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

Worship at Hand

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

By Philip Garside

May 2026 | Whole Month

About this month's material

Easter 5 | 3 May 2026

Today we hear words of deep reassurance from John 14:1-14 and 1 Peter 2:2-10, where troubled hearts are steadied and scattered people are gathered into something strong and living.

As we listen, we are invited to trust Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life, and to rest in the promise that there is room prepared for us in God’s presence.

We will explore what it means to live without fear in anxious times, to pray with bold alignment to Jesus’ heart, and to see ourselves as living stones built into a community of hope.

In a world that pulls us in every direction, this is a call to stand firm on Christ our cornerstone and to walk together in resilient, courageous faith.

 

Easter 6 | 10 May 2026

Today we hear from John 14:15-21 and Acts 17:22-31, two readings that proclaim a God who is not distant but intimately present.

In John’s Gospel, Jesus promises the Spirit as an Advocate who will dwell with us, reminding us that love lived out is the doorway to experiencing God’s nearness.

In Acts, Paul stands in Athens and declares that the God we seek is not far away, but the very ground of our being, calling us to turn and reorient our lives towards that reality.

Together these readings invite us to trust that we are not alone, and to embody a courageous, generous love shaped by the Spirit already at work within and among us.

 

Easter 7 | 17 May 2026

Today we stand with the disciples at two thresholds – hearing Jesus pray in John 17:1-11 on the night before the cross and watching him commission his followers in Acts 1:6-14 before the coming of the Spirit.

In both moments, uncertainty hangs in the air, yet Christ speaks of glory as self-giving love, eternal life as relationship, and mission as Spirit-empowered witness rather than political control.

He prays not that his followers be removed from difficulty, but that they be protected within it, and he entrusts God’s future to imperfect, still-learning people.

As we gather in our own season of change, we are invited to move from anxious waiting to faithful participation, trusting that the same Spirit still leads us forward.

 

Pentecost | 24 May 2026

Today we gather around the story of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-21 and Paul’s vision of the Spirit-filled body in 1 Corinthians 12:3-13.

We will hear how God’s Spirit came like a sudden wind and steady fire, turning fear into courage and difference into deep understanding.

These readings remind us that the Spirit doesn’t erase our uniqueness but breathes through it, gifting each of us for the common good and drawing us into a living, interdependent community.

As we worship, may we be open to the wind that still blows among us – unsettling, liberating, and always creating something new.

 

Trinity | 31 May 2026

Today our journey takes us from the opening poetry of Genesis 1:1-2:4 to the risen Christ’s commission in Matthew 28:16-20, two beginnings that frame our faith.

In Genesis we hear of a world called from chaos into life, shaped by rhythm, rest, and a sacred responsibility to guard what God has made.

In Matthew we meet disciples who worship and doubt yet are sent anyway to share the way of Jesus and trust his enduring presence.

Together these readings remind us that we are created for relationship, commissioned for renewal, and accompanied always by the God who creates, sends, and stays.

• • •

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 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

"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