February 20, 2012 by DDitmer
Day: Lent 1B
Lectionary Passage: Genesis 9:8-17
Scripture Focus: Genesis 9:13
Object: Rainbow science experiment (if you don’t have time for the experiment, then bring a picture of a rainbow)
Preparation: Practice making your own rainbow. Fill a glass of water (almost to the top) and place it at the very edge of a table. Place a sheet of plain white paper on the floor a few inches away. Put two pieces of masking tape over the front of a flashlight so that the light comes out of a slit about 1/8 inch (0.3 cm) wide. Shine the light across and down into the water at an angle to hit the paper to reveal a rainbow.
Good morning boys and girls! Today we are going to do a quick science experiment. Your job is to watch what happens on that white piece of paper on the floor while I shine the light through this glass of water… (let the kids take notice of the light spectrum). Do you see it yet? It’s a rainbow! We’re created a rainbow right here in church!
I love rainbows because they are a reminder of God’s promise to us and all living creatures after the great flood. God promised that God loves all creatures and that God would never again cover the world with water. This was a promise to Noah, but it is also a promise to us. God loves us very much and God wants to be first in our lives.
Rainbows are a special promise to all of us. And whenever we see one after a storm, it reminds us that God loves us and cares for us.
Let’s pray: Thank you God for visible reminders like a rainbow in the sky that you love and care for us. Amen.
Posted in Genesis, God, Grace, Lent, People of the Bible | Tagged Children's Moment, Children's Sermon, Genesis 9:8-17, Kid's Sermon, Lent 1B, Noah, Rainbow | Leave a Comment »
February 13, 2012 by DDitmer
Day: Transfiguration B
Lectionary Passage: Mark 9:2-10
Scripture Focus: Mark 9:2-3
Object: Hiking Equipment, optional
Have you ever gone mountain climbing? It is super exciting. It’s like going a really cool adventure. When I go mountain climbing, I like to have my best hiking boots, like these, and some rope just in case and of course I always carry a flashlight. I don’t get to mountain climb very often and that makes it really exciting and special when I do. It’s a great treat to get away from my everyday stuff and go on an adventure like climbing a mountain.
You know, Jesus was a mountain climber, too. Today’s Bible story tells of a really important time when Jesus and three of his friends climbed a mountain together. When they got to the top of the mountain something amazing happened! As Jesus was praying, he began to glow with this amazing light. Then, out of nowhere, Moses and Elijah appeared! When Jesus’ friends saw this they were a little scared and a little excited all at the same time. They were seeing something amazing. They didn’t expect that at all!
But, you know what? God is always doing amazing things like that. We never know where God might surprise us with awesome things. It’s our job to get out of the house and do new things and meet new people so that we can experience all of God’s wonders and surprises, too!
Let’s pray: God, give us the courage to try new things like mountain climbing so that we experience all the wonders you have to offer. Amen.
Posted in Discipleship, Jesus Christ, Mark, Transfiguration Sunday, Year B | Tagged Children's Moment, Children's Sermon, Kid's Sermon, Mark 9:2-10, Transfiguration | Leave a Comment »
January 30, 2012 by DDitmer
Day: Epiphany 5B
Lectionary Passage: Isaiah 40:21-31
Scripture Focus: Isaiah 40:31
Object: Picture of an eagle soaring in the sky
Good morning everybody! Raise your hand if you have seen an eagle soaring high in the sky (let children respond)? Wonderful. Then, you won’t be surprised by this picture. It shows an eagle soaring way up high. It’s beautiful! An eagle can make flying look so easy. They don’t have to flap their wings to soar because the wind is lifting them up. It’s amazing.
Our Bible story mentions soaring eagles. It says that whoever trusts in God is like a soaring eagle. Just like an eagle trusts the wind to lift it up, we can trust God to lift us up when we are feeling low. So, if we are sad or feeling forgotten, we can trust that God cares about us and will give us strength to lift our mood and feel better. God is like the wind beneath our wings.
Let’s pray: God, when we are sad or feeling low, help us to remember that we can always count on you to help us. Amen.
Posted in Epiphany, Season, God, Isaiah | Tagged Children's Moment, Children's Sermon, Eagles, Feeling Down, Isaiah 40:21-31, Kid's Sermon | Leave a Comment »
January 23, 2012 by DDitmer
Day: Epiphany 4B
Lectionary Passage: Psalm 111
Scripture Focus: Psalm 111
Object: None
Note: This sermon uses the Doxology. If your congregation does not use this in worship, then choose another praise song that is familiar to the children. During the sermon, kids will lead the congregation in singing the song. If possible, coordinate beforehand with your music director to help with this portion of the children’s sermon.
Good morning! I’m so glad each of you are here for worship. You know, one of the most important things we do in worship is praise God. In the Bible, the book of Psalms talks a lot about praising God and that’s where our story comes from today. Well, actually it’s not a story so much as a song. It’s a song about praising God for all the amazing things God does every day for us and for the whole world.
You may not know this Psalm by heart yet but we all know a praise song because we sing it every single Sunday. It’s called the Doxology! We usually sing it after the offering because we want to praise God for all the ways God provides for us as we give a little bit back. Let’s all stand up and sing the Doxology together (this is the cue to the music director; lead the singing)
That was awesome! Thank you for leading the singing. I hope you will remember to praise God in worship and all the time. If you are thankful to God for something, like a beautiful day or a meal or anything, then you can sing the Doxology to praise God just like the book of Psalms teaches us.
Let’s pray: Thank you God for all the many ways you have blessed us. Help us to be thankful always and to give praise to you for your wonder and care. Amen.
Posted in Discipleship, Epiphany, Season, God, Psalms, Year B | Tagged Children's Moment, Children's Sermon, Doxology, Kid's Sermon, Praise God, Psalm 111, singing | Leave a Comment »
January 16, 2012 by DDitmer
Day: Epiphany 3B
Lectionary Passage: Mark 1:14-20
Scripture Focus: Mark 1:17
Object: Fishing gear, especially a net
Good morning everybody! I’ve brought along some of my fisher gear. I’ve got my fishing pole and my fishing hat and most importantly I’ve got my fishing net! I really like to use a fishing net because I can catch a lot of fish at one time.
All this talk about fishing reminds me of our Bible story. There were a group of people whose job it was to catch fish. One day, Jesus came up to them on the sea of Galilee. And he asked them to come follow him. Jesus wanted these people to be his friends. So, they pulled their boats out of the water and left everything behind to follow Jesus.
When they did, Jesus told them they would become fishers of people! That means they were going to tell everyone about the love of Jesus and ask them to be Jesus’ friend, too. And, guess what? That’s our job too! We are called to be fishers of people. Jesus calls all his friends to tell people about God so that we can catch them in our net. And you know, I can’t think of anything better than catching people for Jesus who loves us more than anything! All we have to do is tell others about Jesus and how much he loves us and I bet our fishing nets will get full fast!
Let’s pray: God, thank you for those first fishers of people and please help us be good fishers so your church grows bigger and bigger with new friends. Amen.
Posted in Discipleship, Epiphany, Season, Mark, Year B | Tagged Children's Moment, Children's Sermon, Discipleship, Epiphany 3B, Evangelism, Fishers of People, Kid's Sermon, Mark 1:14-20 | Leave a Comment »
January 9, 2012 by DDitmer
Day: Epiphany 2B
Lectionary Passage: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18
Scripture Focus: Psalm 139:13-14
Object: Something handmade, like a piece of woodwork or a quilt
Note: Whatever object you choose, be sure to explore all the ways that it was wonderfully and creatively made and put together.
Good morning boys and girls! This morning I brought with me a quilt that my grandmother made. Do you see each of these pieces (point to each individual square and triangle of fabric)? She cut each and every piece of fabric out of much larger pieces and then she carefully laid everything out so that each piece was in just the right place. Then she put all the pieces together so that one whole quilt was created. I think it is one of the most beautiful and wonderfully handmade things in the world!
Imagine if a person could make this beautiful quilt, how wonderfully made you are inside and out because you’re made by God! That’s exactly what our Bible story is about. It says we are all wonderfully made by God. God made all the inner parts of our body and then knit them all together before we were born. So each and every part of us, and you just have to look around to see that we’re all different, was wonderfully made by God!
I hope you remember this always because it’s powerful stuff! If you are ever faced with a bully who tries to poke fun at you for some reason, please stand up and say, “I’m wonderfully made by God!” If you ever feel bad about yourself, say to yourself in the mirror, “I’m wonderfully made by God!” Let’s practice together, say after me, “I’m wonderfully made by God!” (let the children repeat, encourage them to say it louder)
Let’s pray: Thank you God for wonderfully making each of us. Help us always remember this each and every day. Amen.
Posted in Epiphany, Season, God, Psalms, Year B | Tagged 13-18, Bullying, children's message, Children's Sermon, created by God, Epiphany 2B, Psalm 139:1-6, Psalm 139:13-14, self esteem, time with children, wonderfully made | Leave a Comment »
January 2, 2012 by DDitmer
Day: Baptism of Jesus B
Lectionary Passage: Mark 1:4-11
Scripture Focus:
Object: Two identical objects and a marker
Hello everybody! Today we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus. It happened long ago when Jesus was just about to start his ministry. He went to John the Baptist and asked to be baptized in the Jordan River. And that’s exactly what John did — he baptized Jesus with water. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, something amazing happened: The Holy Spirit came down like a dove and God’s said he loved Jesus. All of this took place to mark Jesus in a special way as he began his ministry to the world.
That same kind of thing happens to each one of us when we are baptized. God marks us and prepares us for ministry to the world. Baptism marks us as God’s people. Think about it like this: Here are two identical paper cups. You can’t tell one from the other. They are the same. But, if I mark this one (draw a cross on one cup) then you can tell it is different from the other. God does something like that to us when we are baptized. We can’t see the mark with our eyes but hopefully we can feel it on our hearts.
But this mark isn’t just decoration! It’s God’s way of preparing us for ministry. Ministry is when we follow Jesus in changing the world through the power of love. You can do ministry in a whole bunch of different ways (this is an opportunity to provide 2-3 examples of how children can be involved in ministry at your church). When we are baptized, God marks us for ministry to the world!
Let’s pray: Thank you God for the gift of Baptism. As we follow Jesus into the waters of Baptism, may we also follow him in ministry to love you and love others. Amen.
Posted in Baptism of the Lord Sunday, Bible Events, Discipleship, Jesus Christ, Mark, Year B | Tagged Baptism, Baptism of Jesus, Children's Moment, Children's Sermon, Kid's Sermon, Mark 1:4-11 | Leave a Comment »
December 26, 2011 by DDitmer
Day: Christmas 1B
Lectionary Passage: Luke 2:22-40
Scripture Focus: Luke 2:25-26
Object: None
Man, oh man, I tell you I hate waiting! Have you ever been at the store and the line is really long. I mean REALLY long (stretch your arms out widely). Like wrapped around the whole store three times long! Well, that’s happened to me. I just stand there at first (stand). But, then I get real antsy because the line isn’t moving. I mean, I’ve been standing forever. So, I start to shuffle from side to side (shuffle from side to side) because my legs are tired. And after awhile that gets boring so I start tapping my fingers (tap your fingers on your arm) on the shopping cart because that is sure to make the line go faster. When that doesn’t work, I start pace back and forth (pace back in forth dramatically) because that always makes the line move faster. Until, finally, it seems like I’ve been waiting forever… I just take a nap (fall on the ground or start snoring while standing)!
I guess, I’m not very patient. I’m not at all like Simeon. He was a man in the Bible. You know Simeon waited a very, very, very long time to meet Jesus. He was so old, older than Pastor Tom if you can believe that, when Jesus was born. And you know what? In all that time, Simeon was patient. He didn’t get antsy or bored or want to give up. Simeon just waited patiently because he knew that Jesus was coming someday. And you know, I think we should be more like Simeon. Instead of getting antsy and upset about waiting, we should show a little more patience. Because good things are coming our way, it’s just that sometimes we have to wait for them!
Let’s pray: Help us to be more like Simeon so that when we are waiting for big and small things to come our way, we wait patiently. Amen.
Posted in Christmas, Season, Discipleship, Luke, People of the Bible, Year B | Tagged Children's Moment, Children's Sermon, Kid's Sermon, Patience, Simeon, waiting | Leave a Comment »
December 19, 2011 by DDitmer
Day: Christmas Day B
Lectionary Passage: John 1:1-4
Scripture Focus: John 1:5
Object: Candle and match
Merry Christmas! It is so wonderful to see you all on this very special day. I bet you can all tell me who was born on this day (let the children shout “Jesus”). Very good! Jesus was born on Christmas day a long time ago in a place called Bethlehem. The Bible tells us about what happened on that special day: no room at the inn, shepherds in the field, angels singing, and wise men traveling far.
There is something else about that day we should know. We learn about it in today’s Bible story. It is very important… (try to build suspense) The Light came into the world (strike a match) and the light was named Jesus (light the candle… pause).
Jesus is called the Light of the world because he is the one who guides us to God. Before Jesus was born, we were lost in the darkness. Now, all who believe in Jesus are guided by his light to God.
As we celebrate Christmas, let’s also remember to give thanks for the Light of the world who shows us the way to God.
Let’s pray: Eternal God, thank you for sending the light into the darkness to show us the way to you. Help us share this light with others. Amen.
Posted in Christmas Day, Christmas, Season, John, Year B | Tagged Children's Moment, Children's Sermon, Christmas, Kid's Sermon, light, Light of the World, Prologue to John | 1 Comment »
December 12, 2011 by DDitmer
Day: Advent 4B
Lectionary Passage: Luke 1:26-38
Scripture Focus: Luke 1:26
Object: Paper airplane
Preparation: Before this lesson, practice making a paper airplane. For instructions, visit a website like www.funpaperairplanes.com.
This morning, I’ve got a piece of paper with me (show the kids the piece of paper). Now, I know what you’re thinking: it’s just a plain old ordinary boring piece of paper. You’ve seen that a thousand times. But, you know, sometimes the most ordinary things can become something amazing (begin making an airplane).
That happened in the Bible you know. At least one time it happened with an ordinary girl named Mary. God sent the angel Gabriel to tell her she was chosen by God to have a son named Jesus. Well, you can bet Mary was surprised. After all, she was just like you and me, a regular ordinary person.
But, you know what? God could see something extraordinary in Mary and that’s why God asked Mary to be Jesus’ mom. And it turned out that she was a great mom who loved and cared for the baby Jesus.
Just like that plain old piece of paper didn’t seem like much, on the outside Mary is just ordinary, but when she said “yes” to God she became an extraordinary part of God’s plan. Kinda like how that ordinary piece of paper can turn into a great airplane (fly the airplane)!
Let’s pray: God, help us be courageous and faithful like Mary so that when you call on us, we will say “yes” too. Amen.
Posted in Advent, Discipleship, Jesus Christ, Luke, Year B | Tagged Birth of Jesus, Called by God, Children's Moment, Children's Sermon, Kid's Sermon, Mary, Ordinary | Leave a Comment »
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