Faith Formation Journeys

Walking Together in Grace

Author: bw

  • The Kingdom Of God is NEar

    Gather the children near the font if possible. Ask them if they have ever felt left out? Accept all answers. Say “yes! We all have felt left out at some point in our lives. What made you feel better about that? Or did you feel better about it? Do you still struggle? I know that I sometimes do! But I can remember that I am included in God’s family.
    In today’s Luke story and the letter from Paul to the people of Galatia, we are learning that God includes everyone into God’s family. Paul says that we are to keep doing good to everyone as they are part of God’s family. Jesus tells the 70 people that he sent out to tell the world about God’s love that sometimes people will like what you say and sometimes they will reject it and you will feel left out. But the good news and the promise is that the Kingdom of God is near-is near everyone no matter what! You are always included in God’s love. God says so in water being poured on us at baptism, in the bread and in the wine at communion and in this community here who promises to love each other like God loves no matter what! Your name, Jesus says, is written in heaven, or what that really means is on God’s heart. You are never left out of God’s love! Who can you share that with?
    Let’s pray: Dear Jesus, thank you for telling us that all people are included in God’s love and in God’s kingdom. We pray to include all people in your love too! Amen.
    +Your name is written on God’s heart+
    Worhsip prayer station: Supples: Large poster board with the words “KINGDOM OF GOD” written on it, markers, crayons, stickers. (might need more than one poster board for a larger congregation))
    Invite people to write names and groups of people who are also written in heaven, or on God’s heart. It’s a great reminder to add those names of people whom we struggle with or who stuggle with us! Invite people to pray for this list during the week.
  • God’s great joy! Christmas Eve Children’s Sermon on Luke 2

    God’s great joy! Christmas Eve Children’s Sermon on Luke 2



    Bring the children forward and have a plain amazon box.

    I’m sure you recognize this! It’s an Amazon box! We seemed to have many of these come to our door this week! And I’m sure you did too! Every time a box came to our home, it was a reminder that someone who lived far away in our family or from our friends was thinking of us and we are not alone! Now, the plain box itself is one thing, but then when we open it, the gifts inside are decorated with fun paper or bows, like this, on them. When we wrap gifts, we often think of how special that person is to us and we hope that the gift we send makes them happy. But it’s not really about the gifts. Maybe in the past you’ve received a toy that you really wanted, fun new pajamas, a new bike or gaming system and that made you happy. But toys break, we outgrow pajamas or bikes and technology will stop working. Does that mean that the person who gave you those things no longer loves you? NO! Those things made us happy, being loved never stops and that is what joy is all about. Joy is about being connected to love: people who love us: moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, friends, teachers, and that we love all of those people too.

    In our Christmas story tonight we heard an angel tell the shepherds good news of great joy for ALL people. What was that good news? Jesus was born!!! God loves us so much that God came to us as baby Jesus, to connect us to God’s love and to each other and this is great joy! Everyone, you, me, everyone here, everyone in the world, is connected to God and God’s love and are filled with Great Joy! God wanted the shepherds, Mary, Joseph and us to know that we are loved, and are God’s Great Joy. We are part of God forever. And God’s Great Joy can’t be put in a box or under our tree, It’s so big that it covers the whole world! And so as people who are God’s Great Joy-our job is to tell everyone we see that they are God’s Great Joy too! Just like we put bows on presents to remind the person that they are special, I have a bow for each of you tonight to remind you that you are special, connected to God and God’s Great Joy forever!

    Dear God, thank you for loving us and connecting us to you! May your Great Joy , through Jesus, be for all the world to see! Amen! Merry Christmas!


    +Glory to God in the highest, you are God’s Great Joy!+