Worship at home resources for everyone linked to Acts 2:2-21
Go to: Resources for families; Resources for adults
Copyright
You are welcome to copy this material for use in your own resources e.g. printed sheets or web pages including audio/video recordings. If you do so, please include this acknowledgement to ROOTS:
© ROOTS for Churches Ltd (www.rootsontheweb.com) 2002-2020.
Reproduced with permission.
For families
Introduction
Pentecost is often referred to as the birthday of the Church. Try to create that atmosphere of celebration as you join together for worship, you could even have some birthday party items, e.g. a cake or balloons. We are also celebrating the unity which the Spirit brings so include other churches and communities in your prayers this week.
Gather
Use this prayer as you begin your time of worship together. Nominate a leader or all join in together.
Holy Spirit, you are welcome.
Come among us like a wind,
like a fire, like a dove.
Come gently or come boldly.
We are waiting for you.
Amen.
You could sing or listen to Together by Same Boat Music to prepare you for worship today.
Read
Share the Bible story using the idea below to help you explore it together.
Bible story
Open the Bible at Acts 2.1-21: The Church welcomes the Holy Spirit.
Picture the scene
Use the Pentecost pictures from Free Bible images to illustrate the story as you tell it. You might like to ask the children to find and hold up the pictures for the relevant parts of the Bible passage.
With the sound of a whirlwind it came, rushing into the house where the followers of Jesus were gathered. There was a commotion and flames as the Holy Spirit came, resting on each of the disciples like a tongue of fire.
As it whooshed into the room, the Spirit filled them all with foreign languages, and the disciples spoke in words they didn’t understand. Inspired, and with words gushing out of them, they went out into the streets.
It was the festival of Pentecost and Jerusalem was full of Jews from all over the world. When the disciples came out into the street, the crowds heard them speaking the message of Jesus in their own languages. They were amazed. ‘How can this be?’ they asked. ‘All the followers of Jesus are from Galilee, but we can hear their message loud and clear in words we understand.’
Not everyone was impressed, though. Some listeners sneered, ‘These people are drunk.’ Peter, still filled to overflowing with the Spirit’s power, stood up in front of all the people.
‘We are not drunk,’ he said. ‘It’s only nine in the morning. No, you are seeing and hearing what the prophet Joel spoke about in the Old Testament.’
Peter continued: ‘Joel said, “God will pour his Spirit on all people; children will prophesy and adults will see holy visions. The Spirit is for everyone, men, women and children; there will be signs in heaven and on earth, and these will be the last days. Everyone who calls on the Lord’s name shall be saved.”’
Like a fiery whirlwind it came, and the Spirit breathed new life into the followers of Jesus.
Glossary
Pentecost: a Jewish harvest festival.
Activity and colouring sheets
(Links to the PDFs for these can also be found at the end of the page.)
For adults
Live your faith
This week's Live your faith sheet for adults with Bible notes, prayers, a picture and questions for reflection, a live your faith action
Seasonal activities
For families: Prayer activities
You may wish to use these additional resources to worship together and/or the activity sheets for children.
Powerful Spirit: Find the courage to speak out
You will need: coloured pens, speech bubble shapes template
Optional: orange, yellow and red paper
- Cut out flame shapes from orange, yellow and red paper and write on them the names of different countries. Build up a fire picture using these flames. Alternatively, print, colour in and write on black and white image below (click on it to view a larger version).
- Look at the flames that you've made. The Holy Spirit can help all of us, whoever we are and wherever we are from. It can help us do things and give us the courage to speak out.
- Help everyone to think of situations they could speak out about e.g. at school, in the local area, in the news.
- Give everyone a pen and a speech bubble on which to write something they could speak out about.
- Sit in a circle together with everyone’s speech bubble in front of them. Say, ‘Holy Spirit, help us to speak out.’ Spend some time in quiet reflection.
- Finish by repeating: ‘Holy Spirit, help us to speak out.’
Noisy prayer
Using whatever materials are available, e.g. boxes, balls, pencils, encourage everyone to make a noise that represents the coming of the Holy Spirit, either to the disciples in Jerusalem, or now. Alternatively, play some music (Preview songs on YouTube then buy online and download):
Let The Heavens Open, Kari Jobe on Majestic Live
Spirit of the Living God, Vertical Church Band on Church Songs
For The Beauty Of The Earth, John Rutter on The Very Best of John Rutter
Conclude with this sending out prayer:
Holy Spirit:
wild wind, tongues of fire,
words of inspiration,
fill us with your confidence and energy,
and make us a blessing to the world.
Amen.