“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
—Acts 1:8
Pentecost is a great time to celebrate the mission of God to the world. The church has often made the connection between Pentecost and international missions. However, the traditional distinction between home and world missions is increasingly fuzzy as our own communities have become home to many people from distant parts of the world—immigrants as well as temporary residents who come for higher education or business opportunities with plans to return to their places of origin. Both of these phenomena were present already in biblical times, with a Roman centurion living in Judea who witnessed the crucifixion and people from all over the Roman world and beyond who were present in Jerusalem for Pentecost.
This article includes suggestions for Pentecost worship highlighting the mission of God. The ideas that follow could be used in worship in successive weeks (perhaps Pentecost and the preceding Sunday) or even in the same service in order to help your congregation see and participate in the one mission of God that embraces all people, both near and far.
Introducing the Theme: From the Cross, Through the Church, To the World
From the cross. On Easter Sunday we celebrate the risen Savior’s triumph over death! We are also reminded that Jesus commands us to bring this good news to all people, whether they’re across the street or around the world.
Through the church. On Pentecost, we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the church. Our church helps bring the message of the cross to neighborhoods and communities by (insert information on the mission efforts of your congregation in your local community and/or country).
To the world. At Pentecost it seemed the world had gathered in one place, the Holy Spirit filled all those gathered, and the good news of the gospel started spreading throughout the world. Our congregation continues to support the sharing of the gospel to all people through (insert information on the mission efforts of your congregation around the world).
Each of us is called to join in the Spirit's work in spreading the gospel message through acts of love and the words we speak wherever we find ourselves, our homes, neighborhoods, places of work, schooling, ministry, and leisure. Indeed, may the gospel spread from the cross, through each of us who make up the church, to the world.
Sermon Topics
Two possible sermon texts are suggested below for those who want to focus on the theme over a two-week period. Those who will be using these resources in a single service may want to choose Acts 1:8 as the sermon text.
- Local mission: John 4:27-42, the Woman at the Well (“Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony . . .”)
- International (global) mission: Matthew 28:16-20, the Great Commission (“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations . . .”)
Litany
The following litany appears here in three parts. If your service focuses on both local and global missions, use all three parts (A, B, and C) as one unit. If your focus is on local/national missions, use Parts A and B. If your focus is on cross-cultural/international missions, use Parts A and C. The theme verse for the litany is Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Part A
O God, you sent your Son to take upon himself our suffering, to teach us your ways, and to bear the penalty of our sin.
We are amazed by the wonder of your grace.
On the cross, Jesus made a way of salvation for all who put their trust in him.
We declare our trust in the one name that saves.
From the cross comes a message of forgiveness and new life for all kinds of people.
Help us who have received this good news not to keep it to ourselves.
Part B
We are your church, O God.
May we be your hands and feet in this world.
Many in our own workplaces, communities, and families have not yet experienced the fullness of your grace.
May we be your voice in calling others to trust in your Son.
Jesus declared, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria.”
In this community, help us to give witness to your grace in Jesus.
You called your church, both then and now, to cross boundaries for witness.
Help us to witness to those within our country who are geographically or culturally at a distance.
From the cross, through the church, to the world
your grace must flow. Help us to be agents of your mission.
O God, you sent your Son to take upon himself our suffering, to teach us your ways, and to bear the penalty of our sin.
We are amazed by the wonder of your grace.
On the cross, Jesus made a way of salvation for all who put their trust in him.
We declare our trust in the one name that saves.
From the cross comes a message of forgiveness and new life for all kinds of people.
Help us, who have received this good news, not to keep it to ourselves.
Part C
We are your church, O God.
May we be your hands and feet in this world.
Many around the world have not yet experienced the fullness of your grace.
May we be your voice in calling others to trust in your Son.
Jesus declared, “You will be my witnesses in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
To those who have come from distant lands to live among us, help us to give witness to your grace in Jesus.
You called your church, both then and now, to cross national and cultural boundaries to be your witness.
Help us to witness also through those who are sent to people who have never heard the good news, as well as to support the ministries of those giving witness to their own community about Christ.
From the cross, through the church, to the world
your grace must flow. Help us to be agents of your mission.
Music Suggestions
For Local Mission
“All Are Welcome/Let Us Build a House” Haugen
“The Servant Song” Gillard
“Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service” Bayley
“Open Our Eyes” Cull
“The City Is Alive, O God” Reid
“God of Grace and God of Glory” Fosdick
For Global Mission
“Lord Most High (From the Ends of the Earth)” Harris, Sadler
“Hope of the Nations” Doerksen
“Lift High the Cross” Kitchin
“Lord, You Give the Great Commission”
“Pelas dores deste mundo/For the Troubles and the Suffering” Neto
“Let Us Go” Anon
Songs Accessible to Children
“Halle, Halle, Halle” Caribbean trad.
“This Little Light of Mine” African-American
“Lord, I Lift Your Name on High” Founds
“I Am the Church, You Are the Church” Avery
"No hay Dios tan grande como Tú/There’s No God as Great” Spanish trad.
Ways to Include Children
Children’s Messages
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes. . . ." —Romans 1:16
Chose one of the following themes to focus on rather than using all three in one service.
From the Cross
Visual: a cross
Focus: Jesus died on the cross to offer salvation and new life to all who believe.
Ask the children, “I wonder, why do we see crosses in churches? What are they supposed to remind us of?”
Through the Church
Visual: jar of water, red food coloring (see below)
Focus: All of the people who believe in Jesus are called the Church.
Say to the children, “You and I are part of the Church. Jesus sent his Spirit to live in us. On Pentecost, we celebrate the Holy Spirit, who lives in those who believe in Jesus. The Spirit gives us power to tell others about God.” Ask, “What do you think it means to have God’s Spirit live in us?”
Hold up a jar of water and say, “Notice the clear water.” Then add a few drops of red food coloring and shake. Say, “It’s still a jar of water, but it’s changed. That’s what happens when God’s Spirit becomes part of us—it changes us; we are different.”
To the World
Visual: globe, red ribbons
Focus: When we tell people stories about Jesus, we are sharing the gospel.
Say, “Romans 1:16 says the gospel is the power of God for all who believe.” Show kids the globe you’ve brought. “God wants all the people in the whole world to know about him. That’s why he sent the Spirit at Pentecost.”
Hand out red ribbons and tell the children that the ribbons represent the tongues of fire that were seen at Pentecost when the Spirit came. Encourage them to wave red ribbons to celebrate Pentecost while we sing. (See Praise Ribbons, below.) That will remind us of the power of God and his Spirit.
Praise Ribbons
Here’s an idea for involving kids in Pentecost praise.
Cut up strips of red cloth or wide ribbon (any length), knot a loop on the end for kids to hold, or slipknot the ribbon around a large plastic ring (or metal canning jar ring).
Have kids wave the ribbons during the songs. Hand the ribbons out when children come into the service or during the children’s message. If you have a two-week focus, collect the ribbons in baskets at the end of the service and use them again the next week.
Art
Hang a large piece of posterboard or sheet of newsprint and draw a cross in the middle. Draw a circle with dotted lines large enough to allow the children to color, draw, or glue pictures representing local mission inside the circle. The space outside of the dotted circle represents global mission. Allow them to color, draw, or glue pictures in that space after discussing how the Spirit has no boundaries to accomplish the mission of God.
Scripture or Song
Let children write their own music or rap. Suggest a text and let them come up with rhythm and/or melody. Record their composition, or, if you are able, transcribe it on staff paper or use a music program. Save it so that it can become a family worship favorite.
Multigenerational Ideas
“Our Town” Video Clip
Create a video clip called “Our Town.” As a family, class, or small group, record local activities and locations that represent the place you live. This can take any focus or direction you choose, but could include schools, restaurants, sporting events, cultural events, food pantries, hospitals, and the like. Play the video clip as an introduction to the sermon on Sunday, representing the local mission field.
Family Worship
Family worship can be a meaningful activity for children if you allow them to plan and participate in as much of the worship as possible. Guide them by providing the theme (sharing the good news of God’s love with others), and then encourage them to choose songs, Bible stories or passages, prayers, and so on. Provide age-appropriate story Bibles and psalms, CDs, or other music for them to use. Encourage each other to be creative and enjoy your worship together.
Ideas for Bringing the Gospel to Your Community
It’s important to understand the culture and context in which you are trying to share the gospel. The only way to be effective is to “speak the language” of those with whom you are sharing the good news and immerse yourself in the culture—in other words, to follow Christ’s example and be incarnational.
Stories from Church Planters
We learned that it had been a tradition for many years to have a community-wide Easter egg hunt. However, this tradition had ended because kids began to fight over the plastic eggs filled with candy. We saw this as a unique opportunity to bring restoration to this tradition.
During our first year as a church plan, we had already built a relationship with the village manager. We asked if we could once again offer an Easter egg hunt for the community. However, instead of holding the event on Maple Island, the large, uncontrollable area that had been used in the past, we decided to use the new community playground, which could be easily monitored. Instead of filling plastic eggs with candy, we simply hid empty plastic eggs. We announced that when a child found five empty eggs, they would exit the playground and redeem the eggs for a large bag of candy. Included with the bag of candy were invitations for children and their families to other events, including our Easter morning worship service.
This event accomplished two things. First, it helped our church get outside of the four walls of our building and further develop relationships with people who do not know the Lord Jesus. Second, it changed our reputation in the community from the “new guys down the road” to a faith community with a commitment to invest in the lives of people in our town. We continue this investment in our community through other creative events such as the kite flying event we do each year on Ascension Sunday.
—Ben Bowater, Church Planter, RedArrow Ministries, Paw Paw, Michigan
On Pentecost Sunday our church takes the time to celebrate our ethnic diversity and unity in Christ. We make sure to sing a wide range of songs: gospel, Spanish, traditional hymns, and contemporary songs.
I preach a sermon on the joy of the unity we share in Christ. We also have a special reading led by a wide range of people in the congregation (African, Latino, and Anglo).
—Felix Fernandez, Church Planter, New Heart Church, Longwood, Florida