3 Ways Into Sunday’s Stories for Children: When the Saints Go Marching In

The Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost

This Sunday is all about the saints who came before us, the ordinary saints who live among us,  and those who are joining our company of saints in Holy Baptism.

So, what is a saint? There are many definitions, official and unofficial. In our prayer book, The Book of Common Prayer, we say, “The communion of saints is the whole family of God, the living and the dead, those whom we love and those whom we hurt, bound together in Christ by sacrament, prayer, and praise.”

Learn more about The Feast of All Saints and Souls or try some of these activities from Building Faith.

Print, fold, read, and color the story booklet.

1. Sing and Dance

Grab an instrument, or some pots and spoons, and march in a Saints parade at home with Jazz saint Louis Armstrong.

2. Play and Pray

Pray and play using your imagination with these wondering prompts.

Thank you, God, for all the saints in our lives: [name them]. Thank you for blessing us with people who connect us to you and each other. May we honor you by learning from their example. Amen.

• Who has helped you live in Jesus’s way?   
• Do you have a favorite church saint? Who is it and why?
• How can we honor people who are living now?

Don’t know any church saints? You probably do. There are a lot of people of all ages who love to learn about and follow the Church’s saints. There is even a whole website for people to write about and vote on their favorite saint of the year during Lent. Take a look!

3. Create

Does your family use recipes from grandparents or other ancestors? Make one together and share stories and memories about that person around the table. Say a prayer of thanks for your ancestors and other special saints in your lives.