5 October 2025
Bible readings for today
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CollectE te Atua Tapu,
te Tapu me te kaha, te Tapu me te ora tonu hoki, manaakitia mātou ki raro i te korowai o tōu atawhai, me te awhi i a mātou i ngā wā katoa kia whakatapua, kia aroha ki tōu ingoa tapu; Ko Īhu Karaiti tō mātou Ariki. Āmine. Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, keep us under the protection of your good providence, and help us continually to revere and love your holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
Faith like a Mustard Seed (Luke 17:5-10)
As we see in our gospel passage, Jesus talked about having faith as small as a mustard seed, yet this is big enough to make a difference in our lives and to other people’s lives. In this week's reading Jesus says "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you." The Gospel of Matthew expands on this illustration, and says "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches” (Matthew 13: 31-32). It may be helpful to share both concepts with our children to unpack this powerful metaphor.
Input for leadersGospel Conversations 2025: Coming soon.
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Visio Lectio
Ooh, we love this week's Visio Lectio from Rev. Sarah West, shared here with permission. Check out her website at visiolectio.com PNG Download Terms of Use 
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Intergenerational Worship
Ordinary Time Year C 2025 Part 2 Intergenerational Worship Series
(Angela Blundell, Auckland Dio Intergenerational Ministry) This resource has 8 weeks of worship ideas to help your community connect to God and each other through worship, sharing and creativity. 27th Sunday Ordinary Time to Reign of Christ Sunday Opening ActivitiesActivity: Seeds (Mission Bible Class)
Try this introduction before you teach the lesson, or make it part of the story time. Provide some different seeds and seed packets so the children can examine and compare them. Discuss what will grow from each. You could also cut up fruit and look at the seeds inside (then eat the fruit, of course). Strawberries are a good example because the seeds are on the outside, and they are very small compared to the fruit. Then you can lead in with... “Jesus once told a parable about a very small type of seed. Let’s listen to the story.” Activity : Think Small/Scattergories (Ministry to Children) - suitable for kids who can write. Give each child some paper and a pen. Have them number their page 1-10. Next, read each category below and give the kids 30 seconds to think of an answer and write it down. After completing all ten categories go through each category and award a point to anyone with a unique answer, as well as a point to whomever chose the smallest thing.
TalksFull lessons plans & activities (Trueway Kids) - for a variety of ages.
Just a Mustard Seed! Object Lesson (Ministry to Children) - Faith is not about us, but about WHO we put our faith in. Recharging Mustard Seed Faith (RFour) Object Lesson: What is Faith? (Ministry to Children) - the important thing about our faith is not how much there is but what (or who) we have faith in. Faith and sharing it with others (Singing about Cooking) - short and simple, sharing our faith with others. Choose to Believe (Sermon Writer) - short and simple, believing in things you cannot see. Questions to think about
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Mustard Seed Activities
Have a snack! Why not grab some hot dogs and a selection of different mustard types to try?! Seed planting activity - Give out a small plant pot or paper cup, some soil, and a mustard seed or cress seeds, these grow quickly so you can see results. You can link it to this seed is like your faith, it may look small now, but God will help it grow. Preschool PlayFull lesson plan for babies/toddlers (Trueway Kids) - definitely worth checking out. Or just use to share the story.
Big or small? Set up a station with items that are big and small. If you can include some small things that are mighty (e.g. spice or strongly scented items) and pairs of things that start small but end up big! (e.g. seeds and plant in a pot, pics of leaders as babies and as adults). Talk about - big and small? Can things be big and small? Is big better or small? Why? Building - Use small items like blocks, Duplo, or cardboard boxes and challenge the kids to build the tallest thing they can! Talk about: Tall and short. You might like to measure the kids on a tall plank and 'guess' how tall they will end up! Planting station - provide some yoghurt pots or similar, some soil and some easy to grow seeds to plant. Talk about how do plants grow? what do they need? How do we grow? What do we need? How does God want us to grow? Playdough Station - try this playdough mat (Flame Creative) or provide some flowers, stalks, leaves, branches to make a playdough garden. Seed Sensory Bin (Baby Devotions) 
Pray it!Give each child a seed (make it something foolproof!). Invite them to place it in a group pot or tray, and say, “Dear God, we give you our little faith—even small seeds. Help it grow and help us help others, even in small ways.”
Keep the pot somewhere where your group can appreciate it's growth each time you meet. |
Media
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Passing on our faith (2 Tim 1:1-14)
Input for leadersWho was Timothy?
Paul was a man who spread the news about Jesus in many countries of the world and Timothy worked with him. Paul wrote to Timothy to support, help and guide him in his faith. In the second letter to Timothy, Paul is near execution and offers a personal challenge to Timothy to keeping following Jesus no matter the sacrifice and risk. |
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Intergenerational worshipFaith from generation to generation
In the opening lines of of this Paul talks about the faith that lived in Lois and Eunice, and that he is sure is alive in Timothy too. This is a great way to highlight the passing on of faith between the generations, and how this can be a beautiful part of an intergenerational church. 
A collection of resources and ideas (Intergen Australia)
Written and compiled by Chris Barra. Bible references: 2 Timothy, Lamentations. Reflective Activity
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Handing down your faithThink of a someone who has taught you about/shown you what it is to live for Jesus. Has there been someone in your family who has shared stories about Jesus with you? What was it about them or about what they said that made a difference to you?
Guarding our treasuresIn 2 Tim 1:14, it says "Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us." Our faith is our treasure and it’s the most important treasure we will ever have.
Brainstorm ways we can guard that treasure:
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Prayers
St Patrick's BreastplateSt Patrick's Breastplate
The prayer of St. Patrick's Breastplate calls on the protection of Christ in specific ways. This could be good to use as a Communion reflection, or in times of worry. A guarding prayer Christ be with me, Christ within me Christ behind me, Christ before me Christ beside me, Christ to win me Christ to comfort me and restore me. Christ beneath me, Christ above me Christ in quiet, Christ in danger Christ in hearts of all that love me Christ in mouth of friend or stranger. Click this link for a printable of the prayer that you can colour and decorate yourself, from Look to Him and Be radiant blog' Porters Gate songThe Breastplate of Saint Patrick · The Porter's Gate
The Sarum PrayerYou can make up actions to go with it; there is also a sung version
God be in my head, and in my understanding; God be in my eyes, and in my looking; God be in my mouth, and in my speaking; God be in my heart, and in my thinking; God be at my end, and at my departing. Everything |
Prayer for our churchGod of all people.
We thank you for our church, for all the people who worship here and for all the people who have followed you and passed on their faith to us. We thank you for the courage of those who have followed you when it has been difficult or dangerous. We thank you that you give each of us treasure that doesn’t cost anything, that never goes rotten and that we can never lose so long as we hold onto it: the treasure of your love for us and of your son Jesus who gives us light, grace and strength. Help us to keep following you, especially when we are afraid or sad or tired, knowing that you are always with us. In the name of Jesus, Amen. Prayer of confessionGod of love,
When we forget to pray Fill us with your love and warm our hearts. When we are embarrassed about following Jesus Grant us courage, joy and a sense of God’s presence with us When we are afraid Fill us with your love and strengthen our faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Intergenerational prayer(inspired by 2 Timothy 1:7)
“…for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” Dear God, Sometimes we feel afraid. Give us your spirit of power. Sometimes we feel upset. Give us your spirit of love. Sometimes we feel confused. Give us your spirit of self-control. Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to live in us. Amen. ~ written by Joanna Harader, and posted on Practicing Families. http://practicingfamilies.com/ |
Activities
Treasure HuntWhat you need
What you do:
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Pass The ParcelWhat you need:
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