We shaped our inter-generational All Saints' Day service 2024 around this activity. Feel free to take inspiration and change around, or use as is. Leave a comment to let us know your creative adaptations!

These different steps were interspersed with the rest of the service, which for us included singing, creed and Holy Communion.

Step 1: Introduction (early in the service): 

Show a picture (on screen, painting or direct congregation's gaze to your stained-glass windows) of how artists have depicted saints in the past, and notice the curious circles around their heads. Ask for suggestions of what those circles might mean. We had all sorts of good ideas, ranging from "they belong to God" to "it shows how they liked circles".

Explain that the halos were meant to show holiness (I gave the example of Jesus on the Mount of Tranfiguration looking shiny to the disciples), which is why saints are depicted like that. Explain how "saint" means someone who is holy. Ask the congregation who here is a saint?

Depending on your church, people may not volunteer. If so, you need to let them know that we are all saints through Christ!

At this point I had a shiny pre-made halo and asked people to nominate someone around them who they thought of as a saint. I then held the halo over their heads while we ooh-ed and aah-ed. Nominations included those who worked in healthcare and "all parents..."

Step 2: Bible reading and explanation

We read Hebrews 12:1-3, and our minister talked briefly about saints past, present and future. That people have gone before us, paving the way for us today. That we are saints today cheering each other on. That we are the saints paving the way for people to know Jesus in the future.

Step 3: Halo activity

We handed our the cardboard circles. I had cut an inner circle out from cheap paper plates to make it easy, but you could make stirdier or better cardboard ones. And if you want to run this activity within a children's group, you could let them cut their own circles. In our mixed congregation and short service time, this would not have worked.

We already have coloured pencils on the tables and I handed out some sparkly stars and jewel stickers.

We asked the congregation to write / doodle / draw / decorate their plates around these themes:

• Who are the saints that you think have paved for you?
• What is your prayer for us as saints right now?
• What is your prayer for the saints of the future? How can you pave the way for them?

Step 4: Prayer

Our minister asked everyone to hold their halos to one side and we thanked God for the saints of the past.

Then she asked us to hold the halos over our heads as she prayed a blessing over us as saints today.

Finally, we all reached our cardboard halos towards our back window as she led a prayer for those who don't yet know Jesus but could be saints of the future.