Faith the size of a Mustard Seed

Children’s Chapel

October 2, 2016

Proper 22C

Theme: Faith

Bible Reference: Luke 17: 5-10

Introduction: Good morning girls and boys! Do we have any new friends today? (Welcome new friends.) I am so happy to see everyone here! How many of you have ever seen a seed? Let’s think about the different types of seeds that there are. Can you raise your hand and tell me some different types of seeds? (Allow answers.) Wow! You all came up with some great answers. I have some seeds here too that I want to show you. (Show collage of seeds and name each one.) These seeds are in all different shapes and sizes. Some are big, some are small, some are round, some are oval, some are smooth and some are pointy. All of these seeds produce or make a different type of plant that could in turn produce a fruit or vegetable or it could simply produce a bush or a tree or another plant. I want to show you one more type of seed. It is a mustard seed (Hold up jar of mustard seeds.) Look at all of these little tiny seeds! Have you ever seen such small little seeds! (Pass jar of seeds around so everyone can see.)

Bible Story: Today in our Bible story the apostles say to Jesus,

⁵“Increase our faith!” ⁶Jesus replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Wow! Jesus said that if the disciples had faith even as small as a teeny tiny mustard seed that they would have great power. That’s not very big is it?

Response: The disciples really wanted Jesus to increase their faith. Let’s think again about what faith is. (Allow answers.) You are right! Faith is believing and trusting in God to guide us in our lives. The disciples asked to have their faith increased so that they will be able to trust in God more fully. Having faith is not a bad thing, but it is not our faith that is the true power that guides our lives. Jesus told the disciples that if they even had faith the size of a teeny tiny mustard seed, they would have the power to command a bush to get up and walk! Do any of us have that kind of power? No, you are right.  But who does have great power or love for all of us? Right! God loves each one of us so much that even though we are weak, he still chooses to shower his blessings upon us and shine his love through each one of us. The good news is that God’s work in the world does not depend on the size of our faith. God’s work in the world is great and wonderful because God is great and because he loves each one of us so much.

Pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for loving each of us so much that you choose us to use as your instruments to shine your love into the world. Help us to trust in you and to know that it is not because of our faith in you that great things happen in the world, but rather because you are so great and so loving. Amen

Say the Lord’s Prayer together.

Response Activity (Crafts, Singing, or Another activity will be provided.)

Made in His Image

Sunday School Lesson

October 2, 2016

Theme: “Made in His Image”

I.         Entry /Snack (5 minutes): All children will be greeted and welcomed at the door by an adult teacher. Children will then be directed to quietly enter the room and find a seat at one of the tables where they will have a small snack. Encourage children to use small, quiet voices as they talk with their friends. This beginning time allows time for fellowship and sets the tone for a calm, peaceful environment.

II.       Gather Time (3-5 minutes) Ring the chime found on the altar table: Teachers will invite all children to find a place on the “Gathering Carpet” for group check-in and discussion. Welcome each friend as they say his/her name.

III.     Bible Lesson (12-15 minutes)

A.  Introduction: In the last couple of weeks we have been talking about God’s creation from the very beginning. (Using Creation Picture Cards Review the Days of Creation up through Day 5) Let’s review the days of God’s Creation. (For each day of creation, pick a child to hold up the card in front of the group.) Today we will read the rest of the Creation story. Let’s listen.

B.  Bible Reference (Read from the Jesus Storybook Bible pp 25-27.)

A.  Response: On the sixth day of creation God made man and woman and he made them in his image. I wonder, what is an image? (Allow answers.) You are right! An image is a picture or a a likeness of someone or something. God made human beings, you and me, in his image, which means we are like God. This does not mean that we are God, but rather we are like God. In the Bible it says that God is love. If we are like God, we are also created to be love in the world. God made each one of us in his image and placed very special gifts from him in each one of us so that he could shine his light through us to be love in the world. Who can tell me again the very first thing that God created? Light! Yes, God created light. Do you remember who is God’s light in the world? (allow answers.) Yes! Jesus is the God’s light in the world. Jesus has always been in the world from the very beginning as the light and Jesus continues to be the light of the world. Because God loves us so much, Jesus was born as a human being to live among us. Through Jesus we know God’s love more fully. As we trust in God, he shines his light through us to be love in the world. We are strengthened by God’s love to be able to care for all of God’s creation.

B.  Response Activity: (15 minutes) Today we are going to make a “image” of ourselves. I will give you this little paper doll and you will color it to look like you.

I.         Closing and Dismissal: (3 minutes) Teachers will invite children to clean up and come back to the “Gathering Carpet” for prayer and a benediction before dismissal. One teacher stand at the door to greet parents as they pick up their children. Children will remain in the carpet until their parent comes.

A.  Pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of your creation from light to every creature that lives upon the earth. Help us to take care of your creation and to always see it’s goodness that you planned from the very beginning. Amen

B.  The Lord’s Prayer (Say together.)

C.  Benediction: Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord. (All) Thanks be to God!

Sharing in God's Riches for Everyone

Christ Episcopal Church

Children’s Chapel

September 25, 2016

Proper 21C

Theme: Sharing In God’s Riches

Bible Reference: 1 Timothy 6:17-19

Introduction: Good morning girls and boys! Do we have any new friends today? (Welcome new friends.) I am so happy to see everyone here! Today girls and boys we are going to hear two stories about sharing. Before we listen to each of these stories, I would like to hear in your words what sharing means to you. Let’s put on our thinking caps and think for just a moment lets think about what it means to share. When you have an idea, raise your hand. (Allow responses.) You all have a wonderful understanding of what it means to share! You are right that sharing means that we give something that we have to another person so that they have a little bit too. Sharing can also mean that we give of our time to another person who may need our help doing something or who may need someone to visit with them. Another way that we can share is to give of our special gifts and talents in order to be a service to another person or persons.

Bible Story: Today in our Bible reading the apostle Paul talks about what it means to share in God’s kingdom. In his letter to Timothy Paul says, “Tell those rich in this world’s wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they’ll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life.” Paul says in his letter to Timothy that to store up riches that we have here on earth is silly. He also says it is better to share our riches with others and to do good for God so that we can store up treasure in heaven. I wonder what Paul means. Let me share another story with you that may help explain what Paul is saying.

Read Aloud: “The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza” 

Response: In the story of “The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza” the hen asks for help from all of her friends to make a pizza. But what happens? No one wants to help her! The Little Red Hen could have said, “Well, I just will eat the whole pizza by myself!” But what does the Little Red Hen do? You are right! She shares the pizza with all of her friends even when they have not helped her. Later when the hen asks for help to wash the dishes do her friends help her? Yes! They are happy to help. Let’s look back again at what Paul said in his letter to Timothy. He said, “Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous.”  Sharing of our possessions or of our time or of our talent is not always easy. We may want to keep everything for ourselves, or we may not want to give our time or talent to help someone else. The Little Red Hen shared her time, talent and pizza with her friends even when they did not want to help her. She showed her friends love even if they didn’t really deserve it. She could have been angry at her friends and she could have kept all of the pizza but instead of storing up everything for herself, she was generous with her friends and shared her riches. What treasure did the Red Hen share so generously with others? You’re right!  She shared her pizza, her time and talent AND she also shared her love. In return the friends were able to eat the yummy pizza and they also gained an even greater treasure which was the love they were given so graciously by the Little Red Hen. In the same way, God generously and graciously gives us his love.  Paul says that when we are sharing ourselves whether we share something we have or we share our time or our talent, we gain a great treasure which is found in participating in God’s love and grace for everyone.

Pray: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the the many blessings you so graciously give to each one of us. Help us to trust in you so that your love may be shared with others through the gifts you have given us. In your holy name, Amen.

Response Activity (Crafts, Singing, or Another activity will be provided.)