pens for each group.
What to do
​Divide the children into two teams. Explain that you will play voices of famous people. As you do, the teams have to write down the name of the person that they think it is.
At the end, check the answers and see how they did!This could lead into a discussion about how we recognise people by their voices. Whose voices/ opinions do we listen to most? How do we listen to Jesus?

Psalm 23 Bible Study

Following her Psalm 23 tour in 2021, Bishop Eleanor Sanderson has compiled a four-week study guide around this theme. Designed for small group discipleship and mixing video, story, discussion and reflection, this guide is perfect for beginner and exploring Christians to go deeper in intimacy with Jesus.
​For more information, see the Movement Online website

Resources

Psalm 23 Creative Prayer stations

Picture
Download this file for instructions and a list of things required.

Let children absorb and engage with Psalm 23 as they make their way through different stations. As the children are moving around from station to station, you might like to stagger the start time, so they have time and space to enjoy each station.
Stations include

  1. Sheep
  2. Blanket
  3. Paddling pool
  4. Drink
  5. Labyrinth
  6. Tunnel
  7. Banquet
  8. God's house
 Let us know how you got on! 

Media

Worship songs

Samuel anoints David (1 Samuel 16:1-13)

Input for leaders

Gospel Conversations 2026 (Diocese of Dunedin) -  1 Sam 16:1-13
This week's story is the moment that Samuel encounters the shepherd-boy David, and recognises in him the king who would become the iconic king in Jewish thought. There is plenty in this story for us to ponder.

Intergenerational Worship

Dark Places (Intergen Australia)
Year B 2024
​Bible references: 1 Samuel
Written and compiled by Elizabeth Waldron Anstice.

Talks

Full lessons plans & activities (Trueway Kids) - for a variety of ages.

Activities

Colouring Page (What's in the Bible)

Preschool Play

David is chosen as King (Ministry to Children) - full lesson plan and activities

Samuel anoints David (Trueway Kids) - full lesson plan and activities

Media
Picture
Picture
Bible Explore
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