free bible stories for kids | Sunday school lessons | children's ministry resources
There is a reason this game is a classic. It is aways fun. Get the wiggles and jiggles out of the kids before you teach them the Word of God.
http://www.greatgroupgames.com/musical-chairs.htm
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EFFECTIVE STORY TELLING – MAKE IT EXCITING
A Blog by Rev. Grace Verrier
Some of the stories I read to the kids in my class were good ones but often I would lose the attention of the children (and of course we know what happens then). I decided to research how other children’s pastors could keep kids on the edge of their seats when they were reading or telling stories. These are some of the things I learned:
When I began to incorporate these methods, the children would beg me to tell them stories. It made it fun for them and of course it was so much easier for me.
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John the Baptist said of Jesus, “He must increase and I must decrease”.
I have the philosophy in my capacity as volunteer leader of the kids club outreach, that I would like to work myself out of a job. Nothing pleases me more than to see the kids we have ministered to, rising up and taking responsibility for different aspects of the program. Making leaders is the most rewarding thing we can do.
Our greatest resources for future workers, are the children themselves. As they become confident readers, begin to use them as puppeteers, in music and skits etc. Use them as greeters. New children feel most comfortable when greeted by children.
Teenagers and new Christians are also a good source of help for your children’s ministry. I have often had adult new believers thank me for recruiting them to children’s ministry because the bible stories and principles were taught in such a simple to understand way.
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ADVANTAGES OF CHILDREN’S MINISTRY
A Blog by Rev. Grace Verrier
On occasion my husband has lost the attention of his congregants while he is preaching. It is always obvious to me that he has done so, but he never seems to notice. Adults are so polite when they find something you are speaking about uninteresting. However, children will soon let you know when you have lost their attention. They are so honest. All you have to do is change your way of ministering and they’ll be right back in tune with you. You can be totally honest with them, even telling them not to talk while you are talking. (I wonder what would happen if the pastor did that in adult church?) They can be so funny in their questions and reactions to what you are teaching and so innocent when receiving God’s word at face value. Best of all they definitely forget your mistakes. Once I made a mistake and said there were 10 spies who went into the promised land. (Imagine how that would have gone over in adult church!) To correct myself the following week all I said was, “Last week what I told you was wrong. There weren’t 10 spies – there were 12 spies.” The children answered, “Okay.”, and that was the end of it. So simple!
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There is a Ted Talk that I recently watched and really enjoyed (Meg Jay: Why 30 is NOT the new 20). Essentially the counsellor says that many people in their 20’s have put off doing important things, believing that there was no urgency. This mindset delayed significant life milestones such as finding life purpose, marriage and family. Needless to say their stress levels go through the roof when they get into their 30’s and they realize they have wasted a decade of their lives.
As followers of Jesus, we should live always cognizant that each day has a purpose. There will be no greater joy for the believer than to hear Jesus say, “Well done good and faithful servant.”
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LEADING CHILDREN TO JESUS
A Blog by Rev. Grace Verrier
My husband and I often compare pulpit ministry after the a.m. service. The first question we ask each other is, “How many people came to know Jesus personally during the service?” He will tell me his number and I will tell him mine. Mine is always bigger. It is so easy to lead a child to Jesus. Children’s hearts are always open to God’s Spirit as He draws them. All that is necessary is that they fully understand the way of salvation. For example, after telling what Jesus did for them I ask them, “Who wants to ask Jesus to be the boss of their life?” Their response is always “I do.” Then I help them with a simple prayer like, “Dear God, thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross to take away the bad stuff in my life. I ask you Jesus to come into my heart and be my boss forever. Thank you that you do it right now and you will never go away. Amen”. I just wish leading adults to the Lord was as simple. Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
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I was born and raised in Northern Ontario, Canada, in an unorganized township about 30 miles from the nearest 5,000 person town. Even in that remote place, God was reaching out to people. An elderly woman held a Christian meeting in an old falling down church each Sunday morning. She left a powerful legacy in our community.
When I was seven years old, I heard her tell the adults that if they asked Jesus to come into their hearts, then one day they would go to Heaven when they died. Sitting at the back of the room, while colouring a paper, I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I didn’t know that decision would mean anything to anyone, so I didn’t tell anyone.
Years later I learned that this elderly lady had spent her life in the north reaching out to people for the Lord. She even drove from community to community by dog sled. (In the days I knew her, she had a car.)
As a child, I had no idea what she had imparted to me but now as an adult I admire her courage and thank God often for her. I hope I live my life worthy of her commitment and sacrifices.
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Challenge the kids to use their memories. You might want to make a list of words from today’s lesson. Be sure to read the words for the sake of the kids who can’t read yet.
http://www.greatgroupgames.com/memory-game.htm
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TRAINING CHILDREN
A blog by Rev. Grace Verrier
Did you know that Abraham was chosen to be the father of a great and powerful nation because God knew he would instruct his children in the ways of the Lord? (Genesis 18:18-19) Proverbs 22:6 instructs us to “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” I have heard some say, “Don’t teach children the Bible. Let them decide when they are adults if they want to study the Bible and become Christians.” To me that is like saying, “Don’t give children skating lessons. Let them decide when they are adults if they want to enter the Olympics.” Proverbs says “train” a child and we often equate that to “teach” a child. However, training and teaching are different activities.
When teaching you are telling someone why and how to do something. When training, you cause someone to do something. For example, when my children were small and my object was to get them to pick up their toys, I would first instruct them to do so. Then I would go and train them how to do it sometimes using fun-type encouragement and other times taking their little hands in mine and “helping” them to pick up. (My own mother was fully versed in training children. To this day my tea towels do not fit into my towel drawer efficiently because my mother trained me to fold them into thirds instead of quarters. And when I was old I did not depart from that training.) I often use training methods to encourage children to worship God. I might say,
“Touch your toes
Touch your knees,
Touch your nose,
Touch your fleas,
…and now that your hands are in the air let’s lift them to God”
(Can you picture the pastor doing this in adult church? ( However, I am sure he might want to on occasion because many adults still need to be trained in how to worship God.) Some might think that we are only teaching children to copy us. However, that is like saying you only give children swimming lessons in order to have them copy you. When children are taking swimming lessons they are being trained in the laws of survival. When children are being taught and trained in the ways to worship God, they are learning spiritual survival.
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I remember when I started a new job working as a legal secretary, there was a secretary in the law firm who disliked me. I didn’t understand then and I don’t now understand why she was so cold toward me, but I decided to treat her kindly and engage her as I did the other secretaries. Suddenly, one day the lady starting talking to me and it was like there had never been any period of coldness.
We should remind children that we can’t control other people and make them like us. We can only control ourselves and our responses.
Love your enemies. Let God work on the other person’s heart.
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AVAILABILITY – A Blog by Rev. Grace Verrier
I was teaching a workshop on Children’s Ministry when I first met Patti Loranger. She told me later that when she saw how I taught children at their own level sometimes using outrageous methods, she questioned my validity. However, as we got to know each other (and she eventually moved to the city where I ministered regularly) she not only appropriated everything she could learn from my experience but she greatly surpassed me in Children’s Ministry. I knew that the day she went on her own and immediately started a bus ministry and neighbourhood out reach programs, that she was not going to just stay in her church to teach – she was going “into all the world” as Jesus instructed. (Matthew 28:18-20)
I thought about my own call to Children’s Ministry. I remember I didn’t really like children except my own. However, the church I was saved in had a shortage of Sunday School teachers and was about to ask me to teach (because they thought I would learn the Word as I taught it). The day they were about to ask me I slipped down the church steps and my children and I took a tumble. I was furious at my husband for not helping and I yelled at the top of my voice chastising him. (Remember I was just a new Christian.) Needless to say they couldn’t have someone like me teach Children so I got to sit in the adult teaching session and learn the Bible for over a year. Then I asked God to use me in any way He wanted. I heard in my spirit that He wanted me to teach children. I argued that I only liked my own children and anyway, the Pastor’s wife had witnessed my outburst the previous year so she would never approve it. She was the Sunday School Superintendent and because I felt I heard God’s voice I cautiously approached her and asked for her position. She just stared at me open mouthed. Then she waved to her best friend, Esther, and in front of me said, “Well, it seems our prayer was answered.”
The pastor’s wife had been feeling a tremendous amount of pressure because she had too many duties in the church and the day before, she and Esther had called out to God to send someone to help her. They had asked God to have the right person approach them and ask for the job of Sunday School Superintendent. (I am sure that they would not have even considered me as a prospect if they hadn’t asked for God’s confirmation.) Needless to say my application was accepted and I knew I would have to study teaching methods and organizational methods to do the job and I began research immediately. I was uncertain if I could do the job properly, however, one day God spoke so clearly to me, “It is not your ability I look for – it is your availability!” I have never looked back.
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Here are a couple of ideas that really help to keep your audience’s attention. Daydreaming is something we all fall into sometimes, but especially kids. Daydreaming is generally good except when we should be focusing on something important. To bring the daydreamer back online with your lesson, have the children repeat key phrases in your lesson. If you want to really imprint this information on their minds, have them repeat each phrase a few times.
The other method to bring the daydreamer back to the lesson is to call them by name and ask them a question.
Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.