Holy Spirit Ornaments

To recognize that the Holy Spirit guides the Church's mission

The?young people?will be able to identify the Holy Spirit as a guide in the Church's mission.

• Bibles
• Dough, prepared before the session (See recipe in Hints section.)
• Dove-shaped cookie cutters
• Markers
• Small strips of ribbon
• Rolling pin

• Explain to the?young people?the significance of the dove at Pentecost. Remind them that the Holy Spirit arrives in the form of a dove in the Gospels.
• The?young people?will be creating special dove ornaments of clay or dough. You will need to supply each child with a ball of dough and have small groups share a rolling pin and dove-shaped cookie cutters.
• Ask the?young people?to think about a special gift they would like to share with others as they make their doves.
• Pass out dough and dove-shaped cookie cutters, and instruct?them to make dove shapes.
• When all the doves have been molded, help the?young people?poke small holes in the tops of their doves.
• When all have finished, collect the doves and bake at 200 degrees until they have reached desired hardness (baking times will vary depending on size and thickness of objects). If dough begins to darken before baking is complete, cover with aluminum foil. If time or resources are limited, consider giving recipe to children to bake dough at home with their families.
• The dough will need time to dry, so invite the?young people?to silently follow along in their Bibles as you read aloud from 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13.
• After the reading, invite the young people to share how they understand Paul's message.
• Spend some time discussing the many gifts we possess and can share with others as a way of celebrating our commitment to Jesus.
• When you feel the doves are dry enough to write on, have the children write in marker across their doves, The Holy Spirit Works in Me.
• Then, give each child a ribbon to string through the hole on his or her dove.
• Invite the?young people?to find a special place at home to display their doves.
• Before the?young people?leave, say: On Pentecost, we celebrate the special gifts that God gives us. The gift of the Holy Spirit strengthens us to continue Jesus' mission in the world today.

Art/Space Smart, People Smart, Word Smart

Use the following recipe to make the dough:

Ingredients
4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cups hot water

Mix salt and flour together, then gradually add water until dough becomes elastic. Add flour if your mixture turns out too sticky. Add water if it's too crumbly. Knead dough until it's consistent and ready to mold into shapes.

Try to have plenty of dough and cookie cutters shaped like doves for the children. If necessary, ask for extra help from parents or parishioners who would be willing to help the children during this activity.