In this lesson, children learn that Jesus told his friends to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit, and that the Spirit would give them power to tell others about Jesus. It is best for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
Jesus gives his friends a special helper, the Holy Spirit, who gives us strength to share about Jesus. We can wait on God, trusting that he keeps his promises.
Memory Verse
Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
(WEB)
Hold your hands out flat, then lift them up high like a sunrise. Say “Power!” as you lift them, and do this each time you say the verse together so the words stay in your heart.
The Story: Acts 1 for Kids
Jesus had risen from the dead, and he spent forty days showing his friends that he was alive. He talked with them about God’s kingdom, and they listened carefully. Each time they saw him, their hearts were filled with wonder and joy.
One day Jesus gathered his friends together and gave them an important instruction. He told them, “Do not leave Jerusalem. Wait here for the gift my Father promised.” John had baptized people with water, but Jesus said his friends would soon be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
The friends asked Jesus if this was the time he would make Israel a kingdom again. Jesus gently answered that only the Father knows when such things will happen. Instead, he told them that the Holy Spirit would come to them and give them power. They would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and all the way to the ends of the earth.
After Jesus said these things, he was lifted up into the sky while his friends watched. A cloud took him out of their sight. They kept gazing up toward heaven, wondering where he had gone.
Then two men dressed in white stood beside them. The men asked, “Why are you standing here looking up into the sky? This same Jesus will come back the same way you saw him go.” The friends then walked back to Jerusalem, to the upper room where they were staying.
In that room, the friends prayed together, along with some women, Jesus’ mother Mary, and his brothers. They waited and prayed, trusting that Jesus would keep his promise. Later, they chose a new friend named Matthias to join the eleven apostles in the work Jesus gave them.
Read It Together
Acts 1:4-5
4 Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. 5 For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
(WEB)
Point out that Jesus told his friends to wait for a gift, not to rush off on their own. Ask children what it means to wait patiently and how waiting can feel hard but still be good.
Acts 1:9-11
9 When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, 11 who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky, will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.”
(WEB)
Show children how the friends were gazing into the sky, and how the two men gently reminded them to go on with their work. Explain that Jesus is in heaven now and will one day return just as he left.
Acts 1:14
All these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
(WEB)
Point out that the friends all prayed together with one mind and heart. Talk about how praying with others helps us stay close to God and to each other.
Talk About It
- What did Jesus tell his friends to do while they waited in Jerusalem?
- What did Jesus say the Holy Spirit would give his friends?
- How do you think the friends felt when Jesus went up into the sky?
- What is one way you can wait patiently for something good to happen?
- Who can you tell about Jesus this week, and how could the Holy Spirit help you?
Activity Ideas
Drawing a Cloud Picture
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and cotton balls. Have children draw a blue sky and a figure of Jesus rising up in the middle. Glue cotton balls on the paper to make a cloud that hides him. Talk together about how the friends watched him go.
Wait and Go Relay Game
You will need a few open spaces and a bell or clap. Have children stand still and wait until you clap, then run to a spot across the room and say a word about Jesus. Explain that waiting is part of getting ready, and that the Holy Spirit gives power to go and tell.
Power Promise Card
You will need index cards, a pencil, and a small envelope for each child. Have children write “You will receive power” on the card and decorate it. Encourage them to take it home and place it somewhere they will see it each morning as a reminder of Jesus’ promise.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this passage shows that the early church began with prayerful waiting and was empowered by the Holy Spirit to bear witness to Jesus. It reminds us that the mission of sharing the good news depends on God’s power rather than our own strength. The chapter also shows the importance of community prayer and of trusting God’s timing.
Be careful not to suggest to children that every believer will have dramatic experiences or that waiting always brings immediate answers. Keep the focus on Jesus’ promise and God’s faithfulness, and avoid making the Holy Spirit seem like a reward we earn.
A Prayer to Close
Jesus, thank you for the promise of your Holy Spirit. Help us to wait patiently for you, to pray together, and to share your love with our friends. Give us courage to tell others about you. Amen.
