Use this object lesson to share a message with children about the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This sermon is based on Acts 2:1-21. Print the message notes below, watch our example video, and gather your supplies.
“Pentecost: The Spirit Comes” Children’s Sermon from 2:1-21
Pentecost…Tongues, Wind, Fire…and Happy Birthday to the church!!!
Main Objective: The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is an exciting and important story to share with all ages. Through this message, children should understand how the disciples received the Holy Spirit and were able to begin sharing the good news of Jesus with everyone. Our job is also to share Gospel joy with others!
Law/Gospel Theme: The story of Pentecost propels the church year into a new season. Easter is the culmination of the Gospel story, the fulfillment of all that the prophets spoke about the Messiah. With Pentecost, the third person of the Trinity is given to carry the church into its next phase. The Holy Spirit enables God’s people to spread the Gospel and to establish the church.
Optional Materials: Candles, lighter, blow dryer or air blower, noise makers, gift bag or wrapped box, balloons.
Bonus Ideas: More free resources to help you plan your children’s sermon.
- Watch our example video teaching for this message on Pentecost.
- Compare all our Sunday School lessons and activities about Pentecost
- Find more great ideas on the Pentecost Sermon from Mission Bible Class
- Watch a different children’s sermon on this passage from DSkidsermons.com
- Compare A New Wind Blowing and Pentecostal Power from Sermons 4 Kids
Note: All
elements are open to adjustment. Cater to the needs and ages of your group Greet
and welcome children, carrying a large box or gift bag with a label.
Children’s Sermon on Pentecost
Hello! So, you might notice that I have an interesting package here…is it someone’s birthday? Well, in a way it is, and we’ll talk about whose birthday it is. What are some things you enjoy doing for birthdays? (Take responses: have cake! Sing! Play games…)
Well, today we are going to hear about the church’s birthday!
Do you remember how last week we talked about how Jesus promised to send the disciples a special present that would help them share about the news of the Gospel. Well, the disciples were waiting for this present, and they were hanging out in a room in Jerusalem. There were actually a lot of people in town at the time, because they were having a special celebration called the Feast of Weeks, or the Feast of Tabernacles.
This was an important time that all Jewish people had to honor, and they would come to Jerusalem to celebrate it. So there were people from all over the place there, and the disciples were patiently waiting. Then, all of a sudden, there was a big sound like a rushing wind!
(If using, bring the blow dryer out and create a “wind” of a sort for your audience)
And then, there were little bits of fire that appeared! (If using the lighter, flick the lighter, and/or show the candles to everyone. You might be able to have kids hold a candle above their heads, if they are responsible enough).
This was a special fire that did not burn up or catch their hair and clothes into flames, but showed that God’s spirit was present. A lot of times in the Bible, God appears as fire (think Elijah, burning bush with Moses, etc.).
Here was the Holy Spirit! Now, the Holy Spirit is sort of a special go-between…it is the spirit that makes all things possible. Sometimes we don’t know what to say or how to pray…the Holy Spirit comes in to help. Well, the Holy Spirit came to these disciples and appeared as flames above their heads!
And then another amazing thing happened. The disciples started speaking in other languages. There were people in Jerusalem that spoke a lot of languages, but the disciples didn’t have their dictionaries and translators with them…yet they were able to just talk automatically in other languages!
And they started eagerly sharing the story of Jesus. Some people criticized them, but Peter assured everyone that they were not drunk or crazy. They were full of God’s love! And with that, they all continued talking about the story of Jesus and sharing the amazing things He had done. A lot of people came to believe, and after that, the disciples began meeting together regularly. They shared everything with other believers, and continued meeting and sharing and caring for one another.
So at Pentecost we get to celebrate the birthday of the church! It was the start of an amazing way that God allows us to serve and love each other. And that is the truly exciting thing… Once we are “on fire” and have received the light of Jesus, we can take that to other people and “light up” their lives as well. God wants us to share His story and His love with the whole world. It only takes a spark or a single candle to get others going. Let’s celebrate, and let’s share with one another! Shall we thank God for that?
Prayer: Offer thanks for Jesus, and ask for joy in sharing the Gospel news with everyone: (Have kids repeat each line, if desired)
Dear God,
Thank you for your Word the Bible
Thank you for your church!
I’m glad I am part of your family
Help me to share your love
And tell others about Jesus
I love you, God! Thanks for loving me
In Jesus’ name, amen
Acts 2:1-21 NIV
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 “‘In
the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the
Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
Thank you for putting together such thoughtful children’s sermons! They make a great point of reference for pastors each week. Just a minor point of clarification on this one: the Festival of Weeks (Shavuot) is not the same as the Festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot). It’s easy to confuse them, since they’re both harvest festivals, they’re both mentioned in Ex. 34:22, and the RCL selects an optional reading from Jn. 7, which is set during sukkot, for Pentecost, which has its background in the “fifty” days between Passover and Shavuot. But they’re distinct celebrations in the OT and Jewish religious calendar.
Not critical for your message here, which as usual is very helpful; just a matter of historical detail.
Thank you for making all these lessons available for free! I am doing on-line Sunday school for my church, and your resources are amazing and save me from having to make up everything from scratch. Thank you.
Usually our church has a list of folks who offer the children’s sermon each Sunday, but with the COVID-19 shutdown, the opportunity has fallen to the pastor and me (music director) as we are broadcasting our weekly service.
I was on the search for a good Pentecost kids’ sermon that would convey well on video, and came across your site. (Yahoo!)
Thank you for a great resource! I’ll probably be back the next time I can’t come up with something good for the kids’ sermon!