Here is the devotion page for The Day of Pentecost – Year B. (Click on the words!)
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Tag Archives: Pentecost
Weekly Devotion page for the Day of Pentecost, Year A
Here is the devotion page for the Day of Pentecost, Year A (Click on the words!)
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
WEEKLY DEVOTION PAGE FOR PENTECOST SUNDAY, YEAR C
Here is the devotion page for The Day of Pentecost – Year C. (Click on the words!)
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
Children’s Sermon for Pentecost Sunday – Acts 2:1-21
Prepare: Set up for a Birthday party – so that can be lots of different things! Maybe some streamers and party hats, or maybe cupcakes if you can manage that. Even noise makers depending on you tolerance for noise!
As the children gather greet them all with “Happy Birthday!” Keep it up even if they tell you it’s not their birthday! Once they have all gathered, ask them to shout “Happy Birthday!” with you.
Alright, maybe it’s not anyone’s birthday who is sitting here, but it is our birthday today! Today is the day we celebrate Pentecost, and Pentecost is the Birthday of the Christian church. Since the church is made up of all the people who worship together, then today is our Birthday!
Pentecost is a festival day kind of like Christmas or Easter. We celebrate one of the big, important events that happened in the early church. Christmas is the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus, Easter is the day we celebrate the resurrection, and Pentecost is the day we celebrate the beginning of people spreading the word about Jesus and his good news.
Would you help me celebrate? (This is where you do your party. Use whatever you brought to throw a quick party. Sing Happy Birthday, or a song like “We Are the Church.” You might even go on a parade around the sanctuary or around your church building! Be creative and have fun!)
Loving and helping God, we thank you for the chance to be your church in the world. Lead us to do good works, to live with kindness and mercy, to share in abundance and to love each other the way you love us. Amen.
The Holy Spirit is with you always.
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Easy worship station today! Just invite the whole congregation to your party!
Weekly Devotion page for May 15, 2016
Here is the devotion page for the Day of Pentecost, May 15, 2016. (Click on the words!)
Just click on the picture to download the PDF file!
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
Children’s Sermon – “Light the Fire” Acts 2 May 15, 2016 Pentecost Year C
Prepare: You will need rubbing alcohol, a large sturdy pot and a smaller pot or metal bowl. Fill the large pot with water and place the bowl in so it floats. Fill the bowl with rubbing alcohol and light on fire. This fire will be protected in the pot/bowl but still visible. It will last about 5 – 10 minutes and then go out on it’s own. We recommend you practice first.
Gathering–One way is to gather at the beginning and do your children’s sermon at the beginning instead of in the middle of worship. You can light the fire with them in the back and then lead a processional to the front. Or you can gather at your normal time and have a helper who lights the fire and brings it out. Do not light it close to the children as they may lean in too close.
ooo, we have a fire today! Wow! Not just the candles are lit but there is a fire. Does anyone know what today is? yes it is the day of Pentecost. We hear the story of when the people were gathered for a festival and a great wind blew in and then flames of fire appeared. (The Jesus Storybook Bible would be a great way to tell this story by reading it)
Have you ever heard the phrase… “I feel on fire”–what does that mean? It means that there is a light a passion an excitement for something. The Holy Spirit has an excitement and a passion and a love for each of you here and for the world. The Holy Spirit is here to unite us with others, no matter how different or alike we are, and the fire is one way for us to remember to be excited about sharing God’s love and living as people who are loved by God.
sing together: Light the Fire or This Little Light of Mine
Holy Spirit, thank you for your excitement for us, for your ongoing time with us and for sending us your love so that we may love too. Amen
+ May you know the fire of love inside you always +
Spirit Windsock: Make a Holy Spirit Fire Windsock with these materials to remember that the Spirit is blowing in your life all the time and sending you out with an excitement for living with Jesus.
Have sheets of cardstock paper with the words “Come Holy Spirit” written on them. Have markers, crayons, or those fun dot/bingo paint markers for stamping and decorating the paper. Next roll the paper and staple it closed. Attached string with staples or with a hole punch and then tying the string to make a handle. Next, have red, orange and yellow streamers and a stapler for attaching the streamers to the bottom. Make a sample ahead of time.
Weekly Household Devotions for May 31
Here is the devotion page for Holy Trinity, May 31, 2015.
Just click on the picture to download the PDF file!
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
Children’s Sermon Day of Pentecost – Acts 2:1-21 – May 24, 2015
Preparation: You don’t really need to do anything, but the main part of the Children’s Sermon/Worship Station will be a parade, so it would be fun to have a Pentecost banner or streamers that the parade leader could carry.
As you gather children together, ask if any of them have ever been to a parade or in a parade. What was the parade for? Was it fun to be there?
Parades are often to celebrate something, like people returning home from a journey, or a county or state fair, or a holiday.
We are going to have a parade today! We are going to have a Pentecost parade! Today is the day that we remember the story of the disciples with tongues of fire on their heads, speaking to a crowd and telling them all about Jesus.
In the tradition of the Easter Orthodox church they have parades every year on Pentecost. They have a parade all the way around the outside of their church building to remember that they are sent out into the world to tell about Jesus, and that they come back into the church to gather back together as a community.
(you can decide if the parade will be around your worship space, or longer! This is also the point where you need to decide if this is going to be an activity for the whole congregation or just for the children.)
So, let’s gather up our banner and go for a Pentecost Parade!
Holy Spirit, enter into our lives and our hearts. Put the Good News of Christ on our lips and in our hearts for us to share with the whole world. Amen
God’s Spirit fills you up!
The worship station is really just the parade this week, but you can add to that if you want. Part of our identity as Easter people and Pentecost people is to spread God’s love and mercy throughout the world. You can have people spread out to different corners of your church grounds and pray for all the parts of your church. Then have them gather back together to pray for the whole world.
Children’s Sermon Matthew 21:23-32, 16th Sunday after Pentecost, September 28th, 2014
Preparation: posterboards or white boards, post it notes, markers, examples
optional–random acts of kindness video
Gather the children together with you. Tell the second part of the gospel story or retell it. One idea would be to have some men/boys act it out if you can arrange for that. But retell saying, “Jesus is telling us that what we say and what we do are important but that in the end how we show God’s love and treat others is how we live a life in God. “
So I was thinking about this, about what I say about my faith and what I do about my faith. One thing I say about my faith in God is that I know God is with us all the time. Now how could I show that to people? (take ideas) This week one thing I did to show that is I listened to a friend of mine that I work with who told me how worried she was about her mom who lives far away. I listened to her stories about her mom and I gave her a hug and I encouraged her that she was showing love and care for her mom even while she was far away.
Here on one of my poster boards it says SAY, so I am going to take this sticky note that says I say God is with us all the time and put it here. Now this other board says DO, so I am going to take this sticky note and put Listen on it and put it up here. (If you have time, brainstorm some other ideas with the kids and do a couple more)
OPTION: Here is where you could show the random acts of kindness video or you could have it playing at a worship station.
I have lots of sticky notes and I am going to put this posters in back for our worship station today. I would like you to think of something you say about your faith or about God and something you do and put them up on the boards. You may need to help your parents or people sitting near you do this as well. (distribute sticky notes how is best for you–hand out, have in pews, have at a worship station)
Let’s pray. Jesus, your love is with us all the time. Help us to say what we know about you to others and help us to act in ways that show your love. Amen
+ May your lips speak of Jesus and may your actions show God’s love for the world. +
Put up the poster boards with SAY and DO and have sticky notes available for people to write what they Say about their faith and what they Do about their faith.
Children’s Sermon Matthew 18: 15-20, September 7, Year A Pentecost13
Preparation: Have different colors of paper or stickers or a simple way to put kids in groups of three. Make sure real little ones are with older ones.
Gather children with you and ask, ‘what does it mean to gather?’ Take answers. Explain that gathering is to bring things or people together. “For example, I have these papers (stickers, whatever you are using) all gathered together and spread out. Now I am going to hand each of you one and I want you to gather with the other kids that have the same thing as you. Sit knee to knee with them once you find them”
(Hint–to make this go faster, have older kids prepped ahead of time OR give kids near each other the same object/color. You may also want older kids or teens prepared to be with a group or sit between them to help them along)
We heard from Jesus today that when two or three are gathered in Jesus name, then he is there. Now we know that Jesus is with us all the time, even when we are alone. So what do you think happens when more people are gathered? Take answers. Talk about how Jesus is in the midst of that and helps us to reach others, show each other Jesus is there, and live out Jesus’ love.
“Now I would like you in your group to think of one way you could gather in Jesus name. Let’s start with an easy one. One way we gather with two or more is right here in worship! And when we gather here in worship we connect with each other and with God. Now you think of other places or ways you gather either here, or at home, or at school, or somewhere you volunteer.” Give them a minute. Then ask, “Ok, where are they places you gather?” Take their answers. Help them if needed. Then add to each one how that is gathering in Jesus name. For example–at home they gather for a meal and pray, or prayer before bed. At school they gather on the playground and gather in Jesus name when they are kind to a new kid or invite a lonely one in to their game. At a park they gather and Jesus is there in the way they treat each other. Maybe they are in boy scouts or girl scouts and they gather for an activity in helping someone else. Give them ways they can connect what they do each day with Jesus’ presence.
Jesus, you promise to be with us when we are together and when we serve you. Help us to remember you are with us in all the ways we gather. Help us to remember to pray and connect with you. Thank you for your love. Amen
Make the sign of the cross while saying:
God in my head
God in my heart
God on my left
God on my right