The Children’s Society Christingle
Order of service
This order of service is provided for you to use in full or part for your Christingle service:
- Alongside the liturgy, a number of optional, interactive activities are provided, to help children and all ages to engage.
- A number of these include the chance to clap and cheer in celebration. If desired, you could give percussion instruments, or party trumpets to each child – although you might need to be prepared for some noise during other parts of the service too!
- Feel free to use none, some, or all of these ideas and to adapt them to suit your church and congregation best.
WELCOME
Leader:
Welcome to our Christingle service, and this special chance to celebrate the Christmas miracle of the Father sending the Son to welcome us into God’s family. Today also gives us the chance to celebrate the good news stories of young people helped by The Children’s Society, and give our continued support to their tireless work for children whose families are in crises.
(Optional: Throughout this service there are opportunities to make some noise; to celebrate Jesus’ welcome of his family members – us!; and to celebrate with the children who have been helped by The Children’s Society.)
GATHERING PRAYER
(Optional: This is the first opportunity to make some noise. If you would like to, invite people to clap and cheer at the end of each response line, and lead this accordingly.)
Leader: The Father has sent the Son to welcome us home
All: Jesus has come. We can be part of the family of God.
Leader: The Father has sent the Son to demonstrate the light of his love for us
All: Jesus has come. His love outshines the world’s darkness.
Leader: The Son has called us, his brothers and sisters, to reflect his love, through the power of God’s Spirit.
All: Jesus has come. We want to love all God’s children like Jesus does.
LIGHTING OF A CANDLE
Optional: You might like to invite a family to demonstrate some simple sign actions alongside each call and response line of this part of the liturgy, so everyone can take part in the candle-lighting. During each of the leader’s lines, they should demonstrate the action, and then lead the congregation in repeating that whilst they all join in with the response line.
- Repeatedly clench fists and then open them splayed, moving them forward as they are opened, and back as they are re-clenched (similar to stars twinkling).
- Use both arms to beckon towards in circular motions.
- Pat heart (if possible in heart-beat rhythm)
- Repeat first action.
Leader:
Today we remember that the whole world used to be in darkness. But now, because of Jesus’ love and light, we can see how deep God’s love is for us. By knowing that we are welcomed into God’s family, we can share this love with those who are facing dark situations.
(As a candle is lit)
Leader: Jesus Christ is the light of the world
All: Lord Jesus, fix our eyes on your shining light
Leader: Jesus Christ welcomes us home
All: Lord Jesus, we thank you that we can be part of God’s family
Leader: Jesus Christ calls us to love each other
All: Lord Jesus, help us to love our brothers and sisters
Leader: Jesus Christ calls us to outshine the darkness
All: Lord Jesus, help us to be family to all who are in crisis.
PRAYERS OF PENITENCE
The minister introduces prayers of penitence
(Optional: if you would like to include a more interactive element, invite families, groups of friends who have come together, or people sitting near each other to join hands during the first part of the prayer – in circles if possible, or in lines if this is difficult because of pews or chairs. Then, at the point indicated, just before the liturgy states “Loving God, forgive us...”, invite the whole congregation to hold hands, breaking out of their smaller groups into one, united symbol of family.)
Leader:
Loving God, we are sorry when we are so preoccupied with our own, close, family circle that we forget that there are children in our country who are on the outside - shut out, in need, in the care system, or alone.
Loving God, we are sorry when we are so focused on our own family’s needs, celebrations or squabbles that we forget that there are families in our country struggling to keep it together – worrying about making ends meet, coping with disability or desperately seeking asylum.
Loving God, forgive us when we forget that you send us out, and you call us – like you – to be a family to those who need love, care or support. Remind us through the Christingle of the love you give and the love you enable us to give. And inspire us to join with The Children’s Society in making this love known to children and young people in need, and the families they belong to.
Amen.
May God the Father – who is love – change us to be people who care.
May Jesus the Son – who is grace – teach us to give.
And may God the Spirit – who is truth – make us one family who work together for change.
Amen.
THANKSGIVING
(Optional: The minister explains that at the end of each corporate response, everyone is invited to clap and/or cheer in celebration, and leads this accordingly.)
Leader:Thank you Jesus for welcoming us into God’s family – you turn darkness into light.
All: We praise you Lord Jesus. We celebrate your light!
Leader: Thank you Jesus for showing us how to love the outsider, the littlest and the least – you turn mourning into dancing.
All: We thank you Lord Jesus. We celebrate your love!
Leader:Thank you Jesus for working through The Children’s Society to help children whose families are in crisis – you turn sorrow into songs of joy.
All: We glorify you Lord Jesus. We celebrate your work!
Leader: Thank you Jesus for calling us to love all your children like you do – you turn hardened hearts into generous givers.
All: We love you Lord Jesus. We celebrate the chance to show your love to families in need!
The Ministry of the Word
Reading(s) from Scripture (See our Service Outline ideas and Talk ideas for scripture references appropriate to the date your Christingle is happening on).
A Hymn or song
A Talk or Address
(See our Service outline and Talk ideas – both available in the Worship section of for some helpful pointers appropriate to the date your Christingle is happening on.)
The Offering of Gifts
A Hymn or song may be sung as gifts are collected.
(If you would like a visual or interactive way to collect the gifts, which will enable children to participate more fully, and understand the change that their gift can and does bring, try using one or more of the following ideas:
- Invite a child to tell or read out Courtney’s story, or one of the good news stories about Jack or Sara provided on page 14 of the Christingle magazine just before you take up the offering. Explain that when we give our money it becomes part of these good news stories – helping families in crisis, and giving children reasons to celebrate because good things happen in their lives.
- Play some joyful, celebratory music whilst the offering goes round, and explain why this is so appropriate. You might like to consider starting the collection from the front, and then when it reaches the back, invite someone/several people who are good dancers to dance up to the front with the offering baskets.
- When the offering has been collected, and is about to be blessed, lead the congregation in a big, noisy celebration of clapping and cheering for the difference this money will make to children like Courtney, Jack and Sara.)
The gifts may be presented with these words:
Leader: Generous Father we thank you for all the good gifts you have given to us. Help us to keep sharing them with each other so that all your children can experience the love, provision and sense of family that you give. Bless each offering given to The Children’s Society today. Thank you that they will turn them into practical care which restores hope and family to children like Courtney, Jack and Sara.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Child reader:Loving God today I pray for all children who don’t feel safe,
Or looked after enough,
Whatever the reason.
Please help runaways like Courtney,
Disabled children like Jack,
Children living in care like Sara
And all the others that I don’t know the names or problems of, but known to you.
All children:Father in your mercy, hear your children’s prayers.
Adult reader:Loving God today I want to pray for all parents who are struggling to cope,
Or look after their children fully,
Whatever the reason.
Please particularly help adults who are finding it hard to make ends meet,
Are facing extra costs because their children have disabilities,
Or those who are unwell and needing their children to care for them.
We pray for your peace for families who are in conflict,
Your love for those who are breaking up,
And your provision for those who are in need.
All adults:Father in your mercy, hear your children’s prayers.
Child reader:Loving God I thank you for sending Jesus
To light up our dark world, and to show us how to love.
Thank you for Christingles and for what they teach us about you.
And thank you too for all the people you inspire to help others and make bad things better.
Today we’re saying a special thank you for The Children’s Society
And everything they do to help children in our country.
We want to celebrate the homes they find for runaways like Courtney
The victories they win with the government for disabled children like Jack
And the friends they become to children like Sara.
Please bless and help them and every child they are like family to.
All children:Father in your mercy, hear your children’s prayers.
Parent reader:Loving God I want to thank you for today’s opportunity
To remember the depth of your love
And how central us following your example is to Jesus’ teaching.
Help us to open up our idea of family, and to extend love to all
So that every child in need, and every family in crisis
Is helped, and cared for.
We want to be part of your transforming work
To turn mourning into dancing
And sadness into songs of celebration.
So help us and use us we pray.
All adults:Father in your mercy, hear your children’s prayers.
The lighting/presentation of Christingles
The Christingles are lit and/or presented. Hymns, songs or carols may be sung, and the Lord’s prayer may be said alongside the following special prayer:
A Christingle holding prayer
All:Lord Jesus,
I hold my Christingle and try to imagine your love
But the light you give is too bright and the love you show is too high,
Too wide, and too deep for me to understand.
An orange for the world with sweets for your good gifts on it.
A candle for your light and a red ribbon for your loving sacrifice.
As I look at my Christingle, help me to see the deeper truth it shines.
As I hold it, help me to grasp your love in my heart
And to give it – like you do – to all your children,
So everyone can experience a loving family, today and always.
Amen.
Hymn/song
(During which a collection is taken for the work of The Children’s Society if the offerings have not already been taken during the service.)
Blessing
(Optional: In a similar way to the candle-lighting liturgy, you may wish to do some simple actions to accompany the words you say during the blessing as follows:
- Words about Mary – make a motion like rocking a baby
- Words about Joseph - put your hand above your eyes and look to the left and right
- Words about God the Father - pat heart (if possible in heart-beat rhythm)
- Final blessing sentence – sign of the cross if in keeping with your tradition.)
Leader: May the tender care of Mary, the watching strength of Joseph, and above all the love of God the Father, fill us and enable us to care for every child, as each one bears the image of Christ. And may the blessing of the ultimate family – Father, Son and Spirit – be with us all today and forevermore.
All: Amen.