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Choose from the following children's sermons:

• Jesus goes with us, Matthew 28:16-20, by Rev. Randy Quinn

• Illustration from the Tripod, Frank Schaefer

• Trinity Sundae, by Susan in San Pedro

• Three Circles--in One Chain, by Alex in Ohio

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Jesus goes with us.
a children's sermon based on Matthew 28:16-20
by Rev. Randy Quinn

Props: I have my globe with me.

Do you know what this is? It’s a globe. It shows what the world looks like – well sort of. The world doesn’t really have different colors where the countries are, but this is where the different countries are.

Can you find where we live? (The older children will be able to, I’m sure.)

Have any of you ever traveled to another part of the world? Where have you been? (I have no idea where these children may have traveled.)

I’ve only been to a few places outside of our country, but one of them is a place where a member of our church lives now – right here in Japan! (Keith Van Eaton lives there now.)

Jesus told us to go everywhere in the world and share the good news of his love. No one of us can go everywhere, but we can all go somewhere – even if that “somewhere” is right here in Sunnyside! Wherever we go, Jesus says we should share his love and teach people how to live.

But you know what else Jesus said? He said that he would go with us. It doesn’t matter where we go – whether we go to another place on the globe or out into space – Jesus goes with us.

And for that, I’m thankful.

Let’s pray:

1) Illustration from the Tripod
a children's sermon for Trinity Sunday
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

Props: three sticks

Good morning boys and girls, who can tell me what we are celebrating today?  This is not an easy question, and the word I'm looking for isn't easy either.   Why don't I tell you?  Today we celebrate Trinity Sunday.

Trinity is a word which means "three."  The church believes that God is three ...and yet, one.  So today we celebrate our one God who is three persons in one.  What do you think are those persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I know, I know, some of you probably want to ask: how can this be? Three persons in one?  Well, you're absolutely right.  This is not easy to understand.  the Trinity of God is one of the great mysteries.

In order to understand the threeness of God a little better, there are some good illustrations from nature.  I brought this morning three sticks with me and I would like to stand them up  (build a tripod).  You see how beautiful the three sticks are standing together?  They support each other.   Just like the three persons in God support each other.

Now, do you think that two sticks propped against each other could stand up?  (let the kids try).  That doesn't seem to work very well, does it?  What about just one stick? Do you think one stick could be made to stand up straight?  Not likely.

so it is with God.  God revealed himself in three different persons and all of these persons have an important task.  God the father is our creator, Jesus is our savior (redeemer), and the Spirit is our helper and comforter.   We need God to be all three in order to stand in our faith.

Let us bow our heads and pray: "Dear God, we thank you for being a great and loving God.  We thank you Father for making us in your image; we praise you in the name of Jesus who saved us from sin and death, and in the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.  Amen."

2) Trinity Sundae
A children's sermon for Trinity Sunday
by Susan in San Pedro

Props: big block of Neopolitan ice cream, whipped cream in a spray can

Picture a chapel full of children. Chaplain Susan comes out of the sacristy with a big block of Neopolitan Ice Cream on a platter. "What's this?" she asks. "ICE CREAM!" they reply. "Is strawberry the same as chocolate?" "No." "Is vanilla the same as strawberry?" "No." "Are they all ice cream?" "YES!!!"

"Now, stay with me boys and girls, what do we mean when we talk about "THE TRINITY"? (Someone will get "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" ... these are bright kids.) "EXACTLY!" "Is the Father the same as the Son?" "No." "Is the Son the same as the Spirit?" "No." "Are they all God?" "YES!!!" And then -- in honor of Trinity Sunday -- you can pour chocolate syrup over the whole thing and have (TA-DA!) ... TRINITY SUNDAE!!!

3) Three Circles--in One Chain
a children's sermon for Trinity Sunday
by Alex in Ohio

I was thinking of cutting out three circles and interlocking them. I think this is an ancient symbol for the trinity. I would say that sometimes there is so much to say about God that we almost don't know how to express ourselves, but we do our best.

I would then talk about the first circle, God the Creator, who created everything, and continues to create. Then I would talk about the second circle, God the Redeemer, who grants us eternal life. And then I would talk about about, God the Sustainer, who keeps sustaining us on our earthly walk. There are three circles, "three persons", but they are interlocking. There is only one God: Three-in-One.