Faith Formation Journeys

Walking Together in Grace

Tag: Children’s sermon

  • Children’s Sermon God Connects! John 14:1-14 Easter 5A (May 14, 2017)

    Children’s Sermon God Connects! John 14:1-14 Easter 5A (May 14, 2017)

    Preparation: yarn , something knit, crocheted or woven if you have it, strips of yarn if you want to pass them out to kids.

    Gather the children to the front with you. Ask them to sit in a circle. Say I have this yarn with me, what things do you know about that you can use yarn for? (take answers, knitting, art projects, etc). Yes all those are great things. Yarn can be used to make things and also to connect things. When I am using yarn for knitting (or use other example) I am bringing together the pieces to make something. (show something knit together if you can)

    In our Gospel today,  Jesus tells us that God is connected to us. He says that we know God the father because we know Jesus and that we are promised that God is in relationship to us– or another way to say that is to say God is connected to us. So I wanted to try to show that with some yarn between us. I am going to hold onto this end of the yarn and say my name (say name)  and then you hold onto the yarn  gently pass the ball of yarn to someone across the circle. (do this while you explain) That person says her/his name (ask them to say their name). Now you pass it across the circle. Let’s keep going and see what  happens.

    By the end you will have a little web between you. Say, this yarn is one way we can see how God connects us. God is like the yarn in-between us, God is touching each of us and love each of us and God connects us to one another and shows us love through each other too. Jesus promises that we are connected to God and to each other and that these are ways we see and know God.

    option–take a strip of the yarn (you can cut the one you used or have other ones ready) and tie it gently on your wrist or ankle when you get back to your seat as a reminder that we are all connected.

    Jesus, you connect us together. You know our names and bring us love. Help us to see each other with love and serve each other by name. Amen

    God in my Head, God in my Heart, God on my left, God on my right (say this while making the sign of the cross)

    Finger knitting can be a fun way to engage and listen at the same time. Put out some instructions for finger knitting with a reminder that we are all connected in God at a table with yarn and scissors.

    Or simply have cut strips of yarn and invite people to tie a piece of yarn to their wrists to remember we are all connected to God and to one another.

  • Children’s Sermon, Second Sunday of Easter Year A, John 20:19-31

    Children’s Sermon, Second Sunday of Easter Year A, John 20:19-31

    Prepare: You really only need someplace to run in from – or some other way to make a BIG entrance.  If you can swing it, be a little late, but have the other worship leaders play up that you are missing the Children’s sermon.

     Come running into the worship space panting like you are our of breath, and wide-eyed with excitement!  Call out the children, “Kids!  Come here, quick!  I just saw a dinosaur!”

     No really!  A great big dinosaur . . . you don’t believe me, do you?  Well, I guess your right, I just wanted to get you attention.  There isn’t really a dinosaur.

    But, do you know how you feel right now?  You were thinking, “No way, there was no dinosaur.  He’s/she’s just making that up to make me think there is one, or to make me look silly when I go check.”

    Well, I think that’s the feeling that one of the people in the Gospel lesson had.  That person is Thomas.  Have you ever heard someone called a doubting Thomas?  Sometimes people use that name for people who don’t seem to trust what other people are saying.  Doubting Thomases want proof, something they can see and touch – they don’t want to trust other people’s story

    You know what I think?  I think that Thomas, the guy in the story, is treated pretty badly.  Did you hear what Thomas didn’t believe?  Ok – here’s the story:  It’s just a few days after Thomas and all the disciples saw Jesus die on the cross. Just a few days after they all saw Jesus buried in the tomb. All the disciples are gathered together, except for Thomas.  He was out getting snacks or something.  Jesus shows up, all the other disciples see Jesus, but Thomas isn’t there!  So when he gets back and they all say they saw Jesus, Thomas wants some proof.  It’s kind of like they said they saw a dinosaur.  You guys didn’t believe that when I said it.  You wouldn’t believe it until you saw it for yourself! Thomas didn’t believe be cause he didn’t get to see while his friends did.

    You know what?  I think that most of us are much more like Thomas than the other disciples.  We want to see and touch before we believe.  Jesus has some words for us, too!  We don’t get to see Jesus the way the disciples did, but we still believe, and Jesus blesses us for that! Even though most of the time we might feel a little more like Thomas, and a little less like blessed believers!

     Risen Christ, you show up for us in the most unexpected places.  Sometimes we have to look twice to believe what we hear and see and touch.  Help us to believe even when we don’t see, and be with us when we have a hard time trusting only what we can hear. Amen.

     Say, “Christ is Risen!”
    Teach them to respond, “Christ is Risen, indeed!”

     Make some congregational art!  Get some bright paper (preferably something thin) cut into smallish pieces, and some markers.  Have people write or draw something that they believe on the paper.  If you worship space allows, have them tape the paper to a window so that light shines through.  Encourage them to tape the paper in the shape of a cross.  If that doesn’t work in your worship space, collect the paper and make the cross later on a prominent window in you church.