Choose one of the Prayer Action options outlined below, or you can use the Prayer Actions: Options 2 and 3 in Book 1, pp. 47–8, at any time of year.

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Prayer Action: Option 1

Action: placing battery tealights or star/sun shapes with a Baby Jesus doll, lying in a manger or on white/gold cloth on your focal table

We ask an adult to light the battery tealights in advance as we’ve found younger children can be distracted by attempts to light the tealights themselves.

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Show the children one or more baskets/trays with lit battery tealights or star/sun shapes.

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If you’re using battery tealights:

Now as we pray, we’re going to turn the lights off

for a moment and look at these candles.

Ask an adult or child to turn off the lights.

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Jesus is the Light of the World!

In a moment, Name and Name

are going to bring around these candles/stars/suns.

If you like, you could take one

and hold it up like this

to show that Jesus, Light of the World, is here!

Hold the candle/star/sun high above your head

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Imagine Jesus’ love shining on you

and on a special person you’re praying for.

Hum the tune together, with ‘Jesus, hear our prayer’ as a refrain until all the children and adults who wish to take tealights/stars/suns have done so.

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Jesus is the Light of the World!

Our prayers can be part of sharing Jesus’ light.

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We’re going to sing again.

If you like, you can give your candle/star/sun to Baby Jesus.

Let’s promise to shine with God’s love in the world.

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Lead the children in singing again until all the children and adults who wish to place their tealights have done so. End this time of prayer with the final verse from the Prayer Song you’ve chosen.

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Prayer Action: Option 2

Action: placing battery tealights or star/sun shapes around a lit globe

At St Peter’s, Walworth, we’ve used a globe that can be lit up to show Jesus, Light of the World. In our space, it’s possible to plug the globe in from the focal table with the cable stowed safely away. If you’d like to use an electric globe, think through how this might work safely in your setting with curious young children present. We encourage the children to explore the globe along with an adult afterwards, if they like.

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If you're using battery tealights, we ask an adult to light these in advance as we’ve found younger children can be distracted by attempts to light the tealights themselves.

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Show the children the lit globe on the focal table.

This is a ‘globe’, showing the world.

We live here. Point to where you live on the globe

But people live all over the world. Point all around the globe

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If your church or group has a connection with people elsewhere in the world, you could briefly show the children this place here.

Example: This is Zimbabwe, our link diocese in Africa.

Point to Zimbabwe.

Our friends from Zimbabwe live here.

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Jesus is the Light of the World!

Look at the light lighting this globe up from the inside.

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Show the children one or more baskets/trays with lit candles/stars/suns.

In a moment, Name and Name

are going to bring around these candles/stars/suns.

If you like, you could take one

and hold it up high. Model holding one up high

Let’s ask God to help us

be part of shining Jesus’ light in the world.

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Hum the tune together, with ‘Jesus, hear our prayer’ as a refrain until all the children and adults who wish to take tealights/stars/suns have done so.

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Jesus is the Light of the World!

When we pray, we can be part of shining Jesus’ light!

Let’s sing again.

If you like, you can come and put

your little light around the world.

Let’s ask God to see our candle/sun/star

as a prayer for a special person and for the world.

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Lead the children in singing again as they place their candles around the globe on a focal table. We’ve found that asking the children to do this in age groups helps. End this time of prayer with the final verse from the Prayer Song you’ve chosen.

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Prayer Action: Option 3

Action: placing battery tealights or star/sun shapes on a map of the world

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At St Peter’s, Walworth, we’ve used a map jigsaw (that the children can also explore afterwards). At other times, we’ve used a laminated world map that shows the world in its proper proportions. If you're using battery tealights, we ask an adult to light these in advance as we’ve found younger children can be distracted by attempts to light the tealights themselves.

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Place a map of the world in the centre of the circle. If your group is using a doll to represent Baby Jesus, you might like to place Jesus at the head of the map in the manger or on the cloth.

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This is a map of the world.

Jesus is the Light of the World!

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Show the group one or more baskets/trays with lit candles/stars/suns.

In a moment, Name and Name

are going to bring around these candles.

If you like, you could take one.

Let’s ask God to help us be part

of shining Jesus’ light in the world.

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Hum the tune together, with ‘Jesus, hear our prayer’ or ‘Hear our prayer’ as a refrain until all the children and adults who wish to take tealights have done so.

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If appropriate:

At the moment, there’s fighting in the world

Here and here. Place candles

Name the countries or areas if appropriate.

There’s been an earthquake [or other disaster]

here. Place candles

There are people who [e.g. have no homes] here.

Place candles

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There are people who need our prayers all over the world.

Let’s sing again.

If you want to, you can put your little light anywhere you like on our map.

Let’s be part of bringing Jesus’ light to the world.

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Lead the children in singing again as they place their candles on the map. We’ve found that asking the children to do this in age groups helps, as the older children tend to be more intent on finding a location than the others. Some groups may like to ask two children to carry the map around the circle on a tray so the children can place their stars from where they are sitting. The map can then be placed in the centre of the circle. End this time of prayer with the final verse from the Prayer Song you’ve chosen.

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Prayer Action: Option 4

Action: placing stars on a dark piece of fabric

Lay a dark piece of fabric in the centre of the circle. Show the group one or more baskets/trays filled with stars.

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Jesus is the Light of the World!

In a moment, Name and Name

are going to bring around these stars.

If you like, you could take a star

and hold it up high like this. Model holding the star high

Imagine Jesus’ love shining on you

and on the special person you are praying for

like a star shines in the night sky.

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Hum the tune together, with ‘Jesus, hear our prayer’ or ‘Hear our prayer’ as a refrain until all the children and adults who wish to take stars have done so.

Let’s give our star prayers to God as we sing.

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Lead the children in singing again as they place their stars on the dark piece of fabric. Some groups may like to take one or more trays covered with a dark cloth around the circle so the children can place their stars from where they are sitting. These trays can then be placed in the centre of the circle. End this time of prayer with the final verse from the Prayer Song you’ve chosen.

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Prayer Action: Option 5

Action: making ‘twinkle’ hand actions in a circle around a Baby Jesus doll, lying in a manger or on white/gold cloth

 

Place Baby Jesus in the centre of the circle in his manger or on the cloth.

Jesus is the Light of the World!

Our prayers can be part of sharing Jesus’ light.

Let’s make ‘twinkle, twinkle stars’ with our hands in the air

and show them to Baby Jesus.

Lead children in opening and closing hands

to make ‘twinkle, twinkle stars’.

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We’re going to sing the end of our song now.

As we sing, let’s show our ‘twinkle, twinkle stars’ for Baby Jesus.

Let’s ask God to hear our stars as prayers.

Let’s ask God to help us be part

of Jesus’ light, shining in the world.

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Lead the children in singing the final verse from the Prayer Song you’ve chosen as you make ‘twinkle, twinkle’ signs in the air.