You’ve been asked to teach children’s church this Sunday - without curriculum. Here is the 9 step process I use every week to write lessons for children’s church. If this article is helpful please leave a comment to let me know. This article is a work in progress and I would love to hear your ideas.
#1 Pray: Begin by asking for God’s help. Omitting prayer will lead to an attitude of pride and leave your lesson spiritually weak. So stop reading now and pray for God’s help … really.
#2 Read: Start as early as possible to read the Bible passage you will be teaching. I like to read through the passage several before crafting my lesson. This step is foundational. You can’t teach what you don’t understand. Make notes of difficult words or ideas. Write down anything that God uses to deepen your love for Him.
#3 Focus: Ask yourself, “What is this passage saying about God?” You must discover what God is saying about himself in the passage. Children don’t need Bible facts. They need to know God. Everything about your children’s church lesson must be focused on God.
#4 Apply: Discover the connection of the passage to daily life. After answering the BIG GOD QUESTION you are ready for application. If the passage teaches that God is strong to save his people, how does this apply to the children? Resist the temptation to bend the passage around your application. Be crystal clear. Use real life examples.
#5 Draft: Write an initial draft of your lesson. This is an essential step for me to know where I am going with the lesson. I need a concrete plan. I rarely use my notes when I teach but having them give me the freedom to teach.
#6 Check: Compare your lesson to a doctrinally solid children’s story Bible. I only use these sources after I’ve written my children’s church lesson. I usually find ideas illustrations and object lessons from these sources.
#7 Supplement: Find relevant supporting material for your lesson. There are many free sources for coloring sheets, children’s ministry activities or Sunday school games available. I’m a member of Kidology - for $44 per year they may be the only supplemental resource your need. You can also find some ideas from my post on free Sunday school lessons for children.
#8 Feedback: Seek input from others. Once your lesson is complete, ask your pastor or fellow children’s ministry volunteers to review it. They might have a great idea to contribute.
#9 Evaluate: Review your lesson after you’ve taught it. In my ministry I’ve often learned best from trial and error. This step will take some discipline, but constantly examining your children’s church lessons will make you a better teaching. Be sure to thank God for what works and ask for wisdom to learn from your mistakes.
I want to hear from you. If this article has been helpful or not so helpful, leave me a comment to let me know what you think.
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Dave Wakerley 07.26.07 at 7:10 am
Great post Tony!
I’m using this for this weekend.
Todd McKeever 07.26.07 at 7:44 am
Great post, love to see the Kidology link in there as well. Keep up the good work.
Tony Kummer 07.26.07 at 8:34 am
Dave & Todd,
Thank you for your kind comments and thanks for reading.
Karl Bastian 07.26.07 at 8:37 am
Great article. Indiana’s not too far away - we should get together some time! I’d love to meet you, it seems we share a passion for children’s ministry!
Thanks for mentioning Kidology, you made my day. So glad it is a help to your ministry. I’ll be following your blog! Good Stuff!
Tony Kummer 07.26.07 at 8:43 am
Karl,
I remember reading an article from you about beginning in children’s ministry. It was very helpful and made me think I might just be able to do it.
Karl Bastian 07.26.07 at 8:51 am
Wow, now you have made my day.
You should consider joining the Kidology CP Team if you enjoy writing and encouraging others. For more info contact Todd, his post is above mine.
Keep on keeping on!
Glen Woods 07.26.07 at 3:56 pm
A resource which you might find helpful is Leroy Ford’s “Design for Teaching and Training: A Self-Study Guide to Lesson Planning.” It is a step-by-step guide for designing a lesson and a pretty easy read.
Blessings,
Glen Woods
Tony Kummer 07.26.07 at 10:57 pm
Glen,
Thanks for the tip. I actually just bought that book a few weeks back.
Ray Thomson 07.30.07 at 5:31 pm
Hey Tony,
Great post. And thanks for the kidology link - I hadn’t come across it before.
Ray
Todd McKeever 07.30.07 at 5:47 pm
Glad you have learned about Kidology, now.
Tony, way to provide links.
Zella Warren 02.29.08 at 1:09 pm
I have just started helping in Childrens’ Church. Thanks for your help, suggestions, etc. I want to be sure each week that our children get the Word put into their hearts.