Praying for your kids seems so easy when they are small, sweet and perfect. However, if your child gets sick, or appears to lose interest in God or strays from the recommended path, it’s not as simple. As children’s ministry leaders, we also have the responsibility to pray for all the sheep in our care, still many leaders don’t know … More Children’s Ministry Resources
In God’s kingdom, everything has teaching value, including the sweet, sometimes sour, gummy worm. This inexpensive candy makes a fantastic teaching aid for many different Bible object lessons. Gummies have a flexible, wormy body that you can shake and stretch while you talk. When the demonstration is through, you’ll have a tasty treat to share. I’ve got three easy object … More Children’s Ministry Resources
The short answer? A hearty yes! But it pays to understand the pros and cons of parent volunteers. No matter what size ministry you operate, you can find a place for a pair of willing hands. Let’s start with the positives, recognize the possible negatives and then move on to how to lead parent volunteers. The Positive Points Kids … More Children’s Ministry Resources
In just a few weeks or months, you’ve detected a subtle shift in kids’ attitudes, a lower-than-usual attendance, a lack of excitement amongst your volunteers. Of course, this kind of ebb and flow can occur naturally in ministry but sometimes a downturn may have a real, substantive cause. Having served in children’s ministry for over fifteen years, I’m certainly not … More Children’s Ministry Resources
The following lesson is an adaptation that I made for our older elementary age students. Students will discover that we show our love for God by obedience to His Word. This is only a lesson guide, please adapt to the the needs of your ministry. Bible Passage: Joshua 23-24 Bible Story Title: Serve God Target Age Group: Ages 9-11 (3rd-5th Grade U.S.A.) … More Children’s Ministry Resources
When I first began working in Christian ministry fifteen years ago, I had never worked with puppets before. Our small church had a rickety plywood puppet stand and a few worn puppets but honestly, I didn’t really use them. As a matter of fact, I promptly got rid of them and introduced some other ministry tools like a DVD player. … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Children rarely hear about the blessings of God outside a Christian household or a church environment, making it a crucial topic that we need to faithfully teach. I believe God loves positive reinforcement, otherwise He would not bless us for our obedience and faith in Him. Kids need to know that yes, there are consequences for doing wrong but doing … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This free Bible lesson will help preschoolers learn what it means to follow Jesus. We’ve included several learning activities, but we would love to hear your suggestions to make this lesson even better. Simply leave a comment at the bottom of this page. Lesson Title: The Narrow Gate and the Wide Gate Bible Reference: Matthew 7:13-14 Target Age Group: Preschool … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Use this Bible lesson with younger children to teach how their actions can show others what Jesus is like. We’ve included some simple learning activities, but you should adapt this lesson plan to best fit your own students and learning environment. We welcome your comments at the end of this post. Lesson Title: The Salt and the Light Bible Reference: … More Children’s Ministry Resources
For my Wednesday Night Bible Study class for Kindergarteners-6th grade, I decided to do an overview of the life of Stephen. Most of us know that he was the first Christian killed for his faith, but do we know what led up to that? Well, here’s an overview of what Acts 6 & 7 says about Stephen and his incredible … More Children’s Ministry Resources
We created this free printable as a tool to help children learn about the second book of 2 Chronicles. You can also search our website and find lesson plans another ideas related to the history of Israel and their Kings. We are in the early stages of creating a coloring sheet for each book in the Bible. The project is just beginning … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Children love themes and I guess, so do I. A theme is the perfect vehicle for building excitement and gathering both the usual faces and some new ones to your ministry. A pirate theme, while a bit tried, is easy to incorporate, thanks to the local dollar and party stores. I’ve got some cool games, a craft and an activity … More Children’s Ministry Resources
2 1/2 years ago, my husband and I decided that we would be homeschooling our two boys. It was, and still it, the right decision for our family. Since I stay home with our boys, you would think that I have oodles and oodles of quality time with them. After homeschooling them, housework, meals, and work for the church, it … More Children’s Ministry Resources
**This is a guest post from Nick Diliberto from PreteenMinistry.net Lesson Title: Thirsty? (Woman at the Well) Bible Passage: John 4:7–10; 13–14 Bottom Line: Like water satisfies the body, Jesus satisfies the soul. OPENING GAME – HUNGRY? Supplies — Signs that say: Family, School, Sports, Shopping, T.V., Online Activity, Video Games. Feel free to modify this list based on your specific preteen … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This lesson begins a brief study of Judges. The students will discover that God’s people continuously sinned and turned away from Him They were punished and God faithfully delivered them when they cried out to Him. This is only a suggested guide to teach this lesson. Please prepare and adapt for the needs of your ministry. Bible Passage: Judges 3 Bible … More Children’s Ministry Resources
One wise minister once said, “If you don’t put on a program for kids, they will put on one for you.” Those words are so true! From beginning to end, I plan almost every detail of our weekly meeting but I used to fall short with pre-church activities. Many of our children arrive early on one of our vans or … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Clearly hearing God’s voice can save us from some serious missteps in our daily Christian walk. Jesus told his disciples,”My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 (NIV) What an encouraging verse, but how can we achieve good spiritual hearing? I like these three object lessons; they demonstrate the most important concepts about … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This free lesson plan is about Jesus calling his first disciples. It’s designed for a younger age group, even preschoolers, but could be modified for any learning context. Please leave your comments below to offer your suggestions and help other readers. Lesson Title: Fishers of Men Bible Reference: Luke 5:1-11 Target Age Group: Preschool Learning Context: Sunday School Target Time Frame: … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I’m sure that all of us have worried at least one time in our lives. If we’re honest with ourselves, we all worry more than we should: about our kids, about our jobs, about our future. Maybe you are worrying right now about something. Is one of your children not making the best choices for their life? Are there too … More Children’s Ministry Resources
The offering portion of your VBS should undoubtedly be one of the most exciting times in your children’s program. Giving is essential to Christian ministry; it both blesses the ministry and the people who receive the ministering. Why shouldn’t it be joyful? Here’s what we do for taking up an offering at special kids’ events. I run contests, usually it’s … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This free coloring sheet is one part of Mandy’s six page coloring book for kids about honoring God with their daily routine. Use the links below to download this sheet or get the entire book in one file. The PDF format is easiest to print and the JPEG is helpful if you plan to edit the text using Photoshop. Time to Pray … More Children’s Ministry Resources
It’s that time of year! Time to get into the community and meet new people. This summer, try one of these seven outreaches or use them all and you may experience a surprising increase in attendance. Meet new families or build stronger ties with current ones with these fun summer outreaches. Host a puppet class. This outreach only takes a … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Looking for an inexpensive summer theme for a VBS, kids’ event or Sunday School? You can easily put together a summer Sunday camp with items from around your home. Kids love this playful theme and it works for day and night! If you can get your hands on one, a star projector works great at a “camp in.” Flip off … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Now that you’ve tucked away the crayons and craft components, it’s time to think about the follow up call. Simply hoping your visitors will come back won’t do. Collect those registration cards and call your visitors, but be prepared. It helps to have a script to use, so you’ll remember to touch on all the important points. I like calling … More Children’s Ministry Resources