Thinking Through The Children S Sermon

Do you finding yourself Thinking through the Children's Sermon? Are children's sermons useful? Are they to entertain or edify? And if they are meaningful, are they well prepared and well delivered? William Armstrong addresses these and other questions as he shares his years of experience as a pastor who has delivered hundreds of children's sermons. Useful and practical information about children, the message, and effective methods are explored. Thinking through the Children's Sermon is a must have book for clergy and lay leaders who will be responsible for sharing the Word of God with children.

We are living on the boundary between the print and electronic era. Richard A. Jensen says that as we move into the electronic world, we must seriously rethink most of what we do. This book calls us to reinvestigate preaching in our time. Well-grounded in an understanding of communication cultures, this book is a rare gift. In theory and practice, Jensen helps preachers rethink what they are doing and offers a strategy for effective communication in an electronic era. Richard L. Thulin, Th.D. Dean and Professor of Preaching Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Jensen's "thinking in story" thesis provides a scholarly, logical rationale for why it both "feels" and "is" so right; Jensen applies his "thinking in story" concept to biblical material as well. His approach helps us to see individual texts/stories in light of the larger biblical story, which opens up many new avenues for preaching. Thomas Rogers Assistant Professor of Homiletics Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary Berkeley, California These are solid prescriptions for our media-saturated times, calling for a shift in our very approach to proclamation. Jensen is quite right in this goal, that preaching needs to compel participation in the narratives of scripture, not merely an understanding of them. James Nieman Assistant Professor of Homiletics Wartburg Theological Seminary Dubuque, Iowa Richard A. Jensen is a trained systematic theologian, having taught these subjects at Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1971-1981. He is author of Telling The Story. Since 1982 he has served in the communication department of the American Lutheran Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He produces the weekly radio program "Lutheran Vespers," and several series of television programs.

Written by an educator, minister, and writer of children's curriculum materials, this book provides easy-to-do and easy-to-understand methods for developing good children's sermons. Using appropriate scriptures for insight into our relationship with the children in our midst, author Janet Helme takes you step-by-step through the process of developing a successful children's sermon. Topics include: why you should do a children's sermon, how to craft it, what to do about the adults in the pews, tools, insights, and sample sermons.

Packed with 50 child-tested, ready-to-use messages, this book provides field-tested advice on avoiding pitfalls and using new ideas for children's sermons.

Feasting on the Word Guide to Children's Sermons equips church leaders and children's ministry volunteers to deliver children's sermons that are free of gimmicks and simplistic conclusions, that welcome children into the family of faith, and that give a foundation in God's good news for all people. This volume will address the common questions pastors have about the children's sermon, steps on avoiding common pitfalls, suggestions on how to use the children's time in a church following the lectionary, and sample Bible stories for use in the children's time.

Here at last is the comprehensive collection you've been searching for to minister effectively to your children during worship. Drawn from every book of the New Testament, The Giant Book Of Children's Sermons -- Matthew To Revelation contains five full years worth of material you can share with your young disciples. Each of the 260 talks teach children God's Word through the use of common objects that illustrate an important concept in the scriptures. The messages come from Wesley Runk, a pastor and master communicator with kids who has written over 30 best-selling collections of children's sermons and object lessons. Runk uses a warm and often humorous approach to take on even the tough topics of the New Testament -- and the analogies he creates with the use of such simple objects as bananas, clocks, puzzles, and funnels add visual focus for the kids and help them grasp the point on a level suitable for their age. Now, whether you are preaching from the Gospels, Acts, the letters of Paul, the general Epistles, or even Revelation, you are sure to find an appropriate related talk for the children. And with convenient features like scripture and object indexes for quickly locating material as well as a CD with text files that lets you easily adapt the messages to your specific circumstances, The Giant Book Of Children's Sermons may be the last children's collection you ever need!