Devotions can sometimes be a tricky thing at Kids Club, many of the children attending are not 'churched' and as a result much of the language that we use in church is not appropriate.

I suggest that you keep it simple and follow a 4 week or 6 week pattern, where you are either adding to something each week to make a banner/ a prayer chain, or you are following a ritual that is simple and engaging.

Some suggestions are:

Children's prayer:

Chat with the children about what prayer means to you, perhaps have two leaders, with different prayer styles, talk about how they pray to God. One might like to be quiet and meditative, the other may like to praise God through song -loud and joyous.

Next ask the children what they would like to:

• Thank God for
• Praise God for
• Say they are sorry about

Write these ideas up on a large sheet of paper. Then as a group brainstorm how you might like to write this into a prayer that you can say together each week at the start and end of Kids Club. It can have actions, it might be sung to a simple song that the children already know, it might be quiet ... let them lead you. Write the prayer up on a large sheet of paper, let the children decorate it.

You can pray this prayer for a few weeks, and then write another, or you might like to pray this prayer for a term.

Banner Prayer:

Have a large sheet of butchers paper or calico. With a central message on it. For example: WELCOME.

WEEK ONE - Talk with the children about how we welcome people - waving our hand, shaking hands, etc… Have each child outline their hand on a piece of coloured paper, cut it out, colour it in, and write someone that they want to pray for that day (Mum, Dad, siblings, friends, leaders, each other, etc…)and staple onto the edge of the banner.

Then say together the following prayer (or make up your own):

We pray together today.
Everyone is welcomed,
Laughter and Fun,
Caring and Sharing,
Of each and everyone.
Make us your children God,
Everyone of us.
WELCOME!
Amen

WEEK TWO - The second week you might want to talk about words that we use to welcome each other: hello, welcome, hi, g'day, and other languages: bonjour, ciao, etc… Have the children each write a welcome word in the outline of the central message and colour in (for younger primary you will need to help them with this). At the end of this activity, pray the prayer above again .

WEEK THREE - On the third week talk about symbols of welcome, banners, streamers, balloons, etc… Give each of the children a portion of a streamer and have them write their name on it. Staple these down the bottom of the banner, then pray the prayer above together.

WEEK FOUR - Make sure you have left room for two elements that you will add before the children come to Kids Club. Add the word God at the top of the banner, and an 's' at the end of Welcome. That way the banner reads: God Welcomes…and then all the names of the children. On this week, ask the children what has changed on the banner, can they see any difference? Talk to them about how God welcomes them and loves them. Then simply hang the banner and pray the prayer together.

Prayer Links:

Prayer links are interactive, visual and changeable. Children and adults can write their prayer: one word, several, a picture, whatever relates to the theme of the prayer on their strip of paper. The paper strips can then be linked together to form a chain: thereby creating a visual sense of community.

Prayer Links can be adapted: you might use green one week to pray for the environment, and then add yellow the following week when thinking of things of praise, and then another week add orange when thinking about people who are ill in the congregation/group. Then, if these people are better by the following week you can unlink their slip of paper and add others.

A Prayer Link is fluid and is a visual reminder for children about what has been prayed for. Each week the children will remember what the theme of prayer was as it relates to colour. So, ask them to remind you what was prayer for the week before and the week before that.

As you link the chains, say out loud what is being prayed for or once linked say together the link prayer:

God who hears our prayers(hands cup ears)
You link us together (all hold hands in a circle)
Our prayers link us to you (link elbows)
We are your children (hold hands again)
AMEN! (loud and excited 'AMEN' run into the middle whilst still holding hands)

A great prayer idea that adds colour to your Kids Club!