Faith Formation Journeys

Walking Together in Grace

Tag: Children’s sermon

  • Children’s Sermon Christmas Day, John 1:1-14, December 25, 2013

    Prepare:  You will need a nativity set with all the pieces!

    20130822-223520.jpg  Tell them that today we get to hear the Christmas story from the Gospel of John, then read John 1:1-5.  Feel free to make the language a little more “child friendly,” like changing “testify” to “talk about,” or something like that.

    FaithCross  Huh.  That’s a funny Christmas story.  Let’s see here, I brought a Nativity set to help me tell the story, but I’m not sure that any of these pieces are in the story that I just read.  (Take the pieces out of the nativity scene as you mention them.)  I didn’t hear about wise men, or shepherds.  There wasn’t an angel, either.  Mary and Joseph weren’t there.  I didn’t even hear about a baby!  Well, I guess I brought the wrong things to tell the story today . . . wait, let’s read a little further in the story.  (Read John 1:6-14)

    Did you hear that?  The Word of God became flesh and lived among us!  That sounds like a baby to me!  Let’s put the baby back then.  When we talk about the Word of God we often think of stories.  Well, before we had so many books people had to remember stories so that they wouldn’t get lost.  And babies need people to remember them so that they can get food and be taken care of and not get lost, so let’s put Mary and Joseph back.

    What good is a story if it doesn’t get told?  That’s the best way to learn a story, right?  To hear someone tell it and then tell it back?  Just like the angels told the story with their song!  And who did they tell?  A story needs to be heard, right?  That’s right, they told the shepherds.  So I guess we should put the angel and the shepherds back, too!

    Alright, now all the people here know the story, but they all live here.  What this story needs is someone to help spread it around.  I wonder who we could find to come hear the story and then take it with them?  The wise men!  That’s it!  Three people from a far away land who came to see and hear and who will take the story with them to their homes.

    Look!  Out Nativity set is complete again!  And you thought that this wasn’t a Christmas story!

    20130822-223749.jpg  Word of God, teach us the stories of our faith, be always on lips and always burning in our hearts.  Be with as we hear the story again and again, and give us the courage to tell the story again and again.  Amen

    FaithCross_BlessALT  May God’s Word shine a light into your life today and always.

    ~GB

    Permission to use for nonprofit. When printing give credit to Faith Formation Journeys. Intellectual property rights apply.

  • Children’s Sermon Christmas Eve, Isaiah 9:2-7, December 24, 2013

    Prepare:  You will need a really good blindfold, so that whoever is wearing it is completely in the dark.

     20130822-223454.jpg As the children gather find a volunteer to be blindfolded.  They do not need to do anything other than sit and listen, they just need to wear the blindfold.  Ideally this is one of the children, but if none of them are willing it can be a youth or adult helper.  They will need to talk about wearing the blindfold at the end, so it should be someone who is not too shy.

    FaithCross  I bet you are wondering why (person’s name here!) is wearing a blindfold.  We will get to that, but first we should talk about the reading from Isaiah.  Did you hear that?  What a great Christmas story, don’t you think?  (give a little time)  Wait, you didn’t hear the Christmas story in that reading?

    Well, let’s see if we can tell the Christmas story together, what do you think?  (Prompt the children through the story, starting with the Mary and Joseph traveling, and end with the angels and the bright light that the shepherds saw.  Take a little time, we want that person in the blindfold to be there for a while!)

    Wow!  You guys know this story really well!  Well, let’s see if we can find that story in the reading from Isaiah.  The story of Christmas is the beginning of something new.  Jesus being born changes everything.  The Isaiah reading talks about people who can’t see the good things in life, or don’t have hope, finding hope and love.  It is about people who difficult lives finding relief from the things that are hard.  Some of those difficult things could be being sick, or getting bullied, or just being sad about something.  We get used to these things, so when they are taken away it is surprising.  All of this is why Jesus came to earth, why he was born!

    So, what does it feel like to have a burden lifted?  Let’s see – (Take off the blindfold) what do you see?  (Give a little time for the blindfolded person answer). 

    FaithCross_PrayALT  God of hope and light, we praise you for the gift of your son and for the chance to share his love.  Help us to keep you in our hearts during this season and throughout the year.  Amen

    FaithCross_BlessALT  May God’s Word shine a light into your life today and always.

    ~GB

    Permission to use for nonprofit. When printing give credit to Faith Formation Journeys. Intellectual property rights apply.