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.
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.
Bullying. Just say the word, and most people have a story to tell. So what can you do to ensure that bullying doesn’t happen on your watch? Here are some pointers gathered from organizations that have studied the issue of bullying and its effect on kids.
In Sunday school, we want to create an environment where everybody belongs and everybody learns and grows together. What does that mean for kids with visual impairments? Check out these helpful ideas from Sister Barbara Cline, the Director of the Office of Faith Formation for the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids.
Imagine a room full of wide-eyed kids, amazed by the stories of Scripture; activity, variety, and discovery choreographed seamlessly into a lesson that captures the imagination and inspires! Consider these ideas for keeping your kids engaged and focused right from the start.
When a story engages our imaginations, it sticks with us long after the lesson. Here are three things I keep in mind each time I tell a story with kids.
Since the time we do have with Sunday School kids is so small, we need to make each minute count. We need to do two things: connect with families and connect with kids. Here’s how.
More Than Storytelling is a free workshop you can lead with your team that compares a variety of approaches to Biblical interpretation and teaching.
Here are some suggestions for helping you make your Sunday school a place where children experience the unbiased, unreserved love of Jesus and each other.