Prayer Action: Option 1

For small groups

Action: placing leaves on a prayer tree

You will need: 

• a ‘prayer tree’: a large tree branch held in a Christmas tree holder or in a bucket filled with stones and sticky tack;

• little green leaves cut from green paper.

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Place your tree in the centre of the circle.

Lent means ‘springtime’.

In the spring we see new life

and new beginnings starting all around us.

We see tiny leaves growing on the trees.

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We can be part of bringing

God’s new life to the world when we pray.

Place your baskets of leaves and sticky tack at the base of the tree.

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If you like, you can take a leaf.

You can stick it on our prayer tree

and ask God to hear it as a prayer.

While this takes place, hum the tune together, singing the words ‘Jesus, hear our prayer’

or ‘Hear our prayer’ as a refrain.

 

When the group is ready:

This Lent, let’s watch new life grow

on our prayer tree and in our lives as we pray.

 

Prayer Action: Option 2

For small or large groups

Action: placing blossom on prayer trees

You will need:

• ‘prayer trees’: at St Peter’s, Walworth, we print three copies of the bare tree template onto three A4 sheets of bright blue paper and glue these next to each other on a landscape piece of cardboard from an old box that looks like ‘rubbish’ from the back;

• ‘blossom’: either real blossom, or white/pink tissue/crepe/coloured paper crumpled up into small balls. If you’ve printed your tree outline on white paper, pink tissue paper will help to create a contrast.

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Place your trees in the centre of the circle.

Lent means ‘springtime’.

In the spring we see new life

and new beginnings starting all around us.

We see blossom growing on the trees.

​

We can be part of bringing

God’s new life to the world when we pray.

​

Show baskets of ‘blossom’.

In a moment, Name and Name

are going to bring around these baskets of ‘blossom’.

If you like, you could take some and hold it up.

Let’s ask God to hear our blossom as a prayer.

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While this takes place, hum the tune together, singing the words ‘Jesus, hear our prayer’

or ‘Hear our prayer’ as a refrain.

 

When the group is ready:

Either:

As we sing, let’s give our blossom prayers to God.

Let’s sprinkle our blossom on our prayer trees!

Or:

Name and Name are going to come around

with our trees.

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As we sing, let’s give our blossom prayers to God.

While this takes place, lead the group in humming/singing again. When your group is ready, end this time of prayer with the final verse of the Prayer Song you’ve chosen.

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This Lent, let’s watch new life grow

on our prayer trees and in our lives as we pray.

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Expect some of the blossom to end up looking as if it’s blown from the tree or fallen to the floor. This is what blossom does!

 

Prayer Action: Option 3

Action: placing a small cross as a prayer on a large cross (Jesus’ cross) placed on a cloth (purple, if your church uses liturgical colours)

 

If you’re going to ask a child to carry the cross around the group, place the cloth and cross on a tray.

In Lent we follow Jesus on the way to the cross.

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Invite two children to take around two baskets of small crosses.

Name and Name are going to bring around these baskets of crosses now.

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If you like, you can take one of these crosses and hold it high.

Let’s ask God to hear our crosses as a prayer

for ourselves and a special person.

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While the crosses are taken around, hum the tune together, singing the words ‘Jesus, hear our prayer’ or ‘Hear our prayer’ as a refrain. When your group is ready:

The way of the cross isn’t always easy

but we know Jesus is there with us.

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Either: place your large cross in the centre.

You can place your cross prayer with Jesus’ cross here.

Let’s ask Jesus to be with us and our special person.

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Or: ask a child to take a large cross around on a tray.

Name is going to bring Jesus’ cross around.

If you like you can give your cross prayer to Jesus.

Let’s ask Jesus to be with us and our special person.

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While this takes place, hum the tune together, singing the words ‘Jesus, hear our prayer’ or ‘Hear our prayer’ as a refrain. When the group is ready, end this time of prayer with the final verse of the Prayer Song you’ve chosen.