Tag Archives: Mark

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon/Worship Station – June 14, 2015, Mark 4:26-34; 3rd Sunday after Pentecost

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Prepare: You will need a large piece of banner paper (probably white) and a bunch of crayons of markers.

20130822-223520.jpg Ask the children, “Have you every planted anything? Flowers, or vegetables, or a tree? What did you do to help if grow?” Wait for a few answers.

20130822-223633.jpg I think one of the amazing things about planting seeds is that all of the information that the seed needs to become a plant is inside that little seed! If you plant a pumpkin seed in a good place and give it water it grows more pumpkins with a whole bunch more seeds, it’s amazing!

In the story from Mark today, Jesus is working hard to explain what God’s Kingdom is like, and he chooses seeds and plants to help him explain. Jesus knows how amazing seeds are. It almost sounds like Jesus is just as fascinated as we are! He talks about how just a few seeds can grow into a bounty of food, or how a tiny little seed can become a huge tree (Jesus uses a mustard seed, but maybe we could think of an apple seed growing into a big apple tree!)

Jesus seems to be saying that God’s Kingdom holds more wonders than we can imagine, and more bounty than we can dream of. If a tiny little apple seed can grow into a big tree that can produce maybe hundreds of apples every year, imagine what the kingdom of God could be like!

FaithCross_Worship For the worship station, invite people to gather around the banner paper and create a prayer garden. Invite them to draw a flower or tree, or to write a short prayer on the paper. Find a place around your church where you can keep the banner up for a while with a sign that encourages people to add flowers, trees or prayers throughout the summer season. If you really keep it up, you could make the “harvest of prayer” part of you Sunday School kick off in the fall!

20130822-223908.jpg My God’s kingdom grow in you!

20130822-223749.jpg Bountiful God, We thank you for the wonders of seeds and plants. Help us to grow in faith just as the plants around us grown through the warm growing seasons. Amen.

 

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon Mark 3:20-35 Pentecost 2B

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Preparation: a big chart with two columns for Yes and No

20130822-223520.jpgGather the children with you up front. Show them your chart and say, “So this week I was thinking about things that Jesus taught and how in our life we have lots of choices to make-lots of things and ideas and experiences and people that we can say yes or no to. Now I know that sometimes you have choices between other things too–like maybe mom or dad or grandparents ask if you want broccoli or green beans for dinner or how about this– raise your hand if you would like chocolate ice cream better and raise your foot if you would like ice cream better. So yes sometimes choices are for things but you know you are saying yes to chocolate or vanilla and not to the other even when you have these choices.

So I made this chart thinking about the things, people, ideas, ways to live that we can say yes or no to and I thought I would ask you what you thought. So let’s think deeply together, what are some things or ideas or people that we say yes or no to? I’ll go first. Yes things are things that connect us to love, to God, to other people, to helping the world. I needed help mowing my yard the other day and the neighbor boy came over to help–I said yes to accepting help. Do you have other ideas?

Knowing what we say yes to helps us know what we say no to. Like because I accepted help, I was able to say no to having a lot of pride and trying to do everything all alone. Other ideas?

20130822-223633.jpgJesus today in the Gospel and throughout scripture is saying yes to people, to being in a community, to worshipping God. He is teaching to say no to separation from God, to evil, to being a part of things that do not show love. He tells us that we are all his brothers and sisters when we are saying yes to God. This reminds me of what happens in a baptism. Together we say we renounce, which is a big word for saying No. And we say no to the devil, empty promises, and anything that goes against God. (add these to the chart if they are not there or circle them) And in baptism we say Yes to remembering we are God’s children, helping other people and creation, yes to loving God and loving one another. Jesus promises to be with us everyday and all the ways we try to do this and to love us even we say yes to things that need a no.

FaithCross_PrayALTLet us pray, Jesus-help us  to say yes to living as your children. Yes to loving others. Yes to your promises. Help us to say no to all the things that separate us from you. Amen+

FaithCross_BlessALT+May you walk in the yes with Jesus. +

 

FaithCross_WorshipHave a chart at your worship station for people to add their yes and no to. You could also have smaller pieces of paper with the same columns for people to take home. On this table also have a bowl of water with a  remembrance of baptism or the blessing above. You can also put this station near the baptismal font if your space allows.

Children's Sermons

Children Sermon Easter Sunday YearB April 5, 2015, Mark 16:1-8

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Preparation: Resurrection eggs–you can make them or you can purchase them.( I do not necessarily use them all.)To make your own go to pinterest and search ‘resurrection eggs’ This also works well if you have an egg hunt on Sunday morning or use this for the pre-Egg Hunt on Saturday. There is also preparation for the worship station if use this–see bottom of post for those materials and instructions.

20130822-223520.jpgGather the children forward with you. Have the resurrection eggs that you are using available. “This week has been what we call Holy Week, which is a week that we remember the walk of Jesus to the cross and to his rising again on Easter, today.”

FaithCross_BibleALTI brought some things with me to help in remembering the stories of Holy Week. What are these? (easter eggs!) Let’s see what is inside these eggs. Proceed to use the items in each week to highlight a part of Holy Week.
Suggestions:
Palm Sunday: small toy donkey for  or a palm leaf
Maundy Thursday: small chalice or picture of one
Good Friday: Crown of thorns or small nail cross
Easter Saturday: a rock for the stone to the tomb
Easter: Keep the Egg Empty

When you get to the empty egg: “Well, there is nothing in here? Are you surprised by that? Why do you think it’s empty?” Take answers “The egg is empty because it helps us remember that the when the women came to the tomb, they found it empty! Now, it also says they were afraid. How can emptiness be scary? (take answers) Yes, it can be because sometimes when we don’t know or don’t understand it can make us fearful. But emptiness can also be freedom–freedom to see new possibilities and freedom to live in God’s love. Jesus not being in the tomb means that he is everywhere else-alive on that Easter morning and alive with us today. This empty egg is a promise that we have life in and through Jesus even when we die.”

(if you are doing an egg hunt consider not filling the eggs having the kids collect eggs and then turn them in for a goody bag as a part of this empty egg experience–they still like it, trust me)

FaithCross_PrayALTJesus, you are alive and we thank you for this gift! Be with us today as we celebrate and share your love and your gift of life that means we live free in your grace. Amen

FaithCross_BlessALTGod in my head, God in my heart, God on my left, God on my right–God everywhere! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed!

FaithCross_WorshipLilies on Easter: The Easter Lily is the traditional flower of Easter dating back to around 1945 when the flower was introduced to the United States. These flowers grace millions of homes and churches every year, embodying joy, hope, and life;reminding us of the hope on Easter, the purity of Christ, and the promise of the empty tomb.

Trace your hand (or help one another!) on the white paper and cut out. Curl the paper fingers (petals) around a pencil and then attach the handprint lily to the pipe cleaner. Place these on the cross and watch it fill up with our hands joined as the body of Christ!

 

Supplies:

the black cross

silk vines

white paper

yellow and green pipe cleaners; yellow ones cut in half

scotch tape

instructions for the flowers

 

 

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon Baptism of Our Lord, Mark 1:4-11 January 11, 2015

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Preparation: evergreen sprigs that are wet or can be dipped in baptismal font or spray bottles that do a light mist, a candle (if you are doing the worship station you will need several candles and non flammable paint markers or permanent markers)

20130822-223520.jpgGather the children to you and around the baptismal font. Ask for them to tell you what they know about the font and what it is used for.

 

20130822-223633.jpgShare about baptism and how it is done in your setting. Then move on to talk about how water is a gift not just for life and our bodies and for the world but also for how we remember that God has come to us and made us God’s children. Say, “Today we hear in the gospel of Mark about the baptism of Jesus and that we received the same promise from God as God’s loved children. Each time we use water, we can remember this promise! Also in baptism we are given a candle–a light to help us know that we are called to shine God’s light that has been given to us in the world.”

Lead the children in sprinkling the assembly with the evergreens or spray bottles OR simple take this time to squirt them!

 

20130822-223749.jpgJesus–you are God’s beloved son and we are also God’s children. Be with us in water and in light and help us to know and show your love. Amen

 

20130822-223908.jpgUse the baptismal blessing: You are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever +

 

FaithCross_WorshipLight of the world, Light of Our Lives: As we lit Advent candles in the season of Advent, waiting for Jesus to come, now we celebrate the light of Christ come into our lives. Decorate a white candle and take it home with you as a reminder of your baptism and the light of Christ throughout our next season of faith: Epiphany