Family and all-age worship does not mean "Mums and kids"; it should be a gathering in which all who come are drawn in and feel part of an extended family. It offers an opportunity for different groups to work together and to raise the issues that are important to different sectors of the ‘family’.
The service should focus on
‘conversation’ rather than ‘performance’,
with communication between the leader, the congregation, and God.
It should remain creative and visual, and have an atmosphere
which is welcoming and friendly. 
Many people struggle with family
services, with plenty of ‘for and against’ arguments.
In addition there has been concern about the form and content of
all-age services for some time. Often they contain little Bible
or liturgy, little depth, and too many gimmicks! Patterns for
Worship was finally produced in 1995 and offers a framework for a
Service of the Word. The content of the service, and the
framework it offers, is now part of Common Worship and
recommended for use with All Age and Family Services. Uniquely,
the service of the Word consists of notes and suggestions rather
than set texts, which can be taken from throughout the Common
Worship texts. This makes it harder to plough through services
with little or no preparation - work has to be done to put a
balanced service together. 
Patterns for Worship offers a clear structure for services of the word which is ideal as a basis or all-age services. The four sections are:
Texts Much of the content of a Service of the Word is flexible, and other texts can be found or created. Authorised texts can be taken from throughout Common Worship. To obey the ‘letter of the law’ these are specific texts that must be used:
- Confession and absolution - many alternatives
- Creed – many alternatives
- Lord’s Prayer – four possible versions
PreparationThe service needs a clear beginning which draws the leader and the people together. This could be a response, a greeting, a scripture passage, and invitation to worship, an opening song, or any combination. They should be active involving the congregation, and in inclusive language. Sign language or actions may be suitable. Confession and absolution can be in this section, or in the Prayers after the Word if penitence is a natural response. There are many authorised Prayers of Penitence, including seasonal and themed ones. |
WordThe Bible should be treated with reverence but not necessarily solemnity - true reverence comes from giving it full weight of meaning. The Bible reading needs to be delivered creatively. There could be a number of readers, dramatised readings, musical backing, visuals, and so on. It should always be delivered audibly and with respect. The Word includes the ‘sermon’ slot. There should not be a separate children’s talk, the main talk being relevant and accessible to everyone. It can be delivered in short sections, with visual aids, drama, interviews, discussion, activity, songs, background music, or any combination. |
Creeds and AffirmationsThere are a range available, including a ‘question and answer’ version which is more accessible to children than a page of words. Again, it is worth trying music in the background, saying creeds line by line, reading silently, and so on in order to make it more relevant and creative. |
PrayersThere are different options available. The Collect (themed or ‘of the day’) should be earlier or here. Other prayers can be responsive, visual, physical or processional. There should be some space for silence and reflection. Prayers can be led by an individual, a group of all ages, or said in unison. There are specific themed and seasonal intercessions available in Common Worship. The Lord’s Prayer should always be included. There are now four versions authorised, although the ASB and BCP versions are most easily available. Prayers should include a Thanksgiving, which may be musical, responsive or spoken by the leader. This will normally be the climax to the Word and Prayer sections. |
EndingsAs with the beginning, a clear end needs to be in place. Services can end with a dismissal, farewell, valediction, blessing, going out or goodbye. There are many options available, and freedom to create your own. Again, creativity and variety are the keys to getting this right. |
The framework in Common Worship offers a degree of freedom and flexibility which should enable churches that have stuck to BCP or ASB to be more creative and flexible, while bringing churches that have no form or order to their family services back to a degree of structure. In either case the use of Common Worship has the potential to improve and refresh all-age worship.
Chris Chesterton & Nick Harding