Step by Step—Session Prep
While leaders do bring fun into the classroom, they’re not clowns. Their fun has a serious purpose, and it’s carefully planned to land in square in the hearts of children.
Let's discuss faith-shaping ministries to kids.
While leaders do bring fun into the classroom, they’re not clowns. Their fun has a serious purpose, and it’s carefully planned to land in square in the hearts of children.
When you are intentional about building community, God is pleased. Do your best and ask God do the rest.
What do kids do best? Talk and move! Yet what do teachers often want them to do? Be quiet and sit still. What’s wrong with this picture?
It’s time to look at how to use basic storytelling techniques effectively to help your kids enter and live into God’s big story as it’s presented in Dwell.
Ready for some good news? You’re not alone—there’s a whole group of wannabe teachers in your room who are ready to share the teaching load. That would be your kids! It may not make mathematical sense, but here’s a good equation to remember: 2 teach is 2 learn 2 times!
Without regular maintenance you might wear out. Teaching is hard work. You need to balance your effort and energy with adequate time for rest. God says, “Catch your breath! Take a break. Come apart and be with me a while.”
When Dorothy arrives in the Land of Oz, she looks around and tells her dog, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” You may feel like Dorothy as you realize children are growing up in a different world than you did!
We all have different “comfort zones” when it comes to prayer. Use these prayer pointers to expand your comfort zone!
A wise person once said you only need three loves and two skills to be a good teacher.
One of the most precious gifts you can give to the children in your group is to truly listen to them. When you listen, you’re giving them permission, inviting them to ask important questions and explore their faith.
Are you looking for some ways to encourage the kids in your group to talk and listen to God? If so, check out these suggestions for teaching children about prayer.
Wondering what the best kinds of questions are to stimulate kids’ imaginations and nurture their faith in the classroom? Check out these tips...
We expect those who provide a service to have expertise in that area and to be equipped to meet that specific need. The same applies to teachers: kids expect you to speak from experience when you teach — to “walk your talk,” as we say.
Transparency isn’t just another name for an “overhead” — it’s also an essential quality of a good teacher. To be true to Christ and to the kids you teach, cultivate honesty in your life by keeping in mind these tips.
Sunday school teachers are a lot like plants. Without support they’ll dry up, wither away, and disappear. Sounds pretty harsh, right? But that’s the way it is with ministry.
As one experienced teacher put it, creating a disciplined environment to ensure optimal learning requires equal parts of technique and personality.
The kids who collaborated to write and star in this "Dear Teacher" video represent students with various learning disabilities. They wanted to share with educators how their brain works and offer simple ways teachers can help.
Looking for an impromptu, meaningful way for the children in your small group to retell the Bible story? Check out this idea from blogger Mina Munns at Flame: Creative Kids Children’s Ministry.
God must love immigrants — the Bible is so full of them! Here are some building blocks that will help you welcome children from immigrant families.
Children aren’t the church of tomorrow — they’re the church of today just as much as adults are! Find ways you can help kids identify, develop, and use their gifts for the benefit of the body.
I recently found a fabulous pattern for making wonderful stand-up Bible story characters. I’ve listed three ideas for how you might use them but I'm sure there are many more!
Puppets can be a great teaching tool for Sunday School teachers. They encourage creativity and can help lessons "stick."
Have you come across something or developed something to help kids learn about and experience the spiritual habit of fasting? By fasting, I don't necessarily mean fasting from food, but abstaining from something for a specific period of time for the sake of seeking God more fully.
How can we make listening a key part of our time together with kids?
I always like to spend a few minutes playing a getting-to-know-you game on the first day of Sunday school. Here are two of my favorites.