Creating and Leading Children’s Sermons

Brief Description

Many people who present the children’s sermon in the Sunday morning worship service struggle with using appropriate and significant homilies. Creating and Leading Children’s Sermons contains relevant information on human growth and development theory and how such relates to the preparation of sermons and other religious discussions for children.

In an effort to learn more about the use of the children’s sermon during morning worship services in mainline Protestant churches, a study was conducted during the 1997-1998 academic year. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate, by use of a survey, the extent to which the Episcopal, Presbyterian USA, Southern Baptist, and United Methodist denominations in Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia use children’s sermons in the Sunday morning worship service.

Following a section on preparing children’s sermons according to developmental guidelines, sixty (60) model children’s sermons and homilies are presented: forty (40) general topic sermons, thirteen (13) “church words” sermons, and seven (7) homilies for special days. With the possible exception of some data from research results, the material is presented in easy, reader-friendly language.

About the Author

O. Suthern Sims, Jr., is Professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology in the School of Education, Mercer University, Macon, Georgia.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Acknowledgments
Preparing Children’s Sermons:

Chapter 1. Connecting with Children:
Appropriate Language
Complimentary Tone
Involvement of Senses
Age-Appropriateness
Concreteness
Simplicity
Sensitivity
Eye-level Contact
Routine

Chapter 2. Types of Sermons:
Object Lessons
Stories
Dialogue

Chapter 3. Practical Considerations
Model Children’s Sermons
1. General Topics
God Loves Everybody
Healthy Bodies
Anger
The Environment
Taking a Field Trip
A Boy and a Giant
Pleasing God
Babies
Sleeping at the Wrong Time
Rules
Love Your Friends, and Love Yourself
Loving Your Enemies
Light for the Darkness
Another of God’s Rules
What Pictures Tell Us
Making Good Use of a Pencil
Being a Friend
How Old Is Love?
Little Things Mean a Lot
How Do We Learn from God?
Teamwork
Butterflies Are Beautiful
Giving
Keeping Promises
Being a Good Friend
The Lost Sheep and the Good Shepherd
The Magic of Music
The Complaint Box
Who Is Your Neighbor?
Sharing
What Is God Like?
Windows
Saying Thank You
Our Church Family
Growing Up
God’s Recipe
Helping
Trees in God’s world
What are Band-Aids For?
Going Around in Circles
2. “Church” Words
Church
Attendance
Sanctuary
Bible
Member
Minister
Believe
Faith
Hope
Love
Grace
Forgiveness
Missionary
3. Special Days
New Beginnings
Living Like Jesus
What Do Mothers Do?
What Do Fathers Do?
All Work Can Be God’s Work
Being Thankful
A Special Baby
Resources
1. Basics of Human Development
Information Gathering
Terminology
Contexts for Development
2.Theories of Human Development
Biological Theories
Psychoanalytic Theories
Learning Theories
Cognitive Approaches
Sociocultural Theories
Humanistic Theories
Faith Development Theories
Personal Theories
3. Current Children’s Sermon Research
Hypotheses/Assumptions
Random Sample
Survey Questionnaires
Research Results
Analysis
Discussion and Summary
4. Reference and Suggested Reading
Books
Journals
Microfilm
Other