Adult & All Age
Activities and prayers to gather the group and introduce the theme
Use the Jump menu on the right to find Prayers and other resources.
A pen and paper exercise
Thinking about the choices we make in our lives.
- Ask people to think about choices they have made this week. These could be simple choices (e.g. what to eat) or something more difficult (e.g. how to deal with a difficult situation at work/school).
- Alternatively, prepare a large selection of images – people, animals, scenes, anything at all – and ask people to choose one image.
- Invite people to share their choices, saying whether it was hard or easy, and what guided or influenced their choices. Is it the choice itself that was easy/hard, or explaining why you made it?
- In today’s worship, we are going to think about choosing who we look to and follow when we make difficult choices in life. We will think about a choice Jesus presented to the disciples: to choose darkness or light.
First impressions
You could also use the image and following questions to help introduce the theme.
- How does looking up at the light through the trees make you feel?
- How might ‘the light’ speak to us of something eternal?
- How can we show that we live in the light rather than the darkness?
Children & Youth
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 CHILDREN
Gathering song
Sing to the tune: Our God is a great big God
God gives me a brand new start,
God gives me a brand new start,
God gives me a brand new start,
it’s a chance to make my mark.
What will last for ever? W E S
- Ask the children to tell you about a special building that is very old. Do they think it will last for ever? Talk about the way that things on earth don’t last for ever, but God’s love for us does.
Beanbag toss 10 mins E
You will need: balls or beanbags, basket or bucket.
- Ask everyone to take turns at throwing a ball or beanbag into a basket or bucket – but they must be looking in the opposite direction. Now invite them to do it again, this time looking at where they are aiming.
- Ask: Which was easier? Talk about the importance of seeing things clearly.
FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Admiration game 5 mins E
- Think of 10 contrasting pairs of famous people. Ask the young people to run to the left or right of the room, to choose between one or the other, depending which of the two they most trust or look up to. Include politicians, musicians, footballers, teachers, local celebrities, etc.
- Encourage the young people to share why they picked those particular people. Ask: What qualities do they have that you admire?
First impressions
You could also use the image and following questions to help
introduce the theme.
Click on image to view larger version or use the Jump menu to go to This week's images.
- How does looking up at the light through the trees make you feel?
- How might ‘the light’ speak to us of something eternal?
- How can we show that we live in the light rather than the darkness?
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