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Choose from the following Children's Sermons:

• Jesus loves you and so do I, Mark 12:28-34
  by an anonymous DPSer
   

• Story of Saint Martin  (Jacobus de Voragine)
  a children's sermon by Rev. Frank Schaefer (scroll down)

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Jesus loves you and so do I
a children's sermon based on Mark 12:28-34
by an anonymous DPSer

We are a small church and I know who each of you usually sit with during church. What if I asked you to choose someone else to sit by today, not to sit with each other? Do you think you would like that? In this scripture Jesus is tell us, you and me, to love other people as much as he loves us. How much do you think Jesus loves you? (Give them time to answer)

 How much does Jesus love the other people in this church? I know who you sit by, but if you had to choose someone else to sit by, would you choose your next "favorite" person, or would you sit by someone whom Jesus loves, but you have not been around or know well enough to love them?

I know you are young, but you are not too young to begin learning how to love others the way Jesus loves you! Today I am going to ask you to sit beside someone that you do not know so well, and say, "Jesus loves you and so do I."

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Story of Saint Martin  (Jacobus de Voragine)
a children's sermon by Rev. Frank Schaefer

An alternative to Halloween from the church tradition: There is a wonderful legend surrounding Jacobus de Voragine, known as St. Martin.   The story reflects the issue of social outreach, love of neighbor, etc.

There is also a connection to the Halloween custom of trick-or-treat in that this story undergirds the European St. Martin Night (France, Germany, Netherlands, etc.).

In this version of "trick-or-treat," the children go from door to door with a paper lantern and remind the people of the story of St. Martin.  With a song about St. Martin they appeal to their compassion for the poor and lowly. Of course the result is the same: the children get candy.

A long time ago in the country of France, a soldier by the name of Martin rode on his horse into the town of "Amiens."  It was a cold and snowy winter day and, as he rode through the gates, his eye fell on a beggar who was half naked and shivering from the cold.  Martin had compassion on this poor beggar and he knew in his heart that the right thing to do was to help this poor man.

So he drew his sword and cut his coat into two pieces.  One half of the coat he gave to the poor man and the other half he put back on.  And there were angels that were standing around them.  And the Lord said to his angels: "Martin who is not even a believer yet, has clothed me with his coat."

Right then, Martin recognized Jesus as his Lord and Savior.  He became a humble servant of the church, helping a lot of poor people and spreading the gospel.