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Please choose from the following children's sermons:

• Two Children's Sermon Seeds by DPSers based on Mt. 20:1-16
  (see below)
   
• Jesus--Builder of our Faith, Phil 1:25
  by Rev. Frank Schaefer  (scroll down)

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Seed # 1: The children during "For the Child in Us..." will be helping me tell the Parable of the Vineyard workers as the gospel lesson. (Little do they know this.) I think that with a little overkill on my part in telling the story, my group of theologians will voice the full effect of the story. Especially if I pay them all the same wages...of perhaps a good sized Snicker bar. They come in smaller sizes for "smaller wages". Not so that day. Pastor/God/storyteller will be feeling generous. I know. It's a simple idea. But why read the gospel when the children can help the adults (and themselves) see, hear, and experience it!!! Karen in MO

Seed # 2: Was with my real-time lectionary group this morning and the idea came of "pitchin' pennies" toward the altar rail. After the children each pitch a penny, start with the one furthest away and give them each a dollar (yes, it's a small church), working toward the closest. That child is awarded ... a dollar.

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Jesus--Builder of our Faith
a children's sermon based on Phil 1:25: "Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith..."
by Rev. Frank Schaefer
props: duplo or lego building blocks (the big kind)

As the kids come up to the front, hand out a building block to each one of them.

Good morning, my little friends, today I would like to build a  tower with you.   I'm going to need your help with this, since you have all the building blocks.

Invite the children to add to the tower one by one.

Wow, look at this tower; turned out higher than I thought.  Good job everybody.

You know in one of our bible lessons this morning, it says that Jesus is like a builder--only that Jesus doesn't use blocks, but rather Jesus builds our faith.

St. Paul once said of our Lord Jesus: "He who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it." In our lesson this morning, Paul says: " I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith..."

Just like every one of us took a block and added it t the tower, so Jesus adds to our faith every day.  Jesus will make us a stronger and taller Christian everyday.  Exactly how Jesus does that I don't know.  Somehow, as we keep praying, going to church, reading our bible, and helping other people, we find that we become stronger and stronger in our faith.

And when we have strong faith we can get through and master the most difficult situations in life. When we have faith, we can do amazing things.  When we have faith, we will have confidence and be strong when we need to be strong.  When we have faith we are like a tall tower.  I think we should thank Jesus right now for promising to build our faith.  Let us pray:

"Dear Lord Jesus, thank you that you have begun a good work in all of us, your children.  And thank you that you have promised to make our faith stronger and stronger, like a builder who builds a tall tower.  Amen."