Children’s Ministry for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
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.
Objects suggested: A soccer ball, a musical instrument, etc
Is there something that you do really well? Some of you may play a sport like soccer. If I were to ask you, “Are you a good soccer player?” you might say, “Yes, I am a really good soccer player.” But are you good enough to make the “All Star Team” at your school? Perhaps someone here may play a musical instrument. If I were to ask you, “Are a good musician?” You might answer, “Yes I am a good musician.” But are you good enough to be chosen to play in the “Honor Band” at your school? All of us are probably good at something, but the question is, “Are we good enough?”
One day a young man came running up to Jesus and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
CROSSWORD
COLORING PAGE
WORDSHAPE
Objects suggested: A TV Guide or similar magazine.
There are so many different types of shows on television. There are comedies, police shows, soap operas, talk shows, reality shows, quiz shows, and many more. What kind of shows do you like to watch? What is your favorite TV show? One of my favorites is “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” Oh, I know it’s an old show, but I still like it.
Who wants to be millionaire? Probably most of us would answer yes to that question. A famous comedienne by the name of Sophie Tucker once said, “I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. Believe me, rich is better.” I wonder what Jesus would have to say about that?
One day, as Jesus was walking along the road, a rich young man came running up to him. “Good teacher,” the man said, “what must I do to have eternal life?”
“You know the commandments,” Jesus answered. “‘Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not testify falsely. Do not cheat. Honor your father and mother.'”
Objects suggested: A needle and picture of a camel..
I brought something to show you today – it’s a needle, for sewing. I’ll walk it around so you can take a look. One end is very sharp and the other you’ll notice (if you look very closely) has a tiny hole in it. We call this hole the “eye” of the needle. It’s where you put the thread. The eye of a needle is awfully small – and it has to be – because the whole needle needs to be small enough to pull right through the cloth that you are sewing.
I brought this to show you because today’s Gospel lesson includes one of Jesus’ most famous sayings – and it’s about the eye of a needle.
A rich man comes to Jesus and asks him how to enter heaven. One of the things Jesus tells him is that he should sell his things and give the money to the poor. The man is a little surprised by this and goes away unhappy because he has a lot of special things.
Objects suggested: A needle and picture of a camel..
We all try to do what’s right, don’t we? Let’s talk about some of the things we believe are necessary to be a good person.
• We try, always, to tell the truth.
• We try to be kind to everyone.
• We try to be helpful to others who are sick or hurting.
• We try to gives thanks for all the blessings that are ours.
Let’s hear more of your ideas about how you try to be a good person.
The problem is that we don’t always do the right thing. Sometimes we don’t feel like being kind or helpful or thankful, especially when someone is rude or hurtful to us.
There is a story in the Bible about a good man who followed all the rules and tried to do all the right things. The man asks Jesus what he needs to do to “inherit eternal life?” (10:17). He wants to know what he must do to live forever with God.
Objects suggested: Photo of boxer
We have a big dog in our family named Lulu. She is a boxer and is a sweet, gentle dog. She loves kids! (Show photo.) One day Lulu thought she was alone in the house and did something she knew she shouldn’t do. She got into the garbage and spread it all over the kitchen floor.
The father of her family was upstairs, heard a noise and said, “Who’s there?”
Lulu raced past him as he came down the stairs, almost knocking him over, and dove under the nearest bed. Lulu knew she was in trouble. But the father showed mercy. He did not speak harshly or punish Lulu. She felt so guilty she had punished herself.
Mercy is being kind and feeling compassion for another person (or dog), even when they don’t deserve it. I think this father understood that, at times, we all make mistakes and bad choices. The Bible teaches us that God loves us and forgives. We are encouraged to pray to God “that we may receive mercy” and find “help in time of need” (4:16). Admitting that you have made a bad choice, and asking for forgiveness is the first step to feeling better about your mistake. Receiving mercy (kindness and understanding) is a great blessing!
This Week’s Curated Ministry Resources
SDC is a society of lay catechists that started in Malta in 1907. Worksheets can be downloaded and printed for use during Sunday Mass or handed out to children at school prior to the weekend. They are also used by parents who download them to use with their children at home.
Feel free to copy and paste it into your parish publications.
Clipart © McCrimmons used with permission. All rights reserved; Text © 2018 Diocese of Salford Office for Liturgy
Gospel Reading, Sunday Coloring Page,Lesson Plans, Mass Worksheets, Crossword Puzzle, Word Search
This Week’s Curated Ministry Resources
ALL STARS GO (3:14) – A song from “THE BIG 10” album based on one of the 10 commandments from the Bible.
Choose one of the following activities as a way to further reflect on the Sunday readings:
Materials needed: Paper, pencils/markers/
REFLECTION: Isn’t it true: We want it both ways! The Gospel story today reminds us that it just isn’t possible. What is it that makes us say: I really want to follow Jesus but I want to do it my way. The man who approaches Jesus believes he is “doing it right.” He merely asks for verification: I have done everything THAT I HAVE TO. Jesus asks him to consider “one more thing.’ Jesus “biggie sizes”/”Super sizes” it! When we are wise, we see with the heart of Jesus and we know there is always “one more thing” I can do to offer love, kindness and goodness to others. If I have to ‘ask’—then I should be wise enough to know: Yes, unconditional love means I can only give more!! Work with the children to remember times when mom and dad or teachers have said: “If I have to tell you ‘ONE MORE TIME’”—isn’t it always when –If they were “WISE” (Like the Wisdom we pray for in the first reading), then we would already have done the ‘one more thing’ without having to be asked. When we follow Jesus, we strive to be wise enough to know what the ‘one more thing’ is that needs to be done! Then our hearts are “biggie sized/super sized” with love!! Tell the children that in the Gospel passage the word(s)— looking and looked are used. Jesus is ‘looking’ into the heart of the young man and at the crowd—both want to do the right thing. Remind the children of the very last line: All things are possible for God.”
ACTIVITY: If you can either make a poster of a ‘biggie sized/super sized” heart with a set of smaller hearts within the heart. Under the heart, write: ONE MORE THING. Then as you talk with the children about the ‘one more thing’ that shows they are wiser with every loving and kind deed they offer, write a key word or phrase in the heart. Have a heart for each child with the words: ONE MORE THING or ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE FOR GOD printed on it.
In the story for the first reading, Randy was in the gifted program at school. He always got straight A’s on his report card. But Randy was always in trouble. He would talk out in class, make funny comments to make the other students laugh, and tried to outsmart his teachers in discussion.
In the story of the gospel, David was a fair soccer player. He usually played defense, but this day the coach decided to put him in as left forward against the first place team. For the second time in the first quarter, David slid the ball past the other team’s defender and ran toward the goal alone. On the first breakaway, the goalie dove for the ball and got a save. This time, however, David kicked the ball away from the goalie, hit the top bar of the goal box, and bounced in behind the goalie. The faces of everyone there said it all. That’s impossible.
Can a rich person be saved? Can any one of us be saved? We can ask the question another way: can we really be true followers of Jesus?
RECOMMENDED: Resources for Catholic Educators
This Week’s Curated Ministry Resources
GRADES 4-6
Materials Needed: None
Images from the Readings: Understanding , Wisdom , Countless treasures, Nothing is hidden from God, Go sell everything you own , God can do anything
8-12 Year Olds
This Week’s Curated Ministry Resources
The Great Kapok Tree takes the reader on a journey into the Amazon Rain Forest, where they meet a young man exhausted from his attempt to cut down a giant kapok tree. While he sleeps, the forest’s residents speak to him about the great wisdom of preserving their natural habitat. The voices whisper into his ear of the great importance of trees and how all living things depend on one another…Once the young man wakes up, he understands the wisdom of preserving the tree, and gives up his goal of cutting destroying any part of nature.
This reading looks back on Solomon’s prayer for wisdom from the Book of Kings 3:6-9. In this passage, wisdom is seen as more important than wealth, power, health, and beauty. This is made clear by the fact that the speaker chooses wisdom over light, which facilitates the physical act of seeing. The speaker in this passage would choose wisdom over sight, knowing that with wisdom, one can assign everything else its true and lasting value, and thus have true sight.
This very brief passage from the Letter to the Hebrews encourages everyone to seek true wisdom. It calls us to appreciate the word of God and challenges us to ask ourselves whether we truly seek wisdom beyond all other values. This passage stresses that the Word is as alive, discerning, and all-seeing as its origin, God. Although this reading is short, it raises these lofty questions: Do we believe in the power of God’s word? Do we consciously seek and encounter the living God in the Scriptures? Do we allow the word to guide our daily activities and attitudes? Do we seek wisdom beyond all other values?
Here again, the Gospel speaks of how elusive wisdom can be when the choice is between wisdom and worldly goods. In this passage, Jesus looks compassionately upon a rich young man who is struggling to follow the Law. He proclaims that he has lived so far without transgressing any Laws. However, Jesus looks lovingly into the heart of the young man and gives him a further challenge: to truly fulfill the Commandments by giving himself to others. This invitation, which saddened the wealthy young man, is also extended to the disciples and to all of us. We are asked to consider whether we will walk away saddened because the fulfillment of the Law of Love requires so much, or if we are able to rise to the challenge with grace and wisdom .
Step One: Instruct the students to listen and make a list of the various characters in the story of the The Great Kapok Tree. After the story is over, ask the students what creatures they have on their lists, and make a cumulative list together as a class.
Step Two: On one of the walls of the classroom, place a large illustration of a kapok tree cut out of construction paper. Invite the students to work in groups to create artistic representations of the different creatures in the story, which will then be placed on the kapok tree.
Step Three: Using colorful yarn, have the students connect the creatures with the tree and with the other creatures so that they are able to see how everything is interconnected. Explain to the students that because humans are made in the image and likeness of God, we are called to care for all creatures so that they can thrive. Discuss the wisdom of living responsible and respectful lives so that there is a future for all of creation.
HOMESTEAD CYBRARIUM (13:12) – It is through voices of the animals that live in the Great Kapok Tree that we may truly understand the importance of conservation and the role we play. Earth Day is here and there are so many ways we can make a difference! It is time to appreciate and celebrate “Our Earth!”
CARRICKFERGUS BAPTIST CHURCH (2:40) – It’s been a blessing to be able to continue worshiping together through technology. Sovereign Grace have given permission to use their music during the Covit19 restrictions. We often sing their songs and there are few better children’s worship songs than theirs. The teaching is rich and deep and if you are anything like me you probably still sing those choruses you learnt as a child, despite the lack of teaching in them.
(3:40)
DAVID AND TEESHA LAFLIN (1:27) – The “Liquid Suspension” Illusion shows that we need to listen to the words of God and not just let them go in one ear and out the other. Gospel Illusions and other Creative Ministry Object Lessons are available at KidminObjectLessons.com
This Week’s Curated Ministry Resources