free bible stories for kids | Sunday school lessons | children's ministry resources
Watch the joy on the children’s faces as they play this Christmas themed game. A twist would be to start with large boxes and have boxes inside of boxes.
http://www.greatgroupgames.com/christmas-present-game.htm
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Make 2 teams of 4 people each. Usually boys vs. girls works best. Have them line up one behind the other at the starting line. In front of each line is a pile of over-sized clothing. There is an equal number of articles in each pile. When you say 1,2, 3, go, the first child from each team puts on every article of clothing and then runs to the finish line. They must run back to their team and touch the next person in line who will now put all the clothes on and run to and back from the finish line. When each person has finished their part of the relay the team sits down. First team to be all sitting down is the winner. Pick new teams. Remember to repeat the memory verse several times between rounds.
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This popsicle stick nativity ornament christmas craft is so sweet in it’s simplicity. The kids will enjoy making faces on the different characters.
http://easypreschoolcraft.blogspot.ca/2012/10/nativity-popsicle-stick-christmas.html
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Looking for Christmas Children’s songs? Here is an original song by Go Fish. The message is about us not being ashamed to celebrate Christmas.
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Here is a link to some good christmas craft ideas for kids. As long as you have no one with food allergies in the class, making a graham cracker house will be a child favourite.
http://quirkyinspired.com/christmas-crafts-for-kids-3/
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“What this country needs is not more liberty but fewer people who take liberty with liberty.”
(By E. C. McKenzie from 1800 Quotable Quotes)
As children’s ministers and as parents, there are many parts of the bible that are hard to teach children because they are so brutal, with many references to killing. Most often we avoid those stories or pass over them until the kids are older. Sometimes we make slight changes to make them less brutal and I am not saying that is wrong. When you ask kids about Noah’s ark, they remember all the fluffy animals in the boat, not all the ones who died. Even at Christmas, people rarely think of all of the sadness in Bethlehem the morning after Christ’s birth caused by the killing of all of the boys two years old and under.
There is one account that I believe should never be softened up. Every detail needs to be engraved into our hearts so that we never take lightly the cross that gave us liberty. When we teach the crucifixion of Christ, I think we need to share the difficult details, like how he didn’t even look like a man any more after the whipping.
During the age when my son was 3 to 6 years old, he only ever wanted to read one story in the bible. “Jesus on the Cross” he called it. It made a great impression upon him. May we never loose the awe of that sacrifice.
When you are teaching the crucifixion, keep it serious.
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High energy winter themed game for church basement or gymnasium. Get the wiggles and giggles out of the kids before you teach them the Word of God.
http://www.greatgroupgames.com/snowball-fight.htm
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Take a very small box and put a candy treat inside it. Wrap the box in wrapping paper. Put the small box into a larger box and wrap that larger box in wrapping paper. Put that box into a larger box and wrap that box with wrapping paper. If possible have 6 boxes or so wrapped up inside of each other. Place 8 or 10 chairs in a row across the front, facing the audience. Choose children to sit in those chairs. Give the big multi-layered box to the first child in the row. Start some music. When the music starts the child is to pass the present to the child beside them, who passes it on to the next child etc….. When the music stops whichever child is holding the box gets to unwrap the present. Of course when they do so they will just discover another wrapped up box inside. The music begins again and this child passes the box onto the next etc….. Each time the music stops the present is opened until they get to the tiny box with the treat. That child can keep the treat.
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Here is a link to some really creative christmas craft ideas using paint and the hands of the little children. The young children will really enjoy these Christmas Crafts.
http://alittlepinchofperfect.com/20-cutest-christmas-handprint-crafts-kids
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Looking for Christmas Children’s Worship songs? Check out this Christmas song by Simon Perry. It’s a fun rockin’ song the kids will love.
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Here is a link to printable ornaments with a different biblical name for Jesus on each one. Many children love to sit and colour and while they colour they will be learning many of the biblical names of Jesus.
http://www.biblestoryprintables.com/BibleCraftsChristmasNamesJesus.html#.WiGrIUqnGDI
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“The friends you make in prosperity are those you lose in adversity.”
(E.C. McKenzie from 1800 Quotable Quotes)
How wonderful it is that the bible tells us clearly how to know when you have a true friend. You see the parable of the prodical son and how he learned the hard way that there are friends who are only there when you are prosperous. A true friend sticks closer than a brother and will tell you the truth when you need to hear it. They never leave you when you need them most.
As children’s ministers we need to be constantly affirming to the kids what a true friend is and that a true friend would never lead you away from the Lord. We can be sure that if they are not coming your way towards the Lord, then that is not likely a friend sent to you by the Lord.
Friendships often pull kids away from the Lord, so friendship is something we should OFTEN talk about in children’s church.
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