Faith Formation Journeys

Walking Together in Grace

Tag: Pentecost

  • Children’s Sermon Luke 11:1-13 Pentecost 10C July 28, 2013

    Preparation: Bring with you at least 3 different phones. One with a cord, one cordless, and one cell phone. Also make a play phone with 2 cans and a string

    20130715-114218.jpg Gather the children to you. Welcome them and let them see your play phone. Show them how you love your phone, and especially that you love to talk to your friends on it, but tell them you want to get the best phone possible. And show them the 3 phones and let them help you decide which is the best.

    FaithCross_BibleALT Say, “In today’s gospel the disciples were also trying to learn the best way to talk to God in prayer. And Jesus shared a prayer with the disciples in today’s gospel that we say in church every Sunday. Do you know what we call that prayer?” (Wait for the answer) And then say, “But Jesus is clear that it isn’t about having the best prayer. It’s about praying to God and knowing that God hears our prayers.

    FaithCross_ConversationALTPoint to the phones again and say, “So Jesus knows that we don’t always know how best to pray. Sometimes we think our prayers aren’t the best kind.” (Hold up the tin cans and string.) “We worry that God won’t listen, but Jesus Promises they are heard no matter what our prayers look like. (Pointing at all the phones)

    FaithCross_PrayALT Jesus hear our prayers. Help us to always come to you with our joys, and our struggles and fears. Thank you for listening. Amen

    FaithCross_BlessALT May your words be a gift to God and the world. Amen

    Submitted by Pastor Michael Stadtmueller

  • Children’s Sermon Acts 2:1-21 Pentecost Year C May 19, 2013

    Scripture Acts 2:1-21

    Preparation: optional–streamers or ribbons or pom poms in red/orange/yellow colors like fire.

    FaithCross_ConnectALTGather the children–If you have streamers or pom poms, hand them out. Hey kids! Look around, what colors do you see? What colors are you holding in your hands now? Does anyone know why I would pick those colors?

    FaithCross_BibleALTToday is Pentecost! It’s a day in the church that we do a little celebrating and remembering of the first Pentecost. Anyone know what happened on the first Pentecost? (take answers or move on if no one answers) When he went to heave, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to be with us. Peter and the disciples had no idea what this would look like, they just knew that Jesus was gone and they were not sure what to look for in a coming Holy Spirit–they felt sad and maybe scared so they stayed all together and they did a lot of praying. Well, Pentecost was a festival day and so they were doing their festival prayers and not sure what to think about Jesus not being there with them and then–the Holy Spirit came! It came as a big wind and flames were dancing above their heads but not hurting them and people spoke different languages but could also understand one another.  Has that happened to you before? No? Yeah… it’s an amazing story that is why we want to remember it each year–but did you know that the Holy Spirit did not just come once and go away? Do you know where the Holy Spirit went?  Yes–it went EVERYWHERE! And it’s still moving and talking to people and the Holy Spirit is here with us and in us.

    FaithCross_ConversationALTI think that’s pretty exciting so I thought we could use our ribbons and say a cheer for the Holy Spirit–do you know any cheers? One we used to do a lot when I was in High School and we were cheering for our team at a sport event goes like this–We’ve got Spirit yes we do, we’ve got spirit, how about you? and then the other people in the stand on the other side would yell the same thing back. I am thinking we can change it just a little and say We’ve got Holy Spirit, yes we do, we’ve got Holy Spirit how about you? –Let’s try it.  Try out the cheer. Great job! (or do it again if it wasn’t great!) Ok, so now we are going to try it again, but this time we are going to stand up and look at all those people and see if we can get them to say the cheer back to us. You can wave your ribbons in the air while you are doing this.

    Have kids do the cheer and have the assembly cheer back to them!

    FaithCross_PrayALTHoly Spirit–we praise you for being here with us and in us. Help us to remember we always have your spirit and that we can share this spirit with others through our cheers, shouts, prayers and actions. Amen

    FaithCross_BlessALTGod the Holy Spirit is in your head, in your heart, on your left and on your right. Amen