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Heidi Witte
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52 Sundays
SOURCE: Catholic Kids Media
SOURCE: The Mark 10 Mission
KID TALK PODCAST
Jesus and the Storm
Handouts for Children
Download 8 1/2 x 10” Handout (PDF)
Children’s Messages
SOURCE: Ministry to Children
Calming the Storm
OBJECTS: Umbrella, snow shovel, thermometer, or other items that relate to storms.
Do you like to watch storms form in the sky? Clouds develop and darken. Rain falls, a light mist or it may seem like a hose has been turned on. If you are outside you might get wet.
Then there are snowstorms. The temperature drops, clouds form, and snowflakes fall from the sky. Snow is beautiful, but it can make traveling difficult.
Where I live, on an island, we see and hear wind storms. The wind becomes very strong, whistles and howls around the house, sometimes knocking out the power.
Where ever you live, you have probably seen or heard some sort of storm.
Today’s Bible story tells us about a storm that Jesus and his disciples encountered while they were out on the water in a boat. We find that “a big wind storm arose” (4:37). Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat. His disciples woke him up because they became frightened – waves were causing the boat to rock back and forth.
SOURCE: Sermon Writer
Jesus Calms the Storm
OBJECT: None
Have you ever been afraid in a storm? (Allow the children to respond.) Yes, I have too. The twins, Kelly and Kyle were with their grandfather on the lake near his house. The wind started to blow, and it started to rain. The twins were scared. When grandfather tied the boat to the dock, they hurried to the house in the pouring rain. Their grandfather made hot chocolate and soon they were warm. They sat at the table sipping hot chocolate and listening to this story from the Holy Bible.
Jesus and his friends climbed into a boat one day. Jesus said, “Let’s go to the other side.” (vs. 35) He was tired though and decided to take a nap as they traveled across the Sea of Galilee. The wind started to blow, and waves got higher and higher. Some of Jesus’ friends were fishermen who knew about storms and high waves, but this time even they were afraid.
Where was Jesus? (Allow children to answer.) Jesus was in the back of the boat sleeping. I can just picture Jesus friends trying to dip the water out of the boat, holding on, as the storm grew worse and waves washed over the sides of the boat.
They thought they were going to drown, so one of the men ran to Jesus and woke him up. “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?” (vs. 38) Jesus was so kind. He woke right up and looked out at the storm and the water splashing everywhere and said, “Peace! Be still!” (vs. 39)
SOURCE: Sermon Writer
Children’s Book of the Week
Word of the Week
FAITH
The Three Trees
The Legend of the Three Trees is a classic story that teaches us that God has a unique plan for each and every person. The story begins with three young trees who dream, much as children do, of accomplishing big deeds. The olive tree, oak tree, and pine tree have their own dreams about what they want to be; however, they find that God has very different plans for them. The three trees become a manger, a small fishing boat, and a cross—all things well beyond what they thought or imagined for themselves. This story encourages children and adults to trust and have faith in God when looking at dreams and to be open to the greater plan that God has for their life.
Activity: Faith Grows
Step One: Investigate with a professional botanist or the Internet to find out what trees are easily grown from seedlings and are natural to your particular climate. Also, research the best containers and growing directions for the growth of that particular tree.
Step Two: Provide the students (either individually or as small groups) with all the necessary items and directions for starting a tree from a seed. Give them instructions and materials to record the growth of the seed over time.
Step Three: Talk with the students about the fact that faith grows and develops just as a seed does. Remind them that just as a seed needs nurturing to grow, so does faith.
Step Four: If it is possible, plant the seeds as a grove on the school or parish property so that they can stand as a symbol of the students’ faith. In this way, students may see the development of the trees over the years they are at the school and the trees could be a symbol of their development at the time of their graduation.