9 November 2025
Bible readings for today
Liturgical colour: GREEN |
CollectE te Atua kaha rawa
nāu i tono mai te Wairua o tāu Tama ki roto i ō mātou ngākau me te whakawātea i ā mātou i herea i ngā hara; Hōmai tōu atawhai, hei tāpae ā mātou mahi, ki tōu rangatiratanga, kia meinga mātou me āu iwi, kia tae atu ki te korōria herekore, o āu tamariki; Ko Īhu Karaiti tō mātou Ariki. Āmine. Almighty God, you have sent the Spirit of your Son into our hearts and set us free from the bondage of sin; give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service, that we and all your people may be brought to the glorious liberty of the children of God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
The Resurrection and marriage (Luke 20:27-38)
In today's gospel passage, Jesus is having an argument with the sadducees about the resurrection. The Sadducees relied heavily on the Torah, and believed that this world would be the only one that God inhabited. Their argument isn't serious, they're trying to ridicule the resurrection.
The Sadducees try to trick JesusA helpful resource for children's ministry talk here (RFour)
Talk with childrenDo you ever get referred to as someone’s brother or sister? Or as so and so’s friend? (pause for answers) Well, growing up, I was always called Bill and Jill’s daughter, or Hannah's sister and it wasn’t often that people knew me for me. In today’s story, the Sadducees asked Jesus whose wife the woman would be in heaven. What did Jesus say? (pause) Jesus said that she would be known as herself and not in relation to anyone else. You have been created by God for a unique purpose, and God loves you because of who you are, and not who you are related to or friends with. Isn’t that amazing?
Group posterWhat I add to the body of Christ
What you need A big piece of paper, pens, crayons, glue, magazines and scissors. What to do Choose a volunteer to lay down on the paper. Trace around them. This is the outline for the poster. Next, get the children to decorate the body by writing/drawing/sticking anything that they do as part of the body of Christ. Eg, paint, play soccer well, help their friends with school work. Be as broad as you like! |
Gospel ConversationsFollowing the week in which we celebrated All Saints and All Souls, it is appropriate that we should be listening to Jesus talking about the life to come. It's complicated, though! Is it really something that we can begin to understand? Kelvin, Gary and John join Michael this week to pool their wisdom, their questions and their hopes (and yes, apologies that we ended up with an all-male, all-clergy panel. Sometimes it just works out that way!).
GameThis game is similar to 'fruit salad'
Get the children to sit in a circle of chairs facing inwards. The leader stands in the middle and chooses four body parts. (eg feet, hands, eyes and mouths) give all the children a body part to be. There should be more than one person as each body part. The leader then calls out one of the body parts (eg hands) and all the hands have to get up and change seats. The leader needs to try and get a seat too. The person who doesn’t get a seat, calls out another body part and the sequence is repeated. At any time, the person in the middle has another option, they can call out ‘Body Parts” and everyone has to get up and change seats. |
Thankful (2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17)
Memory verse
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Don't lose your balanceAre there times in your life when your faith feels a little unbalanced, or shaken? Are there things you read in the paper that make you doubt someones character or testimony? In today's letter to the Thessalonians, Paul reminds them to "not to become easily unsettled or alarmed".
"They must be calm, composed and clear-thinking despite the upheaval around them. He also wants to comfort them with reassurance of the future hope that lies in the Gospel." - Rev Tina Kemp (Church of Scotland). Paul's confidence doesn't rely on himself or people, but on the God they worship. |
