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

Worship at Hand

Complete Lectionary-Based Worship Services for Sundays in the Church Year

By Philip Garside

April 2026 | Whole Month

About this month's material

Good Friday | 3 April 2026

In this Good Friday service we hear the powerful account from John’s Gospel of Jesus' arrest, trial, and crucifixion.

We meet Jesus not as a distant divine figure, but as a courageous human truth-teller who stood exposed between empire and religious fear.

We’ll explore how his death was not inevitable, but the brutal response to a life lived fully in love, justice, and fearless truth.

As we sit in this solemn space, may we honour the pain, reject harmful theology, and carry forward the torch of Jesus’ witness.

 

Easter | 5 April 2026

Today we hear the powerful Easter story from John 20, where Mary Magdalene meets the risen Christ in a garden of grief.

Her journey from sorrow to witness invites us to sit with our own pain and listen for the voice that calls us by name.

We explore how grief, vision, and courageous proclamation can open us to resurrection’s quiet, transforming power.

As we gather, may we be ready to recognise Christ – not in the past, but here and now, calling each of us into hope.

 

Easter 2 | 12 April 2026

Today we continue to celebrate the hope of Easter. We hear from 1 Peter 1:3-9 and John 20:19-31 – readings that speak to fragile faith, honest doubt, and the power of resurrection to transform us.

In a world that often demands proof, we are invited into a deeper trust – a living hope that grows even in the absence of certainty.

This is a service for those who wrestle, who question, and who long to believe – and it reminds us that resurrection is not just an event, but a way of life.

 

Easter 3 | 19 April 2026

Today we’ll explore readings from 1 Peter 1:17-23 and Luke 24:13-35 that invite us to recognise Jesus in the ordinary rhythms of life and to love one another deeply from the heart.

As we journey with Cleopas and his wife on the road to Emmaus, we’ll reflect on how Christ becomes present in conversation, in shared meals, and in acts of radical hospitality.

This is a service about paying attention, living with heart-deep love, and letting hope burn within us.

 

Easter 4 | 26 April 2026

Today we hear two beloved scriptures: John 10:1–10 and Psalm 23.

Jesus speaks of himself as the gate – a way into rest, trust, and abundance – while Psalm 23 reminds us of the Shepherd who walks with us through every valley.

Together, these readings invite us to listen for the voice that brings life, and to follow it with courage into the world.

May we find in this time a place of safety, restoration, and challenge.

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.

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 .jpg format image
  

You will be emailed a link to download the zipped file when you complete your purchase.

Philip Garside Publishing Ltd (2026)

Praise from Customers for Worship at Hand

"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