INTRODUCTION

People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

—Mark 10:13-16

This book is a toolbox of children’s sermons that present special ways to include children in our Sunday worship and to build their faith. This toolbox brings back and adds to many of the sermons appearing in the three volumes of The Abingdon Children’s Sermon Library. The book takes seriously the view that children belong with us in the worshiping congregation and they come with deep spiritual stirrings and yearnings that call for response. In using these sermons in worship, we recognize that Jesus welcomed children and highlighted the vital importance of their presence before God and in the community. We act on the value of children Jesus taught the disciples as we include them and give attention to them in the gathered faith community today. We show by our inclusion and attention that our children belong and that they are worthy of joining in the central thrust of worship, which is praising and honoring God.

When we include and address children in worship through sermons, we also recognize that they come with spiritual quests or yearnings. In fact, there is heightened awareness on the part of children’s ministry researchers that our young have a deep ​spiritual yearning that goes beyond the values and material things to which they are exposed daily through technological and commercial sector marketing and offers.^​1 Studies show that, as spiritual seekers, elementary-age children and those entering and in adolescence quest for:

• A relationship with God, the Transcendent Other.
• A sense of the valued self in the form of an affirmation of their worth or “somebody-ness”;
• An experience of the collective self found in a positive sense of belonging and relationship in family and community;
• An encounter with the guided self communicated in an ethical framework for a faithful walk with God; and
• Readiness to be the giving self built through awareness of ways of caring, giving, and serving in response to love of God and neighbor.^​2

Addressing this yearning means taking seriously the opportunities sermons give to introduce children to the center of the Christian faith, which is God through Jesus Christ, and the role of Scripture in our faith formation. It suggests that we provide in sermon form helpful pathways to their faith formation that invite them to visualize and become involved firsthand in building the valued self and collective self. This calls for sermons that focus on God’s view of them, the nature of the body of Christ as partners with them on the faith journey, and the role of Holy Communion, baptism, and symbols of the faith that draw them near to God and one another. Responding to the spiritual quests of children also means utilizing sermons centered on a faithful walk with God and concrete responses to faith that make their giving selves come alive. Reaching our children in worship in all these ways takes seriously our task of building their faith.

Although the sermons are provided especially for use in Sunday worship, they are well suited for use in other intergenerational gatherings of the congregation such as special seasonal and other services, as well as small- or large-group and family-focused ​meetings and retreats. It is understood as essential to include and give attention to children in worship and other intergenerational gatherings. However, leaders of children’s church experiences may also find the sermons helpful.

HOW THE SERMONS ARE ORGANIZED

The sermons are organized in two sections. Part One includes sermons focused on “The Center of Our Faith.” This opening section includes sermons that center on God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Bible as the church’s Book.

Part Two is titled “Pathways to Our Faith.” Sermons in this section engage children in exploring the nature of the community of faith; two primary sacraments of the Christian faith, Holy Communion (The Lord’s Supper) and baptism; and symbols of the faith.

PREPARING TO ENGAGE THE CHILDREN

Children are active participants who require our engagement with their feeling, doing, watching, and thinking selves. For this reason, the sermons include ideas for dialogue, prompts, and experiences designed for children to be part of both the action and the message. You will find actual sample responses to questions that give indications of what children might say; or these sample responses may be used as prompts for their response if needed. At the same time, do not be afraid of moments of silence, because this often is a sign that children are thinking about what to say. In a number of instances, the congregation is invited to participate in the action and message as a means of making concrete our intent to stir up the children’s and congregation’s awareness of their life together as Christians.

​It is critical that the sermons be used only as guides or tools for use with children. They are not intended to be read or followed verbatim. Preparing to use a sermon in the toolbox requires our taking the time to read through it and the Scripture reference with the goal of becoming familiar and comfortable with what they convey to the extent that we envision our own way of presenting the sermon to the children in our particular congregation. This means that we have our children in mind as we gain familiarity with the sermon material and decide on its use. Don’t hesitate to use the sermons as frameworks within which to add creative ideas or as bases on which to form new sermons that respond to specific circumstances and needs. Be spontaneous!

In order to guide the flow of the sermon and free our spontaneity, a good preparatory approach is to create ahead of time an outline or some notes on steps to take—as simple or elaborate as needed. It also helps to practice aloud the steps we envision. Most of all, our preparation is sure when we know for sure the direction we need to go in a sermon and we set ourselves forward to enjoy our connection with the children and our role in their lives.

So, let’s get ready! Let’s be part of building children’s faith!

Anne Streaty Wimberly, Editor

NOTES

​1. See Katherine Turpin, “Princess Dreams: Children’s Spiritual Formation in Consumer Culture” and Mary Elizabeth Moore, “Yearnings, Hopes and Visions: Youth Dreams and Ministry Futures,” in Mary Elizabeth Moore and Almeda M. Wright, eds., Children, Youth and Spirituality in a Troubling World (St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2008), 45, 108-10; Brendan Hyde, Children and Spirituality: Searching for Meaning and Connectedness (London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2008), 138; and Joyce Ann Mercer, Welcoming Children: A Practical Theology of Childhood (St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2005), 31-32.

​2. Brendan Hyde, Children and Spirituality, 130-38; and Mary Elizabeth Moore, “Yearnings, Hopes and Visions,” 110-18.