Welcoming Others in Jesus' Name

Kids’ Worship Service

Year A, Proper 8

June 26, 2011

I.        Welcome!

a.    Gathering – Children find a letter to sit on the gathering carpet. Recognize and welcome any visitors.

b.    Opening Prayer –“Blessed Be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And blessed be his kingdom now and forever. Amen”

Children’s Collect for the Day

“Heavenly Father, we are here to worship and praise you. Open our hearts and minds so that we may hear your words spoken to us through the Bible story today. Give us strength that we may serve you through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

II.      Bible Lesson:( Adapted From: http://www.grassroots.com.au/Kidschurch/Bwelcome.htm)

• Have you ever seen one of these? (Show a welcome mat) • Where have you seen something like this? Usually we'd see a mat like this outside the door to our home, wouldn't we? • A mat such as this usually has two purposes. Do you know what those two purposes are? (Discuss) • Well, for one thing, it is a friendly reminder for people to wipe their shoes off so that they won't track dirt or mud into your home. • And second, it is placed outside your door as a sign to let people know that they are welcome in your home. • Welcome -- what does the word "welcome" mean? It means to receive someone in a warm and friendly way. How do you welcome people in your home? How do we welcome people in church? Let’s listen to today’s Gospel from Matthew 10:40-42 40 "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." • Jesus said, "He who receives you receives me." • So when we welcome others, we are welcoming Jesus too! Isn’t that a wonderful thing?

III.       Response Activity:

How many of you have ever seen visitors in our church receiving a welcome bag? Why do you think we give out those welcome bags? What do you think may be in them. Show an actual welcome bag and it’s contents. Wouldn’t it be neat if we also made something to put in these welcome bags? Today we are going to make a special prayer card that will go in our welcome bags. You are going to color these prayer cards and then we will give them to the visitors of our church in the welcome bag. In this way, you will be welcoming our visitors too. (Collect all prayer cards before dismissal).

IV.         Closing Prayer and Benediction

a.    “Our Father” Say the Our Father aloud and ask children to join in if they know the prayer.

b.    Benediction: “Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord. (all together) Thanks be to God.”

V.            Return to Church services: Children line up behind the acolyte and follow silently to return to church.