12 October 2025

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Bible readings for today

• Jeremiah 29:1,4-7
• Psalm 66:1-13 
• 2 Timothy 2:8-15
• Luke 17:11-19

Liturgical colour: GREEN

Collect

E te Atua o te aroha,
whakahōhonutia, whakanuitia ō mātou aroha ki a koe
kia whakarerea ō mātou hara ki muri
kua oti nei hoki i a koe, te whakaora i a mātou,
kia mahi ki a koe i roto i te pono, te tino tika.
Whakarongo ki tēnei īnoi i runga i tōu aroha.
Āmine.

God of compassion,
deepen and increase our love for you
so that we may leave behind the sins
from which you have redeemed us,
and serve you in perfect freedom.
Hear this prayer for your love’s sake.
Amen.

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Jesus heals 10 Lepers (Luke 17:11-19)

Input for leaders

Gospel Conversations 2025: ​A fascinating discussion of the 10 lepers. You may have thought you'd already plumbed this story for all it has to tell us, but you are almost certain to hear a new angle this week!

​Gospel Conversations 2022: A university lecturer, a school chaplain and a parish priest (sounds like the start of a joke...) gather to give us the sorts of varied insights their people might want to hear in this discussion on Jesus' encounter with the ten lepers. 

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

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A collection of resources and ideas (Intergen Australia)
Written and compiled by Chris Barras. Bible references: Luke, Psalms.

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Talks

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

Jesus and the thankful leper (RFour) - giving thanks helps us pay attention to God.

Who says thanks? (Ministry to Children)

The thankful leper (Sermons for Kids) - short and simple reminder to thank God.

Activities

• Handprint Craft (Sunday School Zone)
• ​Paper Bag Leper (Ministry to Children)
• Glove Puppets (Faith Sprouts)
• Leper Dolls (Danielle's Place)
• Game and Craft Ideas (Growing Kids in Grace)
• Storytelling Idea (Shoestring Budgets and Skeleton Crews)
• Chain of Lepers Storytelling (Flame Creative Kids)
• Healed Man Spinner (Jesus Without Language)
• Acting it Out (Buck Eye Bible Buddies)

Quick questions

• Why do we say thank you?
• Is it important to say thank you?
• What are other ways of saying thank you other than using words? (eg write a note, giving flowers etc)
• What are you thankful for today?
• Can you remember a time you forgot to say thank you?
• I wonder how the ten men felt when they were sick and had to stay far away from everyone else?
• I wonder what it was like when Jesus saw them and cared for them?
• I wonder what it felt like to be healed?
• I wonder why only one man came back to say “thank you?”
• I wonder how Jesus felt when the man returned to thank Him?
• I wonder what we can say “thank you” for today?

Pray it!

Colourful prayers!
You will need: lengths of coloured ribbon plus something to tie them to. (This could be a branch in a jar or a small net/mesh board).

• Each person takes a ribbon and thinks of something they are thankful for. 
• One at a time, they tie or clip their ribbon to a “gratitude branch” (a branch in a jar or a small net/mesh board).
• When everyone is finished, say: “Jesus, we thank you for all these good things!”
• Then sit back and enjoy your beautiful "thankfulness tree."

Thank you lights
You will need: Battery tea-lights or small candles. If using battery lights a simple circle of fabric will work to put them on. If real candles use a tray with sand and keep water on hand.

• In a quiet moment, invite children to think of one way Jesus helps them or their family.
• They can come forward, switch on a tea-light, and say aloud (or whisper), “Thank you, Jesus, for …”
• When everyone is finished, say: “Jesus, we thank you for all these good things!”
• Then sit back and enjoy your beautiful "lights of thanks."

Play for preschoolers

Full lesson plan for babies/toddlers (Trueway Kids) - definitely worth checking out. Or just use to share the story. 

​First Aid
Set up a corner with some toys, dolls, or some willing adult patients. Add some plasters (lots of plasters!), bandages and anything else first aid-ish.​
Talk about - what happened in the story. Who do we know that is sick and sad? How can we help them? Can we pray for them?

Media