Let's discuss faith-shaping ministries to kids.
Faith Formation
Staci
Lenae
Ron
Diane
I see them all around — people standing just off the street holding signs for businesses. Once I even saw one dressed like the Statue of Liberty. The world is getting so noisy that we need to have people standing by the street to get our attention.
Here is a book I have used many times and keep returning to it when I need a new idea. Each page is packed with art ideas that can be used in working with children and teens in Sunday school.
We want to do the best job we can as teachers. We want to think carefully about our lessons and how we teach. The most important first step in being a great Sunday School teacher, though, is showing up.
We sometimes like to change things up in worship or in church school because we often crave new things but it is good for us to remember that rituals are not just boring routine — they are things that often make us feel.
Sometimes I see art as something to take up some extra time. But it is much, much more than that — it could be the time we spend doing art in Sunday School has the biggest chance for a lasting impact.
While reading a book about creation, one of the first pages in the book had this question: “Who named the animals?” Immediately many of the kids responded by saying “God”. When you’re in Sunday School “God” is a pretty safe answer to most questions, right?
The church is much bigger than just our town or country. God’s people live all over this world. By singing songs written by people from other parts of the world we can better understand them, what is important to them, and the challenges they face.
One of the wondering questions for the Parable of the Ten Virgins was "I wonder who the foolish virgins were?” A child answered, "I know, it was Jill" (another child in the class). What is the best way to respond?
The three year olds I teach in Sunday school are wonderfully creative and fun but I need to be ready to adjust my lesson on the fly. A few weeks ago the lesson I had prepared began with each child getting a paper figure of a child to represent themselves. Then I handed out the figures ... That’s when things started to go in ways I didn’t plan for.
It's always fun to visit other churches and see what they do. One pastor I spoke with this week told me about something unique that his church does for 6th grade Sunday school. The group meets after the worship service and spends the whole time discussing the sermon
This age is a challenge for me. I plan something active, then a quiet activity, followed by something active again. Because these children are quite young I can go through many of these active/quiet sets in half an hour. Yet some days, no matter what I do, they lose interest.
I recently attended the Dwell preview event. Each story in the curriculum has been given a symbol and these symbols are included on all of the materials for that story.
Sunday School teacher is not just a teacher, but part of a child's family.
As Sunday school teachers, we know how critical prayer and preparation are for sharing a great lesson. If you tend to be like me and associate planning with panic and procrastination, try these tips to help you skip the stress.
This activity involves making up a prayer to the tune of a song you know. This is great for kids who are musical or who love to move around, and it works as an individual or a group prayer activity. It also lends itself to a broader conversation about worship and prayer.
How do you use technology in your ministry, and what techi tools work well for you?
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.
Togetherville.com is a Facebook-like social network for children. I clicked the link to check it out and was struck by their tagline: “Online Neighborhoods for Kids and Their Grownups.”
A scene from the Prodigal Son story flashed through my mind--the moment when the father is telling the older son, "You are always with me, and all that I have is yours!" On a smaller scale it’s like that with children’s ministry, too.
A six-year-old girl stormed into my class this Sunday with fists clenched. She was angry at a friend — another one of the girls in my class. What do you do in moments like these — when you have a class full of kids and one of them is struggling with real life stuff?
It's bound to happen. An energetic eight year old will test your patience. A sixth grader will start to annoy the other kids in your group... How will you respond?Here are four quick tips to help you keep things under control...
Okay, that advice might be a little extreme, but the first few weeks of Sunday school are critical.
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.
Holy week was a whirlwind of noise, energy, and emotion! Help your kids wonder at the sound of tables crashing in the temple, the thump, thump of approaching soldiers, the crow of a rooster.
Whether you’re a 9 year old at Sunday school or a 19 year old at college, setting the books to song is still the best way to remember them—and the song selection keeps getting better!