All Saints’

All Saints' Day
When to use: 1 November 2026 – 1 November 2026
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Worship Tools

Worship Outline

Additional Scriptures

Matthew 5:1-12; 1 John 3:1-3; Revelation 7:9-17

Preparation

For the Spiritual Practice, distribute tea light candles to each participant (battery powered are best). Prepare a place for the candles to be placed in the worship setting.

Prelude

Welcome

Hymn of Invitation

“Gather Us In” CCS 72

OR “Rejoice, Ye Saints of Latter Days” CCS 81

Invocation

Response

Focus Moment

All Saints’ Day is a Holy Day that always falls on November 1^st. It is a day when we remember those in our lives who have passed away, real people in real life who have touched our lives in positive, loving, caring ways. As they have walked this earth with us, they have lived with humility, integrity and a strong faith. These saints have lived a life of devotion to God and the world. They have nurtured our hearts and our spirits and inspired our spiritual journey. In Christianity, we talk about these individuals as being a part of our “Cloud of Witnesses.”

There are also Saints who have been canonized by the Catholic Church – a deceased person who has been officially declared to be a Saint, because they welcomed God to work through their lives and consistently saw people with compassion and love and forgiveness, just as God sees them.

Later in this hour, we will speak the names of those we have known and want to remember as saints. Let’s hear the story of a saint who has been canonized.

Story of Carlo Acutis

The first story is about a young boy, Carlo Acutis, who was recently canonized by Pope Leo. Carlo was born in 1991 and died from leukemia when he was only 15 years old. He is a person who is very real in our eyes, a boy who loved to play soccer and video games and loved animals and used technology to spread the word of his faith. He has been called “a saint next door.”

Because he is so relatable, especially If children are present, you may want to tell more of the story of Carlo Acutis – an ordinary boy who did extraordinary things.

Hymn

“In the Crossroads of this Moment” CCS 170

OR “In My Life, Lord” CCS 602

Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own.

Prayer for Peace

Light the peace candle

Prayer

Ringer of the first bell,

Today we give thanks for all the saints who have come before us, and who have now gone ahead. We are in awe of those who followed Your example of servant leadership, working tirelessly for peace in places as far away as the other side of the globe and as close as their own homes. We remember the saints who came before and their sacrifices, and as always, You and Your sacrifices made in the name of peace. May we have the strength to pick up the candle of peace to share its warmth with those in need so that the pursuit of peace might continue into the next generation. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen. 

—Tiffany and Caleb Brian

Spiritual Practice: Hold in the Light

We will “Hold in the Light” those who are in our Cloud of Witnesses – a parent, grandparent, partner, wife, husband, sister, brother, teacher, colleague, neighbor, friend – someone who has strengthened and inspired us by the example their life and love have given us.

Each person lights their candle. They are encouraged to speak the names of the person who has touched their life as the tea light is placed in the worship setting.

Remember those whose light still shines in our lives. We hold them lovingly and compassionately in the light of God.

Spend a few moments in silence to become quiet inside and out.

Offer a brief prayer of gratitude to close your prayer experience.

Scripture Reading: Psalm 34:1-10, 22

Ministry of Music OR Community Hymn

“I Sought the Lord” CCS 175

OR “God of Every Generation” CCS 361

Homily

Based on Psalm 34:1-10, 22

Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

Communion Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Communion Talk

Hymn of Preparation

“Let Us Break Bread Together” CCS 521

Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own.

OR “In These Moments We Remember” CCS 515

Invitation to Communion

See the Invitation to Communion script.

Blessing and Serving of Bread and Wine

Disciples’ Generous Response

Hymn of Generosity

“As Saints of Old” CCS 620

OR “From You I Receive” sing several times CCS 611

Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own.

Oblation

Scripture Reading: Doctrine and Covenants 165:1d

Statement

The first Sunday of the month focuses the Disciples’ Generous Response on our Mission Initiative – Abolish Poverty, End Suffering – which includes Oblation ministry.

Story of Saint Theresa

Mother Teresa established the Missionaries of Charity, a religious organization that was initially dedicated to serving “the poorest of the poor” in the slums of Calcutta. Over the decades, this ministry grew to operate in over 133 countries, with more than 4,500 nuns managing homes for those dying from HIV/AIDS, leprosy, and tuberculosis, as well as running soup kitchens, dispensaries, mobile clinics, orphanages, and schools. Mother Teresa was canonized as a saint on 4 September 2016, by Pope Francis, recognizing her lifelong dedication to serving the poorest of the poor through her work with the Missionaries of Charity. Remembering the life and service of Mother Theresa offers inspiration to us to follow the ways of Jesus.

Blessing and Receiving of Local and Worldwide Mission Tithes

Hymn of Faith and Hope

“For All the Saints” CCS 331

OR “There’s an Old, Old Path” CCS 244/245

Sending Forth

We remember those who have strengthened us through the examples of their lives of faith and love. In this moment, we speak the following blessings, given by Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount, May we be blessed as we hold the memory of all the saints that surround us.

Read Matthew 5:1 -12

Postlude

Sacred Space: Small-Group Worship Outline

Gathering

Welcome

All Saints’ Day is observed as a day to remember disciples of old, people who made contributions to Christian community, and church members who lived lives of faithfulness and service. It is also a time to remember friends, family, and community members who died during the past year. In this way we honor those who have gone before us and reaffirm our belief in eternal life.

Ordinary Time is the period in the Christian calendar from Pentecost to Advent. This part of the Christian calendar is without major festivals or holy days. During Ordinary Time we focus on our discipleship as individuals and as a faith community.

Prayer for Peace

Ring a bell or chime three times slowly.

Light the peace candle.

Lord God, Creator of heaven and earth, how often do we forget the unity of your creation? The world seems as though it is coming apart at its seams, and we feel so helpless that we fail to respond in any way except with utter despair. We become complacent when our own needs have been fulfilled. We experience compassion overload, and so we tune out those very people, those very places, and those very problems that we may well be able to alleviate. We feel somehow detached from those “others” if they are far enough off so as not to confront us with their needs directly. Yet, you created humans as one species. Our destinies individually are inextricably connected with our destiny collectively. May we always remember this essential truth about ourselves.

Amid our helplessness, we need to be reminded that all great things that have happened in our world, happened through the power of one. We look to our recent history and see the examples of Ghandi, Mother Teresa, and one lone man facing a tank in China—and we know one person really can make a difference. Each of us may be only one person, but each of us has something to offer. Grant us courage, O God, to stand up and exercise our power for others.

We acknowledge, O God, those of our sisters and brothers who are suffering this day from strife and tyranny. We have soft hearts and willing hands to do what we can to help them. We think of our children and families, and long to be with them. Our love for those we know is great. Magnify our love so it can extend to even those we do not know. We pray for our world that peace may prevail.

In the name of the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Divine Presence. Amen.

—Steven Shields

Spiritual Practice

Prayer for Peace

Read the following:

For today’s Enduring Principle we focus on the Pursuit of Peace (Shalom). Shalom for Community of Christ is defined as: “Led by the Holy Spirit, we work with God and others to restore peace (shalom) to creation.” By naming our Prayer for Peace for loved ones, the world, countries, and even those with whom we disagree, we focus our hearts on relationship and reconciliation.

Read the following prayer for peace by Saint Francis of Assisi (adapted [FD1] ):

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

Amen.

Read the prayer again, having the group repeat each line after you.

Amen.

Invite group members to share about the hope they have for peace and reconciliation in their lives. Close with the following prayer:

Peace be to this house, peace be to all relationships, peace be to all the world. Amen.

Sharing Around the Table

Psalm 34:1-10 NRSVue

I will bless the Lord at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the humble hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me,
    and let us exalt his name together.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him, and be radiant,
    so your faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor soul cried and was heard by the Lord
    and was saved from every trouble.
The angel of the Lord encamps
    around those who fear him and delivers them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good;
    happy are those who take refuge in him.
O fear the Lord, you his holy ones,
    for those who fear him have no want.
The young lions suffer want and hunger,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

—Psalm 34:1-10 NRSVue

This Psalm is an interesting choice for a celebration of ‘the faith of the saints’ on All Saints’ Day, because this psalm wasn’t written while David was reigning over Israel as a revered King. Rather, it was written during a low point of David’s life. It was a time when he was an unknown on the run, pretending to be insane just to stay alive. This psalm suggests that the saintliness we celebrate is not attained by personal achievement or moral purity, but by exhibiting faith and trust in God.

At the heart of this psalm is the theological claim that God is the one who delivers and saves. The God who brought the Israelites out of Egypt is interested in a communal and personal relationship. This psalm of thanksgiving calls all who listen to join in the praise. David uses phrases like, “magnify the Lord with me,” “let us exalt…together,” and “Look to him…” to call upon the people to connect with God in the ways he has.

The psalmist uses the word “radiant” to tie us back to Moses, calling to mind the experience Moses had with God (the transfiguration). When a congregation unashamedly seeks God’s presence, it will also radiate. The psalmist invites the listener to use their natural senses like taste, sight, and hearing, so they may know the goodness of God. He tells us that the angel of the Lord is with those who fear God and that God delivers. The word fear in this usage means to revere. As our text ends, we are told those who seek the Lord will lack no good things. Psalm 34 calls the congregation to give praise to God and reminds them that God has delivered them in the past and will continue to deliver them into the future.

Questions

Many of us have experienced times of anxiety and fear or endured through troubling times. How do you come to a place of trusting that God hears your prayers and is with you in these times?
How might we always praise God?
On this All Saints’ Day, as you reflect on the people of faith who have helped you on your journey with God, who comes to your mind and what story of blessing do you carry with you because they were part of your life?

Sending

Generosity Statement

Faithful disciples respond to an increasing awareness of the abundant generosity of God by sharing according to the desires of their hearts; not by commandment or constraint.

—Doctrine and Covenants 163:9

The offering basket is available if you would like to support ongoing, small-group ministries as part of your generous response. This offering prayer is adapted from A Disciple’s Generous Response:

God of our discipleship,
As we navigate our world of debt and consumerism, help us to save wisely, spend responsibly, and give generously. In these ways may we prepare for the future and create a better tomorrow for our families, friends, the mission of Christ, and the world.
Amen.

Invitation to Next Meeting

Closing Hymn

Community of Christ Sings 331, “For All the Saints”

Closing Prayer

Optional Additions Depending on the Group

Communion
Thoughts for Children

Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

Communion Scripture

Choose one scripture to read from this selection: 1 Corinthians 11:23–26; Matthew 26:17–30; Mark 14:12–26; Luke 22:7–39.

Invitation to Communion

All are welcome at Christ’s table. The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is a sacrament in which we remember the life, death, resurrection, and continuing presence of Jesus Christ. In Community of Christ, we also experience Communion as an opportunity to renew our baptismal covenant and to be formed as disciples who live Christ’s mission. Others may have different or added understandings within their faith traditions. We invite all who participate in the Lord’s Supper to do so in the love and peace of Jesus Christ.

We share in Communion as an expression of blessing, healing, peace, and community. In preparation let’s sing from Community of Christ Sings (select one):

515, “In These Moments We Remember”
516, “Coming Together for Wine and for Bread”
521, “Let Us Break Bread Together”
525, “Small Is the Table”
528, “Eat This Bread”

Bless and serve bread and wine.

Thoughts for Children

Materials: picture of bunny/duck (see next page; landscape view is a bunny, portrait view is a duck)

Say: When Jesus preached and taught people, he often surprised them. Rather than affirming the unjust practices of people who had power, he taught people a new perspective, a new way to look at the world, and a different way to live. Jesus taught people that to bring about the kingdom of God, they had to have God’s perspective.

Show the children the picture of the duck/bunny.

Ask: What do you see?

Affirm all answers. Then show the kids how there are at least two different things that could be seen in this picture (a duck and a bunny).

Say: What we see depends on what perspective we look at it from.

The same is true in our lives. We can see situations from different perspectives. As disciples, we try to have God’s perspective when we look at the world.

When we see people fighting, we can try to help them find a peaceful solution. When people are angry about their differences, we help them find common ground and celebrate how our differences make us stronger. When people are hurt or left out, we can help them feel better and invite them in.

When we do these things, we are living out God’s vision for the world.

Sermon Helps

Exploring the Scripture

Psalm 34 is a psalm of thanksgiving in which God is praised for God’s actions. It would have been sung in the synagogue or the temple. This psalm is written in a beautiful style, with each line starting with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. With most people at the time dependent on hearing rather than reading, this would have been a helpful memorization tool.

The psalmist intended to thank and praise God and to recount an experience of the Divine as a witness. Notice in the first six verses how many times the word “I” or “me” is used. We also find: “let the humble hear…,” “magnify the Lord with me,” “let us exalt…together,” and “Look to him….” Through these phrases, the psalmist calls on the listeners to connect to the same God the psalmist has experienced and whose acts the psalmist describes. The psalmist sets the example and invites the congregation to follow that example. The psalmist blesses the Lord always, praises the Lord continually—not just during good times, but also during bad times.

As is typical for thanksgiving psalms, the thanksgiving section is followed by sharing about God’s freeing acts. The psalmist describes seeking God and how God heard and responded with deliverance from fear. The psalmist cried out to God and was heard. God gave deliverance from trouble. The psalmist wants us to know that God responds to prayer and that God responds through freeing action.

Verse 5, between the two verses just described, invites the congregation to look to God and be radiant; they never have to be ashamed. The word radiant reminds one of the experience Moses had when he went into the presence of God. If the congregation seeks Gods presence, it will also be radiant.

In the next verses, the psalmist continues to share wisdom, inviting the listeners to use their senses, like taste, sight, and hearing, so they may know the goodness of God—to experience God for themselves. The psalmist says the angel of the Lord is with those who fear God and that God delivers. The word for fear used here is not negative. One might use the word trust or revere instead. The psalmist says that God is always present to those who put their trust in God and that God can be present in many ways.

Verse 10 declares that humans who seek God are better off than the young lions. Those who seek God will not lack anything according to the psalmist.

Verse 22 brings the song to its conclusion, confirming that God redeems or delivers God’s people and that none who take refuge in God will be condemned. The psalmist does not say that life will be perfect just because we are faithful. The psalmist’s testimony makes clear there are fears and troubles, but when seeking God in a time of need the cry is heard and we will not feel alone. The psalmist knew that God gave deliverance over and again. The witness to the congregation confirmed that God, who delivered them from captivity, continues to deliver them.

Central Ideas

God responds to prayer and delivers us from our fears and troubles.
When we seek the presence of God, we will radiate God’s presence to others.
We are invited to experience God for ourselves, using all our senses—listening, seeing, even tasting. Everything can remind us of God’s presence.
God is present in our lives in many ways, always delivering us from fear and trouble.

Questions for the Speaker

What can we thank God for and how can we share our thankfulness with others?
Many of us have at times experienced fear and anxiety or gone through troubling times. Do we trust that God hears our cry, our prayer?
How can we hold onto our faith when times are troubling?
How can we experience God’s presence? Could someone close to us be the “angel” who represents God?

Lessons

Adult Lesson

Focus Scripture Passage

Psalm 34:1-10, 22

Lesson Focus

Hold God in reverence for delivering you.

Objectives

The learners will…

attend to the imagery and message of Psalm 34.

celebrate All Saints’ Day by remembering examples from the past of those who have lived in reverence for God.

consider how they might better exemplify their own reverence for God.

Supplies

Printed copies of the scripture passage, configured to allow drawing space on the page

Bible

Community of Christ Sings (CCS)

Note to teacher

In preparation for this lesson, read “Exploring the Scripture” for Psalm 34:1-10, 22 in Sermon & Class Helps, Year A: Old Testament (semicontinuous readings), p. 119–120, available through Herald House.

Gather

Distribute copies of Psalm 34:1-10, 22. Invite participants to read the passage and select one of its images to depict in a simple drawing or cartoon. Invite participants to share their images.

Where in the text are one of the five senses evoked?

How much of the text involves images of safety?

Engage

Share this background information with the participants:

Within the collection of the Psalms, Psalm 34 is one of thanksgiving and praise for an individual’s deliverance from trouble. It is a celebration of life lived with the assurance of God’s protection through all the ups and downs life brings. The writer encourages readers to try redemption for themselves. The psalm was structured as an acrostic in Hebrew to facilitate its instructional purpose.

“Fear” of the Lord is best understood as reverence for God or awe at God’s magnificence.

As we celebrate All Saints’ Day and consider those who have gone before, let us consider an example from our church history of a woman who exemplified the principles of Psalm 34.

Note: The contents of the following story were taken from Wendy Eaton’s, “The Wives of Joseph Smith III: Bertha Madison,” Cuppa Joe, Episode 409, September 3, 2021. Faith Unfiltered Podcast ) You may wish to invite multiple readers to break up this story.

Bertha Madison Smith, Joseph Smith III’s second wife, took the challenge to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” Bertha was living away from her family, boarding with and working for another family so that she could attend school as a teenager when her father encountered members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and joined the church. Bertha was quite dismayed because she had heard uncomplimentary things about the Mormons. The woman in whose home she lived encouraged her to not pass hasty judgment, because there were good people in that church. After she returned to her family home, Bertha joined the church in 1865, at the age of 21.

Bertha was the daughter of Norwegian immigrants. As a child she was only able to attend school for one year when her great uncles invited her to live with their families for that purpose. That experience gave her a life-long thirst for learning and an insistence on educational opportunities for her children. She grew up doing farm work with her father and brothers while her older sister helped their mother with the housekeeping work. The family moved several times around Illinois, Minnesota, and Iowa before settling in a Norwegian community in Illinois.

In 1866 Joseph Smith III, then president of the RLDS church, hired Bertha and another young woman, Maria Cook, to care for his ailing wife, Emmeline, and his three young daughters. After Emmeline’s death, Bertha cared for Joseph’s daughters, Emma, Carrie, and Zadie, at her parents’ home while Joseph sorted out the next stage of his life. He decided to continue living in Plano, Illinois, inviting Maria and Bertha to continue managing the household, which also included Mark Forscutt, another church leader, and his wife.

Some members of the church community, however, were not satisfied with this arrangement and disparaging rumors flew. Both Bertha and Joseph were distressed by this unkindness. They were married in November of 1869, giving rise to criticism that the church president had married a “foreigner” before a year had passed after Emmeline’s death. Joseph responded that he had chosen his wife for himself and not for his neighbors and the church.

Bertha set about managing a home open to boarders, friends, church members, and visitors who stayed for days or weeks at a time. She served Sunday meals to more people than could fit around the table at one sitting. She discreetly prepared baskets of food and clothing for those she knew to be in need and worked the gardens and livestock required to keep her growing family fed—all of this while her husband was very often away, traveling for the church.

Emma, Carrie, and Zadie were 13, 11, and 6 when Joseph and Bertha married. Their family steadily grew. David Carlos was born in 1870, followed by Mary Audentia in 1872. Next were Frederick Madison in 1874 and Israel Alexander in 1876. In 1877 Kenneth was born and died. Bertha Azuba was born in 1878, and Hale Washington was born in February of 1881. In October of that year, Bertha packed up the house in Plano and traveled by train with her six children, ages 7 months to 11-years-old, to their new home in Lamoni, Iowa. There, daughter Blossom was born and died in 1883, and Lucy Yeteve was born in 1884. Two months before Lucy’s birth, Azuba was fatally injured in a school yard accident. In 1886 their oldest son David died. In 1891 Zaide died after giving birth.

Through the joys and tragedies Bertha continued caring for her children, her aging parents, and those Joseph sent to stay for a while as they experienced life transitions. She raised gardens and livestock to feed the family and visitors, as well as horses and chickens to sell for family income. She insisted on educating her children early and well, encouraging them to send letters to their traveling father.

Two verses from Psalm 34 not included in today’s reading, are reflected in Bertha’s story. “…the LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD rescues them from them all.” (Psalm 34:19–20, NRSVue)

In Bertha’s resilience we can imagine her praying Psalm 34. Her daughter Audentia related a revealing incident in a biographical piece she wrote for Autumn Leaves. One night during a fierce rainstorm Bertha put out containers to catch the rainwater and spent much of the night emptying them into barrels to save. She woke Audentia so that she could witness the magnificence of the storm. Audentia wrote:

Never had I seen or heard the elements in such commotion, and shivering I clung close to her, but all I could note of her reaction to the storm was a sort of fierce delight, an attunement which seemed to fill her with pleasure. Drenched to the skin from her frequent sallies out to the tubs, she just laughed in the pure joy of the experience had awakened in her. This elemental quality about mother, born of her love for nature and her early contacts with its primitive and varied expression, deprived her of emotion of fear at any of its manifestations, and established, instead, a never-wavering, never-doubting assurance of its ever-divine benefice.

—Mary Audentia Smith Anderson,
“Mother Bertha, Part Two,” Autumn Leaves, Vol 41
(Independence, MO: Herald Publishing House, June 1928) 245–246.

Indeed, Bertha held a reverence for God that seemed to sustain her through life’s challenges.

Respond

Invite participants to consider people they have encountered or stories they have heard of people who have held a reverence for God, who exemplified looking to God and becoming radiant in their lives.

Invite them to share those stories as they are comfortable.

Send

Share in a quiet time for individuals to contemplate specific actions they might take to show their reverence for God in the coming week.

Bless

Participate together in singing or chanting the Taizé song “Bless the Lord” CCS 575 several times before parting.

Youth Lesson

Focus Scripture Passage

Psalm 34:1–10, 22

Lesson Focus

In hard or challenging times, we can be assured that we are not alone.

Objectives

The learners will…

understand that while life includes challenges, God promises to be with us.

explore the meaning of All Saints’ Day and how the lives of others can inspire us to trust God in both joyful and challenging times.

identify ways to express trust in God through daily acts of gratitude and community involvement.

Supplies

Ball of yard

Bibles or printed copies of Psalm 34:1–10, 22

Large pieces of poster board

Colored pencils

Blank index cards

Candle

Note to teacher

In preparation for this lesson, read “Exploring the Scripture” for Psalm 34:1–10, 22 in Sermon & Class Helps, Year A: Old Testament (semicontinuous readings), p. 119–120, available through Herald House.

Gather

Have the group sit or stand in a circle. Say something like, “Today we’re talking about trust—trust in God, and trust in the people who help us grow in faith. Let’s build a ‘Trust Web’ to show how we’re all connected.”

Start by holding the end of a ball of yarn and sharing the name of someone you trust (e.g., a parent, teacher, friend, or biblical figure). Then toss the ball of yarn to someone else across the circle.

Each person who catches the yarn shares someone they trust, then holds onto their part of the yarn and tosses the ball to another person. Continue until everyone is holding a part of the yarn and a web has formed.

Ask: “What do you notice about this web?” “How does this show the way we’re connected in community?”

Read Psalm 34:1–10, 22

Engage

Psalm 34 reminds us that God is always with us, even when life is hard. It doesn’t promise a life without problems, but it does promise that God will never leave us. When we’re going through tough times, we can choose to focus on fear—or we can thank God for walking with us and giving us strength.

All Saints’ Day is a time to remember those who lived with faith before us. Their lives show us that God has always been faithful—through joy and struggle. God’s blessings aren’t something we earn; they are a gift. God always blesses, assures, and comforts.

We’re never alone. And when we live with gratitude and praise, we show our trust in God. We do this not just on our own, but together—in our churches, schools, and communities. When we praise God with our whole lives, we reflect God’s love to the world.

Discussion Questions:

How can remembering faithful people from the past help us trust God today?

What are some ways we can show gratitude in our daily lives?

How does being part of a community help us stay strong in our faith?

Respond

Form small groups. Give each group a large poster board and colored pencils. Ask them to create a visual representation of “trusting God in community.” They can include symbols of faith, people who inspire them, and words from Psalm 34.

Optional: Light a candle and invite each group to name someone (living or passed) who has inspired their faith.

Send

Community of Christ’s Enduring Principle Blessings of Community states, “We value our connections and share a strong sense of trust in and belonging with one another—even if we never have met.” (Sharing in Community of Christ, 4th Edition, Herald House, 2018, p. 31).

Invite each learner to create a Community Blessing Card:

On one side, write or draw something they’re grateful for in their faith community.

On the other side, write a message of encouragement, hope, or blessing that they can give to someone outside the group—someone who might need a reminder of God’s love.

Encourage learners to:

Give their card to someone in their life this week (a neighbor, teacher, friend, or even a stranger).

Or leave it in a public place (library, coffee shop, bulletin board) as a random act of grace and generosity.

Bless

Form a circle and invite each person to share one way they will live generosity in their community this week. You can light a candle in the center to symbolize the light of Christ going with them.

Children’s Lesson

Focus Scripture Passage

Psalm 34: 1–10, 22

Lesson Focus

God is good, and when we are afraid, God is with us.

Objectives

The learners will…

understand that everyone has fears.

discover that God is good; we can taste, see, smell, touch, and feel how good.

learn that God will never leave us alone with our fears.

Supplies

A children’s version of Psalm 34, printouts to read (optional)

“Pass the Parcel” game using pictures from resources and music

Small packet of candy and small chocolate hearts (optional) Note: Be aware of allergies

Plastic boxes or trays filled with textured materials (sand, scrunched up newspaper) OR paper bags filled with different textured objects (cotton, wool, soil, twigs)

Small pieces of fruit and vegetables to taste

Small bottles or cups containing smelly objects (citrus peel, cinnamon, vinegar)

Pens, crayons, sheets of coloured paper or felt, scissors, glue

Blindfolds

Small bags such as paper bags or muslin favor bags

Heart template (end of lesson)

Sounds Worksheet or Treasure Hunt Worksheet

Favourite Kids’ Song about God’s love OR download video with actions (optional)

Note to teacher

Gather

Instructions

How to make a “Pass the Parcel”

Start with a small bag of chocolates/candy (optional) and one picture of something scary or nice (see resources or choose your own). Wrap them with one layer of paper and place another of the pictures on top. Then wrap the parcel with a second layer of paper and add a picture on top. Keep going until you have used up all the pictures. Then add a final layer of paper.

Directions for playing the game:

Everyone sits in a circle. Place two boxes or plates in the middle of the circle. One is for scary things. The other for not scary things. You could add labels to make it clear.

Play some music and pass the parcel around the circle from one child to the next. After a short while, stop the music and the person holding the parcel must open a layer. They find the first picture and decide whether to put it in the “scary” or “not scary” pile. After they have returned to their place in the circle start the music and go again. Try to make sure everyone gets a turn to unwrap the parcel. If you are using a packet of candy the final player to unwrap the layer is invited to share it with the group.

See resources for pictures or choose your own (darkness, spiders, thunder and lightning, dentist, puppy, kitten, bubbles, bikes, clowns, swimming, etc.).

Say: We are all scared of different things; but when we feel afraid God is always with us.

Engage

Say: We are going to read an ancient song or psalm from the Bible. People sang it thousands of years ago. It reminded them that God was their friend and would never leave them alone, even when they were very afraid.

Older children can read a line each. Younger children can listen. See resources for copy to print for each child.

Read Psalm 34:1, 4, and 8 (adapted from Psalms For Kids)

I will thank the Lord at all times.

My lips will always praise him.

I looked to the Lord, and he answered me.

He saved me from everything I was afraid of.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Blessed is the man who goes to him for safety.

Ask: What does the song/psalm say we should do to know that God is good and will help us when we are afraid? (taste and see)

We are going to Taste and See, and Hear, Smell, and Touch some of the wonderful things God has created for us.

Activity (adapted from “5 Senses Activities” on Education Corner

Note: There are two options for activities. An indoor multi-station sensory activity covering all the senses OR an outdoor treasure hunt. If time is short, select a few of the indoor sensory stations. Whichever option you use try to include “taste” and “see” experiences, because they refer directly to today’s scripture passage.

Option 1

Work through the five stations all together or let the children choose individually which order to do things.

Touch

Fill three plastic boxes with three different textured natural materials. Invite the children to take off their shoes, stand in the box, and squish their toes in the different surfaces (sand, scrunched up newspaper, cotton, wool, soil). Older children could be blindfolded. Provide a bowl of water and towel to clean feet afterwards! Ask:

What does it feel like?

What do you think it is?

Alternatively: Invite the children to feel only (no peeking) in three or four paper bags. Can they guess what it is? (cotton, wool, a shell, a twig, sand, etc.) Ask:

What does it feel like?

What do you think it is?

Taste

Provide small samples of different fruits and vegetables for the children to taste. For older children or those happy to be blindfolded, ask them to guess the fruit or vegetable. Note: Be aware of food allergies.

Ask them to score the taste out of 5.

= Wonderful. 1 = Yuk!

Sight

Option 1: Draw a stick person.

Now put on the blindfold and try to draw it again. Ask:

Which drawing looks most like a stick person?

How important are our eyes when we want to do tasks?

Option 2: Complete some simple toddler jigsaw puzzles

Now put on the blindfold and try again. Ask:

How did you do blindfolded?

How important are our eyes when we want to do tasks?

Hearing

Use a checklist (see resources). Listen to what you can hear. (You may need to go outside for some sounds.) Tick off the checklist when you hear each sound.

Smell

Fill a few small bottles or covered paper cups with different smelling items (citrus peel, vanilla extract, coffee grounds, cinnamon, cucumber, peppermint oil, vinegar, etc.). Invite students to guess what they’re smelling. Ask:

What does it smell like?

What do you think it is?

Option 2

Go for a walk and find five things that look, sound, feel, and smell good. (Take some fruit and vegetables so they have something safe to taste!) OR check out an online free senses treasure hunt. See resources for ideas.

When you have completed your sensory activities, say:

Of all the things you heard, saw, touched, smelled, and tasted, which did you like best?

If God gave us all this, do you think God loves us?

If God loves us, do you think God wants to help when we are afraid?

Respond

Activity: Create a “Bag of Hugs”

Adapted from Teaching Expertise

Instructions:

Use the heart template (see resources) to cut out different coloured felt or paper hearts.

Take a paper or muslin bag and attach one of the hearts onto the front of the bag.

Fill your bag with the remaining hearts and some chocolate/candy hearts (Optional)

Say: A “Bag of Hugs” is a go-to when you’re feeling worried or afraid. You can take out a heart and remember all the people who love you and remember God who is always with you.

Send

Say: We can ask God to be with us whenever we feel afraid. We’re going to learn a little prayer (or way to talk to God) the next time you are worried about something.

First, pretend to smell the flowers – demonstrate breathing in through your nose.

Now, pretend to blow out candles – demonstrate breathing out through your mouth.

Practice a few times

Now as you breathe in, think to yourself silently: “God my friend,”

And as you breathe out say to yourself: “Blow away my fears.”

Practice a few times