The other two petals represent Jesus and the Holy Spirit. If we seek to obey God in our hearts He will give us His Holy Spirit. Teaching your children the spirit of giving, showing them the importance of thinking of others, and modeling kindness are important ways to help children grow into productive and loving members of our world. and explain Jesus’ birth to your kids. Read How Can I Best Explain the Holy Trinity to a Child? ). Each petal on the clover represents an entity of God. The Holy Spirit inspired the human writers of the Old Testament so that it would truly be the Word of God. In other words, it's a good representation, but not a solid explanation. The Holy Spirit is everywhere, both in us and on earth. Use their parents as an example, and let them tell you how they know their parents love them. At Confirmation, you’ll receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit; he’ll be with you to help you throughout your life! And so I explained our spirit goes to heaven when we are berried. I would also use an analogy with a visual aid by picking up a glove and showing them how lifeless it is when just lying on the table. info@probe.org However, in our marriage, the biggest obstacle of building a relationship with the Holy Spirit is recognizing it! That means that these traits can never be too much or in excess. They explained to them that Grandmother is asleep but her spirit went to be with our Lord Jesus Christ in heaven. Explaining who the Holy Spirit is and what the Holy Spirit does can be tricky. These seven Scriptural symbols can help explain the roles the Holy Spirit has in our lives: Salvation Roles. Odds are your child is about to unravel a story or reveal an imaginary friend. Take pictures of your child struggling to climb onto a chair, and one of your child sitting in it proudly. The older ones will feel a sense of responsibility and ownership as they learn and share a ministry with others. It may be easy to forget the Holy Spirit is even there because we don’t see him. I will tell you in a minute what this special fruit is but first I want to explain how God can be God, Jesus (His son) and the Spirit all at the same time. So today, I strongly feel the secular Christmas spirit should be explained to children with complete truth and honesty. Use their parents as an example, and let them tell you how they know their parents love them. The Holy Spirit gives us power to be a witness for Jesus. 20 million users around the world read Aleteia.org every month, Aleteia is published every day in eight languages: English, French, Arabic, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, and Slovenian, Each month, readers view more than 50 million pages, Nearly 4 million people follow Aleteia on social media, Each month, we publish 2,450 articles and around 40 videos, We have 60 full time staff and approximately 400 collaborators (writers, translators, photographers, etc. Our spirit is like the hand–it’s what makes our outsides move and talk and love. We can rely on him to give us the spiritual gifts we need to persevere, and we can pray to him many times a day, simply saying, “Come, Holy Spirit!”. The key points for children to understand are that the Holy Spirit is God, but also has a distinct personhood from the Father and the Son. Explaining who the Holy Spirit is and what the Holy Spirit does can be tricky. Always avoid using bad language and negative words. How can we explain such an important aspect of what is means to become a Christ follower to our children? Explain to an older child what you want the younger ones to learn from the activity and let them have a part in sharing the Gospel with the little ones. Ask if the spirit(s) is an adult or a child, a male or female. This Person comes from … in this post we've created  a list of helpful concepts and videos that you can use, to help your children [and you!] Child: Right. Just as he has been with the Church in the Bible, the Holy Spirit is also with the Church today to guide and strengthen us through many gifts. This is the fifth Christian foundation in this study. Child… But you can’t look in the mirror and see the Holy Spirit. In other words, it's a good representation, but not a solid explanation. As promised in our post from earlier this week, we’re going to share ideas for teaching each piece of the Armor of God in a fun and interactive way that will help your child really grasp the lesson. (972) 941-4565 SAY: These words from the Bible promise that the Holy Spirit will live in us. Parent: Well, the thing in the plant that makes the plant alive is called a soul. At the viewing celebration the mother asked me a question. We use a glove in our Sunday School lessons for kids this age. It’s much better to acknowledge to the child that spirits are often seen by children. When children say they see spirits, they do. 2001 W. Plano Parkway, Suite 2000 The feast of the Holy Trinity is the perfect occasion to explain this great mystery to your children. It is difficult to understand how one God could be three divine persons. Focus on what is most relevant to your child. One of her sons has two little children, a boy four years old and a girl two. What are the Holy Spirit’s Roles? Your mom loves your dad. Of course, the Holy Spirit is the one who has to do the revealing (really, I did not grasp this teaching until I was captured by the Lord in my early 20's), but I feel it is good to help children begin to understand what it is to be born again. Recently I attended the viewing and funeral of a dear Christian sister. This chart is also helpful to learning more about the Trinity. It is in the same manner that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. As you can imagine, these numbers represent a lot of work. It is HIS divine will that young people come to faith in Jesus Christ and find salvation through the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit to bring them to faith. The Holy Spirit is a very important person in the Trinity. Doesn't that constitute teaching authority??? It is HIS divine will that young people come to faith in Jesus Christ and find salvation through the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit to bring them to faith. Once one of our children had expressed they were no longer a believer in Santa, they were let in on the secret in … The Holy Spirit is everywhere, both in us and on earth. There are historical records about St. Nick going all the way back to the 3rd Century. 678). CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION FIVE: THE HOLY SPIRIT. The key points for children to understand are that the Holy Spirit is God, but also has a distinct personhood from the Father and the Son. Do you know what “proceeds” means? When Satan chose to stop obeying and worshipping God, and vaunted…, Is organ donation Biblical considering the resurrection of our bodies from the grave when Jesus comes back? Parents can encourage children to trust God by explaining that he decides when people die — and we don’t know when — but that he’ll always take care of us, said McCann, who also belongs to St. Joseph in West St. Paul. He gave words to the prophets so that they might preach to the people of Israel. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you.”. Explain the basics of autism. Probe fulfills this mission through our Mind Games conferences for youth and adults, our 3-minute daily radio program, and our extensive Web site at www.probe.org. He is a mystery. When they can feel safe in asking questions of another person, they are more apt to explain their choices and their perspectives to others, which fosters a level of connection and a desire to find resolution. At Mass each Sunday we recite the words of the Creed: “I believe in the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.”. The Bible describes the Holy Spirit in lots of pictures: fire, wind, dove, river, fountain, etc. Indeed, upon my servants and my handmaids I will pour out a portion of my spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy’” (Acts 2:17-18). Once one of our children had expressed they were no longer a believer in Santa, they were let in on the secret in … But you can send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap. To deny that they do is to guarantee the child will suffer from insecurities and self-doubt. Explain why a sibling may behave differently. Probably the best way to explain the spirit to children is by saying that it’s the part of us that thinks and loves and talks and chooses. It goes on to say that “against these, there is no law“. In Exodus, we read: “The LORD preceded them, in the daytime by means of a column of cloud to show them the way, and at night by means of a column of fire to give them light. So today, I strongly feel the secular Christmas spirit should be explained to children with complete truth and honesty. Then bring in the concept of God as a loving being who looks after them and wants the best for them, just like their parents. Music is a vehicle of the Spirit, and children can feel that Spirit even if they don’t understand the words. Begin with explaining to the children what love is. Ask your child which picture of the Holy Spirit they can see in their mind. Thank you for your help and your web site. And since the rock is not alive, it doesn’t have a soul. Parent: No, there are different kinds of souls. Creative Ways to Teach Your Children about the Armor of God - Part 2. The top petal is God. When I was a child, I experienced many, many losses. ?…, There's a controversy brewing over the "gender-neutral" TNIV Bible. New York Sun's newspaper reported it in 1897. As a rule, children perceive energy very naturally because they have not learned to tune it out yet. Ask for willing children to read aloud Romans 8:11 and John 14:16-17. How we encourage it: To cultivate wisdom in children, we must teach them about the heart of God. You could say that they are “in love.” There is a love that exists between them, and that love brings about a lot of great things, including you! But when you put your hand in it and start to move your hand, the glove “comes to life,” even though you can’t see the hand. But you can’t look in the mirror and see the Holy Spirit. I had no idea how to explain to her what our spirit is any help please? The Value of Suffering: A Christian Perspective, The Star of Bethlehem from a Christian View, "Sue Bohlin a Hypocrite for Teaching at Probe.org", Personal Development/Relationships Emails. Many times when we teach children about Holy Spirit Baptism, we tend to get nervous and fearful because we set expectations in our minds and heart about what this needs to look like. Dove: God’s Spirit is like a gentle dove that seeks peace between God and people. It may be easy to forget the Holy Spirit is even there because we don’t see him. But, He is NOT like an egg, water, or the wind in any other way. Have them draw what they see. The Holy Spirit also illuminates the mind of unbelievers so they are able to grasp the reality of Christ. Avoid arguing. It includes a craft and a video to explain, as well as a review of a children’s picture book on the topic. Each petal on the clover represents an entity of God. Read the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:1-4. When they hear about “the Holy Spirit” they think of a ghostlike “Casper” or a mysterious Star Wars “Force” instead of the 3rd Person of the Trinity. When children say they see spirits, they do. 8:9). Thank you! You can also explain that the Holy Spirit is within us and sometimes help us with our prayers when we don't know what to say (Rom 8:26). to understand. We are blessed to be able to pray to the Holy Spirit to ask him for these gifts as we try to live lives of holiness. Here is a suggested way to define Santa Claus to children of any age: 1. At this age, your child is starting to understand that others have feelings, too, and he can be touched by them. Child… Probably the best way to explain the spirit to children is by saying that it’s the part of us that thinks and loves and talks and chooses. He is not like anything we know. St. Patrick used a shamrock to explain how the Holy Trinity works. Humans are made up of material body and spiritual soul. It goes on to say that “n Confirmation, the extending of the bishop’s hands over us signifies the descent of the Holy Ghost upon us and the special protection of God through the grace of Confirmation” (no. SAY: These words from the Bible promise that the Holy Spirit will live in us. Everyone should have a chance to play. to understand. St. Peter told everyone gathered on Pentecost that the Holy Spirit had come to the Church: “‘It will come to pass in the last days,’ God says, ‘that I will pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh. She attended the University of Illinois, and has been a Bible teacher and conference speaker for over 40 years. Assure the child that Holy Spirit baptism is a gift from God and that God is love; where there is perfect love there is no fear. “We transition from belief in Santa to becoming an elf, helping to instill the spirit of giving, love, and Christmas by becoming part of the magic. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. 1. Bring the children back around you on the floor or at a table. The seven main gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit are understanding, right judgment, courage, knowledge, reverence, wonder and awe, and wisdom. Yes, angels have free will like us. Below, I’ve listed a few elements you should include in each Fruit of the Spirit lesson plan. Explaining the Trinity to Children. The Holy Spirit make us stronger. We past a grave yard yesterday and my five year old asked what it was so I explained it to her. Getting the whole story will help you understand the situation better and how to approach it. As St. Peter tells us, “for no prophecy ever came through human will; but rather human beings moved by the holy Spirit spoke under the influence of God” (2 Peter 1:21). Pantheists such as Buddhists…, Do angels have Free Will like humans, or are they just automatons? If you're going to a regular health checkup, explain that it's a well-child visit: "The doctor will check on how you're growing and developing, and also ask questions and examine you to make sure that your body is healthy. What is your position? Support Aleteia with as little as $1. Ministry-To-Children.com helps you tell kids about Jesus by providing age-appropriate Bible study material and Sunday School curriculum – all 100% free online.. We believe that God is the loving Father of all kids. He is the love that exists between the Father and the Son. Sue is on the Bible.org Women's Leadership Team and is a regular contributor to Bible.org's Engage Blog. So you see, the Holy Spirit is sent to us by God the Father and God the Son to be with us as we strive to resist temptation and to practice virtue. This is good, except that it doesn't explain how this came to be. What we do, they do! When the hand is removed from the glove, the hand (spirit) moves on to heaven, while the glove … The Holy Spirit and the Trinity is hard enough for adults to understand, so how can we explain who the Holy Spirit is to children? We past a grave yard yesterday and my five year old asked what it was so I explained it to her. This document may not be repackaged in any form for sale or resale. There’s a more accurate way … If you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit is already inside you (1 Corinthians 6:19). (God’s Peace, Matthew 3:16-17) Children can likewise be taught to listen in silence for the few minutes of a special musical number. This celebration is truly the beginning of our lives in the Spirit, the third member of our Blessed Trinity. How to teach kids the Fruit of the Spirit. When you receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, you’ll be blessed by the Holy Spirit in a particular way. 3. The glove is the body. Most of my family members were cremated. VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer and the cast of Buck Denver Asks...What's in the Bible? And since the rock is not alive, it doesn’t have a soul. Those “ imaginary ” friends some children play with are actually Spirit Guides that are there other that... They are filled with the simplest parts repackaged in any form for sale or resale to. Travel to a special musical number us and on the outside story will help your child that! Person comes from … the Holy Trinity works the biggest obstacle of building a with. 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We explain this great mystery to your child know that God, or the divine Spirit, if! Fire, wind, dove, river, fountain, etc floor or at a table the clover an! Is a difference between God and their parents love them not a creature like us and! Ho... 20-year-old filmmaker wins award for powerful... © Copyright Aleteia SAS all rights reserved but Spirit!