The story of Jesus calming the stormy sea is an exciting event that also packs important Biblical truths: God controls all things. He keeps His promises to take care for us, and will provide what we need. Just as Christ had command over the wind and waves on the lake, He has command over our hearts and can still our uncertain and stormy minds. These crafts aim to remind children of those comforting principles. A “storm scene”
We know that Jesus is divine…and we are “de branches”! These fruit-themed crafts remind students of the importance of staying rooted in and connected to Christ. When we stay close to Him, we bear spiritual fruit. Apart from that “vine”, we wither and wane. These crafts include grape themes galore. A grapes versus raisins collage imparts the truth that, while raisins cannot turn back into grapes, we can turn back to God when we stray. A collective
It’s important to communicate to children the authenticity of Jesus, and His authority in our lives. This was something that even His own disciples sometimes had difficulty understanding. After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to His followers, but He still had to explain God’s plan to them. In a way, He also had to prove who He was, that it was really the Messiah and not merely a ghost or vision. Jesus proved His identity and his power
This message communicates to children the importance of trusting that Jesus truly is God, and that He has authority to forgive our sins and encourage us in our faith. Jesus proved His identity by coming back to life from the dead! Because we believe in His death and resurrection, we should want to share that good news with others. Law/Gospel Theme: Jesus most certainly died and came back to life! Because of this, we have assurance that
Children tend to be rather trusting in general. However, they are also literal in their understanding and interpretation of things, and often have a hard time grasping abstract or unseen concepts. This message reminds kids that our faith in Jesus is reliable and true, even though we cannot physically see or touch the Lord. When we believe despite a lack of sight, Jesus says that we are considered “blessed”! Law/Gospel Theme: Jesus most certainly died and came
Easter is here! After journeying through the season of Lent and the solemnity of Good Friday, Easter is a joyous celebration. There are many fun and festive possible activities to create in celebrating springtime or Easter. As with most things in life, the central element here should be the Gospel of Christ. These crafts suggest creative ways to consider the joy and miracle of the Resurrection. A jelly bean mosaic provides a colorful way to contemplate Easter
Easter is (or should be) the pivotal holiday of the Christian faith. It celebrates the greatest event in history, and is a time of great rejoicing! Aside from the fancy dresses, fun decorations, and baskets, though, what is it that we honor for Easter? Young children might not always have a solid understanding of the story behind God’s great plan for mankind. In this message, the story of Good Friday and Easter is told through a favorite
Palm Sunday is a fun and triumphant church celebration, especially when it involves waving branches during service and having “mini parades” or songs. But what does it mean and celebrate? This message takes a look at the original events of Palm Sunday, with an emphasis on how Jesus had a different end goal and purpose than what the people wanted for Him. We recognize that He did not come to establish an earthly kingdom or to fulfill
Jesus Explains His Purpose (John 12:20-33)In John 12, Jesus is approached by a group of Greeks who want to know more about Him. He uses an agrarian analogy to describe how He must die in order to give others life, just as grain must fall to the ground in order to produce wheat. A glimpse of Christ’s glory is seen as the crowd hears this explanation. These crafts echo that passage. A pop-up card uses textured materials
This message demonstrates how Jesus died in order to give us life. Children will consider plants and seeds as an analogy of Christ’s sacrifice. Plants die in a sense and enter the earth, in order to grow up out of the ground and provide new life and vegetation. In the same way, Christ gave up His life, but rose again and gives life to all. Law/Gospel Theme: Jesus came to live a different sort of life, and
This children’s sermon is focused on recognizing the importance of who Jesus is in relation to God’s great plan for the salvation of all people. Children may be familiar with the John 3:16 passage, but might not fully understand what it means and why it is so important. The object lesson in this message uses images at unique angles to explain the importance of seeing Christ in light of the whole story of the Bible. Law/Gospel Theme:
This message explores the story of Jesus cleansing the temple, which was being corrupted and not used for proper worship. For this illustration, children will see an object being polluted and used for the wrong reason, and through that they will better understand Christ’s actions. Children will also hear the importance of respecting not only the church, but our own bodies and lives as instruments to worship God. Law/Gospel Theme: Focusing on distractions of rules and regulations,
The lesson accompanying these crafts focuses on the blessed assurance we take in knowing that God is faithful to His promises. The stories covered feature God’s covenants with Noah, Abraham, and David, and how all covenants were fulfilled in Christ, the New Covenant. These crafts explore elements of those covenant passages. A decorative “Ark of the Covenant” reflects back on the ancient days of the people of Israel. A rainbow comforts us with the thought that God
St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday with the strongest Christian roots. It’s the celebration of Patrick of Ireland, a missionary in the 4th century who shared the message of Jesus. His story is inspiring but often overshadowed by the cultural trappings of March 17th. This coloring page would be a perfect companion to telling the real story of Patrick. In her artwork, Mandy shows a teenage boy looking across water toward home. The illustration includes a simple
Lent is a season often associated with sober contemplation and reflection. It is a beautiful and wonderful time to consider service and prepare hearts for the rest of the year, and for whatever God has in store for our lives. Whether or not your church tradition honors Lent, it can be a good time of personal thought and of remembrance of the life and ministry of Jesus. These two crafts are meant to serve as positive visual
This message opens the season of Lent with thoughts about what it means to prepare for something. The time that Jesus spent in the wilderness prepared Him for His earthly ministry. As we go through Lent, we keep our hearts and minds focused on Christ and we prepare for the celebration of His resurrection and His eventual Second Coming. We also keep in mind that God has a plan and purpose for our lives, and we can
Last year, our friends at Go Curriculum created an easy-to-use family Easter Egg hunt. It was a wonderful way to help churches continue their ministry during the pandemic. It was a wild success and hundreds of congregations and thousands of families enjoyed the program. This year it’s back and freshly updated to help you share the Gospel with families again in 2021. The bad news – the pandemic is still hanging around. The good news – Go!
Discussing the healing miracles of Jesus is a beautiful way to remember how Christ cares for His people. It also encourages children to reach out and care for those around them. These two crafts are meant to celebrate the healing work of our Lord, and to remind kids to love and serve others. A decorative “helping hands” wreath allows students to brainstorm ways to care for people, and a card or wall hanging reminds them that Jesus
Children (especially in a post-COVID 19 world) are exposed to a lot of discussion surrounding health. They may be worried or concerned, or genuinely uncertain regarding what maintains and aids quality health. This message reminds all of us that Jesus is the true healer. Even if we do not see physical healing as quickly as we might hope, Jesus promises to heal our hearts, and has already taken care of the “sin sickness” that dwells inside us.
These crafts coincide with the story of Simeon and Anna in the temple at the dedication of Jesus. They waited long, and God did not disappoint. Christ was worth the wait! We recognize from this story that God is faithful to fulfill His promises, and that we can wait on Him, too. These two crafts touch on the element of waiting as well as trust in God. A decorative “clock” reminds us to wait patiently, and a
There are many marvelous variations possible when considering crafts that relate to angels. We might not know exactly what angels look like, but the traditional notion of white winged creatures lend themselves to fun creative creations. We most notably associate the celestial messengers with Christmas, due to the proclamation of Christ’s birth. In this Gospel lesson, an angel visits Mary to announce to her that she will be the chosen mother of Jesus. These crafts celebrate that
Make way! Someone special is coming! Who wouldn’t want to be the bearer of good news? The task of John the Baptist was an important one. He announced the coming of the Messiah. But he was not always celebrated and appreciated. He also brought a message calling people to repentance, and he wasn’t afraid to call out sin. John was eventually arrested and beheaded for his outspoken proclamations against wrongdoing. However, as we see the prophet at
How do we receive information? Is the news good, or frustrating? In this message, discuss who John the Baptist was and the message of hope he came to share. Encourage students to receive this good news and to tell others about the joy of Jesus. Main Objective: John the Baptist is a key figure in the Bible, not only for His place as baptizer of Christ. The New Testament prophet brought the blessed news of Christ’s coming,
Be prepared for the Second Coming! This message is based on the Gospel of Mark, where Jesus describes frightening events of the last days of Earth, but promises that He will come again for us. We don’t know when this will be, but we can hope in His promises and eagerly await His advent. In modern times of trouble, we can be comforted by knowing that God’s word will never change or pass away, and He will
