4 June 2023
Trinity Sunday celebrates the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, the three Persons of God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Bible readings for today
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CollectAlmighty God,
by your grace alone we are accepted and called to your service; strengthen us by your Holy Spirit and empower our calling; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. E te Atua kaha rawa, mā tōu aroha noa anake e whakaae i a mātou hei kaimahi māu; mā tōu Wairua Tapu hoki mātou e whakakaha, e whakamana i tāu i karanga i a mātou. Ko Īhu Karaiti tō mātou Ariki. Āmine. |
Trinity Sunday
IntroductionToday is called Trinity Sunday -- you could take some time thinking about the trinity and what this shows us about God. It can be a big theological concept for kids to grapple (we adults often find it hard!) but knowing that they have Father who loves them, that Jesus came to earth to show us who God is, and that the Holy Spirit lives inside us to help, encourage, empower and lead us. God will never leave us and forget about us. We may not understand everything, but we can know that we are more loved that we can ever know.
Quick Questions
Visio LectioGospel ConversationsTrinity Sunday! As Damon reminds us today, it's the one Sunday of the year dedicated to a doctrine - which may be why preachers sometimes dread it! But our panel today of Damon, Nicki and Richard join Michael to ponder not what some might see as a dry doctrine, but a God of relationships, of love, of welcome, of mystery: a God who asks us not to keep that love to ourselves, but to go out to make disciples of Love in our world.
Map footprintsWhat you need:
Another name for...What you need: a list of words, paper and pens for each team. Oh, and a dictionary/thesaurus
Preparation: the list of words should be names, places, or describing words. (you might like to include GOD, JESUS and HOLY SPIRIT in your list of words!!! What to do:
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Go now, to love and serve the Lord!At the end of our church services in the Anglican Dioceses in New Zealand, many of our congregations finish with "Go now, to love and serve the Lord. Go in peace!" to which the response is, "Amen! We go in the name of Christ!"
Remind the congregation and children of these words, and how they reflect the words of today's passage in Matthew 28. In the same way Jesus sends out his disciples into the world, we are sent too -- empowered by His same spirit. You might like to use the words of Matthew 28 to be your dismissal for today. Exit bannerMake a banner for the back of church, so that the whole congregation sees it as they leave church.
On large printers paper, write out the words "Go now to love and serve the Lord!" You might like to add the words, "Amen, we go in the name of Christ" underneath -- or depending on how long your banner is! Decorate with collage materials (tissue paper, coloured paper, newsprint, fabric, ribbons, pens and crayons). If you want to do this activity in advance, you could use paint, but it would not be ready in time to hang up that morning. Praying for UkraineSource: Sun Hat and Wellie Boots
Talking to kids about bad newsThis week, Jesus commissions the disciples to go and make him known to everyone, everywhere! You can find this story in Matthew 28:16-20. That’s a pretty big challenge for those who who travelled by primarily by foot or small boat. How is it different for us today?
These are many upsides to our globally connected world, but one of the downsides is increased exposure to a myriad of bad news. Kids are vulnerable to being overwhelmed by terrible news and we need to be careful what and how much we share with them. If you want to talk with your kids about some of the things happening around our world, or if they come home with info from school or friends - here are some things I have found helpful.
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What is the trinity?
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