Katherine Lyddon Diocesan Children’s Work Adviser

katherine.lyddon@exeter.anglican.org

Top Tips toAll-age Worship

Who is the oldest?• A 9 year old who has always attended

church regularly each Sunday?

• A young mum who has being coming once a month to a Messy Church for a year after having her baby baptised?

• A 75 year old who has recently completed a Christianity Explored course?

What is it?

Made in God’s image

Your experience

• What do you find helpful in worship?

• What do you find difficult in worship?

Do these responses apply to children too? What might they want to add?

Who is worship for?

Is worship primarily

-for the people of God?

-for God?

-for people outside the faith community?

What is all-age worship?

What is all-age worship?

Yes it should

always be

No it should

never be

Sometimes it might

be

All-age worship is

All-Saints manifesto•We believe in God who created us for him and for each other.•We believe in Jesus who welcomes young and old without exceptions.•We believe in the Holy Spirit who transforms the life of all believers, young and old.•We believe we grow as Jesus’ disciples when we

•Worship God in a variety of ways•Worship in community as well as individually.•Worship in a way that encourages everyone to participate.•Worship God with all that we are.

(from All-age Worship by Lucy Moore)

• Through a sense of belonging• Participation (experience)• Role-modeling• Worship and faith development coaches• Being an active member of a worshipping

community• Providing them with a vocabulary to

express themselves• Being creative in the image of God

What do children learn from all-age?

What do adults learn from All-age?

I tell you the truth, unless you change and become

like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of

heaven.

Matthew 18:3

Children in the church

How do you prepare for it?

Be a welcoming Church

What would be the reaction of your church if any of the following arrived

unexpectedly?

A group of teenagers from the local estate?A group of adults with learning difficulties?

A single mother with three under 5s?Six people from the local nursing home?

A welcome for all

Be an All-age church

Consult your

congregation

Get a budget

Make anwelcoming

space

Get a gifted team

Keep it relevant to

All-ages

Use high quality

publicity

Stick to time

Songs and hymns

Out of the Ark

Scripture Union

John Hardwick

Spring Harvest

New Wine

Family Worship Resource

Eden.co.uk

Stay Anglican

GreetingConfession & AbsolutionCollect for the dayReading from ScripturePsalm SermonCreed Intercession & thanksgiving Lord’s PrayerBlessing, Grace, dismissal

GreetingConfession & AbsolutionCollect for the dayReading from

ScripturePsalm Sermon

Creed Intercession & thanksgiving Lord’s PrayerBlessing, Grace, dismissal

How do you do it?

Create a ‘wow’

Start well

Start with….

•A greeting•A candle•A song•A piece of music•A bible verse•An opening prayer•A responsive prayer

Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with youAnd also with you.    

This is the day that the Lord has made.Let us rejoice and be glad in it.    

Thank you that you were there in our past Thank you, Lord

Thank you that you will be there in our future. Thank you Lord.

Thank you that you are here now. Thank you Lord.

Thank you that we are here now. Thank you Lord.

The Lord is here. He is with us.

The Lord is here. He helps us to worship.

The Lord is here. He helps us learn.

The Lord our God is here.

And we welcome him now.

As we come to worship and praise, Father God, we welcome you.

As we come together in friendship, Father God, we welcome you.

As we come to listen and learn, Father God, we welcome you.

As we bring our worries and problems, Father God, we welcome you.

Start with….

•A greeting•A candle•A song•A piece of music•A bible verse•An opening prayer•A responsive prayer•An action welcome

Why are we here? We are here to worship God.

Why are we here? We are here to hear from God.

Why are we here? We are here to pray to God.

Lord, we invite you into our church. REPEAT

Lord, we invite you into our minds. REPEAT

Lord, we invite you into our hearts. REPEAT

Come and be with us, Father God. Be in our worship.

Come and be with me, Father God. Be in my heart.

We have come together in the name of Christ to offer our praise and thanksgiving, to hear and receive God's holy word, to pray for the needs of the world, and to seek the forgiveness of our sins, that by the power of the Holy Spirit we may give ourselves to the service of God.

We are here to worship (hands up)

We are here to pray (hands together)

We are here to listen (hands on ears)

We are here to praise (hands move from lips)

We are here to meet God (hands shake together)

ConfessionAnd

absolution

•Play music

•Read it to people

•In the bin

•Give it up

•Wiping the slate clean

Confession

•Washed clean

•Stain free

•Shred it

•Turn away

•Responses

Confession

Common Worship

Absolution

Collect

Reading from scripture

Promote it

•Translation

•Select a passage thoughtfully

•Help people find it

•Remember it’s alive12 North GrangeExeter EX2 7EY

RomansChapter 8Verse 36

Learning Styles

V A R KVisual Aural Read/write Kinaesthetic

A tree and its fruit

Matthew 12:33

The good Samaritan

Luke

10:30-37

Read Scriptures out

loud

Luke

4:16-22

Feeding of the 5000

Matthew

14:13-21

Visual•Story Box•Sketch board•Pictures•Visible words•Visualisation•Film clip

Max 7

Sermon spice

Big Book Media

Family Friendly Churches

Visual -drama•Narrator•Role play•Puppets•Props•Story Coat•Hot seat•Tableaux•Mime or dance

Auditory•One voice rehearsed and alive

•Mum’s the word•With music•Repeat after me•Multiple voices•Antiphonally

Bible Reading

John 6:25-37

 25When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"

 26Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 

 27Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."

 28Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?“

 29Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

 

 30So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 

31Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'

 32Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 

 34They said,"Sir, from now on give us this bread"

35Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 

Auditory•One voice rehearsed and alive

•Mum’s the word•With music•Repeat after me•Multiple voices•Antiphonally•Make mistakes

Kinaesthetic•Sound effects•Key word actions•Active in parts

Sermon*Teaching*Talk

Unpack it and Apply it

Sermon, Teaching or Talk

Sense

Simple

Short

Creed

Do you believe and trust in God the Father,  source of all being and life,  the one for whom we exist?

We believe and trust in him.           

Do you believe and trust in God the Son,  who took our human nature,  died for us and rose again?

We believe and trust in him.           

Do you believe and trust in God the Holy Spirit,  who gives life to the people of God  and makes Christ known in the world?

We believe and trust in him.     

This is the faith of the Church.

This is our faith.  We believe and trust in one God,  Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.        

We believe in the Holy Spirit,All the Lord, the giver of life,  

who proceeds from the Father and the Son.All With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.  

He has spoken through the prophets.All We believe in one holy, catholic and apostolic Church.  

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.All We look for the resurrection of the dead,  and the life of the world to come.  Amen.

We proclaim the Church's faith in Jesus Christ.   We believe and declare that our Lord Jesus Christ,  the Son of God, is both divine and human.     

God, of the being of the Father,  the only Son from before time began;  human from the being of his mother, born in the world;fully God and fully human;  human in both mind and body.     

As God he is equal to the Father,  as human he is less than the Father.Although he is both divine and human  he is not two beings but one Christ.     

One, not by turning God into flesh,  but by taking humanity into God;truly one, not by mixing humanity with Godhead,  but by being one person.     

For as mind and body form one human being  so the one Christ is both divine and human.The Word became flesh and lived among us;  we have seen his glory,  the glory of the only Son from the Father,  full of grace and truth.   

Leader: We are not once a week friendsAll: We are the family of God Leader: We are not a cosy clubAll: We are the body of Christ Leader: We are not just strangers meetingAll: We are temples of the Holy Spirit Leader: We are not here by accident  

All: Our Father has called us to worship Leader: We are not just filling up an hour All: Jesus wants us to know him better Leader: We are not just going through the

motions All: The Holy Spirit has some special words for us Leader: So come; draw near to our God All: And God will draw near to us  

Prayers of intercession

and thanksgiving

Praying•Quiet•Corporate•Personal•Auditory•Visual

Praying•Quiet•Corporate•Personal•Auditory•Visual•With materials•With our bodies

Our Father in heaven, Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.hallowed be your name.Your Kingdom come, Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.your will be done, on earth as in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.Give us today our daily bread.Forgive us our sins, Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.as we forgive those who sin against us.Lead us not into temptation, but deliver Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evilus from evilFor the kingdom, the power and the glory For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours. are yours. Now and for ever. AmenNow and for ever. Amen

Praying

Celebrate answers

Blessings, grace,

dismissal

End with•A prayer•a Blessing•A song•A procession

End with•A prayer•a Blessing•A song•A procession•Give-aways•Refreshments•Activities

Review it

Onwards and upwards

Resources•The Body of Christ.•Books

www.exeterccyp.org

www.exeterccyp.org

www.exeterccyp.org

Resources•The Body of Christ.•Books•Internet

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