Preparation

Meet to co-ordinate the service. The hall could be sectioned, as follows:
1. Area for the needy abroad, e.g. Africa, and in Ireland, e.g. the homeless and the unemployed.

2. Area for the needy at home, e.g. those who are, sad, lonely, vulnerable, depressed. (Be sensitive to the children's circumstances.)

Display a collage of any or all of the above, and a banner bearing the words "Whatsoever you do to the least of my people".

SECTION 1

The children gather in the previously arranged hall.

All stand.

Leader Introduction

Introduce the theme of the celebration referring to banner or posters. We are all gathered together here today to think of those who are in need of our love, care, support and understanding - those people in need who can be as near as members of our own family or as people in far-away places - and so we begin by singing together:

'God's Spirit is in My Heart', Workers for the Kingdom, page 159

All sit. Reading

The flnal judgement, Matthew 25:31-46
This can be read using different voices and sound effects.

All Sing:"O Lord hear My Prayer", Walk in love, page 133

Child 1
For the times we saw you alone or hungry and were too greedy to share.
Forgive us, Lord.

Child 2
For the times you needed a coat to keep you warm or shelter you from the rain and we were too selfish to share.
Forgive us, Lord.

Child 3
For the times we saw you being held prisoner by bullies and were too afraid to speak up for you.
Forgive us, Lord.

Child 4
For the times we saw that you were lonely and shy and were too busy looking after ourselves.
Forgive us, Lord.

Child 5
For the times we held on to our money instead of giving some of it to a good cause.
Forgive us, Lord.

Child 6
For the times we saw you needing a smile or a hug and we chose to ignore it because of our friends.
Forgive us, Lord.

Leader
For all those times that we acted out of fear, selfishness or self-centredness and closed our hearts, minds and ears to the cry of the needy, we will ask God now in the next hymn to give us courage to become true followers of Jesus, who came to bring life, not death, to all.

All stand.

All Sing'Whatsoever You Do', Walk in my Presence, page 273

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Section 2

All Sit

The leader has several options.

1. Have a child/children read/tell stories of children from needy places.
2. Bring in someone who has worked in an area like Bosnia, South America, Sudan, Somalia to speak about their experiences
3. Show video shots of places where there is obvious need.
4. Have the children enact a day in the life of a child from any of these places.
5. Have a number of children dress in the garb of ech country and have each one tell a little story about himself or herself

All Stand

All Sing
"Children of the Universe", Workers for the kingdom, p.102.

All Sit

Leader: Reflection

Who will feed my children
who are hungry everywhere?
Who will clothe my people who are naked?

Who will free my people from the imprisonment of unemployment, violent homes or no education?

Who will give my children the love, affection and care that they need?
Who will be courageous enough to stand up for my oppressed little ones?
Who will pray for the people of violence to bring about peace in this war-torn world?

Leader: All Stand

We will respond to these please by singing
All Sing: "Here I am Lord", Workers for the Kingdom, p. 407.

Concluding Section

All Stand

Leader:
We thank you, Lord for the generosity of all here today. We hope that our prayers will do some little good towards alleviating the awfulness of the lives of these needy people. We beg you to give us generous hearts that will always continue to be open to the cry of the needy, so that on the last day we will hear your voice saying: "Come you, blessed of my Father, into the kingdom prepared for you, because, as long as you did it to the one of the least of my people, you did it to me". We pray for this in the name of all who are needy and homeless today. Amen.

Final Hymn

"Think a Little While", Workers for the kingdom, p. 242.