Act of Worship
“WELCOME”
EYFS 1 and 2
“Baptism – a welcome to the family of the Church”
Focal Point:a class photo or several group photos
Symbols of Baptism e.g. doll, white garment, bowl
of water
candle
cross
some photos of children’s Baptism
Bible opened at Colossians 3:10-17
God’s Story 1 p.38-9
Perhaps the children could begin by singing together Rejoice One 33 ‘New Children’ or any appropriate hymn. (If the children are new to the school this term perhaps you could explain how the older children would help them to feel welcome).
Leader:Good morning children. We’re going to think about all the ways we show other people that they’re welcome… and specially the new children in our school. How would you show them… think quietly for a moment…
{Perhaps you could ask the youngest children to remember how they felt at first and what helped them to feel that they belonged}
Leader:Now as we light the candle let us really smile at each other and remind ourselves that Jesus is with us… he wants us to welcome everyone here.
Leader: We are now going to listen very carefully to the word of God. After Jesus had gone back to heaven a follower of his called St Paul wrote a lot of letters to other followers of Jesus. This reading is from a letter to Christians who lived in a city called Colossae It tells us how to help everyone feel welcome because we are all God’s people. We are all God’s children and part of God’s family.
Reader:A reading from the letter of Paul to the Colossians
“You are God’s people.
God loves you.
You are all different but the important thing is that
you are God’s children.
The Word of the Lord.
All:Thanks be to God
Leader:Just sit and think quietly for a moment… we are God’s children children………. God loves us………..
Now look at the table with the photos of some of you as babies dressed in a white garment (dress) when you were baptised.
{Perhaps you could invite those children to talk about what they know about their Baptism day or share the work they have done on this topic, emphasising the idea of being welcomed to the church community}.
Leader:At Baptism Christians are signed with the sign of the cross on the forehead and baptised with water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. They are wrapped in a white garment and parents are given a special candle… All these are signs that they belong to the Church family.
Today Christians make the sign of the cross with water as a way of remembering that they were welcomed into the Church family at Baptism. If we are not baptised it can remind us that God loves us, we are God’s children and still part of God’s family.{Allow time for this important ritual and perhaps play Rejoice One 34 ‘Share a Joyful Song’ – change “body” in verse 2 to “family” or any appropriate hymn}
End with the Glory be….