Worship at Hand – July 2026 | Whole Month [Save 10%]

Worship at Hand Complete Lectionary-Based Worship Services for Sundays in the Church Year By Philip Garside July 2026 | Whole Month About this month's material Pentecost 6 | 5 July 2026 Today our readings are from Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67, the story of Rebekah’s courageous decision to step into an unknown future, and Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30, where Jesus challenges people who refuse to listen and then offers rest to the weary. These passages invite us to notice how God’s wisdom often comes through ordinary decisions, unexpected voices, and relationships shaped by trust. They also challenge us to hold our assumptions lightly, to listen more generously, and to recognise wisdom by the life-giving fruit it bears. As we hear these readings and reflect on them together, may we be open to Christ’s invitation to share the load, risk love, and find rest in the grace of God. Pentecost 7 | 12 July 2026 In today’s readings from Genesis 25:19-34 and Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, we hear of seeds scattered on different kinds of soil, and of Esau trading his birthright for a bowl of stew. Together, these stories invite us to ask what we truly value, what we are allowing to take root in us, and what kind of soil our choices are creating. We are reminded that God works not through perfect people or perfect conditions, but through real lives, patiently reshaping us with grace. As we worship together, may we listen for the word of the kingdom and open ourselves to the quiet, hopeful growth of God among us. Pentecost 8 | 19 July 2026 Today we hear from Genesis 28:10-19a and Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43. In these readings, Jacob discovers that God is present even in lonely, uncertain places, while Jesus’ parable of the wheat and weeds invites us to live with patience in a world that is tangled and complex. The sermon explores trust, discernment, humility, and hope, reminding us that God is not waiting for life to become tidy before meeting us. As we worship together, may we become more attentive to the God who is present, patient, and quietly at work among us. Pentecost 9 | 26 July 2026 In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 13:31-33 and 44-52, we hear Jesus speak of the Kingdom of Heaven through mustard seed, yeast, hidden treasure, a pearl, and a net full of fish. These parables invite us to notice God’s reign not as escape from this world, but as something quietly growing within ordinary life through compassion, justice, hospitality, and shared humanity. We will explore how small, hidden, and sometimes messy acts of faith can become signs of God’s abundant and inclusive love. As we worship together, may we be open to discovering the Kingdom hidden in plain sight among us. • • • Reminder Do check out the A4 Leader's version of the Order of Service which contains a sermon, and suggestions for hymns and children's talks, in addition to the prayers and liturgy. About Worship at Hand You can purchase packages for individual Sundays or for a whole month: https://philipgarsidebooks.com/collections/worship-at-hand Use these flexible, all-in-one service scripts to: Prepare thoughtful, spiritually grounded worship with minimal stress Engage congregations with inclusive, poetic language Follow the Revised Common Lectionary with confidence and creativity Offer well-structured, theologically liberal worship experiences Save time with ready-made sermons and prayers, and children’s talk ideas Inspire participation with interactive and multi-age elements. Features A weekly worship resource based on the Revised Common Lectionary readings that comprises: A complete liturgy A 1000 to 1200-word sermon included for each service 10 engaging “Introducing the Theme / Story Time” ideas 12 hymn suggestions from NZ Hymnbook Trust music books A royalty free image illustrating the theme to use on the cover of the Order of Service, PowerPoint slides etc. An A4 PDF with a black and white line art drawing of the week's image suitable for colouring in Material for each week comprises a zipped file containing: The Leader’s A4 version of the Order of Service (includes the liturgy, sermon, hymn suggestions and Introducing the Theme / Story Time ideas), in Word and PDF formats A draft A5 Congregation version of the Order of Service, ready for you to add hymn and Bible reading texts, in Word and PDF formats A colour .jpg format image An A4 PDF with a black and white line art drawing of the week's image suitable for colouring in You will be emailed a link to download a zipped file containing the zipped files for each week when you complete your purchase. [You will also get a link to download a simpler zipped file containing just the Word documents of the Leader’s A4 version of the Orders of Service for the month] Philip Garside Publishing Ltd (2026) Praise from Customers for Worship at Hand "Leading worship and preaching in urban and rural churches requires sensitivity to the congregations. Using Worship at Hand material for Easter preparations allows fresh metaphors, original thoughts from more than one Sunday to stimulate what may become jaded or stale concepts from nearly 62 years since accreditation. The illustration on Emmaus Road - brilliant." MT 14 April 2026 "Just right for our congregation's worship this Sunday. And just the help I needed with an extra service to take this week. Both the prayers and service format were great and the sermon delivered a clear and well prepared message." VM 2 Feb 2026 "Thankyou Philip, At such a busy time of the year with our church hosting many community events (including a Candlelit Christmas last night with over 170 people attending) Worship at Hand has been a lifesaver. As always, I find your sermons thoughtful and on point." SW 7 Dec 2025 "Worship at hand is fantastic. inexpensive, easy to use and good quality. Each week is written to the readings and Gospel. it has made my life easier. Thank you for being there." DT 25 Oct 2025 "Helpful Resources: It is very helpful to have a complete service with prayers and resources all relating to the lectionary readings. I find it useful as a template which I can edit or adapt for my own congregation. I also really appreciate the graphic which I can use in a powerpoint display as a focus illustration. I used to spend hours searching for a suitable theme illustration. As a New Zealander, I enjoy resources that are culturally relevant for my parish." RAG 13 August 2025 "I used Worship at hand Pentecost 6 for the first time - when I had a service to prepare with one week's notice - at a time when life was particularly busy! It was brilliant - easy to use and follow - I used my own hymn choices - used the entire service. Good comments back re the reflection from congregation. Have recommended to others at our church who take services." DW 27 July 2025 "Worship at Hand for August: Pertinent, very useful material to read, reflect on, spark thoughts and assist with services. I find it a good resource." JH 25 June 2025 "I find the Liturgies very helpful along with the sermon preparation guide. The prayers are thoughtful and easy to follow. Always relevant to the subject theme." PJ 19 June 2025 "I have a variety of worship resources on hand that I use to prepare liturgy and have therefore to date not sourced your Worship at Hand. Because I have had a very busy few weeks, I thought I'd give your Pentecost resources a go, thinking there might be some ideas that I could incorporate. What I have found is a very balanced and well thought out liturgy and a sermon that in my view is one of the better sermons I have come across, certainly better than I would likely have come up with. Thank you so much for offering your talent to the church in this way, it is a gift to at least this tired Presbyter!" SW 5 June 2025 "I really appreciate the new resource as it provides a very helpful resource for creating church services. I don't need to spend as much time putting the services together, especially looking for songs or creative ideas for children/young people. It also means that if we don't have a preacher available at least there is a good talk that someone can read." HW 28 May 2025 "Great material. A wonderful resource. I have recommended it to others as well." DE 10 May 2025 Description Worship at Hand is your weekly solution for creating meaningful, high-quality church services that are theologically grounded and easy to lead. Designed for clergy, lay preachers, and worship leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond, each downloadable service in this growing collection includes everything you need to lead a complete Sunday gathering. Each service is based on the Revised Common Lectionary. Liturgies are responsive, reflective, and action-oriented – inviting congregations to participate deeply in the rhythm of worship. Whether you’re preaching every week or leading occasionally, Worship at Hand gives you everything in one place. Just open, read, and adapt as needed. Services are created with beauty, care, and a deep love for the church’s task of telling the Good News. These services are crafted with pastoral insight, theological depth, and liturgical artistry. Use them as supplied or adapt to suit your context – each service includes permission for use with attribution. While you can present them as is, we suggest that you personalise the sermons provided by adding your own stories and messages relevant to your congregation and local community. About the Author Philip Garside is a Methodist lay preacher, worship leader, publisher, and singer / musician based in Aotearoa New Zealand. With over 15 years of experience leading creative, multimedia services, he brings a special blend of theological depth, pastoral sensitivity, and liturgical imagination to his work. Through Philip Garside Publishing Ltd / Philip Garside Books, he equips worship leaders with tools to inspire thoughtful, inclusive, and engaging worship grounded in the life of the Spirit and the call to justice. Contents Each downloadable service includes: Opening Section Welcome & Introduction Call to Worship (responsive) Lighting the Candle Opening Prayer Hymn #1 [You provide the hymn text] Exploring the Theme Prayer of Approach (responsive) Words of Assurance 10 Children’s Talk / Story Time ideas Hymn #2 [You provide the hymn text] Bible Readings (RCL-based) [You provide the Bible text(s)] 1000 to 1200-word Sermon Hymn #3 [You provide the hymn text] Community Time Sharing the Peace Notices Sharing Joys and Concerns Prayers of Intercession (responsive) The Lord’s Prayer in te reo Māori Offering Invitation and Blessing Hymn #4 [You provide the hymn text] Closing Benediction / Sending Forth The Grace in te reo Māori