Respond to the Word
Ideas to suit different interests, ages and learning preferences.
The Children’s sheet offers activities to do in worship & at home.
Investigate growth
Beforehand, soak some sprouting seeds (larger ones such as chickpeas, peas or use a packet of runner bean seeds) for a couple of days to soften them. Give everyone a softened seed and invite them to take it apart very carefully. Note the different parts of the seed and how it is ready to grow given the right conditions: you should see its big food supply, the little shoot and its root waiting to grow. Look up ‘parts of a seed’ on the internet if you want to be more scientific.
What is your potential?
Show the John Lewis advert ‘Growing Up’. Briefly consider what people like and dislike about it. Invite people to think about what they would like the next stage in their own lives to be (for children you might want to phrase this carefully). Invite people to discuss this a bit with their neighbours. Then invite people to say together the words of John 12.26.
Plant vegetables
Agricultural metaphors don't work very well if you have no experience of growing things, so invite some gardeners to lead an experiment. You can grow vegetables very easily in buckets and storage boxes (even in old boots!). Plant a variety of roots and seeds today, put someone in charge of watering and watch the results.