Children's Sermons

Palm Sunday Year C Luke 19:28-39

Leave a comment

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 Sermons

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

Leave a comment

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.

Children's Sermons

Growing in God’s Kingdom Lent 3, Year C Feb, 28th, 2016

Leave a comment

20130822-222604.jpgHave a plant to show the children. Gather them around the plant and ask them what plants need to grow and flower or if a vegetable plant to grow vegetables/fruit. Accept all answers. Affirm that plants need water, sunshine, care and oxygen to grow and be healthy. Plants need people to care for them and we need God! We are continuing to learn about the Lord’s Prayer and this week we are talking about how God want us all to be healthy and grow, which is the part of the meaning of “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” God is always at work with us!

20130822-223633.jpg Jesus tells the people a story about a tree that doesn’t seem to want to grow fruit. A man wanted to just cut it down and get rid of it since it wasn’t doing its job of growing fruit. But the gardener asked to give the tree more time, wondered if the tree needed more love, more food, water and sun. Trees want to grow and give fruit, just as plants do, just as we want to grow up taller and stronger so that we can do more and more things! But sometimes, like with the tree, that doesn’t happen exactly how we think it should. It might take longer than we want or we might need to wait, which is VERY HARD! What kinds of things do you want to do when your bigger? *Accept all answers (dangerous here I know!). Affirm that there are MANY things that as children they can do now, but some that need to wait until they are an adult.
God wants you to do ALL of the wonderful things that God gave you talent and ability to do! To play piano, to play soccer, to read, to cure diseases, to love all people. God promises to give you all the time that you need to grow and be healthy! God wants you to grow, learn, make mistakes and try again! You will give to God’s world in so many ways! God’s kingdom and God’s will is all about all of God’s people and creation growing and working together to be healthy and whole.

FaithCross_WorshipJesus used the current events in Jerusalem to point out that God doesn’t punish but that our world and lives are filled with hazards. Jesus reminds the people and us that in all times and circumstances to turn to God. Turn to God in prayer, in actions, in thoughts and in love. Have a table with this week’s current newspapers, weekly magazines (such as Time), scissors, tape, and pens. Have a large poster board cross available. Invite people to cut out a headline or a short article to tape to the cross. They may write a short prayer by the headline or article that offers God’s presence and love into that situation.

20130822-223749.jpg God of life, you give us what we need to grow, learn, pray, love and bear fruit. May we offer this patience to all people that we meet. We pray for all people and places that are in sorrow and wonder why death and suffering occur. May they feel your peace and comfort. Thy kingdom come and thy will be done. In Jesus name, amen.

20130822-223908.jpg +Grow and bear fruit!+

 

Children's Sermons

In the Shelter of God’s Love Feb. 21st, 2016 Lent 2, Year C

Leave a comment

20130715-113716.jpgHave a tent or a make shift canopy where you can gather the children under. Ask them if they remember what prayer we talked about last week (or last time you worshiped). Yes, the Lord’s Prayer! The Lord’s Prayer is important not just because Jesus taught his disciples to pray it but because it reminds us that we can talk to God about everything in our lives, even hard, sad or scary stuff, not just happy things. Have you ever been sad or afraid? *Share a time that you were afraid.

FaithCross_BibleALT You just heard a Psalm (or a song) that is all about God being with us when life is sad or scary. We will have times when we are afraid or sad and that’s ok. Life is not always happy but do you know what? The person who wrote this song wants you to know something: God is with you always and forever. Forever! No matter what! Jesus wants you to know that too! There is one sentence in the Lord’s Prayer that says: “Deliver us from evil.” Evil sounds very scary but Jesus says don’t forget that you are never alone no matter how afraid you are. It might sound as if we are asking God to deliver us-as if God didn’t know that we are afraid but Jesus is saying that God knows and will cover you like a tent with God’s love! We are always under God’s shelter no matter what. Even if we can’t feel it or see it. It’s hard to understand that but it’s true! We gather here at church, in a special space to remind us that God is our shelter. We can bring all of our fears, questions and worries here to church and know that God is with us and that all of these people are with us too!

FaithCross_Worship Have a table with a large piece of canvas (tenting type material) and have some permanent markers available. Invite people to write their fears on the canvas and hang it in the worship space in Lent as a reminder that God shelters us in our fear.

20130822-223749.jpgGod you are our shelter and safety. Thank you for delivering us from evil and for your son Jesus who shows us your love. May all people feel your love, presence and shelter. Amen.

20130822-223908.jpg +God is your shelter+

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.