Baptism is one of the more difficult concepts in Christianity to explain to younger children. While it's a crucial part of every believer's walk with the Lord - How do we teach kids the meaning of baptism? Even as someone with over a decade's experience leading kids ministry and a Master's in the field, a topic like baptism is still a challenging one to approach with kids. This post shows you exactly what to do (and what not to do). The methodical approach given here can be a

The Bible is full of impactful stories that can teach kids how to live God's way. These 10 Key Old Testament Bible lessons for kids cover some of the most famous ones. This article gives an overview of the ten lessons and there is a link to each one. From the Creation, to Noah and the Ark, to Abraham’s promise, to Moses and the burning bush, to David and Goliath, to Jonah and the Big Fish, to Daniel in the Lion’s den, to Ruth’s faithfulness, to Esther the queen, and all the w

Whether children are seen as part of the church family or not should never be up for debate. What we can discuss, however, is what their role in the family should be and where the space is for them to take on that role. The popular question I'm referring to is: "Should children stay in church or go to Sunday school?" I studied Practical Theology with a specialization in Youth Work, so this debate naturally surfaced quite regularly in both course material and casual discussion

Building a strong kids ministry team starts with inviting the right people, offering ongoing encouragement, and partnering closely with church leadership. This post shares practical, heart-centered ways to lead volunteers who create a safe and joyful space where kids can meet Jesus.

Nobody teaches you how to recruit Sunday school volunteers - they just kind of expect you to get it done. I've worked in various kids ministries over the past decade and I'd say that volunteer recruitment is the most underrated skill needed to not burn yourself out as a youth worker.

Discover 7 reasons Sunday School volunteers leave and practical ways to help them stay. Build a healthier, stronger children's ministry team.

I recently wrote a guide with craft ideas for teaching kids about Doubting Thomas when this question started stirring in me. When believing parents, teachers, and Sunday school volunteers talk to kids about faith, we often miss the opportunity to teach them about doubt. This article contrasts faith and doubt, using Doubting Thomas as an example of why it is important to disciple kids into mature faith that can withstand the questions that will inevitably arise. May you find s

How creativity, play, and participation help children encounter God - not just learn about Him. Sunday school crafts matter more than you think.

15 Crafts for Sunday School / Kids Church about the Doubting Thomas Bible story.

These 5 easy crafts and activities teach kids about baptism in a new fresh way that has not been done a million times!

Children need to learn about emotions just as much as (if not more than) they learn about numbers, letters, and how the world works. For them to flourish and grow into the people God made them to be, they need to develop emotional maturity. As the demands of the world on young hearts and minds increase, teaching kids about emotions and what the Bible says about them becomes more and more important. This printable post can be used as a free Sunday School lesson on emotions

My step-by-step guide for Kids Ministry Leadership that makes disciples "I wish leading Sunday School came with an instruction manual", is a sentence I've thought many times in my life. Even when I was just a teenager myself, facilitating summer camps, I kept thinking: There has to be a system for this! Why does it feel like we're reinventing the wheel? Well, since then God gifted me with ten more years in children's ministry, academic training in the field, and then He made

"It's just babysitting" How can you move your kids ministry from entertainment to true faith formation instead?

"Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it." - Proverbs 22:6 Yesterday, I was creating (putting together & writing) a Bible-based kids holiday program for a local non-profit our church is supporting. Then it hit me. I need to include a section guiding the facilitators on how to actually keep kids engaged. Your heart is in the right place if you're trying to lead a Sunday School program well - but when the children ignore you, me

This free Father’s Day Lesson is packed with a joyful activity, a fun story, a Bible memory verse, a creative response, and more...

The Widow's Oil Bible Lesson teaches kids the famous story from the Old Testament and applies it to their own lives. It's about trusting God as their provider. The program elements include a name game, memory verse, song, lesson, Q&A, and prayer. This is lesson #10 in the series on the Old Testament's TEN most epic tales: 1 - The Creator & His Creation 2 - Noah's Flood etc... May you find space here to pause, reflect, and abide. Icebreaker Let every child say which story in

This Queen Esther Bible Lesson was written as part of a Bible program done across schools in South Africa - and it just might be the perfect thing for wherever you are too! This lesson teaches kids about bravery and courage, and knowing their place in God's big story. The program elements include a name game, memory verse, song, lesson, Q&A, and prayer. This is lesson #9 in a series on the Old Testament's most epic tales: 1 - The Creator & His Creation 2 - Noah's Flood and so

This Ruth and Boaz Bible lesson teaches the important values from the story in a way kids can understand. This lesson is focused on what we can learn from Ruth. It's about faithfulness, sticking with God's people, and loyalty. The program elements include a name game, memory verse, song, lesson, Q&A, and prayer. May you find space here to pause, reflect, and abide. Icebreaker “When were you…” happy, excited, shy, angry, sad, heartbroken. Let them raise their hands and share

This is the first Daniel in the Lion's Den Bible Lesson to teach kids the basics of this epic Bible Story. In this lesson, we'll cover why Daniel was thrown into the pit - it was because he lived God's way. Kids will learn what it means to live differently as disciples of Jesus. The program elements include a name game, memory verse, song, lesson, Q&A, and prayer. This is lesson #7 in a series of 10 on the Old Testament's most epic tales: From The Creation to Jonah & the Whal

This Jonah and the Big Fish Bible Lesson is a simple way to teach kids the story of Jonah while pulling some important teachable moments from the text. The lesson ecnourages kids to follow God's call on their lives and to be part of His Big Story. The program elements include a name game, memory verse, song, lesson, Q&A, and prayer. This is lesson #6 in a series on the Old Testament's most epic tales: 1 - The Creator & His Creation 2 - Noah's Flood 3- Abraham's Promise 4 - Mo