Tag: teaching materials

Posted on by

SOUR RELIGION

The church has had 2000 years to win the world by religion, and many times the religion is “sour”.  Religion by rules never worked in the Old Testament under the law.  People do well under love and grace.  Jesus was the friend of children and sinners.

 

For many who grew up in church as children, all they remember was a bunch of rules.  The church ought to be a joyful, accepting warm place especially for children.  In most cases they equate Jesus with how we represent him.  Tis a great responsibility.  We want children to see Jesus as “sweet” not “sour”.

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.

Posted on by

The Number Game

The Number Game for Children’s Ministry

This would be a fun game to review biblical statistics. Choose numbers that describe the size of the tribes of Israel or the enemy armies etc.

http://www.greatgroupgames.com/the-number-game.htm

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources

Posted on by

THE FUNNY THINGS KIDS SAY

CHILD CHUCKLES (The Funny Things Kids Say)

A Blog by Rev. Grace Verrier

 

Today my stomach hurt.  I used every muscle in it trying to control my laughter.  I was teaching on Adam and Eve and I had a little boy in my class who comes from a family of nine.

My question to the class was, “What did God tell Adam and Eve to do after they ate the forbidden fruit in the garden?”  I expected the answer to be, “God told them to leave the garden.”

The little boy from the large family started shaking his hand wildly shouting, “I know!  I know!  I know!”  When I asked him what his answer was, he said, “God told them to be fruitful and multiply just like my mom and dad say.

Later, I told his parents what he had said and they explained how he had taken their words totally out of context.  I then told the parents, “I’ll believe only one-half of what they tell me about you if you will believe only one-half of what they tell you about me.”  When you serve in children’s ministry that is very good advice.

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.

Posted on by

Musical Chairs Game

Musical Chairs Game for Children’s Ministry

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

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.

Posted on by

EFFECTIVE STORY TELLING

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:

 

  • You should be very familiar with the story before you read it.  Read it through several times on your own first.
  • Give each character who speaks a different voice appropriate for the personality of the character.  For example if a child is speaking, use a child’s voice.  If it is an old man, use an old man’s voice during the appropriate dialogue
  • If the emotion is tense or exciting speak that way.  If the emotion is slow speak slowly.  Be sure to exaggerate the emotions.
  • Use sound effects.  For example when someone in the story knocks on a door, make a knocking sound.
  • If the story has an unusual ending that is a bit of a cliff hanger, tell the children you will finish the story the following week.  After they beg you to finish right then, do it.
  • Ask them to fill in blanks as you are telling the story.  For example, “He came upon a large animal with big ears and a long nose.  What do you think it was?”  That way the children are actually involved in the story telling.

 

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.

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.

Posted on by

ADVANTAGES OF CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

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!

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.

Posted on by

FINDING LIFE PURPOSE

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.”

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.

Posted on by

HOW TO LEAD A CHILD TO JESUS

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.”

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.

 

Posted on by

LEAVING A LEGACY

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.

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.

Posted on by

The Memory Game

The Memory Game for Children’s Ministry

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

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.

Posted on by

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TEACHING AND TRAINING

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.

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.

Posted on by

LOVING YOUR ENEMIES

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.

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.