Share the Word

Adult & All Age

Share the Word

Ways to present the readings

All age act of worship Session

Ezekiel 17.22-24

Ask people to think about a tree that they know. Ask them to imagine touching the bark; looking up into the branches; seeing the leaves; birds in the branches – and perhaps other creatures that live in or on the tree. Ask them to imagine themselves becoming the tree.

Alternatively, have a few volunteers mime for others to watch – their bodies become the trunk, their feet become roots reaching down into the ground, their arms stretch up to become branches.

Imagine the tree in the different seasons and weathers – all the time being held in being by God.

Ask people to listen to the reading, mindful of the special place that trees have in displaying God’s loving nature in and for creation.

Mark 4.26-34

Cut up an apple. Ask for a volunteer ‘mindfully’ to eat a segment, describing the experience as if they had never eaten an apple before. Show some of the apple pips, using or adapting these words to introduce the reading:

‘From these small seeds, more huge apple trees could grow, eventually producing more fruit and seeds. We can cooperate with the process: we can plant the seed; we can provide a good environment. We can also enjoy the process: the growth, the nesting birds, the blossoms, the flavours and nourishment of the fruit. But we cannot make it grow. God, through nature, does that. And so it is in so many areas of life.’

Invite people as they listen to the reading to think about what would be good ‘seeds’ to sow, and how they might give those seeds a good growing environment.

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Very young children's session for a version of the story for the under 5s.
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Children & Youth

Share the Word

Ways to present Mark 4.26-34

Activities marked with an asterisk next to the activity title are in addition to the resources in the Ready to go sessions. Suggested timings for these activities are also shown. NB The inclusion of additional activities varies from week to week.

For very young children
For children
For young people

A version of the story for very young children

Very young childrens Session

Give each child a seed to hold in their hand as you tell the story.

Jesus liked to tell stories to help people understand about God’s kingdom.

Once he told a story about some seeds.

He said that if someone plants some wheat seeds,
they grow all by themselves,
whether the person is awake or asleep.

The plant grows bigger and bigger and the wheat gets ripe
and can be cut down in the harvest.

Jesus said that the kingdom of God is like a tiny mustard seed,
which grows into one of the biggest garden plants,
and birds can sit in its branches.

FOR CHILDREN

Childrens Session

Read the story and pause at the to share these points with the children (see Stop and share below). Then use the activity to explore the passage together. (10 mins)

Click on the image to view a PDF.

Stop and share

It’s worth noting here that while we are involved in sowing, tending and nurturing growth, it is ultimately God who makes it happen.
Explain what is meant by harvest: to gather in ripe crops ready to eat or use.
Jesus was a great storyteller who used parables – stories to help people learn more about God, explaining things that are sometimes hard to understand using things we see around us.

Story scrolls W E

You will need: a tray of soil; sections of the story written on scrolls of paper.

Place the scrolls into the soil, standing up, like shoots of new growth.
Ask a few children to remove the scrolls. Ask them to read their scrolls to the group in any order, then work together to try and assemble the story in the right order. Be prepared to assist as needed.

FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Young people Session

Modern-day parable 15 mins W E

Ask for volunteers to read the passage, then discuss: What is a parable? What do you think Jesus was trying to teach his followers?
Split the young people into groups to act out the story of the mustard seed as a modern-day parable, e.g. a viral social media post. Ask them to include a section about how God’s values were able to flourish in the scenario they choose.

Spiritual styles abbreviations
W Word E Emotion S Symbol A Action
Read our Spiritual Styles articles

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