Children
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.
4th Sunday of Easter (C)
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
YOUNG HEART MINISTRIES (5:47) – “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” – John 10:27
Listening to the Voice of God
YOUNG CATHOLICS
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.
MAIN THEMES
- Jesus the Good Shepherd
- Immigration
- Relationships with other faiths
- How we worship God
FEATURED RESOURCES
SOURCE: Young Catholics: Catholic Youth Ministry, Vacation Bible School (VBS), Catholic Religious Ed, Catechist, Parish School of Religion (PSR), CCD, and Catholic Family Resources
Today’s Symbol is a SHEEP
Catholic CHILDREN’S LITURGY
SOURCE: Catholic Children’s Liturgy Program Plans (Used worldwide since 2000)
PDF Handouts for Children
Society of Christian Doctrine (SDC)
S.D.C. is a Catholic Society in the United Kingdom that works in the field of Catechesis and the spreading of the Word of God in different ways. Its website provides catechists and teachers with free resources that can be used in different situations to help passing on the faith to others.
Click on image to view full page
Catholic Kids Bulletin
SOURCE: The Kids’ Bulletin: A fun way for Catholic kids to learn about the Faith every week.
SUNDAY WORDSEARCH
SOURCE: Diocese of Salford Office for Liturgy
Liturgical Activities
THE LITURGY CENTRE
SOURCE: the Liturgy Centre, Catholic Diocese of Auckland. Click to download PDF
Family Activities
OUR SUNDAY VISITOR
Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” Where do you think Jesus is leading your family?- Give each family member a small box or a shoe box. With markers, have each person write his or her name on the box. Have family members decorate the box with symbols of themselves. After all have completed the boxes, glue them together to make a family totem pole. Talk about why each family member was given his or her name.
- Spend time this week listening to the Good Shepherd’s voice. Turn off the TV and radio, the computer and video games and spend time in silence each day. At the end of the week, gather your family together to talk about the experience.
- Search for books and magazines about missionaries. Read about them together as a family. Talk about how your family can follow Jesus’ call to discipleship. Make a plan to help with the work of the missionaries.
SOURCE: Our Sunday Visitor: Lifelong Catechesis
Being a Good Pet Owner
Word Sunday
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: Word-Sunday.com All materials found in word-sunday.com are the property of Larry Broding (©1999-2021). Viewers may copy any material found in these pages for their personal use or for use in any non-profit ministry. Materials may not be sold or used for personal financial gain.
LOYOLA
PRESS
LOYOLA PRESS
Jesus Describes His Care for his Sheep
Making the Connection
1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣
Grades 1-3
Help younger children understand our relationship with Jesus by teaching them that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, who loves, knows, and guides us, his sheep. He shows us the way to eternal life with God.
SOURCE: SUNDAY CONNECTION (LOYOLA PRESS) – All Rights Reserved
Making the Connection
4️⃣5️⃣6️⃣
Grades 4-6
Older children use their lived experience to learn about the divine. In their capacity to know one another well we can invite them to consider the relationship between Jesus and those of us who are his followers.
SOURCE: SUNDAY CONNECTION (LOYOLA PRESS) – All Rights Reserved
Making the Connection
7️⃣8️⃣
Grades 7 and 8
Young people are developing in their capacity to have close relationships with others, and they are growing in their capacity to be in close relationship with Jesus.
SOURCE: SUNDAY CONNECTION (LOYOLA PRESS) – All Rights Reserved
Family Connection
Not only can we recognize family members’ voices, we can also read the tone of their voices and know something about how they are feeling. In our relationship with Jesus, we know Jesus’ voice and are called to follow. Jesus doesn’t just bring us closer to the Father, Jesus puts us directly into contact with God the Father, removing all distance between us. In the Gospel of John, Jesus identifies so closely with the Father that he tells us that they are one—not just close, but actually one. Knowing Jesus means knowing the Father.
Read with your family today’s Gospel, John 10:27-30. Ask your family members to talk about some ways that Jesus brings them closer to God and closer to one another. Pray together the Acts of Faith, Hope, and Love.
SOURCE: SUNDAY CONNECTION (LOYOLA PRESS) – All Rights Reserved
Lectionary Resources
Catechist Background and Preparation
Primary Session
Intermediate Session
Junior High School
Catholic Doctrine
The Divinity of Christ
PRIMARY SESSION – We believe that Jesus and God are together as one. Jesus has shown us who God is as Father and Creator. Also, because of the total love that they share, Jesus reveals to us the nature of God. At liturgy, the Church prays what we believe about the Trinity. We proclaim that Christ is “begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.”
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)
CATHOLIC KIDS BULLETIN
Teacher and mom, THERESA, creates Kids’ Bulletins, a resource for Catholic kids about the readings for Sunday’s Mass every week. More resources.
Word-Sunday
Being Close Friends
Children’s Readings
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, ——-
Paul came to his fellow Jews with the good news of Jesus. As a Jew, Paul shared many things with the people he grew up with, he prayed with, and he studied with. But they did not accept his message. So, Paul went to strangers, so he could tell them about Jesus. They accepted the message Paul offered them; soon these strangers became friends, better friends than Paul ever had.
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, ——-
ike a shepherd, Jesus has a unique call. We hear him in the words of the Bible, in the Eucharist, in our family and friends. He calls us to become better people by doing good things and helping others. He calls us to be his friends and the friends of others. But he offers us more than friendship; he offers us life forever with God the Father, now and in heaven. To be one with Jesus and his Father, all we have to do is to say “Yes.” “Yes” to his friendship. “Yes” to his love. “Yes” to the love of others around us.
Closing Question: How can you hear the call of Jesus today? How can you say “Yes” to his call and his love?
SOURCE: Word-Sunday.com; Used with permission.
Interdenominational
Use your own judgment when including and adapting these lessons in your children’s ministry.
OTCC KIDS (4:17) – Children’s Message | Good Shepherd
SERMONS 4 KIDS – GOSPEL
In the Palm of His Hand
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
SOURCE: SERMONS 4 Kids – All Rights Reserved; Click on title to read entire sermon.
SERMON WRITER
The Jobs of a Shepherd
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.
Sermon Writer: Children’s Sermons – All Rights Reserved | © 1997-2020 Richard Niell Donovan; Click on title to read entire sermon.
SERMON WRITER
I Recognize You
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 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.
