Let’s face it—the last thing some kids want to do is sit still and listen to a teacher talk for 45 minutes, especially after a long week of school. Keep kids interested in learning about God’s word by using playful games to break up your lesson. These 3 active games for children’s church are time tested choices that are easy … More Children’s Ministry Resources
If you haven’t heard yet, there is a free e-book called What Matters Now in Children’s Ministry in which 33 members of the children’s ministry community were asked to pick one word which describes what matters now in children’s ministry. That word selection is then explored further in 200-300 words chapters in the book. You can also find much more information … More Children’s Ministry Resources
These pictures are the start of a free Gospel coloring book we are publishing here on the website. It is built around the question, “Who is my king?” and was inspired by the excellent Who Will Be King? evangelism booklet for children. Click here to view all the pages. Mandy Groce is the artist behind this latest coloring page series. … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Last summer, we did a VBS program from the Go Fish Guys at my church. It was a great experience and we enjoyed the music that went along with it. One of my favorites was a song called the Ten Commandment Boogie. It’s part of our large selection of free resources that teach the 10 commandments for kids. It’s basically … More Children’s Ministry Resources
You might think kids would get tired of tag games, but that’s just not the case. Here is a variation of classic freeze tag we play in our children’s ministry. Here’s what you’ll need. Well defined play area, an outside field or gym would work well Two soft objects to use for tagging A whistle (optional) Between 10-20 minutes Game … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Yes! We want you to use our content. This page offers some guidelines for re-publishing our content online and in print. As always, we want local churches to printout and distribute our materials within the church. These are suggestions are for other uses beyond direct kids ministry. If you have additional questions just leave a comment on this post. Can I teach … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This lesson is based on the the first chapter of the Book of Jonah. It focuses on how a person’s disobedience to God causes difficulty in the lives of others. Despite knowing his mission from God, Jonah allowed prejudice and fear to control his actions. This lesson plan was prepared for older elementary Sunday School, but you modify it to use … More Children’s Ministry Resources
With all the content on our website, it can be easy for new readers to miss some great articles. In this post I want to highlight some of our most encouraging writings. Like always, you can print these off to share with others and even publish them in your church newsletter. If you have a blog or church website, you have … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This is a Sunday school lesson is about being adopted into God’s family based on Galatians 4:4. It can be adapted for use in a preschool classroom or elementary aged classroom. The lesson is followed by a paper doll self portrait craft activity. Feel free to modify this Bible lesson for your own ministry setting. Be creative and make it personal … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Are you looking for materials for your children’s Sunday School? Then you’ll love all the free resources we have posting and linked on our website. Here is a collection of our most popular resources to get you started. New Materials for Sunday School Need something else? Then, use the search feature in the right sidebar or browse our table of … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This is the fourth lesson plan in our series for preschoolers about knowing God. Each lesson is based on a passage from Isaiah 40 and will help younger children grow in their knowledge and love for God. Be sure to read the series introduction for teaching tips and explanation of the lesson format. This lesson is targeted for older preschool … More Children’s Ministry Resources
It was inevitable. If my husband or I dropped our son off in the church nursery, there would be blood curdling screaming, a clenching of every finger around our legs, and a domino effect with the other children in the room. Our nursery workers were equipped as superheroes with patience, prayer, determination, and compassionate care, yet still the battle of … More Children’s Ministry Resources
As we begin to prepare for fall, and get everyone excited about the next year in ministry, I return to an old favorite — Simply Strategic Stuff. Simply Strategic Stuff, by Tim Stevens and Tony Morgan, and published by Group, claims to be “help for leaders drowning in the details of running a church”. These two men hail from Granger … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This lesson is a continuation of the study of the Book of Acts. Paul and Barnabas face difficulties in Iconium and Lystra but continue to share the Good News because they are empowered with the Holy Spirit. Children will learn that God helps us stick to our mission, even when things get hard. This lesson can be adapted for Children’s … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I am a big fan of music. I do have one criteria when it comes to the music I choose to listen to though – it has to be good. That criteria applies to my kids’ music as well. If they want to listen to bad music when they are by themselves, that’s fine. But, if we’re all going to … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This is the next coloring sheet in our series about creation. It shows a scene from Day 6 when God made people. This picture is inspired by Genesis 1:26-31 and illustrated by visual artist Mandy Groce. If you enjoy this coloring page, please leave a comment below to say thanks for her excellent work. Directions: Click on the image above to download … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Here is a Bible lesson for children based on Psalm 51 where David asks God to give him a clean heart. The focus is to help the children be aware and mindful of their sinful heart so they see their need for Jesus. It can be followed up by any craft activity involving a heart to remind them of how … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Psalm 34:8 invites us to, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Jesus calls Himself the bread of life and He encourages His followers to be the salt of the earth. There are innumerable references to fruit, fish, and oil in the Bible. Sometimes food staples such as these are mentioned as part of the typical diet consumed. Other … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This lesson is a continuation of Paul and Barnabas’ first missionary journey. In this lesson they experience rejection to the message of the Gospel and also see many respond with faith as they hear the message. The lesson can be used in Children’s church and also simplified for younger students. Be creative and adapt this lesson to fit your own … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I will preface this post by saying that this is not a post with a whole lot of answers (to be properly read….none). Instead, this post focuses on a series of questions that have been bouncing around my head recently when it comes to teaching kids about God. I recently came across the following quote from Richard Baxter, and I … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Here is a preschool lesson about prayer for your toddler or preschool Sunday School class at church. It’s based on selected scriptures and teachers younger children this powerful truth – they can talk to God. This lesson plan was written for a preschool class at church, but it could be modified for other ministry settings. You could expand it for … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I find that it isn’t all that hard to talk to kids. They like to talk if you can find some common ground and explore something that really interests them. As children’s ministers, and as parents, though, there are things that they need to hear from us. Words are powerful things, and the tongue has the power to build up … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Here is a simple Bible lesson for preschoolers. It’s based on the story in John’s Gospel where Jesus directs the disciples to cast their nets and provides a miraculous catch of fish. This story shows Jesus’ power over nature and his desire to help us. This lesson works well for a preschool Sunday School class. You could also use it … More Children’s Ministry Resources
In a previous post, I described the spiritual dangers for overly religious kids. I was writing about kids who get too much church and not enough relationship with Jesus. Most of the comments from that post were supportive and agreed with my assessment. Many readers saw a connection with being over-churched and giving up on church as teenagers. That makes this issue even … More Children’s Ministry Resources