Education Sunday 2025 – 14 September

“Lost and Found” is the theme for Education Sunday 2025.

On Education Sunday, 14 September, we will be looking at the well-known parables from Luke’s Gospel, the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of the lost coin (Luke 15.1-10).

In our schools, colleges and universities, there are many young people who feel lost, or appear to be lost. This can be because the institutions are so big that they don’t feel noticed, because don’t feel they fit with the expectations of the institution or their peers or because of the unseen struggles at home. Others appear to us to be lost because of the way they behave or fail to engage.

The introduction to the 2025 Education Sunday theme has been written by Rev Viviene Royal, the Executive Head of two alternative provision schools in the West Midlands. She says: “Our work is about being relentless in the search: finding the young person who’s become disconnected, rebuilding trust, and unlocking the door to learning again. We focus on the individual, and one-to-one pastoral support is key. Like the shepherd and the woman, we search and we keep searching.”

In addition to the usual resources for worship, the Free Churches Group will be hosting a webinar helping churches to explore the issues raised by the TV series Adolescence, and to consider how churches might respond. This will take place on Tuesday 16 September, from 4.30–6 pm.

Explore the Catholic Education Service resources for Education Sunday 2025.

We hope your church will mark Education Sunday in some way, and will celebrate the contributions of those who work in education, as teachers, lecturers and support staff, and will pray for those who learn – children, young people and students of all ages.

What is Education Sunday?

For well over one hundred years there has been an annual recognition of Education Sunday in England and Wales. It is a national day of prayer and celebration for everyone in the world of education.

The theme is devised by an ecumenical steering group representing different Christian denominations and organisations.

Since 2016, it has been celebrated on the second Sunday in September, coinciding with the start of the school year (prior to this it was celebrated on the ninth Sunday before Easter). The resources are intended to be used as a springboard for a variety of events on or around Education Sunday.

The Education Sunday working group

The resources for Education Sunday are developed by an ecumenical working group. The current members of the working group are from the following churches and organisations:

• The Baptist Union
• Bible Society
• KiCK
• Pray for Schools
• The Methodist Church
• Student Christian Movement
• The United Reformed Church
• West Midlands Churches Further Education Council

Education Sunday is co-ordinated by The Free Churches Group of England and Wales, on behalf of Churches Together in England.