22 August 2027
Bible readings for today |
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Liturgical Colour: GREEN Today is Anglican Communion Sunday |
E te Atua o Īharaira te tawhito me te mea hou,
tuhia ki ō mātou ngākau ngā whakahau o āu ture; whakatikaina ō mātou hinengaro kia mau ki te rongopai e whakatinanatia i roto i tāu Tama i a Īhu Karaiti. Āmine. God of Israel old and new, write in our hearts the lessons of your law; prepare our minds to receive the gospel made visible in your Son Jesus Christ. Amen. |
Jesus the Bread of Life (John 6:56-69)
Today's gospel reading looks at how the bread and wine of communion remind us of the body and blood of Jesus. Many of Jesus' disciples begin to leave him when things get tough. Last week we looked at lots of bread of life resources and ideas, some of which can be adapted for today. Check those out here.
Art & The Last SupperArt is a wonderful way for kids to explore and express their understanding of stories and scripture and connect it to what is happening in their lives.
You might like to share some different artistic expressions of the Last Supper with your kids. Just google 'The Last Supper artwork' and you'll find many depictions. Try and choose a range of styles and cultures. Wonder about:
Offer the kids art materials and the opportunity to create! - What would a painting of communion at your church look like? - If you were having a party with Jesus, what would it look like? 
Abstract Last Supper by ArtsybyElle
Visio Divina - listening to GodVisio Divina is the thoughtful contemplation of a picture, photo, work of art, or really anything visual that invites God to speak to us. Visio Divina can be done in a group with others or practiced alone. And it works for any age too!
Here are a few tips for getting started with kids
A print from Revd Sarah West, from Visio Lectio. Shared with permission, please see her website for terms of use.
PNG Download Download w/ background Terms of Use 
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Leaders inputGospel Conversations 2024: We're still in John's Gospel and still talking about the bread! Gillian, Jeremy, Richard and Michael delve deep into why this passage means so much to us, before we head back to the Gospel of Mark next week.
Gospel Conversations 2021: Michael Godfrey talks with Lisa Emerson, Richard Johnson and Gary Griffith-Smith about the challenges and promises surrounding Jesus' difficult instructions to "eat my flesh and drink my blood." Anyone not brought up in the Christian faith could be justifiably horrified to hear that read from the Bible. What do we do with it?
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The Armour of God (Ephesians 6: 10-20)
Lesson PlansThree words: aluminum foil armor! This is a fun lesson that gets kids involved in exploring what the Bible says about the armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-20.
Kids work in groups to read and discuss what spiritual armor is used for, and then use craft materials (aluminum foil, poster board, and tape, mostly) to make life-size models of a piece of armor. Includes question pages for discussing each part of the armour and then making the armour. The Armour of God Salvation Army lesson plan that includes some teaching ideas, questions, fun activities and interactive learning. Find it here. Make your own easy DIY armour to show the kids. Easy Object LessonsActivities
Lollipop Soldier
The idea is from a Dutch website, Trak Tatie and while there are no english instructions, you can see how easy it is to make it
You will need
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Intergenerational WorshipIntergen Australia have some resources for exploring the Armour of God, written and compiled by Rev Beth Nicholls.
Intergenerational StoriesThe armour of God is for all ages! Why not use this opportunity to ask other generations to share how they have needed God's armour in their lives. Consider inviting a couple other people to share their stories -- from kids, intermediates, teenagers, young adults, adults, seniors. You could film their responses and create a video for your whole church to be encouraged by the faithfulness of all generations.
Minecraft Soldier
We loved the Mylittlehouse.org nativity set they did a few years ago, which are similar in style to Minecraft figures.
Here they have an Armour of God soldier to make. They're not the simplest of things to construct, but good for kids who like a challenge. Perhaps provide them with the materials to start at church and finish at home, if you're limited with time. You can download the template here Armour of God illustrationsThere are some beautiful Armour of God illustrations and worksheets on the mighty interweb, and these are some of our favourites:
Armour of God -- girl in armour to colour in, from Melonheadz Blog. 
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Media
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These videos below talk more about how the armour of God defends us against the work of the devil/satan. You may like to watch them first before deciding if they are appropriate for your children.
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