This week in Taking Flight

What happens when things don’t go as planned? Can we change direction? What resources do we have that we can offer to our Lord? We use the well-known miracle of loaves and fishes as a springboard to ask these questions of ourselves, and provide creative resources for people for all ages.

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Jesus tells a story about a man who finds hidden treasure. With the help of visual media and creative ideas for all ages we explore together how coming under the reign of God is the most beautiful, valuable, satisfying, and precious thing that we can attain in our lives.

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This week in Taking Flight

The lectionary takes us to Jesus’ parable of the weeds in the wheat. We look at how this story would have been understood by the first readers of Matthew’s gospel, then move on to what it has to say in the present-day context. Included are prayers, resources for all ages, and hyperlinks to additional sources.

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This week in Taking Flight

Resources to explore the parable of the farmer and his seed are woven together with this week’s celebration of Matariki. There’s plenty here to help you plan interesting events and church services for people of all ages.

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In today’s gospel passage people are calling Jesus a glutton and a drunkard. Jesus then invites the weary to come to him for rest. We examine how the passage applies to name-calling in our own day, and we ask what it means to know God.

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This week in Taking Flight

In sending the disciples on their mission Jesus emphasises the importance of welcoming. We apply his words to our own situation and provide colourful and creative resources for groups and congregations of all ages.

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This week in Taking Flight

In our gospel reading today Jesus was preparing the disciples for the mission on which he would send them. He reassured them of God’s detailed care. “Even the hairs on your head are counted”. On this Refugee Sunday we provide resources to apply Jesus’ words to our world, to refugees, and to ourselves.

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This week in Taking Flight

Jesus uses the imagery of animals to tell his disciples about their role in the world. They are like lambs among wolves who are called to be wise as snakes and as innocent as doves. He was preparing them for the coming opposition from both religious authorities and Imperial power. Our resource contains creative ideas to apply his words to our current world situation.

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This week in Taking Flight

Today we find inspiration from Abraham, who left all that was familiar and headed off to a new land in obedience to the Lord. We ask, “Have we remained in the same place too long?” This week’s resource has creative ideas to encourage us to embark on a journey of faith.

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This week in Taking Flight

Trinity Sunday is a day to inspire worship! We provide a smorgasbord of resources to help appreciate the magnificent and mysterious vastness of our creator God, and to respond in love and worship.

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This week in Taking Flight

On Pentecost Sunday we consider how the Holy Spirit helps us to communicate the wonderful things God has done. Our resource is full of colourful and creative ideas to help you celebrate this important festival of the church.

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This week in Taking Flight

In our lectionary passage from the Acts of the Apostles today Jesus departs from the disciples and leaves them with a task and the promise of power. We inherit that task and that power, but first we must change our ideas about seeking a king. Once again, we provide a range of creative and visual resources for people of all ages. Also included this week is some pointed advice for ministers using AI.

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This week in Taking Flight

The lectionary passage from the Acts of the Apostles today signals the arrival of the gospel in Europe. The transition of the gospel to those outside the boundaries of Israel and Judaism signalled a change that continues to reverberate through time and across boundaries. The underlying message is that this gospel is broad, extravagant and inclusive. We examine the immediate implications for us as we seek to share the good news.

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This week in Taking Flight

In today’s scripture reading Stephen, a faithful and courageous follower of Jesus, becomes the first Christian martyr. In many ways what happened in this account is the opposite of what we might expect, and there are lessons we can learn. We provide a range of resources to unpack the applications for your group or congregation.

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Correction: The emailed version of the Taking Flight header last week read Sunday 17 April instead of Sunday 19 April.

This week in Taking Flight

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles takes us to the establishment of the new Christian community. We ask if there clues here for the community of Jesus’ followers today and find practical applications for people of all ages.

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This week in Taking Flight

Our reading from the Acts of the Apostles today returns us to Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost. Here, on the day that the church was born, Peter’s clarion call is “turn to God”. This week’s resource is full of creative ideas and visual prompts for people of all ages.

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This week in Taking Flight

On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit powerfully came upon the first group of Jesus’ disciples. Today we examine Peter’s sermon following on from that momentous event. We ask, “What was his message, and how does it apply to us all these years later?”

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This week in Taking Flight

It is the high-point of the Christian year. The tomb is found to be empty! We consider John’s account of the resurrection and provide resources for a memorable church service, for a small group, for personal reflection and for children’s activities.

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This week in Taking Flight

Today we provide a complete Order of Service for Good Friday. The mood is simple and solemn as our focus is on the narrative of Christ’s road to the cross, his death and burial.

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This week in Taking Flight

Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem at the beginning of Holy Week resonated with triumph as the people celebrated the coming of the long-awaited king. But the crowd did not understand what was involved in following the lead of this king. Do we? This week we provide creative resources for all ages to bring meaning to your Palm Sunday celebrations.

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