Help to strengthen the safety net for vulnerable families this Mothering Sunday

Not being a mother myself, I’ve always struggled a bit with Mothering Sunday. If you look at the origins of Mothering Sunday you’ll realise it is more about celebrating our Mother Church (people were given the day off to travel to their ‘mother church’ to be with their families on Refreshment Sunday in Lent) and the mother love of God than the commercial ‘Mother’s Day’ we have now (which often feels more exclusionary, especially in our church families where not everyone is a mother or may be a bereaved mother or have struggled to have children).

Last autumn I was invited by the Children’s Society to write some resources for churches to use on Mothering Sunday in 2019 to tie in with their campaign to ‘strengthen the safety net’ of support for children and young people in our current context in the UK of government cuts and the disastrous roll out of Universal Credit. I initially said ‘I don’t really like Mothering Sunday’ and then realised that that was actually a good reason to work on some resources I would like to use in my own church! I came up with some ideas for talks based on the lectionary readings and some creative ideas for all age worship.

The resource is available as a free PDF download.

It includes:

• All-age talk, based on Exodus 2.1-10
• Talk based on 2 Corinthians 1.3-7
• Small group resource on the story of Ruth
• All-age and prayer activities
• Activities for children and young people
• Prayers
• Takeaway postcard

Visit the Children’s Society website to find out more about this year’s campaign:

https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-you-can-do/your-church/pray-worship-reflect/worship/mothering-sunday

Here’s a prayer to use:

Loving God, thank you for all those who care for us.
Please give them love, strength and patience.
We bring before you those who are struggling to make ends meet
because of illness, poverty or difficult circumstances.
Inspire us to play our part in supporting them,
just as you love and care for us.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.