Children Activities for 4th Sunday of Easter (Year C)
Curated children’s ministry resources and sermons (object lessons) for Sunday Readings from SermonWriter, Ministry-to-Children, Religion Teacher and other sources.
Curated children’s ministry resources and sermons (object lessons) for Sunday Readings from SermonWriter, Ministry-to-Children, Religion Teacher and other sources.
The readings for the 4th Sunday of Easter Year C (Good Shepherd Sunday) remind us that Jesus loves the whole world and calls to all people to follow him. In the first reading, Paul and Barnabas are rejected by many Jewish communities they visit and they turn to the Gentiles. The second reading describes people from all over the world worshiping the Lamb of God. And in the gospel, Jesus declares that he knows his sheep and they know him and they cannot be separated.
Jesus says he is the Good Shepherd, loyal to his flock even to the point of death.
Many of us have pets. As pet owners, we have a responsibility to feed, groom, exercise, and take out pets to the vet. In other words, we serve our pets as much as they “serve” us. If your family has a pet, who cares for the animal? Do your family members take turns caring for it? Create a schedule this week for shared pet care with your family. When you finish the schedule, read John 10:27-30. Reflect on the joys and hassles of pet ownership. How has your pet added to your family? Use the answers to those questions to discuss the ways Jesus serves your family and adds joy to your family life. End the discussion by decorating the pet schedule with a drawing of Jesus the Good Shepherd.
SOURCE: SUNDAY CONNECTION (LOYOLA PRESS) – All Rights Reserved
SOURCE: SUNDAY CONNECTION (LOYOLA PRESS) – All Rights Reserved
SOURCE: SUNDAY CONNECTION (LOYOLA PRESS) – All Rights Reserved
SOURCE: SUNDAY CONNECTION (LOYOLA PRESS) – All Rights Reserved
Catechist Background and Preparation
Primary Session
Intermediate Session
Junior High School
The Divinity of Christ
SOURCE: LECTIONARY RESOURCES (RCL Benzinger) – All Rights Reserved
CATHOLIC KIDS MEDIA (6:09) – Jesus, the Good Shepherd! A fun Catholic reflection for kids based on the readings for the 4th week in Easter, cycle C. (2022)
Opening Question: The Good Shepherd! A fun Catholic reflection for kids based on the readings for the 4th week in Easter, cycle C.
In the story for the first reading, ——-
Bridging Question: Do you have a pet? What kind of pet do you have? How do you show love to your pet?
In the story for the gospel, ——-
Closing Question: How can you hear the call of Jesus today? How can you say “Yes” to his call and his love?
Use your own judgment when including and adapting these lessons in your children’s ministry.
OTCC KIDS (4:17) – Children’s Message | Good Shepherd
No object is needed
EXCERPT:
Do you have a yo-yo? Do you know how to do any tricks with your yo-yo? I brought a yo-yo this morning so that I could show you how to do a few simple tricks.
The first thing that most people learn how to do is the basic “throw down.” I’m sure that all of you can do that. You simply hold your hand out in front of you with the palm up. With a flick of the wrist, throw the yo-yo straight down. When the yo-yo reaches the end of the string, give a little tug and the yo-yo returns to the palm of your hand.
Another easy trick is the “forward pass.” It is very similar to the “throw down” except that instead of throwing it down, you throw it out in front of you. When the yo-yo reaches the end of the string, give it a tug back and catch it in the palm of your hand.
Now that you have learned the “throw down” and the “forward pass,” you are ready for one of the best yo-yo tricks of all. It is called the “sleeper.” It starts out just like the “throw down.” Throw the yo-yo down with a flick of the wrist, but when it gets to the end of the string, don’t pull it back immediately. You will see that the yo-yo stays down at the end of the string and spins. When you are ready, just a slight tug pulls it right back up into the palm of your hand.
Coloring Page › Group Activities› Crossword › Dot to Dot › Word Search › Worship Bulletin
Objects: Stuffed sheep and/or shepherds crook
EXCERPT: This week’s Bible readings have a special theme. They talk about what it means to be a shepherd.
Do you know anything about shepherding that you could share? What types of work does a shepherd do? (Solicit children’s comments.)
Wow, you sure know a lot about shepherding – which is kind of funny, because we don’t see too many shepherds around these days, do we? They were very common when Jesus was alive though, and the Bible is full of shepherd stories – not to teach us about the real work of shepherds back then, but to help us understand something very important about Jesus.
Jesus is a special kind of shepherd. He doesn’t have a flock of sheep – he has a flock of people – and we’re them. We are Jesus’ sheep!
That’s kind of a funny thought, isn’t it? We aren’t really sheep of course, but the Bible helps us to understand that Jesus does the same things for us, that an actual shepherd does for his sheep.
You see, shepherds have three important jobs: herding, tending and protecting.
Objects: Wool yarn, a wool sweater. (If a weaver, knitter, or someone who spins yarn is available, a demonstration would add interest to the lesson.) Pictures of sheep.
EXCERPT: Sheep grow heavy, fluffy coats of wool. The wool is sheared off, cleaned, and spun into yarn, then the yarn is used to knit sweaters, hats, mittens, and blankets; items to keep us warm.
A shepherd is someone who looks after a flock of sheep. The shepherd makes sure the sheep have water to drink and food to eat. The shepherd also guards the sheep, keeping wild animals, which might harm the sheep, away from the flock.
The sheep recognize the sound of the shepherd’s voice and follow him. In some countries the shepherd walks ahead of the flock and in other countries the shepherd works behind the flock and with the aid of dogs, directs the sheep and keeps them all together.
Sermon Writer: Children’s Sermons – All Rights Reserved | © 1997-2020 Richard Niell Donovan; Click on title to read entire sermon.
DOLLAR STORE CHILDREN’S SERMONS (5:46) -This video is presented by John Stevens, a Lutheran (ELCA) pastor.
TEXT: John 10:22-30
Dollar Store Item: YouTube videos of voices kids would recognize. What body language says, “Loving,” “Hurt,” or other emotions.
The Take Away: We are loved by Jesus, and called to show love to the world.