Faith Formation Journeys

Walking Together in Grace

Category: Children’s Sermons

  • Palm Sunday Year C Luke 19:28-39

    Palm Sunday Year C Luke 19:28-39

    Preparation: some pathetic looking palms or sad looking palm plant or other plant .
    An alternative image that goes with the text better is a coat. Bring a coat and after talking bout the palms tell about the coats being laid to honor Jesus and as gifts. Talk about the gifts we bring and how Jesus sees us as gift. Instead of palms at the worship station have people write on images of coats.

    FaithCross_ConnectALTGather the children and have them bring their palms or use this as a time to hand them out. Ask, “who can tell me why we are holding these palms today?” Take answers and explain that it is a ritual and tradition of the church to have palms on this day to remember the part of Jesus life where he went into Jerusalem for the last time and had his last week with is friends and followers. The palms were waved as he came into town to honor and praise him.

    FaithCross_BibleALTSome of your palms look really good but look at the ones I have here. (Show your pathetic palm/plant). This one is kind of small and too old maybe to be used for Palm Sunday. I am not sure it is good enough. But  you know what I like about this palm? It is real, it was grown from this plant and it has lived in this worship space (or my house or wherever) for a long time. And it makes me think how sometimes we think we are not good enough for things. Are there times you feel like you are not good enough or that you have let someone down?

    Jesus sees all these palms as a gift. There may be some that are too old or new or some that are dried out or just too small, but they are all real and a part of creation. Jesus sees you and me this way too. Even if you feel that you have let someone down or you feel that you have not done something well or you that you are just not big enough or smart enough yet–Jesus sees you as totally enough just as you are right now. Jesus looks at you like these palms, as a gift. As someone who can share love and live as a beautiful part of God’s creation. Jesus goes into Jerusalem today and he will go to the cross there. He dies on the cross to show you that God already loves you and forgives you always.

    FaithCross_PrayALTJesus, we praise you with our palms and with our voices. Let us know your love for each one of us in all our gifts and in all the ways we need to grow. Amen

    FaithCross_BlessALTMay you know Jesus love always rescues you+

     

     

    FaithCross_WorshipHave palm branches for people to make into crosses. Or have construction paper and have people trace their hands and write in the ways they see God’s love and forgiveness for them on the inside of their hand (their palm)

    OR for LOTS Of fun have washable markers and let people write on their very own hands (like the picture).. I know, crazy-ness. Let me know if you tried it!

     

  • Children’s Sermon/Worship Station – March 6, 2016: Lent 4c – Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

    Children’s Sermon/Worship Station – March 6, 2016: Lent 4c – Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

    Prepare: One of my favorite ways to tell this story is to act it out. So your preparation for the children’s sermon can be as simple as just making sure you know the story well enough to tell it, or as complex as having actors and costumes. Up to you!

    For the worship station, set up a “voting booth” with a two large jars or containers and beads or small rocks for people to vote with.

    20130822-223520.jpg As the children gather ask them if they have a favorite story.  If they do, ask them how they like to tell the story?

    20130822-223633.jpg Today’s Gospel story is a really fun story to act out, but first we need to some actors.

    OK – from here on you are on your own! But I will tell you what I would do.  I would have a short list of the important characters in mind, and maybe even on a piece of paper in front of me. I would look for “volunteers,” and by that I mean that I would ask, but would ultimately end up choosing some people to play certain parts. Once I had my cast I would start to narrate the story and encourage the actors to act out what I am saying.

    One really fun way to do this is to have the prodigal son stay with you, and pretend to walk away while the father and other son back away from you.  Then you can keep the action of the story close by.

    To get the two groups back together you can have them kind of meet in the middle.

    My simple cast would be:

    • Father
    • Prodigal
    • Other Son

    Expansions on that would be:

    • The people the prodigal celebrates and eats with
    • the farmer he works for
    • the pigs that he eats with
    • the people who live near his father
    • his fathers’s other servants
    • etc . . .

    20130822-223908.jpg You are God’s Beloved child

     

    20130822-223749.jpg Loving and forgiving God, bring us back to you when we wander far from your love and care. Teach us to show your love, mercy and forgiveness in all parts of our lives, and lead us in ways that keep us close to you always! Amen.

    FaithCross_Worship For the worship station, ask the question, “where does your pride end?” To keep it simple have two jars:  “I would return to my family when the money ran out,” and, “I would be eating with the pigs.”

    Have people vote and see where you congregation ends up!  Make sure that being forgiven for pride is part of your prayers AFTER the worship station, so that the idea of returning to God is part of your focus in worship this day.