Education Sunday 2026 invites churches to reflect on the theme “Living Well Together”, using the lectionary readings for 13 September as a starting point for prayer, worship and action. Drawing on Scripture’s vision of reconciliation, forgiveness and mutual responsibility, these resources encourage us to consider how we can build communities where people from different cultures, backgrounds and beliefs can flourish together.
At a time when society is often marked by division, hostility and mistrust, education has a unique role in bringing people together. Schools, colleges and universities are places where children, young people and adults learn not only alongside one another, but also from one another. Education shapes habits of thought, patterns of judgement and ways of relating to others. The question is not only what we learn, but what kind of people we are becoming.
This year’s Education Sunday takes place during the 500th anniversary of William Tyndale’s translation of the Bible into English. Working in partnership with Bible Society, one of Churches Together in England’s Charities and Networks in Association, we explore Tyndale’s conviction that engagement with Scripture transforms lives and communities. His commitment was not simply to literacy, but to ensuring that ordinary people could encounter God’s word for themselves and be shaped by it.
The theme of living well together is reflected especially in Romans 14:1–12, where Paul calls Christians to accept one another, to resist judging one another, and to remember that none of us lives only for ourselves. These resources invite churches to consider what this teaching means today: in our schools and educational settings, in our neighbourhoods, and in the life of our congregations.
As you use these materials, we hope they will inspire prayer, discussion and practical partnership with those involved in education. Together, may we help to build a society that values diversity, prioritises the wellbeing of children and young people, and models ways in which people can truly live well together.
Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday, 13 September
Exodus 14: 19-31
Psalm 114 or Exodus 15: 1b -11, 20-21
Romans 14: 1-12
Matthew 18: 21-35
Explore the Catholic Education Service resources for Education Sunday 2026 (coming soon…)
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.