Children's Week Themes

Children's Week is an annual festival which is celebrated during the month of October and includes Universal Children's Day which is held always on the fourth Wednesday of October. Children’s Sunday is not a part of the traditional church calendar. It is an offshoot of Australia’s annual observance of Children’s Week. For more information about Children’s Week visit:
http://sa.uca.org.au/cfm/ministry-leaders/childrens-week/

Below are intergenerational worship services based on themes that either Children’s Week or the United Nations annually nominate as “the Year of....”

The Lord Provides - The year of family farming 2014

2014 has been designated as United Nations International Year of Family Farming. As in recent years our intergenerational worship resource for Children’s Week (18-26 October in 2014) looks at the United Nations International Year theme. The ‘family farm’ concept lends itself to a more extensive event. The Lord Provides resource will start you thinking about an all-age Family Farm Day or weekend for your congregation. Perhaps even a visit to a farming community.

The resource includes notes on: the importance of all-age events, the International Year, Family Farm Day planning, program, food, activities and research ideas. There’s also list of farming references in the Bible, a Bible study, all-age worship notes and a sample worship service.

Start thinking big! Start planning early!

THE LORD PROVIDES FAMILY FARM DAY RESOURCE (535 kb PDF)

Water and Life - The year of water cooperation 2013

Here is a pack of resources to help you plan an all-age worship service and other events for Children’s Week, 18th to 27th October, 2013.

The continuing theme for Children’s Week is ‘A caring world shares’. In 2003 that sharing is related to the UN year-of theme ‘water cooperation’. By focusing on ‘water’ you may use the notes at any time during the year.
The packet includes:

  • Notes about planning all age worship
  • Notes about observing children’s week in your church and linking with the community
  • Notes about water, water themed songs, using water in worship, water in the Bible, and some water trivia.
  • A Bible study for youth and adults about ‘water and life’
  • A complete ‘script’ for an all age worship service ‘Water and Life.’

WATER and LIFE Children's Week 2013 (617 kb PDF)

 

Let us play - Children's Sunday 2012

Play is something we do by choice. It requires concentration and imagination. It has no prescribed end point. It can be done
individually or in groups. It can involve manipulation of words and ideas as well as the manipulation of physical things. In this worship we intentionally apply those characteristics of play to worship.

Let Us Play, playful all age worship for Children's Sunday (501 kb PDF)

 

Kids, Chemistry and Jesus Christ - the year of chemistry 2011

Children's Week is observed in Australia annually during the fourth week in October. This document will help you plan an all-age Children's Sunday worship service that links with the United Nations International Year of Chemistry. Explore the concepts of 'Better living through chemistry' but even better living through Jesus Christ. 

Chemistry (495 kb PDF)

 

Under the Southern Cross - The year of astronomy 2009

The United Nations has designated 2009 as The Year of Astronomy — the study of the stars and other objects in the universe. In this service we worship God as Creator of the universe. The most recognizable cluster of stars in the night sky over Australia is the Southern Cross. In this service we worship God who demonstrated his love for us on a cross.

The service can be used in large or small congregations, and can be easily adapted for home use. The document contains a sample service plus many other resources your congregation can use in planning your own service.

Under Southern Cross (1007 kb PDF)

 

Children's Week Resource Potatoes 'n' Us - the year of the potato 2008

National Children's Week will be observed 18-28 October 2008. Here are ideas for planning an all-age worship event during Children's Week. In response to the United Nations 2008 'Year of the Potato' emphasis, 'Potatoes 'n' Us' 'considers the potato' - what the potato can show us about God and about ourselves.

Potatoes 'n' us (179 kb PDF)