Faith Formation Journeys

Walking Together in Grace

Tag: Children’s sermon

  • Children’s Sermon Christmas 1C Luke 2:41-52

    ffjChildrenSermonPreparation: Find three people to help you tell the gospel story: a man, a woman and a boy. Go to this link at Worshipping with Children for the reading: Jesus as boy in Temple

    Faith+Gather: Invite the children forward. Ask, “What does the Christmas story tell us about Jesus?” Accept answers, “Right, that he was born as a baby, just like you and me! Today we here another story about Jesus growing up, this one he is older, maybe about 12. Are any of you 12? Well I have some people here to tell us the story. A father like Joseph, a mother like Mary, and Jesus as a boy.”

    Faith+Share: Have the three people you found tell the story using the provided script or your own. Then ask, “How do you think it felt for Mary and Joseph when they couldn’t find Jesus? How do you think Jesus felt when he was found?” We don’t have many stories of Jesus growing up, in fact this is about it but what’s important here is that we remember that Jesus was born and he grew up like you and I do, he had experiences with his family and friends and community that were about being lost and found and happy and sad and all those human things. And it says here that Mary kept these things in her heart. What do you think that means? I think your moms and dads and people who love you keep things about you in their hearts, like remembering what you were like or when you teach them something about love or God just like Jesus as a boy taught his parents about the importance of being close to God. And I also know that God keeps you close to God’s heart because just like Jesus grew up like we do, Jesus is also God and able to know us and love us fully. This is why we keep stories of Jesus in our hearts and why we come to worship, so that we can remember all the time that we are loved and kept close to God’s heart.

    Faith+Prayer: Jesus, we are glad for your birth, we are glad for you being a child, we are glad that you know us and keep us in your heart in love. Amen.

    Faith+Blessing: God in our head, God in our heart, God on our left, God on our right. (say these words while making the sign of the cross and have the kids do this with you)

  • Children’s Sermon December 24th , 2012 First Sunday of Christmas Luke 2:1-20

    Prepare: This series of children’s sermons in Advent will utilize your Advent wreath in your worship space. Each week the as the candle is lit you will explain what the candle means and then give them a take home. Please see the attached sheet.  The sheet has an ornament to print and the devotion to print on the back of it. The devotion will change each week. Have a copy made on card stock for each child and household.

    Faith + Gather: gather the children by the Advent wreath. Perhaps at a “children’s worship service” you could read the gospel from a children’s story Bible. Spark Story Book Bible and the Jesus Story Book Bible are two of my favorite.

    Faith + Connect: (If you have been following the children’s sermon series from this blog this will be a natural continuation. If not, please feel free to alter as needed!) So we lit one candle a week for four weeks on our Advent wreath. Here it is Christmas Eve! We are gathered to hear the story of Jesus’ birth and to celebrate that day. What do you see that is added to the wreath? That’s right a white candle in the middle. It is called the Christ Candle. It’s kind of like Jesus’ birthday candle.

    Besides being fun, why do we celebrate Jesus’ birthday? (Accept all answers) We celebrate Jesus’ birthday not just for presents but to remember that Jesus was a gift from God to us! It’s Jesus’ birthday but we get the gifts!! God wants to give us what we need. Do we NEED new toys? No,but it’s special when we get them. Do we NEED new clothes? Sometimes  we do but not all the time.  Do we NEED candy? No, but candy is a nice treat isn’t it? God wants us to have what we need which is to be close to God. By sending Jesus as a baby, God tells us that God is with us always, forever and ever. God know that this is what we really need. God does want us to have clothes, food, toys, candy (just a little), friends, and family-Just like your parents want you to have all that you want and need so does God. But most of all God knows that you need love and gives that to us all the time. How are some ways that you know that you are loved by God?

    The shepherds heard the angels sing of God’s love. They went and found the baby Jesus and then when they left they praised God telling people of God’s love. Let’s make sure that everyone we talk to knows God’s love too!

    Faith + Prayer: God, we are amazed at the great love you                                         

    have for us. Let us, like the shepherds, praise you all the

    time for the gift of Jesus, amen.                                                              

    Faith + Blessing: : (make the sign of the cross on each other)

    Child of God, do not be afraid. Jesus is with you.