Children's Sermon - Books are the Best!

I really enjoy children's sermons.  I should probably be more specific.  I really enjoy children's sermons when they are NOT simply a way to show off how cute the kids are and when they are NOT simply a watered down version of the sermon.

I always try to connect my time with the kids to one of the lessons, preferably one of the ones I'm not preaching directly on.  My favorite way to share a message with the children is through children's literature.  There is a wealth of amazing books out there - and I'm not talking just "Christian" books.  Here are some of my favorites:

Road to Emmaus Sermon

The following sermon is from the Third Sunday of Easter, Year A
The gospel reading is the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, from Luke 24.13-35

From the NRSV translation:
Luke 24:13   Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem,  14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened.  15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them,

I LOVE CAMP!!!

I believe Bible camps are one of the most valuable resources we have as a church.  Especially for congregations that have no youth staff positions, camp is a great place to visit throughout the year for retreats.  In our camps, we have access to high quality programming, appropriate Lutheran theology, and great opportunities for youth to connect with others.