Children’s story and other activities
SHARING BRINGS JOY
FINDING JOY: Children’s Sermon*
(This sermon accompanies the worship resources, “Finding Joy”
printed in the Church of the Brethren resource guide.)
Preparation: Important for the integrity of this children’s sermon is that the
person who leads it truly enjoys and is active in helping others.
Paul Jeffrey/ACT Alliance
Concept
What makes you happy? How do you show you are happy? (Invite the children to demonstrate.
Answers might include:
• At a ballgame when I am happy, I clap and shout.
• When my dog licks me, I laugh.
• When I open a birthday present, I jump up and down.
• When my parents kiss me goodnight, I hug them.
• When recess comes, I skip to the playground.
• When I see one of my adult friends at church, I smile.
• When I get to play in the bath, I sing. )
Showing that we are happy actually makes us feel even happier. When we laugh, we feel better
than we felt before. Smiling makes our face feel good, so we want to smile some more. And it
doesn’t seem possible to stop when you’ve only jumped twice. You just have to jump more!
One thing that makes me happy is to “count my blessings.” That means that I think about how
God has been kind and good to me in so many ways. (Tell the children some of the blessings
you are thankful for.) When I think about how wonderful God has been to me, I feel thankful and
joyful, and I want to share the blessings. (Show the children your One Great Hour of Sharing
offering envelope or coin box. The amount you contribute should not be shown, but your name
on the envelope or coin box should be clearly written. Place your offering in an offering plate.)
This is one way I share God’s blessings and show how happy I am. One Great Hour of Sharing
blesses all kinds of people by providing people or supplies that show God’s love to people who
need hope, comfort, love, or joy. It makes me feel really good inside to share what God has
given me to help other people. I like giving to One Great Hour of Sharing. I hope giving makes
you and your family happy, too, because your offering helps people who really need it.
(End with prayer, thanking God for the abundance of blessings in our lives, the joy of love, and
the joy that comes from helping others. Ask for blessings on the ministries that the One Great
Hour of Sharing offering makes possible.)
*Additional children’s sermons are found within the themed worship
materials on the One Great Hour of Sharing landing page.
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Children’s story: S t r e t c h i n g our thinking about sharing
This children’s story will help young ones (and adults) think more broadly about what can
happen when we share – both to others, and to us!
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Write out the word, Rece(g)ivers on a piece of poster board so that it can been seen
easily by the entire congregation. Ask children who read to try to pronounce it, then
wonder with them why they think it might look like that. Explain that we often think
sharing is just about giving something to someone else because we want to help them or
be nice. But, we also receive things when we share. When we share, we might receive
good feelings. We might learn more about the person – or the culture of the person -who receives from us. We might receive a smile, or a hug, or a song in return. This way
of writing both words together shows that sharing goes two directions and works best
when we are both giver and receiver. We grow and learn and are changed when we are
aware of and open to the gifts we receive through sharing.\
Another way to think about this is to look at the pictures below. Show one or all of them,
and ask the children if they can tell whether the hands are getting something or giving
something away? Are they giving or receiving? Maybe the pictures tell us that giving and
receiving are the same thing! This is what One Great Hour of Sharing hopes we learn
and understand!
Close with prayer, thanking God for the joy we experience in receiving and giving!
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SHARING TRANSFORMS US: Children’s Activity
Magic Words
This Sunday School activity for younger children focuses on the magic sharing words of
“please” and “thank you,” but also on the magic sharing feelings of love and hope. An activity
involves creating a paper chain of blessings which children can link together to string around the
room. Activity leaders may coordinate with Children’s Moment leader to display the chain of
blessing during the worship.
Prep work and supplies: Strips of colored construction paper for the paper chain (+/- 10 strips
per participant), glue or stapler, pens, crayons or markers
Introduction: When I say to you, “Use the Magic Words!” which words
am I talking about?
(Please and thank you!)
• When do you use these words?
• What happens when you use them?
• Does it always work, or only sometimes?
• These are magic sharing words, but why are they magic? (Encourage a
Please…
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variety of answers: Because they help you to understand what you have and
get what you need or want; because they are polite ways to talk to others…)
Do you think sharing is easy or hard? (Sometimes sharing is easy. When is it
easy? Sometimes sharing is hard. Why is it hard? Do magic words like
“please” and “thank you” help you to share?)
Today’s Scripture talks about sharing. (Read from II Corinthians 9:6-9. Focus especially on
“Share abundantly in every good work” (v.8b) and “God loves a cheerful giver.” (v.7b).
“Please” and “thank you” are “magic words” because they remind us to “share in every good
work” and to “give cheerfully.”
People who follow Jesus have many sharing words, not just “please” and “thank you.” Can you
help me think of what they are? (e.g. love, life, hope, mercy, justice, joy, Jesus.) How do we
share these things, both in giving and receiving?
How can we share with people we may never see but we know need help? What is a Cheerful
Giver? Why does the Bible specify a cheerful giver?
Activity: What are the special sharing words in your life? On strips of paper write the most
important things that you share with others. On the other side write the most important things
that other people, God, and the Church share with you. These shared gifts are very special
(magic) ideas or words. Some examples might be: comfort from a bandaid on my knee when I
fall; relief from thirst with juice at snack time; friendship when listening to my favorite cd with my
friend; pleasure with a baseball card; love from a hug.
Closing Prayer: After the chain is complete, if there is time, stand inside the circle chain and
pray: Thank you, God for Magic Words like “Please” and “Thank you,” but especially for very
special words and ideas, like “love” and “hope” and “comfort.” You have shared these with us
so that we might be Cheerful Givers to the whole world. Please help us to be Cheerful Givers.
Thank you. Amen.
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Cheerful Rece(g)iver
This activity for older youth emphasizes that we both give and receive
what God shares with us, and that our cheerful sharing helps God
(through us) to respond to the needs of the world. The treasure-hunt
based activity will help youth to consider how sharing their virtues and
resources can be transformative.
Prep work:
1. In order to facilitate discussion, prepare a description of at least 4-5 outreach or sharing
ministries of your congregation. These are ways the Church is involved in local, national
and international “sharing,” especially with mission partners. Include communion to
homebound members. Include ecumenical and interfaith agencies, advocacy areas, etc.
2. Develop a Recei(g)iver List of sharing items that are either given or received in the
worship life and ministries of your congregation. Consider spiritual virtues that are taught
and learned along with material/physical resources. (Suggestions include something that
represents Christ*, sheet music from the choir, a cup of coffee or donut from fellowship
time, hug or a handshake (helping hand)*, mittens from a Christmas tree, a blanket (from
Blanket Sunday), a can of food from a soup kitchen or Crop Walk, water (from a
Sudanese well), some kind of seed, specific items of clothing* such as a shoe, a neck
tie, a scarf, a textbook for schoolchildren, a thank you card, etc.)
3. Prepare “team copies” of this list for individuals or youth teams that you will designate
when you meet. Lists can be slightly different. The rece(g)iver items indicated by an
asterisk can be delegated to every youth or team; other rece(g)iver items can be specific
so that there is variety in what each team or individual is finding.
4. Decide on physical boundaries for where the rece(g)iver items will be gathered (e.g.
outside of the Sanctuary, in the fellowship hall, or perhaps you want to extend the area
to Church Property, to include what rece(g)iver items might be in someone’s car.)
5. Decide on a timeline for the activity, being sure to leave enough time for reflection and
discussion when the youth gather at the closing time.
Opening Discussion: What did you learn about sharing when you were growing up? How does
the church share with you, and how does the church share with the community? (Be prepared to
suggest the various outreach and caring ministries your congregation participates in.) Why does
our congregation value these ministries?
Scripture Lesson: Carefully read II Corinthians 9:6-- 15 in a Study Bible if available (NRSV). If
possible check the footnotes to v.12-13 that explain diaconal and leitourgeia (liturgy) as Biblical
ministries. Then carefully read Isaiah 58:1-12. Have youth pay special attention to the virtues
and resources Isaiah wants God’s people to share. Make a list.
Discuss:
• What do you and this youth group share with the rest of the Church? Is there any way
this could impact the larger world? What unique things can you share with others even if
you don’t have a lot of money?
• Taking something without asking is not the same thing as sharing. In what ways does
Isaiah warn us to pay attention to when we take something without
asking?
• Explain why this word is written this way: Rece(g)ivers.
(Often, we think sharing is just about giving something to
help someone else, rather than understanding that we grow
and learn and are changed when we are open to the gifts we
receive through sharing. This way of writing both words
together shows that sharing goes two directions and works
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best when we are both giver and receiver. The way we form our hands to give or receive
is often the same!)
What are the best ways we can ask for and receive God’s blessings and share the
world’s resources? For instance, which “ground rules,” manners, and virtues make us
Cheerful Rece(g)ivers?
Distribute the Rece(g)iver lists of resources and virtues the church shares. Have youth/teams
look over the list and discuss what other items should be added to the list.
o Instruct them to gather these items, or symbols of them, during a time that you have
decided works with the schedule of your congregation (Greeting Time between Sunday
School and Church, or during Coffee Hour).
o Establish the ground rules and rece(g)iver physical boundaries for the “hunt.”
o Explain it is not a race or contest, but a survey of what the congregants are willing to
share with the youth group for this activity.
o Remind youth that sharing always involves asking permission, answering questions,
saying thank you, and when appropriate, returning borrowed items. Send youth with
clear instructions and time frame, and have them return to the youth room with their
rece(g)iver list and resources at the designated time.
Closing: Allow about 10 minutes for group sharing. Congratulate the youth on their work and
thinking. Pray together about learning to be open to sharing, to be open to the gifts they receive
and the gifts they give. Remind youth that as they leave, they need to return the items to the
sanctuary area for their owners.
THINK ABOUT IT!
Gifts beyond the obvious!
In Guatemala, much of the land is difficult to farm so that
people cannot easily provide food for their families or earn a
living. Through our partnership with Church World Service,
gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing have provided education
and training in management of soil and water resources, as
well as knowledge of sustainable farming practices. These
skills allow for healthier families and modest income, as
well as increasing dignity and hope and a sense of
purpose and well-being.
Ronda Huges/Church World Service
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