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

Worship at Hand

Complete Lectionary-Based Worship Services for Sundays

Digital download product

By Philip Garside

December 2026 | Whole Month

About this month's material

Advent 2 | 6 December 2026

Today we hear from Isaiah 40:1-11; Mark 1:1-8, where ancient words of comfort and hope meet John the Baptist’s call to prepare the way of the Lord.

Isaiah speaks to a displaced people longing for home, while Mark takes us into the wilderness, where something new is about to begin.

Together these readings invite us to consider what it means to prepare a road for God’s compassion, justice and transforming love in our own time.

As Advent begins, we are reminded that even in a troubled and uncertain world, the good news is still beginning.

 

Advent 3 | 13 December 2026

Today we hear from Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 and John 1:6-8, 19-28, two readings spoken into worlds where hope is stirring even though the work of restoration is far from finished.

Isaiah announces good news for the oppressed and broken-hearted, while John the Baptist points beyond himself to the light already shining among the people.

Together, these readings invite us to notice where God is present in the wounded, the rebuilders and those working for justice, often beyond the places where we expect to find God.

As we worship, we are invited to recognise that the light is already here, and to consider how we might join in God’s work of healing and renewal.

 

Advent 4 | 20 December 2026

Today we hear two stories of people discovering that God is already at work in ways they hadn’t expected.

In 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16, David wants to build a house for God, while in Luke 1:26-38 Mary is invited to make room in her own life for God’s unfolding future.

Their stories invite us to consider how we listen for God through other people, through questions and through the quiet spaces we create in busy lives.

As we worship together, we are invited to become attentive enough to notice where God is already at work, and courageous enough to respond.

 

Christmas Day | 25 December 2026

Today we hear from Isaiah 52:7-10 a joyful announcement of peace and freedom, and the extraordinary declaration from John 1:1-14 that the Word became flesh and lived among us.

Together, these readings remind us that Christmas hope isn’t an abstract idea, but something that comes to life in the vulnerability of a newborn child and in the ordinary realities of our human lives.

Even when our world remains troubled and uncertain, Christmas invites us to rejoice because God’s light still shines and new possibilities can be born among us.

As we celebrate together, we’ll reflect on how we too can become messengers of peace and embody God’s hope and love in our homes, communities and world.

 

Christmas 1 | 27 December 2026

Today we hear from Galatians 4:4-7 where Paul speaks of our freedom as children of God, and Luke 2:22-40 where Simeon and Anna recognise hope in the infant Jesus.

These readings remind us that God’s welcome is wider than the boundaries we often create, and that wisdom and prophetic insight can come through people without status or authority.

We are invited to see ourselves as already held within God’s love, free from the need to prove our worth and free to grow in wisdom, compassion and justice.

As we worship together, may we listen for unexpected voices, widen the circle of belonging, and carry Christ’s light into our troubled and beautiful world.

• • •

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

"I must say I was really impressed. Our team didn't have much notice that we were taking a service. One of the team leaders suggested your website. I loved that it gave so many options for the children's worship  and a varied list of songs to choose from. The structure of the service was perfect for us and I loved that it used Aoteoroa flavour.  Many thanks for sharing your talents with us."  GD 14 June 2026

"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)]
• 1200 to1400-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