Children’s Ministry for the 31st 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 familiar board game with rules
Do you enjoy playing games? (Pause for responses, and invite children to shout out their favorite games.)
I especially enjoy getting together with family or friends and playing games. Sometimes we play card games or board games. This is one of the games I like to play. (Show the game.) Before we play, we always explain the rules so everyone will know how to play the game. (Invite kids to share some of the rules to the game you showed them.)
Have you ever played a game with someone who didn’t follow the rules? Touch your nose if your answer is yes and touch your ears if your answer is no. (Pause for responses.) Do you always follow the rules? Touch your nose if your answer is yes and touch your ears if your answer is no. (Pause for responses.)
There are rules we must follow in the game of life, too. I have the rulebook right here. (Hold up the Bible.) To really enjoy life the way God intended, it is important to follow His rules in the Bible.
During Jesus’ time on earth, religious leaders liked to sit around and discuss the law. They would sometimes ask Jesus questions about the law to try to trick Him into saying something that would cause people to turn against Him. One day, they were questioning Jesus, and He answered them with one good answer right after another. One Jewish teacher asked Him, “Of all of the commandments, which is the most important?”
Crossword
Coloring Page
Word Search
Objects suggested: A poster with “Classroom Rules”
I imagine that most of you have seen a list of rules like this in your classroom at school. One day last week I walked through the school and every classroom I walked into had a list of rules on the wall. Even though there were some slight differences, most of them said pretty much the same thing. They said things like:
If you were to ask me which classroom rule is most important, I know what I would say. I would say that the most important rule is to respect and obey your teacher and the second is very much like it — be kind and show respect for your fellow students. If we would just follow those two rules, there really wouldn’t be a need for any more.
Objects suggested: None
You all look like happy children, but I think we all, at some time, experience difficult things. Most adults can look back on their lives and remember hard times. Some adults have dealt with illness; some have had to work very hard to provide for their families. Others may have experienced the loss of a loved one. (The lesson could be expanded here by inviting someone who has overcome adversity to share an uplifting account of that experience.)
You may not have experienced those types of hard times, but perhaps you have felt frightened, sad or discouraged. Let’s see what we can find in today’s lesson that might be helpful when that happens.
The nation of Israel had experienced hard times and the prophet, Jeremiah, reminds them of God’s goodness. He tells them that they will be cared for like a “watered garden and they shall not sorrow any more…” (31:12). We also read that God will “turn their mourning (sadness) into joy and…comfort them…”(31:13).
Objects suggested: A beautifully wrapped box that contains small gifts for the children. Include a card as suggested below.
I have prepared a gift for some special young friends of mine. This card, as you can see, is so beautiful that I’m wondering if I should give the card to my friends instead of the gift. The card says, “You are special and I’m glad you’re my friend. Shall I give the card and keep the gift? You obviously think that is not a good idea.
How about if I give the card and this bow? The bow is large and tied from beautiful satin ribbon. Don’t you think my friends would like having this bow? Oh, you don’t think that is a good idea either?
Okay, how about if I give my friends the card, the bow, the beautiful wrapping paper and the box that holds the gift. That seems quite generous to me. You don’t think so?
Objects suggested: None
I’m going to ask you a difficult question. What is love? I’m very interested in your ideas.
Yes, love is when you like someone a lot. Love is when you care for someone so much you want to make sure they have what they need. You want to keep them from harm.
Perhaps it would help to think about whom you love. Yes, you love your parents and grandparents, brothers and sisters, your pet, friends and other family members.
Then there are certain things we say we love like ice cream, a teddy bear or a special blanket. We say we love to do certain things such as dancing, reading, playing ball, digging in the dirt, running or going to the park.
There are lots of people we love and many things we love to do. Love is a very deep feeling that is hard to describe, but we know when we feel it, don’t we?
Objects suggested: None
Today I thought we might talk a little bit about rules. We have rules in so many different parts of our lives – there are rules for driving our cars and rules at our jobs. I bet there are rules in your classrooms at school, aren’t there? Tell me a few of them. (Solicit children’s responses.)
Those sound like awfully good rules. Why do you think your teachers made those rules? Is there a reason that rules are important? (Solicit children’s responses.)
That’s right, rules are a way of making sure that everyone is treated in the right way. We have rules that are designed to protect our safety, and rules to protect our things, and sometimes even rules to protect our feelings.
I asked about rules today, because our Gospel reading is about them. In the bible we read about many different rules, but the ones that are most important have a special name: commandments. Commandments are the rules that God has set for us. In the Old Testament, Moses receives a whole list of commandments. Do you remember how many? (Ten.)
This Week’s Curated Ministry Resources
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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
The readings for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B help us think of God’s commandments and if we are following them just in our heads or also in our hearts. In the first reading Moses tells the people to love God above all else. The second reading Paul tells us that the priesthood of Jesus is eternal. And in the gospel, Jesus commends the man who accepted the Great Commandment.
SEGER BAYER (5:54)
I hope this blesses you, feel free to recreate! I got the idea from ministry-to-children.com
RELIGION TEACHER (1:43) –The Religion Teacher’s mission is to provide practical resources and teaching strategies for religious educators. As a part of that mission, these educational videos will explain the meaning of key Catholic teachings and prayer practices. Learn More
Choose one of the following activities as a way to further reflect on the Sunday readings:
TEACHER GRACE (3:51)
Song credit ”Love The Lord Your God” Lincoln Brewster (c) 2005 Integrity’s Praise! Music
Activity: St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians helps us to understand how we are live with God as the most important part in our life and how we are to love others as ourselves. He says: “Love is patient; Love is kind. It is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful, it does not rejoice at wrong but delights in the truth.” Using the attached work sheet, write your name into the blanks. Wouldn’t it be great if this is how everyone saw you and remembered you?! (The kids may need some help understanding some of the words.)
FBC KIDS HENDO (14:06)
First Baptist (Hendersonville, NC) FBC Kids have fun while learning about Jesus and growing in our walk with Him. It is a place where worship and learning come together to promote growth toward a real lasting relationship with Christ.
Opening Question: Who is one of the most important persons in your life? How do you show them respect?
In the story for the first reading, James was depressed over a loss in the soccer championship, but it was God who reminded him that he loved the player who was just having a bad day. We, like James, are to love the Lord in return.
Bridging Question: Bridge Questions: Who do you respect? How do they respect you?
In the story for the gospel, Sandra learned the meaning of the Great Commandment when she stopped saying, “If you like me, you’ll do this for me,” to “What would you like to do?”
Closing Question: How can I show God respect? How can I show others I respect them?
Who is my neighbor? Luke’s gospel turned Mark’s account of the Great Commandment into a question of identity. Who are we to really love? Read Luke 10:25-37, then watch television to recognize those who we care for: the outcast, the sinner, the hated.
RECOMMENDED: Resources for Catholic Educators
This Week’s Curated Ministry Resources
GRADES 4-6
Materials Needed: a tripod
8-12 Year Olds
A good place to begin is with the question: What did you hear? Allow children the opportunity to respond in their own words to hearing the Word of God. When each has had an opportunity to speak you might begin general discussion by building on to their responses, perhaps using some prepared questions, like the following, to stimulate ideas:
This Week’s Curated Ministry Resources
This is a story of great excitement coupled with sadness of being separated from someone you love. Jake is excited about the adventure of going to a new country (America) but is torn by the fact that his grandfather, whom he loves deeply, will not be traveling to America with him. His grandfather promises him some “magic seeds” that will draw all kinds of beautiful butterflies, Jake’s favorite creatures, to his new home in America. The story is very appropriate for the celebration of All Saint and All Souls, as we recall those who love us from above. The Butterfly Seeds is an exquisite story to use for the Feast of All Saints since the butterfly is also a symbol of resurrected life and hope.
This particular passage is addressed to a people who are anticipating persecution and possible martyrdom. Although highly symbolic in its language, this passage seeks to offer encouragement and hope. The hope that it offers is of future vindication. This is a fitting reading for the Feast of All Saints because it speaks to all who are in the midst of struggle. This is a feast that celebrates the saints who have arrived and persevered through their struggles and the saints (that’s us) presently in the midst of struggles. It is indeed a feast for all, including those living now and those who have gone forth to everlasting life.
Saint John’s letter is indeed a letter that sends a message of hope as it reminds us of God’s ever-present and everlasting love for us. God’s love for us is made abundantly clear in our identification as God’s children. As we live now, we cannot understand the true magnitude of God’s love for us.
This section of Saint Matthew’s gospel is referred to most often as The Beatitudes. This passage is very important for those who wish to be followers of Jesus Christ. The Beatitudes, along with the 10 Commandments, comprise guidelines for Kingdom living that outlines the virtues of a disciple. This passage speaks of the hope that will be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. The same hope that encouraged the saints before us continues to encourage us today.
Step One: Using a search engine such as Google, find “butterfly cutout free.” Choose a cut out large enough so students can paste pictures of saints on the wings (The pictures of the saints can also be found with the use of a search engine (images)).
Step Two: The students will do the search for various pictures of some of the saints and will choose the image of the saints they wish to paste to their butterfly’s wings.
Step Three: Have each student present their butterfly and the saints that adorn their butterfly’s wings to the class.
Step Four: Use a section of the classroom wall or a large bulletin board to construct a barren tree with brown construction paper. The students can then decorate with their “saintly” butterflies.
This Week’s Curated Ministry Resources