Sunday School Themes for All Saints' Sunday
The American version of Halloween is basically an event for children to dress up in costumes and collect candy. This is a good opportunity for us to re-Christianize a holiday that once included Christianizing a Druid festival for the dead by overlaying it with a resurrection belief in the communion of saints.
Teaching suggestions:
Children understand heroes and superheroes
Children understand sports heroes who get elected to the Hall of Fame because of their excellent performance in sports.
The church has a hall of fame of important people who lived Christ like lives and they became remembered because of the witness of their lives. And the church remembers our Hall of Fame heroes of saints. We do this on All Saints' Day.
The day before All Saints' Day which in older English was called All Hallow's Day, since a Hallowed person is a saintly person, is call All Hallow's Eve, which was shorten to Halloween.
Emphasize the saints as the super-heroes of the church.
Teach also about the day after All Saints' Day, known as All Souls' Day.
You can teach the distinction between the saints who became known throughout the world and the saints who are local to one's life. If you have time, you can have children bring pictures of faithful departed grandparents, aunts and uncles who have been important in the life of one's family.
If you live in areas with Hispanic population you can make the tie-in with the festive observances of the Day of the Dead.
Remember this is an important time to teach about the resurrection and the communion of saints which is the logical consequence of the resurrection. We believed that people continue to be alive in God after their deaths and these three days are a celebration of our connection with and communion with the saints.
A Puppet Show about Halloween
Ooh……ohh ooh…Good morning boys and girls. My name is Mickey the monkey. How are you today?
Do you know what holiday we just had?
What is it called?
It is called Halloween.
Can you say Halloween?
Do you know what Halloween means?
Does it mean we get dressed in costumes?
Does it mean that we go Trick or Treating?
Yes, it does mean that but I want to tell about how we came
to have Halloween.
Are you ready?
Okay….
Can you say, “All Hallow’s Eve”
All Hallow’s Eve.
When people began to say, “All Hallow’s Eve” it began to sound like Halloween.
If you say All Hallow’s Eve real fast…it can sound like
Halloween.
All Hallow’s Eve, All Hallow’s Eve, All Hallow’s Eve, Halloween!
Do you know what All Hallow’s means?
How many of you know what a super hero is?
Is Batman a superhero?
Is Superman a superhero?
Are Ninja Turtles superheroes?
Are Power Rangers superheroes?
Also we have other kinds of heroes like princesses.
Snow White.
Belle. Ariel. Cinderella. Elsa.
And at Halloween we wear costumes of superheroes and princesses.
We also have other heroes like baseball players. The San Francisco Giants?
And football players?
And we have famous Olympic gymnastics heroes?
But do you know what All Hallow’s means?
It means All Saints.
Can you say All Saints?
Have you heard the word saint?
What church do you go to?
You go to Saint John the Divine Episcopal Church?
Who was Saint John?
St. John was a famous hero. He
loved God and he helped other people to love God.
Have you heard about St. Mary? St. Mary was a hero too. She was the mother of the baby Jesus.
So saints are heroes.
They are God’s heroes. They are
heroes of our church. And there are many
heroes who did some very nice and kind things.
All Saint’s Day or All Hallow’s Day is the day when we
celebrate all of the heroes who loved God in a very special way.
And so the evening before All Saint’s Day is called All
Hallow’s Eve or Halloween.
It is the Day before the celebration of God’s famous heroes.
So when you put on your superhero costumes and your princess
costumes you can also remember God’s heroes.
And they are called saints.
And you are called to be a hero too. You are a hero when you are kind and good.
Can you say, Thank you God for Halloween?
Can you say, Thank you God for heroes?
St. John
the Divine Episcopal Church
17740 Peak Avenue,
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Family Service with
Holy Eucharist
November 2, 2014: All
Saints’ Sunday
Gathering Songs:
When the Saints Go Marching In; Onward Christian Soldiers
Liturgist:
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
People: And
blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever.
Amen.
Liturgist: Oh God, Our hearts are
open to you.
And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.
Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.
Through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Song: When The Saints Go Marching In
1.
When the saints go
marching in, when the saints go marching in.
Lord I want to be in that number, when the saints go marching in.
2.
When the girls go
marching in…..
3.
When the boys go marching
in….
Liturgist: The
Lord be with you.
People: And
also with you.
Liturgist: Let us pray
Almighty God, you have
joined together your chosen people into one family of people who enjoy a
special friendship as we are gathered as the body of Christ on earth today;
Give us grace so to follow the great heroes in good living, that we may come to
those unspeakable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and
reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen
Litany of Praise: Alleluia
O God, you are Great! Alleluia
O God, you have made us! Alleluia
O God, you have made yourself known to us! Alleluia
O God, you have provided us with us a Savior! Alleluia
O God, you have given us a Christian family! Alleluia
O God, you have forgiven our sins!
Alleluia
O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead! Alleluia
A Reading from the First letter
of John
See what love the Father has
given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.
The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we
are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do
know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as
he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Liturgist: The Word of the Lord
People:
Thanks be to God
Let us read together from Psalm 34
1 I will bless the LORD at all times; * his praise shall ever be in my
mouth.
2 I will glory in the LORD; * let the humble hear and rejoice.
3 Proclaim with me the greatness of the LORD; * let us exalt his Name
together.
Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God!
Litanist:
For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!
For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!
For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!
For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!
For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!
For work and for play. Thanks be to God!
For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!
For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!
For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of
our friends and parish family.
Thanks be to God!
Liturgist: The
Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew
People: Glory
to you, Lord Christ.
When Jesus saw the
crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to
him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
"Blessed are
the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are
those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
"Blessed are
the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
"Blessed are
those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
"Blessed are
the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
"Blessed are
the pure in heart, for they will see God.
"Blessed are
the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
"Blessed are
those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
"Blessed are
you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil
against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is
great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were
before you.
Liturgist: The Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Lesson – Fr. Cooke:
Children’s Creed
We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the
Father is the maker of the world.
Since God is so great and we are so small,
We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus,
son of the Virgin Mary.
We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by
the life, death and
resurrection
of Jesus Christ.
We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy
Spirit.
We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the
Church where everyone is
welcome.
We believe that Christ is kind and fair.
We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.
And since we all must die, we believe that God will
preserve us forever. Amen.
Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy.
For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.
For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.
For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.
For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.
For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.
For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in
our world. Christ, have mercy.
For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.
For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.
For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.
For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.
Youth Liturgist: The
Peace of the Lord be always with you.
People: And also with you.
Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving
of an offering
Offertory: I Sing a Song of the Saints of God, Lesbia Scott, (# 293 blue hymnal)
1-I sing a song of the saints of God, patient and brave and true, who
toiled and fought and lived and died for the Lord they loved and knew. And one was a doctor and one was a queen, and
one was a shepherdess on the green: they
were all of them saints God and I mean, God helping, to be one too.
2-They loved their Lord so dear, so dear, and his love made them strong;
and they followed the right, for Jesus’
sake, the whole of their good lives long.
And one was a soldier and one was a priest, and one was slain by a
fierce wild beast: and there’s not any reason no not the least, why I shouldn’t
be one too.
3-They lived not only in ages past, there are hundreds of thousands
still, the world is bright with the joyous saints who love to do Jesus’
will. You can meet them in school, or in
lanes, or at sea, in church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea, for the
saints of God are just folk like me, and I mean to be one too.
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all
creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost.
Prologue to the
Eucharist
Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong
the kingdom of God.”
All become members of a family by birth or adoption.
Baptism is a celebration of birth into the family of God.
A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.
The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to
his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.
The Lord be with you
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts
We lift them to the
Lord.
Let us give thanks to God.
It is right to give God
thanks and praise.
It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made
us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts. Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all
of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:
Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)
Holy,
Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might.
Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna
in the highest. Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna
in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.
(Children may gather around the altar)
The Celebrant now
praises God for the salvation of the world through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Our grateful
praise we offer to you God, our Creator;
You have made us
in your image
And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to
live by faith:
Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob
and Rachael.
And then you
gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph
And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.
Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this
Holy Meal so that when we eat
the bread and drink
the wine, we can know that the Presence
of Christ is as near to us as this food and
drink that becomes a part of us.
And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and
sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of
Jesus Christ our Lord. Bless and
sanctify us by your Holy Spirit that we may love God and our neighbor.
On the night when Jesus was
betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his
friends, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do
this for the remembrance of me."
After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said,
"Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is
shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it,
do this for the remembrance of me."
Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we eat this holy
Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the life, death
and resurrection of Christ and that his presence will be with us in our future.
Let this holy meal keep us together as friends who share a special
relationship because of your Son Jesus Christ.
May we forever live with praise to God to whom we belong as sons and
daughters.
By Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit all honor and glory
is yours, Almighty Father, now and
for ever. AMEN.
And now as our Savior Christ has
taught us, we now sing,
(Children
rejoin their parents and take up their instruments)
Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)
Our Father who art in heaven:
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.
Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.
Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.
And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.
As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.
Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.
But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.
Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy
name.
Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.
Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.
Amen, amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.
Breaking of the Bread
Celebrant: Alleluia,
Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.
People: Therefore
let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
Words of Administration
Communion Song: I Come With Joy (Renew! # 195)
1. I come with joy a child
of God, forgiven, loved, and free, the life of Jesus to recall, in love laid
down for me.
2. I come with Christians,
far and near to find, as all are fed, the new community of love in Christ’s
communion bread.
3. As Christ breaks bread,
and bids us share, each proud division ends.
The love that made us makes us one, and strangers now are friends.
Post-Communion Prayer
Everlasting God, we have gathered for the meal that Jesus asked us to keep;
We have remembered his words of blessing on the bread and
the wine.
And His Presence has been known to us.
We have remembered that we are sons and daughters of God
and brothers
and sisters in
Christ.
Send us forth now into our everyday lives remembering
that the blessing in the
bread and wine
spreads into each time, place and person in our lives,
As we are ever blessed by you, O Father, Son and Holy
Spirit. Amen.
Closing Song: Onward Christian
Soldiers (Blue Hymnal # 562)
1. Onward Christian Soldiers, marching as to war, with
the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ the royal master, leads against the foe; forward into battle,
see, his banners go.
Refrain: Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war, with cross of Jesus going on before.
2. Onward, then ye people, join our happy throng; blend
with ours your voices in the triumph song: glory, laud, and honor, unto Christ
the King; this through countless ages we with angels sing. Refrain
Dismissal
Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ.
People: Thanks
be to God!
