Pentecost

Christ Episcopal Church

Children’s Chapel

June 4, 2017

Pentecost Sunday

·             Welcome: Good Morning girls and boys! I am so happy to see you all this morning! Do we have any new friends with us? (Welcome new friends.)

·             Church Practice:

Today is Pentecost where we see the red square on our liturgical calendar. The cloth on our Children’s Chapel altar is red today because we are celebrating the gift of Holy Spirit. Who would like to move the arrow on our liturgical calendar? (Allow one child to come up to the calendar to move the arrow forward one week.) The arrow is now pointing to the red square which is the same color as the cloth that we have on our altar.  You will also notice that in big church the altar frontal, church dressings, and clergy stoles are red. (Light altar candles.) We light these candles to remind us that Christ is the light of the world. We remember that God is always with us, that Jesus lives in our hearts and that we are inspired by the power of the Holy Spirit. Before we begin our Bible lesson today, let us pray.

·             Opening Prayer: O God, who on this day did teach the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit: Grant

us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and

evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of

Christ Jesus our Savior, who lives and reigns with you, in

the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

·             Introduction: Today is Pentecost Sunday in which we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit. In today’s Bible story, Jesus has ascended to the Father in Heaven and the apostles have gathered together. Jesus tells his disciples before his Ascension to the Father in Heaven that he will continue to live among them in their hearts and that the Father will be sending the gift of the Holy Spirit to strengthen and inspire them. Today we will hear about the special day, which we call Pentecost, that the disciples received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

·             Bible Reference:  Acts 2:1-21 (For Teacher Reference)

2When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Read Aloud: The Jesus Storybook Bible pages 326-331

·             Response: Isn’t it wonderful how much God loves each one of us! God loves us so much that he gives us the Holy Spirit just as he gave to the disciples all those years ago on the first Pentecost. We can rejoice knowing that God’s love strengthens and inspires us through the power of the Holy Spirit. We can also know that God’s love for us is never ending and that we are never alone because God lives in each of our hearts.

·             Closing Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of your love and the gift of all of your son Jesus. Strengthen us through the power of the Holy Spirit so that through you we may love one another as you love each of us.  In your holy name we pray, Amen.

·             Response Activity: Holy Spirit craft will be provided.