20 June 2021
Bible readings for today |
CollectCreator God, you spoke the word and the wind and waves responded;
speak your word to the storms of doubt and fear that assail our troubled world. Set within us a love for your creation and all your people. May our actions honour and care for this fragile world. Through Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever. Amen |
Disability Sunday
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This Sunday is Disability Sunday.
The Disability, Spirituality and Faith Network Aotearoa New Zealand marks Disability Sunday this year by launching the Creating Welcoming Churches e-book version and a ‘Stand or sit?’ campaign. "Phrases such as “Stand if you are able” might sound sensitive to people who cannot stand; however, they only highlight the issue for people who find it difficult to stand or who cannot do so. It would be good to be able to get to the stage where it is acceptable to simply say “Stand or sit”." -- Source: The Rev’d Vicki Terrell, Disability Community Chaplain, here For more information, see this article from the Auckland Diocese |
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The Storm that Stopped (Mark 4:35-41)
Calming the storm is one of the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels
The Storm that Stopped
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This book is a wonderful retelling of the bible story found in Mark 4, with vivid illustrations and an engaging prose.
You can watch the story on YouTube here, narrated by a New Zealander! Or buy yourself a copy on Book Depository here. |
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Children's TalkA talk from the Storybox resources
If you could be one person in the story, would you be Jesus or the disciples? (Pause for answers) I would like to think that I would be Jesus, and calmly have faith that everything was going to be okay. It would also be really cool to be able to tell the storm to settle down and have it happen instantly! But if I’m honest, I’d probably have been a disciple: scared about drowning, forgetting completely about having faith and also would have been screaming my lungs out while I was at it! Sometimes it’s not that easy to have faith in God, especially when we are stuck in really difficult situations. Can you think of a time when you have been really afraid? (Pause) Maybe you get scared of the dark, or maybe you are afraid of talking in front of lots of people. Well, I want you to do something for me. The next time you find yourself in a situation where you are scared, I want you to just send a quick prayer up to God. It might be something like this: Dear God, I’m really scared at the moment. Please, can you help me? God doesn’t want you to be scared. God wants to help you and all you have to do is ask and have faith! |
Quick Questions
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Activities
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Intergenerational ArtBeth Barnett has put together some fantastic Intergenerational resources for Intergen, part of the Centre for Theology & Ministry in Melbourne.
Today's creative art ideas can be found here. Well worth a look! 
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Boat RaceA game for younger children
What you need: Large boxes from the supermarket. What to do: Give each child a box and get them to line up at one end of the room. Get them to kneel inside the box so they can push themselves along with their hands. When you say ‘Go!’ they have to try and get to the other side of the room first! |
Crossing the Sea TagA game for older children
What you need: Nothing! What to do: Choose someone to be ‘In’. Have them stand in the middle of the room. Get the rest of the children to stand at one end of the room. The person who is in, calls out ‘Crossing the Sea!’ and all the children have to try and run to the other end of the room without getting tagged. The person who is in tries to tag as many people as they can. If a child gets tagged, they must freeze where they are. They are now also ‘in’ but can only tag people that they can reach without moving. The next round starts when the person who is in calls out ‘Crossing the Sea!’ The game ends when there is no one left to tag! |
Prayer in a Bottle
What you need: paper, pens and felts, bottles (1 per child). Soft drink bottles are ideal! Paddling pool filled with water, or a piece of large blue material to represent water.
What to do: Get each of the children to write/draw a letter (prayer) to God for help with something that scares them or they are having trouble with.
Roll up the letter and put it in a bottle. Write ‘SOS!’ in large letters on the bottle.
Tell the children about how in the past people would write messages in bottles and throw them out to sea in the hope that someone across the sea would find the message -- either a stranger, or someone they loved (if you were a hopeless romantic!).
With either the paddling pool or the piece of material, get the children to one by one put their bottle into the ‘water’ and remind them that God hears their prayers, even in the storms.
What to do: Get each of the children to write/draw a letter (prayer) to God for help with something that scares them or they are having trouble with.
Roll up the letter and put it in a bottle. Write ‘SOS!’ in large letters on the bottle.
Tell the children about how in the past people would write messages in bottles and throw them out to sea in the hope that someone across the sea would find the message -- either a stranger, or someone they loved (if you were a hopeless romantic!).
With either the paddling pool or the piece of material, get the children to one by one put their bottle into the ‘water’ and remind them that God hears their prayers, even in the storms.
Media
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Saddleback Kids: Jesus calms the Storm
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Jesus Calms the storm
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Kids' Club: Jesus calms the storm
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Kids on the Move: Jesus calms the storm
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Gospel ConversationsMichael Godfrey, Alec Clark and Katie Marcar are joined by a delightful visiting contributor from Brisbane, Fiona Hammond, to discuss storms and boats and crossing over to the other side, in this "Ordinary Sunday 12" gospel reading, Mark 4:35-41.
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David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17)
There are many bits of 1 Samuel 17 in today's story, so for simplicity, you might like to cover the life of David for children, or focus on a particular part - like when he defeats Goliath.
Media
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David and Goliath - Saddleback Kids (1 Samuel 17: 1-58)
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