Category Archives: Children’s Sermons

Children’s Sermon & Worship Station – Nov. 13, 2016 – Luke 21:5-19

November 7, 2016 gb Leave a comment

Prepare: You will need something to distract you at least a couple times. Be creative! It can be someone coming into the room to ask you a question, or an alert on your phone. Or you could just pull a “Dori” and keep losing track of what you were saying! Just make sure you have something set up ahead of time.

This is the part of the children’s message where you need the distractions. Welcome the children as you usually do, but make sure you are interrupted/distracted in the middle. the distraction should be enough that you feel the need to start over. Do this a couple times to get the point across (and because it’s fun to be silly!)

Wait! I’m getting distracted! You know what’s weird about that? Not getting distracted is exactly what the Gospel story is about today!

I would add that the little distractions that just happened to me are nothing like what Jesus is describing, but they did keep me from talking to you, and that’s what I’m here for right now. The disciples waiting for something big from God, and they figured that Jesus – being who he was – would have some inside knowledge about it. And maybe he did, but he basically says, “Don’t worry about it!” All kinds of crazy things are going to happen in your life. People will be mean, people will be nice. Good things will happen and bad things will happen. But none of these things is the end of world.

You just need to do your best to stay focused on the good things that are coming, and be working to help everyone be part of the good that is to come.

Maybe it wasn’t a satisfying answer for the disciples, or for us either, but it is an encouragement to us to keep spreading God’s love to everyone we meet. No matter how distracted we get by what is going on around us.

Good and patient God, We get so caught up in the distractions of life. Forgive us for missing out on things that we should have done, and help us to keep our hearts and minds focused on your love and our love for each other. Amen.

God is focused on you!

You are going to make a distraction cover-up wall!

Find a bunch of stickers that say, “God Loves You,” or that have other Christian images on them. (Look for a Christian Book store or check Hobby Lobby). Then hang a long piece of art paper on the wall, or put it over a table, whichever works if you space.

Put out some pens, crayons, markers, etc, and invite people to write or draw the thing that most distracts them from being engaged with God’s love.

Have a container of stickers our so that they can cover the distraction with God’s love!

Children's Sermons

You Are a Saint of God! All Saints Sunday, Nov. 6th, 2016 Year C

November 3, 2016 bw Leave a comment

Ask, “How many of you have grandmas, or grandpas? Do you see them all of the time? (Some will, some won’t.) If you don’t see them very often, (or at all) are you still their grandchild? (Yes!) I have grandmas and grandpas but my grandma (or grandpa or other relative) has died. That means that they no longer live here on earth, they are with God now and I don’t see them anymore but I know that I will someday! We know that God promises that we will all someday be together and with God. God created us to be together. We have families, friends, church community, all kinds of places where we are with people. When we’re together, we can teach each other about Jesus. What would you want to tell these people here about Jesus?” (Have the children turn and face the congregation and say what they think is important about Jesus.)

*Then invite up a parent and a baby, a teen, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety (if you have one present!) something up with the children. Say, “All of these people are part of our community. Even if we don’t see them every day know their name, can they still teach us something about Jesus? Can a baby teach us about Jesus? Yes! A teenager? A grandma or grandpa? YES! Can you teach them about God too? YES!”

* Invite each generation to say one sentence that they want the children to know about Jesus. Say, “We need each other to teach each other about God! This is what All Saints is all about! You are a saint when your words and actions teach someone about Jesus. God says that we are all saints to each other! Pretty neat! To remember this today, during the passing of the peace you can make the sign of the cross on each other and say, “Saint (name if you know it), God’s peace be with you!”

God of all faithfulness, you created us to be in community with each other. Help us to remember that we need each other: babies, children, teens, young adults, middle age adults and our mature adults. We remember today those saints who are not with us but still live in love in our hearts. Thank you for weaving us together in your love now and forever, amen.

A few ideas to do today:

*Have paper clouds cut out and on a table with pens and markers. Invite people to write names of saints living and dead on their “cloud of witnesses,” people who have passed the faith on them. They can either take them home, or place them on a cross.
*Have bowls of water available as people come for communion, in order to remember their baptism. You can also have a bowl of water with a candle lighting station if you do that. Connect baptism to communion, to our daily lives.
*In addition to commemorating those saints who have completed their baptismal journey from you congregation, celebrate those who were born/baptized this year as well. Light a candle for those past and ring a bell for the new lives!

+You are a saint of Jesus Christ+

Children's Sermons

Zacchaeus! Children’s Sermon Luke 19:1-10 Pentecost 24C October 30, 2016

October 23, 2016 lb Leave a comment

Gather the children up front. Ask them if they have ever had to climb up on something in order to see. Take responses, share when you have had to use a ladder or other device to help you see or do something. Bring in a step stool or ladder for an added illustration. You could mention here as well that a great place for kids in worship is to sit up front so they can see and be engaged in what is going on!

Today we heard a story about a man named Zacchaeus who had to climb a tree in order to see Jesus. Does anyone know the song? Let’s sing it together because it tells us the story! Sing Zacchaeus song:

Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he
He climbed up in the sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see
And as the savior passed that way he looked up in the tree
and he said, “Zacchaeus you come down, for I am going to your house today…
For I am going to your house today.”

(you can also read the story from the children’s bible and skip the song)

Now Zacchaeus must have really wanted to see Jesus! He was trying to look over the crowds and be able to see Jesus for himself, not just hear that others had seen him. And then, not only did he see Jesus, but Jesus saw him! And Jesus not only saw him in the tree, but knew who he was and knew that he had not been an honest man-he had taken tax money from people that wasn’t his. But Jesus did not say anything other than I am going to your house. Why would Jesus do that, pick a man who he knew had done wrong things? (take answers)

This story is about Jesus and how Jesus welcomes and loves and forgives all the things that he can see. The other people, they felt jealous and even angry that Jesus had picked someone they did not like. But Jesus love is so big and wide it includes everyone. And Jesus knows that we all do wrong things at times and wants to show us grace that we be included too, just like Zacchaeus.

What are ways that you try to see Jesus? (take answers) However and whenever we see Jesus, Jesus sees us back and loves us just as we are.

Jesus, we want to see you in our life. Help us when we are unsure or have a difficult time knowing you are there. Help us remember you always see us and love us. Amen

May you see Jesus from above and below and all around you +

Make a tree that can stand on the table or one that is bigger. You can just draw on paper or do one that is 3D. Write “Jesus sees you and Loves you” on the tree. Then have people either write their name, or color in a Zacchaeus with their name, or color on plain cut out person, or have a camera and take their photo and print it. Whichever method you choose, place your ‘people’ on the tree.

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon for October 23, 2016 – Luke 18:9-14, Lectionary 30

October 13, 2016 gb Leave a comment

Prepare: Get a long piece of paper – comically long! – to use as a scroll. This could be a long strip from an art roll, or several pages taped together.

For the worship station you will need posters, images or objects that reflect concerns in your community or in the world, containers and beads (or something similar).

As the children gather tell them that you are going to show them the best way to pray. Have your scroll ready and start a prayer with the most grand address to God that you can think of. Something like, “Gracious and merciful God, ruler of all creation, Lord of the storms and sea, Spirit if Truth and understanding,” and so on. Then finish with, “let me tell you all the ways that I am humble!” At this point drop one end of the paper so that it unrolls across the floor. (Make a big deal of it! You are going for a laugh!)

So, what did you think of my way to start a prayer? Pretty fancy huh? I totally think that Jesus would think this was great. I bet God can hardly wait to hear the cool stuff I do! Let’s take a look at the Gospel lesson today and see what Jesus says. I hear it’s about praying . . .

(take a minute to review the lesson, or maybe read it if they haven’t heard it yet.)

Or, maybe not! Did you guys even hear the Gospel story today? This is exactly the wrong! Jesus was kind of upset with the guy who was bragging, and he really seemed concerned for the guy who asked for mercy.”

Jesus is calling us to action rather than words. We are called to go do stuff, not to talk about what we have done. We are called to be gracious and merciful, and to be good and just and kind. If we spend out time focused on how our actions make us feel we kind of miss the point. How do your actions, how do your words make others feel? How are you God’s hands and feet in the world? That is what Jesus is hoping for us.

Gracious Lord, sometimes we forget that our actions tell more about us than our worlds. Lead us to be compassionate, caring, and merciful as we live out our lives. Amen.

+ God is merciful to you +

For the worship station, set up a prayer station with items, images, etc, that call attention to injustice or problems in and around your community. Invite people to offer prayers by dropping beads into baskets or jars in front the the things that concern them the most.

This does NOT need to be a quiet time, you may invite people to talk about what they see and feel!

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon, October 16, 2016 – Luke 18:1-8; Lectionary 29

October 13, 2016 bw Leave a comment

As the children come forward, begin asking each one of them for a pencil (or any item will do! Maybe something you need for worship that day!). Keep asking them over and over and over. Ask them if they are annoyed by your questions yet…Hopefully, one of them will be, will find a pencil or pen in the pews/chairs and give it to you! Ask them how it felt when you were asking them over and over for the pencil. Accept all answers. Say, “Sometimes people do annoy us when they keep asking us for things or to do something. But when someone asks you for something, especially when you know that they really need it or it will really help them, you also want to do that thing for them or get the item that they need. As people, we really do like to help others when we can and are able!”

In today’s story from Luke, Jesus tells a story of a woman who is all alone, no family and she needs help. A judge in Jesus time was more than a person who worried about laws, but also could help people in all kinds of different ways. So the woman went to the judge for help. The judge thought that it would be easier to not help her, but she kept asking him! Just like I kept asking you for a pencil! Finally, he does help her! Jesus tells the people listening to this story that if people can listen to each other and help one another, then think about how much God listens to you! God wants us to talk to God all the time, about everything. Even if we think that it’s not important, or something your ashamed you did, or who your mad at, or the beautiful flower you saw. God wants us to know that it we’re not annoying when we talk to God. God says, “Tell me everything! Tell me about your bad day! Tell me about the new toy you saw! Tell me when you mess up! Tell me when you help someone! Tell me you love me! Tell me you are mad at me!” God can handle anything we say. Even if like the woman, we say it over and over and over.

What do you want to tell God today? (Write it down quickly and use it for the closing prayer. Depending on the ages, offer to have each child offer a prayer.) Yes! We can tell God anything!

Invite the children to pray what they named earlier. End with the Lord’s Prayer if that is appropriate for your context and congregation. Jesus told his disciples that this prayer encompasses everything we need.

For prayers of the people (or prayers of intercession) have a quarter sheet of paper in each bulletin or in a basket accessible for all with pens or pencils. Invite people to write what they would like to say to God today. Depending on the size of your congregation, read them all out loud, or have a large wooden cross where people can hang their prayers to God. You can also offer a time for people to pray the prayers on the cross.

Another option is to have a list of needs from the congregation and community: meals, help with house/yard work, donations, prayer, companionship, etc. Have a place where people can write a need and someone else can offer to fill it.

+God hears you and loves you always+

Children's Sermons

Get up and Go! Children’s Sermon Luke 17:11-19 Pentecost 21C October 9, 2016

October 3, 2016 lb Leave a comment

Gather the children up front with you and welcome them. Say, “I am wondering.. what do you think faith looks like?” Pause for a moment. “Like maybe it looks like folded hands in prayer? (show with hands) Or maybe it looks like showing the I love you in sign language? (who with hands pinky, index and thumb fingers up with the middle and ring down) I wonder if we can come up with a posture that shows faith?” Then say, “Let’s all strike a pose, move your body into a position that you think looks like faith.” Do this experiment together a couple of times. Comment on ones that stand out, ask questions of ones you do not understand.

“In our story today from Luke, Jesus heals 10 lepers-10 people who were sick and being healed meant they could return to their homes and families. And as they ran off to do this, one of them turned back and prostrated himself and gave thanks. What does it mean to ‘prostrate’?” See if anyone knows and if not show them a bowing down. “This man showed faith with this bowing action. And then Jesus says something else, he says Get up! and Go! Sometimes we think of faith as praying or bowing or sitting quietly and those are all true. They help us connect with God, to hear God and to talk to God. And Jesus gives us another way to show faith. Get up and Go!”

There is a song about this that I really like. It’s called “Go!” I want to teach it to you now (or just sing if your setting knows this song. This part can also be skipped to shorten and you can just move to the prayer). This song is by Eyewitness

Lyrics: Go Out and Pray

Go out and pray like it all depends on prayer.
Go out and work like it all depends on work.
Go out and love ‘til the final day ‘til he comes.
Go out and sing the greatest song you know.
Go out and study His word so we all can grow
Into the fullness of the likeness of His Son.

Words and Music by Eyewitness

For our prayer, we are going to get up and Go. So let’s stand in a circle together. Everytime I say Go! raise your arm in the air and say Go! Back
At the end I will say Amen, Let’s Go! And you say “Let’s Go!”

Jesus, you tell us to Go! And pray, and work and sing and study and grow! Help us to Go and live and act in faith knowing your love Goes with us.

+May you know God GOes with you always+

Google images of ‘postures of prayer’ and put them on a large poster. Set down a rug or some yoga mats and invite people to try out different postures. You can go a step farther and have cards for them to take home to try out there as well.

Children's Sermons

Take hold of life that is real life! Children’s sermon/worship station on 1 Timothy 6:6-19 and Luke 16: 19-31

September 22, 2016 bw 4 Comments

Gather the children to the front of the worship space. Ask them what they can see from there. Ask them who they see. Then move them to the back of the sanctuary. Ask them the same questions. If time, move them to either side of the sanctuary and ask the same questions. Hopefully they will see different items and people. Coach them a bit in this if necessary.

Say, “Our Bible story today is kind of hard! Jesus tells a story of a man Lazarus who is left all alone: no one really saw him or they ignored him because they had much more fun things to look at, such as yummy food, pretty clothes, exciting toys. There was a man who had lots of food, clothes and money and he should have seen Lazarus and helped him but didn’t. Jesus tells this story to remind us that sometimes we need to move around and not be in the usual places in our lives to see new people and maybe see what they might have to teach or give us or for us to teach and give them. Jesus wants us to see everyone, even people who look, act or think differently from us. Jesus always sits with all of us together! And Jesus invites us all to be together. Everyone is invited to be with Jesus!”

I want us to go back to those different places in the sanctuary and tell the people there that we see them, God loves them and so do we! (Go to the back of the sanctuary and say, “We see you, God loves you and so do we!” Repeat on the sides of the sanctuary and the front.)

Dear Jesus, open our eyes to see people around us who need us to show your love. Move us to new places, so that all people are fed, clothed, and loved. Amen.

On a table that is accessible for all, place quarter sheets of plain paper in a basket, along with paper crosses (cut out) pens, and glue sticks. Invite people to write on the quarter sheet a material item or an activity that they “cannot live without.” Have on the instruction sheet this message: “We have many items or activities in our lives that we hold closely and are an integral part of our lives. We might even go as far as to say that we “could not live without them.” Is that true? Are those items/activities pointing you to life with God or life with those items/activities? What might replace them if you gave them up? More time for prayer? For service? For your neighbor? Those items/activities are not “bad” in and of themselves, but might be distracting you from life with God. Jesus tells us that life with God is focused on God and other people, not ourselves. Glue a cross over the item/activity that you wrote as a reminder that Christ comes first in our lives.”

+Take hold of life that is real life!+

*You could also print this blessing on the crosses.

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon – Luke 13:10-17- August 21st, 2016

August 16, 2016 gb 1 Comment

Prepare: Make a list of rules on a big piece of paper. Maybe something like this (but feel free to adjust for your own style and circumstance).

No food in the living room
Athletic shoes only in the gym
Don’t talk to strangers

As the children gather make them do something silly before they can sit down (or otherwise be ready for the children’s sermon). Something like you have to turn around 3 times, hop on one foot and high-five your neighbor before you can sit down! Be ready to make up a story that goes with your “rules for sitting down.”

I’m really glad that we all did those things before we sat down! Do you know why? Because they are rules! And they all mean something. We turned around three times because one time I was going to sit down and there was a snake where I was going to sit, so I always turn around three times to check . . . but I guess that’s not really a problem here, and I didn’t really look for the snake, either. But the hopping, that we do because one time I stubbed my toe on the couch before I sat down, so I always do that before I sit to remember not to stub my toe again . . . but I guess there’s not really a couch here. But the high-five, that one is important because I was playing a game with a bunch of people once and we did that when we all got back to the circle . . . but I guess we are not really playing that game right now . . . come to think of it, while those rules for sitting down all had a good reason, they don’t really make sense here, do they?

Huh, well, I brought some other rules that totally make sense and we should never break, ever. No matter what! The first one is “No food in the living room.” Well, unless your home sick, then you can eat in the living room. But the second one, “Athletic shoes only in the gym,” that one we never break. Oh, unless it’s awards night, and it’s in the gym, then we should wear nice shoes. OK, the last one is unbreakable for sure. “Don’t talk to strangers.” That one we never, ever break! Except, it’s probably good to say hi to the crossing guard even if you don’t know him, and you should order food from that server at the restaurant . . . OK, sometimes we break that one, too!

The thing is that most good rules are there to keep us safe, or protect precious things, or help us to live better. And we should always do our best to pay attention to those rules, but we also need to understand what’s going on around us. Jesus breaks a rule in the Gospel reading today, he works on the Sabbath. He heals a woman who is bent over and in pain, and he does it because she is right in front of him and needs his help. He knows the rule about the Sabbath, he knows that he is breaking it, but he also knows that it is more important at that moment to care for the woman in front of him. He just like the rules I talked about earlier, the best plan is to follow the rules, but sometimes caring for people needs to come first.

May God’s truth and love shine in you today.

Good and loving God, we know that good rules are there to keep us safe and healthy, and we give thanks for that! Help us to also be loving and caring when we need to be so that we can show your love in the world. Amen

Golden Rule Chain! Create a space where people can share a time when they were treated with love and caring even though it was against the rules – OR – when they treated someone with love and caring when they *should* have just walked away.

This can be a popcorn prayer, or a time of open discussion, or you can have people tweet prayers to the pastor. You name it!

You could even make and art project out of it! Get a big piece if banner paper, and a bunch of markers. Out line a rainbow lightly with pencil and encourage people to write their “Golden Rule” moment on the rainbow in the correct color for where they write. (Don’t get too picky, it will be cool no matter what.)

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon – Luke 12:49-56 – August 14, 2016

August 8, 2016 gb Leave a comment

Prepare: Bring something with you that is a reminder or how you relieve stress for yourself (ideally a healthy stress relief!). For example, I like to run or walk when I am stresses out, so I might bring my running shoes.

As you gather the children ask them if they have every felt like they cannot do or say anything right. Like everything they do or say makes someone else upset or gets them in trouble.

In the Gospel reading today we hear what seems like a pretty upset Jesus. He even says that he is under stress! There are some clues in the story about what is causing Jesus to be upset, but we really can’t be sure exactly what it was because we weren’t there and, more important, it wasn’t happening to us. And even being there or being the person who is upset doesn’t always make it easier to understand.

I don’t know about you, but there have been plenty of times in my like when I have been stressed out and upset and said some pretty strange or mean things, and I really had no idea what was making me so upset. Have you ever felt like that? And sometimes its not just one thing that is upsetting me, it’s a bunch of things. I think that might be what’s going on with Jesus, too. He know that he is on his way to Jerusalem to be arrested and die, he can hear people around him arguing about who he is and what his stories mean, he has even told them what is going on and they still don’t get it!

Just to be clear, being upset is OK. Being stressed out sometimes is normal, too. Jesus seems to be able to blow off a little steam and still work to guide people with a good story, but what do we do? I brought my running shoes with me, because that is what I like to do when I feel stressed out, or upset, or just overwhelmed with what is going on. I put on my shoes and head out of a run. I know that whatever is going on, no matter how bad it seems, Jesus is with me, and Jesus understands what it’s like to feel like everything is going wrong.

Jesus loves you and understands you.

Loving and understanding God, thank you for all the relationships that we have. Help us to love the people around us and to understand that when things go wrong it’s OK, and that you are still there with us. Amen.

Make a wall of healthy stress relief! Use this as a chance to create some good social groups in your congregation, or as a way to figure out some interests. Maybe you have a church full of runners and don’t know it. Maybe you have the makings of a chess club! Engage people in a conversation about stress relief and interests that might help to build community. If could be written thing, or a discussion, or make a big banner. Whatever you think will engage the congregation in fun community activities.

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon – July 31, 2016 – Luke 12:13-21

July 27, 2016 gb Leave a comment

Prepare: You will need a “treasure chest” of some kind. It can be an actual chest, or as simple as a little box. It doesn’t need to have anything in it.

As the children gather, set your treasure chest down carefully in the middle of the group, and ask them what they think is in it.

Those are some good ideas! I think that I know what kinds of things you would keep in your treasure chest now.

In the Gospel we hear today, Jesus tells a story about a rich man who has so much stuff that he builds big buildings just to put stuff in. He is very proud of what he has accomplished and of all his stuff, but he dies at the end of the story! Who gets all the stuff then? I think that is pretty interesting, but not as interesting as the question that started Jesus telling a story (because, you know that when you ask Jesus a question he is going to tell you a story for the answer, right?).

I guess it’s not really a question, but a request. A man asks Jesus to tell his brother to split the family fortune with him. Basically he wants half of his brother’s stuff. I think that Jesus is trying to tell this man that he is worried about the wrong things, or that he isn’t paying attention to what is really important. The man seems to be willing to make his brother man just so he can have more money, or animals – more stuff. Now, I wasn’t there, so I don’t know if the man liked his brother, or didn’t like his brother, but it seems to me that Jesus is telling him to stop focusing on stuff, because things can get used up, be stolen or lost, and don’t last forever. Gathering things up in a box is just about as good as having an empty box (You can open the empty box here if you want.) What we should treasure is people! We should care for each other and use our wealth to help each other, not store it up and hide it away.

You are God’s treasure

Loving God, you treasure us and care for us. Thank you! Help us to treasure the people around us more than we treasure our stuff. Amen

For a worship station, invite your congregation to think about the people that they treasure. It doesn’t have to be someone in the room, they can even be friends and loved ones who have died. Give them a minute to call those people to mind and then offer a “popcorn” prayer where people can name the people they treasure aloud or silently.

If naming people in prayer our loud is not part of you tradition you may want to have a few “plants” in the congregation to get the prayer started.

Let us walk with you on the journey of faith. Whether your feet are big or small, fresh or worn, running or crawling, God's love goes with you and you stand on holy ground.