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THE ON MISSION CHURCH NETWORK CHILDREN'S MINISTRY
Children’s Missions Education Sermon Idea #4
Schedule: Christmas
Season/Advent
"On Mission" Principles: Receptive (AWAKEN) and Open
(ADJUST)
Wally Buckner
As the children come down the aisle to join the pastor at the pulpit, have
the pastor put on an earth-toned bathrobe (brown, green, etc.). Have him hold
onto a cardboard or wooden shepherd’s staff.
Greet the children and ask them to share one of their earliest Christmas
memories. Be prepared for many related to Christmas trees, gift giving, Santa
Claus, etc.
Then tell this story:
One of my earliest memories of Christmas is portraying a shepherd in our
church’s Christmas play. Dressed in my bathrobe and carrying a cardboard
shepherd’s staff, I would kneel before the manger. I never owned a brightly
colored bathrobe [point to robe you are wearing now]. Mother always
purchased ones which were earth-toned. Now I know why---she knew they would
double as Christmas costumes.
Since then, I have always been fascinated with the shepherds.
[Ask the
children to say why they think this is so.]
The shepherds show what it means to be open to God and receptive to His
claim upon our lives. Too often our busyness creates a static that drowns out
God’s still small voice. We are afraid that God’s word to us will not be
good news. The shepherds were not so. They cultivated the soil of their hearts
and were ready to hear God’s call. They had ears that could hear: "Do not
be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy…."
The shepherds were also ready to respond once they received God’s word.
They arose. They went to the manger and worshipped. They responded!
During this Advent season…when we’re thinking about the birth of the
Christ child… when we are focusing on world missions… let us be like the
shepherds. Let us turn away from being closed to God. Let us cultivate an
openness to Him so that His word might come to us fresh and new this Christmas.
Then let us respond.
Lead the children in a simple prayer asking God to make us open and receptive
to His Word and thanking Him for the words given the shepherds: Do not be
afraid. I bring you good news of great joy….
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Copyright 2000 North American
Mission Board, SBC
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