Sea Sunday
The second Sunday in July, is when we come together across the globe to celebrate the role seafarers play in our daily lives. Seafarers are responsible for transporting over 90% of the world’s goods and fuels. Collectively there are an estimated 1.89m seafarers across the world operating on 74,000 ships. These men and women of all nationalities, often face dangerous and lonely conditions, spending months at sea, far from families, friends and loved ones.
Sea Sunday is a special opportunity to reflect, pray, and take action for the brave men and women who work at sea to ensure we have everything we need. Together, we can make a real difference in their lives. [missiontoseafarers.org]
Sea Sunday is a special opportunity to reflect, pray, and take action for the brave men and women who work at sea to ensure we have everything we need. Together, we can make a real difference in their lives. [missiontoseafarers.org]
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The Mission to Seafarers
With a history dating back to 1856, The Mission to Seafarers supports the men and women working at sea when they need us most, as they experience loneliness and mental health issues, combined with limited access to internet onboard ships. We have over 200+ ports in 50 countries, operating day and night, 365 days a year. Mission to Seafarers - Sea Sunday Info & Resources Mission to Seafarers Wellington - Facebook Page |
Intergenerational WorshipIntergen Year B Pentecost 5: A collection of resources and ideas, on the comfort of Jesus in the midst of stress, conflict and difficulty. Includes the Mark verses on the disciples in the storm. Written and compiled by Elizabeth Waldron Anstice, Intergen Australia. Bible references: 2 Corinthians, 2 Samuel, Mark, Psalms.
Stories to ShareMark 4:35-41 is a great bible story to link to this week's theme.
Start by sharing about those who work on the sea at a level appropriate for your kids. This talk (Mission to Seafarers) includes some useful information and there are some powerpoint slides to go with the info. The Storm that Stopped This book is a wonderful retelling of the bible story found in Mark 4, with vivid illustrations and an engaging prose. The Storm that Stopped is a great telling of this story by Alison Mitchell, illustrated by Catalina Echeverri.
Jesus and the Storm storybook, by Lost Sheep. Downloads and other resources available on their website Stormy Seas Interactive Retelling (Mission to Seafarers) - good for little ones. You will need - a sheet, parachute or large piece of fabric to represent the sea. Children hold onto the edges of the sheet. Practice making “calm seas” (holding the sheet still) and “stormy seas” (waving it up and down). As you narrate the story, have the children make the sea calm or stormy. When Jesus calms the storm in the story, everyone brings the sheet to a gentle stillness. Talk about - how the disciples felt during the storm and after Jesus calmed it. Reinforce the message that Jesus is powerful and brings peace. 
Boat GamesBox Boats
You will need - large boxes from the supermarket. 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 Tag 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! Quick Questions
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Boat Themed Activites
Pray it!Boat prayers
We used these origami boats to pray for those at sea, and for our own stresses and struggles. Here are a few options.
Prayer in a bottle
You will need - paper, pens and felts, 1 small bottle per child. Paddling pool filled with water, or a piece of large blue material to represent water. 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. Talk 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!). 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. 
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Media
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