1. Welcome to our Mothering Sunday celebration!

2. Mother’s Day
Started in the USA in 1914 following a campaign instigated by Anna Jarvis after the death of her own mother.
Anna came to despise the commercialisation of the day!

3. Mothering Sunday
Inspired by the liturgy of pre-reformation church in England when people returned to their mother church or cathedral.
People working away from their families, such as domestic servants, were given the day off to visit their families as well as their home church.
They would pick flowers from the verges to take home to give to their mothers.
Constance Smith revived ‘Mothering Sunday’ in the Church of England after reading about Anna Jarvis’s campaign in the USA. Her book ‘The revival of Mothering Sunday’ was published in 1920 and by 1938 ‘Mothering Sunday’ was celebrated across denominations all over the UK.

4. How are you celebrating Mothering Sunday?
Cards
Doing something helpful
Flowers
Chocolates

5. Celebrate
All who care for our children
People who care for children in this Church and community are…

6. Hannah After giving Samuel to serve God
Hannah and Elkanah had five more children.
Samuel was a gift not only to Hannah but to many.
We can all be grateful for the gift of children.
F R Topham Source: Womeninthebible.net

7. We are all invited to be part of God’s family
‘But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God’ John 1.12,13

8. ‘We are family’ video
‘We are family’, Sister Sledge

9. How did Jesus view family?
Play our quiz

10. Quiz: How did Jesus view family?
1. ‘Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.’ And [Jesus] replied, `Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking at those who sat around him, he said, `Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.’
2. ‘When you celebrate Mothering Sunday, do not celebrate like the pagans do, instead you must celebrate in spirt and in truth.’
3. ‘And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life.’

11. Quiz: How did Jesus view family?
4. ‘Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on five in one households will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother.’
5. ‘Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart.’
6. ‘As I have loved you, you should love your brother and sister, and love your mother and father. I mean this. Look, I’ve got my serious face on.’

12. How did Jesus view family: Answers
1. Yes (Mark 3.32–35),
2. No (Mothering Sunday didn’t exist in Jesus’ day)
3. Yes (Matthew 19.29)
4. Yes (Luke 12.51–53)
5. No (that’s Paul in Colossians 3.20,21)
6. No, but perhaps a modern-day Jesus would.

13. Find out more about The Children’s Society