Tag Archives: Children’s sermon

Children’s Sermon – Transfiguration Sunday, Feb 7, 2016 (Luke 9:28-43)

February 2, 2016 gb 2 Comments

Prepare: You will need a sleeping bag, or a blanket and pillow – or just something that makes it look like you are prepared to just camp out in the worship space. Even better if you can coordinate with someone to interrupt you. If you are going to use the worship station, you will need a large piece of banner paper and a variety of colored markers.

Invite the children to gather as you start to set up your sleeping bag. See if they ask about it, but if they do not then find a way to prompt them to ask

Well, I started reading today’s Gospel story and I got to the part where the disciples think that it would be a good idea to just stay on the top of the mountain with Jesus because it is such a great place to be, and I was so excited that I stopped reading and decided to just camp out in the sanctuary because this is a place where I feel close to God!

This is where an interruption would be good – have someone tell you that there is more to the story! They can finish the story, about how Jesus told the disciples that being on the mountain was great, but that they have to go back down into the valley and spread the good news. If you don’t have a partner – have a Bible handy to show the children the story and then read on to hear Jesus’ words and then continue.

Oh, so maybe I shouldn’t just stay here? Maybe I should come here to be recharged, to find the stronger pieces of my faith in God and go out and share them! Being here, where I feel God most strongly is wonderful, but if I don’t go out and share the gift of God’s love then I’m not really doing what Jesus is asking us to do. I should come here to get charged up, to remember God’s great love, and then go out and tell the story!

Good and loving God, it is truly good to be here with you! We rejoice in the time that we spend here in this safe place, bathed in your love and mercy. Now send us out to be your lights in the world! Send us out to share your great mercy and love. Amen.

God’s love fills and surrounds you!

Find a place to set out the banner and invite everyone to write the place, or time, or people who recharge their faith. Then hang that banner up through the season of Lent as a reminder that God is with us even when we feel like we are far away from the mountain tops that fill us with hope and joy.

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon – 3rd Sunday after Epiphany, year C – Luke 4:14-21 (and Isaiah 61:1-2)

January 20, 2016 gb Leave a comment

Prepare: You will need a bandage of some kind, like an ACE bandage, for the children’s sermon. And bring a Bible with Isaiah 61:1-2 marked.

For the worship station you will need the mission statement of your congregation. If you do not have one you can use the mission statement of your wider church organization. Here is a link the ELCA Mission Statement page.

Gather the children and show them the bandage, asking them if they know what it is for. Once they answer ask if any of them have ever had to have a bandage?

We will get back to the bandage in just a minute, but first I wanted to talk a little about what Jesus says in the Gospel story we hear today. Jesus is in his hometown synagogue (you might want to take a minute to explain that word – for most the children, equating it to a church will be enough!) and he decides that he is going to read from the scriptures. He chooses a couple of passages from a book called Isaiah and reads them. My favorite of the two passages he reads is Isaiah 61:1-2, which says this – (read)

Then he does a crazy thing, he says, “That person that Isaiah is describing? That’s me!”

Well, this makes the people who are there a little uncomfortable and upset, but we are going to save that part for next week! This week we are going to look at what Jesus said – remember that bandage?

One of the things that is in Isaiah, but not in the Gospel reading is that Jesus will, “Bind up the brokenhearted.” I love that phrase! It’s such a wonderful image of comfort and care. If i hurt my wrist I can use a bandage to bind it up and support it until it heals and is strong again. If I cut my finger I can bind it up with a bandage until the skin grows back and it can protect me again. But if my heart is broken what can I do? Jesus says that He is here to bind up our broken hearts so that they can heal and be strong again. He wraps them up and protects and comforts our hearts when we are brokenhearted! I love it!

Jesus comforts and protects your heart.

Loving God, bind up our brokenness with you love and care. Help our hearts to heal and be strong so that we can help bind up other hearts that are broken. Amen.

Sometimes this passage in John is called “Jesus’ Mission Statement.” Invite your congregation to read it again, and then read your church’s mission statement. Open up a little time for interactive discussion about what is important in each statement. How is your church’s mission similar or different from Jesus? Should they be the same? Should they be different?

If your congregation is using the Weekly Devotion Inserts (here is a link to the one for this week!) ask them to get them out and work through the exercise on the back – make a mission statement for the week and post it somewhere it will be seen!

Children's Sermons

God’s big love Overflows! John 2:1-11

January 16, 2016 lb Leave a comment

Preparation: Find something of yours (or make it up) that is important in your family but maybe is kept away for ‘safe keeping’ or special occasions. For example, we had my grandmother’s silver in the basement for years, never being used. And recently found it and brought it out and use it every day.

And/Or have a pottery jar (or better yet have multiple jars) or something that can represent the jars.

Gather the children with you. Show them the item you brought. I will use the silver in my example.

Good morning! I brought with me, well, it’s a fork right? But it’s a special fork, see it was my grandmothers and it is all silver, very fancy. She and my grandfather were given this at their wedding. And it was very special to her. So special that she really never wanted anyone to use it because she was afraid it would get messed up. Do you have anything like that in your house? Or a family member’s house? (take answers)

Today we read about a wedding that Jesus is at. And so I was thinking of this story as I thought about my grandmother’s silver. See Jesus was at the wedding with his mother. And something happened. The people giving the wedding ran out of wine and Jesus mother, Mary, told him to fix this problem to help the wedding couple and parents who were giving the party. There were these jars filled with water (if you have the jar or jars show them) and they were used for purification or for washing–washing hands and feet and getting things all cleansed for the wedding. (rub your hands over the jars as though washing) So this water was even pretty dirty and had been used. But it was also special water, set aside for the purpose of cleaning. And when Mary tells Jesus to help the couple, all these jars that were bigger than this and there were many more of them and have water, get turned into wine. Jesus did not let something that was set aside go to waste. He used these jars and filled them with wine as a way for people to not only see who he was, God’s son, but also to show that God’s love and grace are big and overflowing and are so big and over flowing that even things that we think we should not use or only use for special things, become a part of the gift and promise we have from God.

So this sliver from my grandma. It does not bring much joy sitting in the basement. But when I take it out and use it and allow it to be a gift that is seen and felt and held, suddenly it is something that is offering a gift of joy, of remembering my grandma, of being a part of our family that celebrates and is connected together. So even an ordinary fork gets to remind us of God’s big love for us and that we can share this love with others by bringing our gifts out in to the light to be seen and shared–that is what God’s love is. It does not need to be saved up or only used at certain times, but is for all the time.

Can we name some gifts together that we can share–take answers but be sure to include things like smiles, hugs, notes, and simple I love you as ways of sharing God’s love.

God of Big Love, Your love is so big we sometimes cannot describe it. Help us to see it overflowing in our families and friends and homes and days. Show us how to share this big love and not hold it back for special times but to let it be in the light all the time. Amen

Child of God, you are in God’s big love today and always. +

Gratitude Jar–Have a large jar for people to write ways that they have seen God’s big love in the world and in their lives. Write them down on a piece of paper and put it in the jar. You can collect these just today or for the year! Have someone type them up or paste them up onto a big heart so they can be read.

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon – 2nd Sunday of Christmas, January 3, 2016, John 1:10-18 (and a little following!)

December 28, 2015 gb Leave a comment

Prepare: Make two signs. One should have a large circle that says “this is the way.” This sign should be sturdy enough for some small children to run into. The other should have an arrow pointing to the side and also have the words “this is the Way” on it, but note the capitalization.

If you are going to also do a worship station, then make the sign with the arrow big enough for people in the congregation to either write directly on it or to add post-it note to it.

Invite the children up and show them the sign with the circle (keep the other one hidden somewhere). Invite them to try to walk through the sign (you should probably stand behind it to keep it from falling over – and you may want to just get one or two volunteers!)

Ask them if they had any success getting through the sign that clearly says “this is the way?”

In the Bible story that we hear today there is a man named John who has some ideas about Jesus. We might know this guy better as John the Baptizer. He talks about Jesus as being greater than him, and as being before him. He even says at one point that he is not the way, but he came to point to the one who is the way!

Which brings us back to our sign here. What if instead of a circle it had an arrow that could point to Jesus? Maybe something like this! (pull out the other sign)

We can use this sign to point to all the things that remind us of, and bring us closer to Jesus! Can you find some things like that? (let them find a few symbols of Jesus in the room, maybe help them get started if they need it)

Jesus is the Way, and John points us toward him. Sometimes we do our best to act like Jesus – being kind, and loving, and forgiving – but maybe we should practice acting like John, too. We should work to point the way to Jesus!

+ You are a child of God, born of God’s will. +

Giving and loving God, you not only gave us Jesus, but you gave us people like John who point the way to Jesus! Help us to point others to you. Amen.

For a worship station, invite people to think about, and write down ways that they have pointed to God in their lives, or ways that they wish they had pointed to God. Then hang the sign up in your church for a few weeks to remind people to point to God!

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon December 27, 2016 Luke 2:41-52

December 20, 2015 lb Leave a comment

Preparation– You need an older child and a blanket (if you have your own child that would added bonus)

Gather the kids up front. Have an older child wrapped in a blanket come up with you or be up there already. Say, “I want you all to see my (this) baby.” Unwrap the older child from the blanket. “Wow! My (this) baby grew up! But this is still my (or someone’s) baby right?”

“This seems silly, yes, but just a few days ago we were celebrating Jesus being born and now all of a sudden we are reading a Bible story where he is not a baby! Wow, he did not stay a baby very long! But what this story does show us is that Jesus grew up in the world just like you do. Jesus went to worship, Jesus traveled with his family, Jesus made his mom and dad worry. Have you ever done something mom and dad were worried about? Jesus was a part of growing up, learning, experiencing smells, and touch and sound just like us. And that is also what the word Emmanuel means. God is with us. God is with us in the silly stuff, like a big kid wrapped in a blanket, and in the difficult things, like when we worry our parents, and in the joys and the sadness of life. ”

God, help us to walk with you as we grow up. Thank you that you are with us in the big days and in the little days. Help us to know you and to keep the words of love you give in our hearts. Amen

God in my head, God in my heart, God on my left, God on my right.

On pieces of paper have a drawing of a baby on one end and a stick figure person on the other end. Put a wiggly line in-between the two. Invite people to write their birth/baptism date by the baby and their current age by the stick person. Then invite them to write places along the line where they experienced God, or a new learning, or a certain moment that is memorable. Write a prayer on the bottom thanking God for the walk of life and for remaining present in it.

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon Advent 4C Luke 1:39-56

December 17, 2015 lb Leave a comment

Preparation: paper hearts cut out of map paper, a box wrapped that you can open easily, supplies for worship station if you choose to do that.

Gather the children up front. Have a present wrapped up with you. Say, “Look! I have a present! I am so excited!” Shake the gift. “Hmmm, I really wonder what it is… do any of you know?” “Have any of you ever gotten a present? … have you ever known what was in the box??… Were you really sure exactly what it was? I think I may know what is in here… but I am not sure I totally know.. it is pretty light… does not make much noise… hmmmm..”

“You know this is like the gospel story we heard today. Mary knew she was having a baby and she went to tell Elizabeth. And when she got there Elizabeth knew she was having a baby too because her baby leaped for joy in her womb! Have any of you had a mom or an aunt or friend who was going to have a baby? And did you see how her tummy got bigger and after awhile she could feel the baby move? Elizabeth must have felt a big movement! So both these women knew that Mary would have God’s son but they also did know all of what that meant–didn’t know what he would look like or smell like, did not know how he would act or what it would mean exactly. They knew Jesus was a going to be gift for not just them but the world too, but they also did not know exactly how God would give this gift to us. Kind of like my present… I have not looked in the box, I have guess that it has something that will show me about Jesus…. but I am not sure exactly what it is…”

Open the box. “I was right! It is about Jesus!” Show the paper hearts you have in the box and tell how they are on map paper. “This present is to help us remember God’s big love in Jesus is for the whole world and it is for you and me. Even when are unsure about all that we know, we can know for sure that God loves us. I want you all to have heart and you can write your name on this heart to help you remember God’s love for you and for the world.”

Jesus, you know us by name. Thank you for your love for us. Help us to know you. Thank you for the gift of coming to our world. Help us to show your big love all over the globe. Amen

May you know the light of Christ in your heart and in your world.

Have more paper hearts cut out of map paper or the supplies for people to cut them. Have magnets with sticky back on them and have them out for people to attach to their heart. Invite people to write their names and/or a prayer on them.

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon – 24th Sunday after Pentecost – November 8, 2015 – Mark 12:38-44

November 2, 2015 gb Leave a comment

Prepare: See if you can track down a copy of “Should I Share My Ice Cream?” by Mo Willems (here is a link to Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Should-Share-Cream-Elephant-Piggie/dp/1423143434). You can also probably find a copy at a local library. If you cannot find this book, look for a book about how fun it can be to share something. The premise of “Should I Share My Ice Cream” is the tension between wanting to share and wanting to keep something for yourself.

For the worship station you will need access to the bread portion of your communion service, a basket of some kind and some small pieces of paper.

Gather the children around and ask them about their favorite flavor of ice cream, or something that relates to the book that you found. Then ask them what it feel like to share that flavor, or thing with other people.

I have a book for us today, it’s a short book about how sharing can be hard, and how it can also be really fun.

Read the book!

What do you think about the story? Why do you think that it was so hard for Gerald to decide what to do with his Ice Cream?

In the Bible story that we hear today, Jesus points out a woman who is giving a very small amount of money to the church, something like giving a penny. Jesus notices her and says that she is actually giving much, much more than most of the other people. That penny is all that she had to live on, to buy food, clothes, and she gave it all away – she shared it!

The idea of sharing the all that we have is pretty scary, but when we all share together, then we can all have enough, just like Gerald and Piggy both getting some ice cream.

God of abundance, help us to see and know that there is enough. Help us to share what we have, and accept the gifts of others. Amen

Have the paper ready

Go get the communion bread, or go near it and talk about how this small amount of bread feeds all the people in the room. One person could certainly eat it all, but there is enough to go around, it we all share.

Invite the congregation to think about other things in there lives that can be shared so that all have enough – have them write those things on one side of the paper. Then have them turn the paper over and have them write what it feels like to share something wonderful with someone else.

Gather the papers together and use them as part of the prayers of the church. The whole basket can be blessed, but also pull a few out to read as part of the prayer. Use some for the things we know we should share, and use some to praise God for the gift of sharing.

You are filled with God’s love and grace.

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon All Saints Sunday John 11:32-44 Nov 1, 2015

October 14, 2015 lb Leave a comment

Preparation: You will need a large mirror or several smaller ones. For the worship station you need the mirror/mirrors and markers or dry erase markers.

Gather the children with you and around a big mirror. Say “look into this mirror, what do you see?” Take answers (the will see themselves and others sitting next to them) Ask, “Ok, so have you have been told you look like someone in your family? I get told I look like my Dad because our eyes are the same. And sometimes I am told I am like my grandmother because we like many of the same things. So sometimes when I look in the mirror, I do not just see myself, I see my Dad or I see the things my grandmother and I love then I think about my grandparents who have died and the other family members that I have in my family. Sometimes I wish they were still here so I could see how much we look like and so I could talk to them again. Do you any of you have people you love that have died and you wish were still here?”

“Jesus has a friend named Lazarus and in this story today, Lazarus died and his sisters went to get Jesus. They were very sad and so was Jesus. Then Jesus did this amazing thing and he told Lazarus to come out of the tomb! And Lazarus did come out and the family had their brother back, he was raised from the dead. Now sometimes, I am sad that this does not happen with the ones I love. I would like to see them not just in the mirror when I look at myself or in a picture. So sometimes this story makes me sad. But other times this story makes me hopeful. Jesus wants us to know that one day we will be with those we love and miss and Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead not just to show his power but also so show us that God’s love and power can overcome all our fears and all our sadness and that when we feel those things God is right there with us.”

“So Let’s look in the mirror again and say a prayer together. Loving Jesus, thank you for our faces, thank you for our memories of those we love, help us to see them and you in our hearts and to know your promise of eternal life. Amen”

Have the children look at themselves in the mirror while saying these words. “God in my head, God in my heart, God on my left, God on my right.”

Have mirrors at a station on a table. Either a big one or several smaller ones. Have dry erase or regular markers (test them first) around the mirrors. Post these instructions: Look in the mirror and notice what memories are there for you or what hopes you have. Notice if you remind yourself of someone you know that has died either by looks or because of the bond you shared in other ways. Write a word or a prayer or draw a memory on the mirrors. Then look in the mirror again and give yourself a blessing: Child of God, you are surrounded in memory and hope +

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon – 21st Sunday after Pentecost Year B, Mark 10:35-45

October 11, 2015 gb Leave a comment

Prepare: You will need to be near a baptismal font with water in it for the children’s sermon.

For the worship station you will need paper, washable markers and a bucket of water (maybe a towel, too!)

Have the children gather around the font and ask if any of them remember being baptized, or if any of them remember the last time someone was baptized in your church.

The Gospel text for today is about a bunch of things, but I caught Jesus talking about baptism again! Baptism comes up a bunch with Jesus, but this time is just a little different. Two of his friends, James and John, ask Jesus for a very high honor – they wanted to sit with him as he ruled over the world. Well, again, this story is about a lot of different things, but Jesus says to them, “Hey, if you can deal with the same Baptism I am going to go through then that will be enough.” We think of baptism as a beautiful ritual with water and words and prayer. Jesus had that, too, but what if Jesus is talking about something else?

When we talk about life with Christ we often say that we are baptized into his death, or we say in baptism we die to sin and are raised to new life in Christ. Jesus could be talking about what is coming up in his life, his own death and resurrection! He could be talking about the Easter story! When we baptize people, one of the things that we talk about is that we die to sin, and are raised up out of the water as new sisters and brothers in Christ. We are made part of the family of God, pretty cool!

In this story, Jesus is telling us that we need to let the sinful parts of ourselves go, we need to let them die so that we can be reborn in Christ’s love.

Loving and living God, we come to you seeking love and understanding. We come to you to live out our baptismal promises. We come to you with joy in our hearts at the new life you give us in the cleansing water of Baptism. Amen

(make a cross on all their heads with water from the font!) You are a clean and new child of God!

For the worship station, set up an area where people can write down something that keeps them from God. It can be a confession, or a doubt, or an illness, or anger, or anything!

Have the bucket (or basin) near by full of water and let them say a brief prayer, then dunk the paper in the water and wash the words away.

You will want to test this BEFORE worship to make sure that your maker/paper combination is going to release the ink into the water.

Children's Sermons

“Jesus Looks at You and Loves You” Children’s Sermon Pentecost 20B Mark 10:17-31

October 9, 2015 lb Leave a comment

Preparation: a needle and thread–use a larger one if possible so that they can see, a sign that says Go in Peace, Serve the Lord (optional as you can do this verbally as well) Worship station supplies are a coloring page with cross–click here for a pdf of that page.

Gather the children up front with you and greet them. “Well, I heard Jesus saying some interesting things today about camels and needles and other things that sound just impossible. What are some things that you think are impossible?” (take answers, you will likely get some crazy ones like flying, etc) Yes those sound pretty impossible and some of them truly are not things we do as humans (like flying–careful not to encourage dangerous things!)

Today Jesus talks about it being more difficult for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get their own way into heaven. I brought this sewing needle with me to show you, can you see it here. This is the eye of the needle, the part where the thread goes (put the thread through or did it ahead of time.) Now, let’s use our imagination–how big is a camel? Yep this big, huge (spread out your arms) and how will a camel walk through this needle like the thread? Sounds crazy right? Well Jesus is using some big imagination there! Even exaggeration–talking about something that is not really possible. There was also this man, who asked Jesus a big question–what do I DO to have eternal life. And Jesus tells him to give away all that he has –everything and then he will know what it is to have eternal life. How do you think the man felt? Yep, he felt pretty gloomy because he just did not think he could do that-it sounded impossible. Does that sound impossible to you? What are some ways that we do give away we have and share? (talk about some things they do and any project you are working on together)

I also noticed that it says Jesus looked at the man with love–Jesus sees him and us with love! Then Jesus says, it is not possible for you to DO anything on your own but with God all things are possible. You can give things away and you can share with others even when it is difficult. And no matter what you do God’s love is there and Jesus going to the cross and rising again is what gives us eternal life, so there is nothing you can do to make it happen on your own.

Do this activity as the prayer and blessing:

What we DO matters, how we go out and share God’s love. AND God will be with us and gives us eternal life no matter we have or do not have or do or do not do. So yes we need to care for others and we need to know that Jesus is the one who saves us. We say something at the end of each service-Go in Peace and serve and the Lord. Do you know what that means? Go out of this place, knowing God is with you and do things that show God loves you and everyone else.

I have a sign here and so let’s have two people make an arch with their hands and I will hold this sign up for you. Now before we go back to our seats you will walk through this arch and sign and hear the words, Go in peace and serve the Lord and you can say thanks be to God as you go to your seat. As you hear these words remember that God goes with you no matter what you do in this world.
Option: Have two kids make these arches as people leave the sanctuary and encourage them to go through that tight space and hear the words that God loves you as you go in peace.

Have a cross coloring outline on a sheet of paper and the words Jesus looks at you and Loves you (paraphrase of verse 21)–Here is one made for you, click here! Inside the cross write the things that we struggle to give away to God and need to lay on the cross. Around the cross write or draw the ways God loves comes to you.

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.