This children’s sermon was given January 24, during our global pandemic, so it was experienced virtually rather than by children in the sanctuary. I’m posting it here in hopes that it can be helpful to someone.
Good morning, girls and boys. Today is an exciting day! We have new deacons to ordain and install today- people who’ve said YES, I’ll help the church make decisions about how to serve God. We’re asking God to bless them as they begin their work and we’re adding our blessings on them too!
I want to tell you the story of the very first time this happened! The church had just been born. And it was growing! People wanted to be part of this kind of love.
There was so much love—and so much need. People who needed to be listened to. People needed to be healed in their hearts and bodies. People who were poor and needed food. Jesus had done it before but now he was gone.
Who was left to lead the group? Disciples. How many? 12.
They tried to lead, but God was growing the church so fast!
Disciples didn’t want anyone who needed help to be left out, and people were already whispering about that happening. The believers who spoke Greek were upset at the believers who spoke Hebrew because the Greek speaking widows weren’t getting as much food as the widows who spoke Hebrew, and that wasn’t fair. Jesus would have wanted everyone to have what they needed. So the 12 leaders met, and they said. We can’t keep all of these important parts of serving God ourselves. We’re trying to preach and teach. But feeding people is also a holy thing. It’s too important to mess up. So let’s share this work with some new leaders. It lists the names of the seven people they chose, and some are Greek names, so they had people from both groups being in charge of this important ministry.
The Bible story says that they presented them to all the followers, who put their hands on them, praying for them, and asking God to bless them for their work. We do the same thing, today!
I wonder if you might choose to be a deacon, a church leader one day. Maybe even here at our church. There are many ways to serve God, whether as a leader or as a member. You are serving God now in your own life, when you try to follow Jesus. It’s a real gift to be part of God’s work in the world, isn’t it?
Let’s pray. Dear God, thank you for people who are willing to share the work of leading our church. Please bless each one of them and help them as they serve you. We love you God. Amen.
