This week, we learned about the moment when the early church sent Barnabas and Saul (who we now know as Paul) on a very important journey. Before they left, the believers gathered to pray and worship. During that time, the Holy Spirit spoke and made it clear that Barnabas and Saul were being called to do something special for God.

Then something powerful happened: the church laid hands on them.

The laying on of hands is an ancient practice—a way of saying, “We believe in you,” and “We’re with you.” When the early believers placed their hands on Barnabas and Saul, they weren’t just sending them off—they were reminding them that they weren’t alone. The whole community was with them in spirit, and more importantly, God was with them too.

That’s how the Holy Spirit works. The Spirit speaks, calls, and sends. And the Spirit gives us strength, just like Jesus promised:

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…” (Acts 1:8)

Even today, the Spirit is still calling people to do big things in love, kindness, and faith. And sometimes the Spirit calls kids, too.

What We Learned:

• The Holy Spirit calls and sends people out to share God’s love.
• When we pray for each other, we are showing that we are a community of faith.
• God’s Spirit gives us power to be brave, loving, and kind wherever we go.
• We are never alone—our church and the Spirit go with us.

In class, we talked about what it means to be “sent” by God—not just to faraway places like Barnabas and Saul, but even to our schools, neighborhoods, and homes. We colored cutouts of hands and wrote encouraging prayers on them to remind each other: you’re not alone, and you are loved.

See you in church Sunday, where we’ll learn more about the Holy Spirit!