Faith Formation Journeys

Walking Together in Grace

Tag: Children’s sermon

  • Children’s Sermon Pentecost Acts 2: 1-21 Year A, June 8, 2014

    ffjChildrenSermonPreparation: Have a piece of red, orange or yellow ribbon (15” by 1” or so) for each member of the congregation. Have a tall dowel about four feet long for the ribbons to be tied on. You will also need an oscillating fan. (A static fan could work too.)

    20130822-223633.jpg Have some ribbons attached to a fan (clear tape for easy removal). Turn the fan on and let the ribbons blow for a minute. Then remove the ribbons and let them blow wherever the fan takes them. Say, “Wow, those ribbons just took off one they weren’t taped down anymore didn’t they? Look at all of the places that the fan blew the ribbons! Can you all help me collect them? Thank you!” The children can hold on to the ribbons that they collect but make sure that each child has one. Say, “You go to many different places in your week don’t you. Where are some places you go during the week?” (Accept all answers.) Do you remember where you were on Wednesday afternoon? Where were you or where to you think you might have been? We go to all kinds of different places in our daily lives and do you want to know something? God is at all of those places with us! Everywhere you go, God is already there! Today at church we are celebrating that God is with us and that everywhere we go God is there at work. God’s Holy Spirit is what we think of as God being at work in the world and in our Bible story this morning we see that the Holy Spirit is experienced in many different ways! Wind, fire, people talking in different languages, all of these ways remind us that the Holy Spirit can be experienced in lots of ways and places! No one way is the only way and there is not just one place to feel God’s love and power in our lives. Just like these ribbons didn’t all blow to the exact same location so we aren’t all at the same place at the same time. God is at work wherever we are!

    20130822-223520.jpgWorship station: Everyone will get a ribbon. On the ribbon write/draw where you were on Wednesday afternoon at 2 p.m. (Or pick another date and time if you want!) Have everyone tie their ribbon to the dowel. During the last part of worship have someone place the dowel at the exit to the parking lot (hopefully it will just stick in the ground or you might need to attach it to something) to remind us all that as we go to our daily lives the Holy Spirit is blowing us there and is with us at work!

    20130822-223749.jpg Dear God, thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to be with us always. May we be a part of what you are doing in the world no matter where we are or what time of day it is. May everyone feel your work and love in their lives. Amen.

    20130822-223908.jpg “God pours the Holy Spirit into you.” (Make the sign of the cross on each other.)

  • Children’s Sermon John 14:15-21, Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 25, 2014

    Children’s Sermon John 14:15-21, Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 25, 2014

    Preparation: Have a picture of your mom or dad or another family member that you may resemble. Doesn’t have to be exact.

    20130822-223520.jpg  Gather the children. Say, “I have this picture of my mom (or whomever) and it’s interesting because we have some similarities. We have the same color hair, eyes, height. But more than that, she and I both like fish, both play piano, and both like to ski. We are alike in many ways. Some of this is that we are related and so we share genetic traits, some of this is that we spent a lot of time together. Families are very important. They shape us and we tend to be like someone in our family. Who are you like in your family? Do you and your siblings like similar things? Or with your mom and dad, aunt uncle? Has anyone in your family ever told you that you are like someone else in your family? Yes, we can be like our family members and share likes, dislikes, hair color, words we use, etc.

    Do you ever wonder what Jesus means when he talks about the fact that God is in Jesus and Jesus is in us and we are a part of each other? That we share life together? It’s really confusing and hard to think about isn’t it? We can’t really explain it well because we can’t see God in us and in others but just like we share traits with our families, Jesus says that we share traits with him and with God. The biggest trait that we share is love. Jesus says this is how everyone will know that you are part of God’s family is by showing love. Just like people may know that you are part of your family you live with by how you look or act, Jesus says by showing love you for every person, then everyone will know that you are part of God’s family. When we all share this love it connects us like family. Jesus says that everyone is in God’s family and promises to be with us always to help us remember that.

    What are ways that Jesus showed love? (Accept all answers) What are ways that we can show love? (Accept all answers) These are great ways to show God’s love and to include everyone in the family of God!

    20130822-223749.jpg  Dear Jesus, thank you for being with us always. Thank you for showing us how to be like God and love everyone. Thank you for making us one big family in your love! Amen.

    FaithCross_BlessALT  Have kids go to their families and people in the congregation turn to one another and make the sign of the cross and say, “Jesus loves you and so do I.”

    Worship station idea: Invite people to bring a picture to share of their family and have a big piece of butcher paper shaped like a heart (or more than one) to tape them to. Have families write their last name and one similarity or unique thing about their family. If you can’t do pictures-have them draw their family and do the name piece or just do the name and unique family trait. Have a another station close by for people to write prayers for their families and neighbors.

    -BW