Children
Children Activities for Pentecost(Year C)
Curated children’s ministry resources and sermons (object lessons) for Sunday Readings from SermonWriter, Ministry-to-Children, Religion Teacher and other sources.
Pentecost Sunday (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
The Holy Spirit
YOUNG CATHOLICS
The readings for Pentecost Year C promise that we are not on our own, but have the Spirit to guide us. In the first reading the Holy Spirit comes to the disciples. The psalm asks for the Spirit to come to us. In the second reading we learn that only through the Holy Spirit can we declare that Jesus Christ is Lord. In the alternate second reading we hear that life in the world brings only death, but the Spirit brings life. In the gospel Jesus breathes the Spirit into his disciples. In the alternate gospel Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will keep us close to him.
MAIN THEMES
- The Holy Spirit
- Being empowered as disciples
- New life as Christians
- Evangelization
FEATURED RESOURCES
Praise to God the Creator
This prayer is based on Psalm 104, which is one of the responsorial psalm choices for this Sunday.
The Holy Spirit Is Like the Wind (Kite Activity)
This activity is to show children how the Holy Spirit is like the wind. We can’t see the Holy Spirit directly, but we can see the work of the Spirit. You will need one or more kites and an outdoor location to fly them.
Have a Birthday Party for the Church
Pentecost is, of course, the birthday of the Church. Introduce this idea at your youth ministry meeting by having a birthday party for the church. Then use the reflection questions to help your teens go deeper into the idea of how they are sent to share the good news, just like the disciples.
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 DOVE
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 entrusted his disciples with the mission of forgiving sins. When have you needed forgiveness from the members of your family? Talk about ways your family can continue the disciple’s mission of forgiving sins.- The gift of the Holy Spirit enables us to grow in acceptance and understanding of one another. Each evening at the dinner table, discuss one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and ways that your family can live out that gift. Gifts of the Spirit: Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Courage, Reverence, Wonder and Awe.
- Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. To help celebrate, bake a birthday cake for dessert. Decorate the cake with the color red, to symbolize the Holy Spirit.
- What keeps your family from being one in Christ? Where is reconciliation needed? What can you do to help heal your family? Where do you see the presence of the Spirit?
SOURCE: Our Sunday Visitor: Lifelong Catechesis
Family Balloon Race
Word Sunday
Jesus breathed on his followers to give them the Spirit. Connect the notion of breathe, wind, and the Spirit with a balloon race. Mark out a short race course with tape, Then, pass out balloons to all of your family members. On the count of three, your family members must blow up their balloons, tie the balloon ends, get on their hands and knees, place the balloon on the start line, and blow their balloons toward the finish line. No one can use any part of their body to move the balloon; they can only use their breathe. (Hint. If you have small children, pair up an adult and a small child into a team. The adult can blow up the balloons, while the small child can race the balloon.)
After the race, read John 20:19-23. Stress John 20:23 when Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon his followers. Connect breathe with life. (One needs breathe to live.) Tell your family members that the Spirit was the life of Jesus. And his life lives in us now. End the game with a prayer to the Holy Spirit.
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
PENTECOST SUNDAY
Making the Connection
1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣
Grades 1-3
Younger children are learning how to be a good friend to others. As Christians, we are called to be agents of peace and forgiveness. We have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us.
SOURCE: SUNDAY CONNECTION (LOYOLA PRESS) – All Rights Reserved
Making the Connection
4️⃣5️⃣6️⃣
Grades 4-6
Young people are aware of, sensitive to, and sometimes even a part of situations of conflict. As we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, our Gospel reminds us that this same Holy Spirit helps us to be agents of God’s peace and forgiveness in the world.
SOURCE: SUNDAY CONNECTION (LOYOLA PRESS) – All Rights Reserved
Making the Connection
7️⃣8️⃣
Grades 7 and 8
Young people experience a certain amount of brokenness in their lives. By the same token, they have also had experiences of reconciliation when conflicts were resolved and relationships restored. As we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, our Gospel reminds us that this same Holy Spirit helps us to be agents of God’s reconciliation in the world.
SOURCE: SUNDAY CONNECTION (LOYOLA PRESS) – All Rights Reserved
Family Connection
Pentecost is sometimes called the birthday of the Church. The Gospel for Pentecost reminds us that the Church begins with the command to forgive. Within the family, the domestic Church, we learn how to forgive and we learn to accept forgiveness. It is the gift of the Holy Spirit that enables us to do both. Today is a fitting time to share a family celebration of reconciliation.
SOURCE: SUNDAY CONNECTION (LOYOLA PRESS) – All Rights Reserved
Lectionary Resources
Catechist Background and Preparation
Primary Session
Intermediate Session
Junior High School
SOURCE: LECTIONARY RESOURCES (RCL Benzinger) – All Rights Reserved
CATHOLIC KIDS MEDIA – Pentecost, Year C. (2019)
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
The Power of God’s Breath
Children’s Readings
Opening Question: How many of you have been in a race? The junior Olympics? Or a 5K? Did you win?
Mandy was pumped for the big race. It was her first 10 K, a 6.6 mile race. She worked out for six months running with her parents, riding her bike, skating long distances on her roller blades. She really believed she was ready.
Breathe in. Breathe out. What you feel is air giving you life. What would you feel if God gave you life? He would breathe on you and you would breathe it in. Breathe in. Breathe out. But God’s breathe would be like a strong wind, like a hurricane. That’s what Jesus’ followers heard. They heard and felt God’s breathe. The began to felt the power of God’s life inside of them. They had God’s Spirit and it changed them, from cowards into heroes.
Bridging Question: Has anyone asked you to do something? What was it? Did they give you a way to get the job done? What was it?
The long wait was over. Jenna’s day had come. Her favorite movie had opened. Jenna and her family had a front row seats. And Jenna didn’t want to miss a single minute of it But they still had 25 minutes to wait. “Dad, it’s going to be a long time for the movie,” Jenna complained. Quietly, her dad reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and picked out a fresh $20 bill. “Go get your mother and me some popcorn and drinks. Get yourself something, too,” her dad just loud enough for Jenna to hear over the noise in the theater. “Just bring me back the change.”
Jesus requested his followers forgive people. And he gave them the power of the Holy Spirit to forgive people. They would start with their family and friends. But they won’t stop there. Throughout the whole world the followers of Jesus preach God’s love and forgiveness. They help make her followers for Jesus, because they have the power of the Spirit to help them.
Closing Question: You have the Power! The power of God’s Spirit! What can you do with that power? How can it change your life?
SOURCE: Word-Sunday.com; Used with permission.
Interdenominational
Use your own judgment when including and adapting these lessons in your children’s ministry.
MINISTRY-TO-CHILDREN (5:48) – n this video, children will hear how the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost, and will be encouraged to continue the work of spreading the love and good news of Jesus to everyone.
SERMONS 4 KIDS – GOSPEL
The Power Source
OBJECT: An iPod, a small portable radio, or portable CD player
EXCERPT: Some of you may have a portable music player. If you do, then you know that before it can make music, it must have batteries in it. If the player has built-in batteries they must be charged. The batteries give the player the power that it needs to be able to play. Without batteries, the player can do nothing. Without batteries, it has no power to do what it was created to do.
Before Jesus returned to heaven to be with his Father, he told his disciples that they would do even greater things than he had done when he was on earth. Now Jesus did some pretty great things, didn’t he? He healed the sick. He turned water into wine. He made the blind to see and the lame to walk. Where were the disciples going to get the power to do such great things? Jesus promised them that he would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit would give them the power to do great and mighty things.
SOURCE: SERMONS 4 Kids – All Rights Reserved; Click on title to read entire sermon.
SERMON WRITER
The Language of Love
Objects: None
EXCERPT: Do you know anyone who speaks a language different than your own? What happens when you try to talk with a person who does not speak your language? Yes, you have trouble understanding each other.
I’ve asked some people from our congregation, who speak other languages, to demonstrate how this works. (Use this time to have foreign speakers talk to the children and each other, then translate what has been said. This could consist of greetings, common phrases, or familiar Bible verses.)
Learning a foreign language is difficult. You must listen carefully to what is being said and trust, at some point, you will understand.
Sermon Writer: Children’s Sermons – All Rights Reserved | © 1997-2020 Richard Niell Donovan; Click on title to read entire sermon.
SERMON WRITER
The Life Inside
Objects: Pictures of trees. Tree leaves or branches. If you are in a room with a view of trees, point them out to the children.
EXCERPT: Do you ever lie on your back and look up through the branches and leaves of a tree? What a beautiful sight. Perhaps you’ve climbed a tree.
There are many kinds of trees; let’s talk about trees that are familiar to you. (Personalize this segment by discussing trees that may be familiar to the kids.)
Yes, some produce flowers and others produce fruit such as apples, cherries, oranges, and plums. Forests are made up of evergreen trees and some, like redwood trees, grow very tall. Other types of trees, such as the maple and oak, turn bright colors and drop their leaves during the autumn season.
When we admire trees we may notice their branches that sway in the breeze. We see the color and shape of leaves and, if we’re close to the tree, we may reach out and feel its interesting bark.
Sermon Writer: Children’s Sermons – All Rights Reserved | © 1997-2020 Richard Niell Donovan; Click on title to read entire sermon.
SERMON WRITER
It’s All About Air
Objects: A wonderful representation of lungs, available at: http://www.webmd.com/lung/picture-of-the-lungs
EXCERPT: What’s something you do all day, every day, no matter where you are, no matter if you are asleep or awake? Yes, you breathe! It is something that your body does automatically and is so natural that you don’t even think about it.
You breathe air in through your nose and the air goes down a tube (the trachea) in your throat which branches into two tubes (the bronchi) which takes the air into your lungs. (Show picture.) Your lungs are two marvelous organs in your chest, located behind your ribs, that process oxygen and send it to the rest of your body. If you put your hand on your chest you will feel your lungs working – getting larger and smaller as you breathe in and out.
When you were born the first thing you did was breathe. You began your new life by breathing in air.
As we read the Bible we discover that a similar thing happened after Jesus had returned to heaven and the new church was formed.
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 (2:28) -This video is presented by John Stevens, a Lutheran (ELCA) pastor.
TEXT:Acts 2:1–21 Psalm 104:24–34, 35b 1 Corinthians 12:3b–13 John 20:19–23
Dollar Store Item: Various Items from years past.
The Take Away: We are one with God because of Jesus and Grace. We can forget this.
