The twelve themes in this book contain a wealth of creative worship ideas, all designed to encourage the church family to listen to each other's stories. Through listening and worshipping together in a less formal setting, the material promotes creative thinking and enables people of all ages to learn together in worship and grow in faith as part of God's family. Each theme includes introductory reflections on the season of the year; a biblical context; ideas for a visual display; age-specific activities; suggestions for sharing a meal; suggestions for reflections, prayers and sung worship and, finally, ideas for taking the theme further. The themes can be used to plan stand-alone worship programmes or to follow the pattern of the Christian Year, giving an ideal opportunity for once-a-month exploration of colour, creativity and individuality of each season. Some themes are based on Bible stories or issues relevant to the church family, while others use abstract ideas designed to promote lateral thinking. The material offers a wide range of practical ideas and fun (or reflective) activities designed to give choice to those planning the worship. A pick-and-mix approach provides flexibility for the length and setting of worship. Themes include: Gifts, skills and talents (Epiphany) Lent Unity (Holy Week) Celebrating life (Easter) Sharing our story (Ascension) Prayer (Pentecost) Summer outings Quiet spaces Harvest Sharing our concerns Advent Christmas
