30 March 2025

---

Bible readings for today

• ​Joshua 5:9-12
• Psalm 32:1-11
• 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
• Luke 15:1-3,11-32​

Liturgical colour: VIOLET

Explore our Lent resources here >>

Collect

E te Atua ka whakamoemiti mātou ki a koe,
e tīaho nei te mārama o te Karaiti i roto i tō mātou pōuritanga,
te mārama e kore nei e tineia;
aratakina mātou i te ara, ā,
tae noa ki te rā o te oranga tonutanga;
mā roto i a te Karaiti tō mātou Ariki,
e noho nei e kīngi tahi nei
me koe e te Matua me te Wairua āianei, ā, ake tonu atu.
Āmine.

We praise you God,
that the light of Christ shines in our darkness
and is never overcome;
show us the way we must go to eternal day;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)

The story of the prodigal son is one of the most well known of Jesus' parables - a story of redemption, forgiveness and grace. There are many ways you can interpret or tell this story - from the point of view from the father, prodigal son, or the son who remained at home. Each part of the story reveals something about the Father heart of God. 

Input for Leaders

Visio Lectio
​A beautiful image from the Visio Lectio project, created by the Anglican Diocese of Auckland. © Rev Sarah West. All Rights reserved, shared with permission. 
Download &  Terms of Use

---

Gospel Conversations 2025: This week's gospel is surely one of the most beloved passages in Scripture: the story of the "prodigal son" as it is best known. When we are given a story like this which we have known since Sunday school and have heard myriad sermons on, is there anything to discover? Fortunately yes! 

Gospel Conversations 2022: Our Gospel Conversations panel this week take the familiar parable of the Prodigal Son and find things in it that you may never have thought of, no matter how often you've read or heard the story! 

Anglican Movement Series Lent 4 2025: Rev Mel McKenzie from St Anne's Northland-Wilton and Victoria University chaplaincy discusses Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, emphasizing the Father's unconditional love. 

​Anglican Movement Series Lent 4 2025: Rev. Ben Johnson-Frow takes us through some of his story and the story of the Prodigal Son.

Intergenerational Worship

A collection of resources and ideas, written and compiled by Beth Nicholls for Intergen Australia. Bible references: Luke

Pray it!

All Age Prayer Stations (St Albans CME)
Some wonderful prayer stations from St Albans Diocese, taking in to consideration the Bible story, people's different spiritual styles (David Csinos) and the 3 dimensional model of prayer which is upwards (God) inward (ourselves) and outwards (others) Find out more here

Questions to think about

• I wonder what it was that made the young man want to go off to a new place? 
• I wonder how the son felt when his father welcomed him back in love? 
• I wonder if it helps you be ready for Easter to know God has that kind of love for you?

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?

The Prodigal Son by John Augustus Swanson 

Kids Talks

The Prodigal Son (RFour) - will God still love us if we mess up?

A Children’s Sermon on Luke 13:11-31 (Gary Neal Hansen) - God's amazing love

Why would you eat pig's food? (missionbibleclass.org)

Both brothers needed forgiveness (Ministry to Children)

The Prodigal Son (Scottish Bible Society) - resources to explore the parable, including powerpoint slides, images and lesson plans.

The Prodigal Son  - with M&Ms (Ministry to Children)

Games / Activities

The Chocolate Game 
Play this game but use dress-ups that relate to the story e.g. a ring, a robe, sandals; or a balloon to blow up for the "celebration". At the end of the game you might like to chat about why there was pressure to eat fast (limited resource/might run out), and how it felt if you missed out and how this might relate to the older brother in the story). Then talk about how with God it is different (abundant love, nobody misses out).

Pig snorting (Truway kids.com)
You will need at least three people to play this game, but the more people, the better. Choose one person to face the wall. Behind them, one person should make the sound of a pig. The person facing the wall must guess who is making the noise. 

Stained glass windows (Flame Creative)

Prodigal Son Colouring Page (Ministry to Children)

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: Two easy ways to share the story with preschoolers - using simple felt figures or a 'story in a bag' (Flame Creative).

Story props / Farmyard Play  - Set out story props e.g. duplo/plastic/wooden animals animals and people, roads. Definitely include some pigs! 
Things to chat about - the story and what happened.

Extra Collect

God, faithful and loving, 
though we lose our way you seek us and call us back. 
Give us the courage to face our faults. 
Help us to repent, reconcile, and amend our ways that we may find our peace. 
Through Jesus Christ our Liberator, 
who is alive and reigns with you, 
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and for ever. Amen

Media

'God Of All Comfort' written to mark the 75th anniversary of Christian Aid. ​Download this song here

---

A New Creation (2 Corinthians 5:16-21)

Kids Talks

​New Creation in Christ (Collective Church)
​
The Butterfly (Sermon for Kids)

Activities

Junk Construction
Provide a selection of clean 'junk' material - plastic bottles, boxes, bottle lids, cardboard, glue gun, scissors or craft knives (with supervision), sellotape. Encourage kids to create a 'new creation', changing the junk into something amazing. 

Butterfly crafts
Butterflies can be a beautiful symbol of transformation and new life with kids. Try these butterfly crafts and chat about new life in Jesus as you create.

• Handprint Butterflies and Coffee Filter Butterflies (One Little Project)
• New Life Butterflies (Flame Creative)
• Symmetrical Butterfly Painting (Happy Hooligans)
• Butterfly Playdough Mat (Picklebums)
• ​Butterfly Design and Colour pages (Picklebums)

Pray it

New Start Prayer Station (Flame Creative)

Preschool Fun

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

Look at butterflies!
Go for a field trip to a garden with lots of butterflies.
Or watch a video (see the Media section)
Things to chat about - what it might be like for a caterpillar to change into a butterfly. 

Make popcorn 
An easy toddler safe way to do this is in paper bags in the microwave. If you want to SEE the transformation, try an electric frying pan with a glass lid.
Things to chat about - how does the popcorn change? Can it change back? 

Garden sensory bin
Fill a plastic container with rice or sand. Add plastic garden bugs and butterflies plus some scoops for pouring.

Check out the Activities section too as some of these are toddler friendly.

Media

Worship Song

Overview of the Corinthians