Here are three valuable lessons for kids’ ministry leaders to teach kids from the story of Pentecost: 

1. Pentecost means no longer does the Holy Spirit visit some people some of the time. Throughout the Old Testament, we see a God who only spoke to His chosen people. Even then, He would only speak during certain times. Pentecost marks the time in which that barrier was broken completely, first through the redeeming work of Christ and then through the coming of the Holy Spirit. It meant the beginning of God’s promise in Joel 2:28-29 that He would pour out his Spirit on all His people. As a Christ follower, Pentecost is a celebration that He is with me all the time. It means I can know and be known by the Holy Spirit regardless of my age.

2. Pentecost marks the beginning of the Early Church. God visited the early Christians in a powerful way on Pentecost. As we see in 2 Corinthians 1:22, it represents the fact that God put His seal of approval on that first group of people by visiting them and giving them the Holy Spirit. For kids, it’s important to know that Pentecost represents the fact that church is more than a place to see friends. Instead, we gather together to celebrate God and to be involved in His great mission. 

3. Pentecost reminds us to celebrate the work God is doing and celebrate that He allows us to be part of it. For the Jewish people, Pentecost was a celebration of the harvest as they offered to God bread baked from their harvest, Leviticus 23:17. In a similar way, it symbolizes for Christians the beginning of God’s spiritual harvest in the world. For kids, Pentecost is a chance to remember that God is at work through them individually and in the lives of kids around the world. We get the chance to be part of the spiritual harvest God is giving through the Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit’s arrival at Pentecost can be a challenging topic to cover with kids. But when we take the time to break it down and unpack the beautiful truths from the celebration, it can be one of the most powerful stories for teaching kids about their role in God’s work of reaching the world with the good news of Jesus.

Mark Entzminger, Senior Director of Children’s Ministries for his denomination, leads a high caliber team focused on equipping the local church in reaching and discipling children. Mark is very passionate about children understanding and experiencing a Spirit-empowered life, and believes that the power of the Holy Spirit is just as critical for children today as it was for the disciples who waited in the Upper Room.

Mark is married to his college sweetheart, Christie. They have two boys. Mark and Christie graduated from Central Bible College. @MarkEntzminger

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