Tag: sunday school lessons

Posted on by

Making the Most of Mistakes

Making the Most of Mistakes

“Mistakes are the accidents of activity and the risks you take to get something done.”
(E. C. McKenzie from 1800 Quotable Quotes)

In another blog on creativity I share about how many times I had to re-do the pictures I was drawing in order to cartoon the bible.  As humans we gain satisfaction from our accomplishments, no matter how small they are.  This is a good thing, but it is also a good thing that we are pressing on towards perfection, even though few of us will ever reach perfection on this side of Heaven.

The act of pressing towards perfection though causes us to achieve greater things.  After redrawing all of my earliest cartoons several times, I can look back to my early work and see all of my mistakes.  I don’t look at those mistakes and criticize myself.  I just acknowledge that that is where I was at on the journey.

Encourage the kids to see themselves as “masterpieces” “works of art” in progress.  As long as they never stop pressing on towards perfection they can be satisfied with all of their accomplishments.  When you are pressing on, mistakes are never really mistakes.

Click here for CHILDREN’S MINISTRY RESOURCES

 

 

Posted on by

Happiness

Happiness

“Happiness comes not from having much to live on but having much to live for.”
(E. C. McKenzie from 1800 Quotable Quotes)

I thank God constantly that he has given me so much WORK to do.  I thank him constantly for all the projects that he puts into my heart.  I encourage you as children’s ministers to take that attitude because sometimes doing children’s ministry week after week can seem like a burden but it is truly a joy.  The preparation is of course is what is so hard.

The other side of being too busy for the Lord is, not having a vision, not having a purpose, not having a sense of urgency that you must be about your Father’s business.

I have a reason to wake up everyday.  Yay!

Click here for CHILDREN’S MINISTRY RESOURCES

 

Posted on by

Game Candy Stealing

Game – CANDY STEALING

Preparation:  Mark a large square unto the floor with either chalk or masking tape.  In each corner place 4 candy items. (Example in one corner you would put 4 chocolate bars, in the 2nd corner, 4 bags of chips, in the 3rd and 4th corners some other type of candy treats.)  Make sure that the candy treats you choose, do not roll.  Place one child in each corner.  When you say go, each child must simultaneously go and steal a candy treat from someone else’s corner and then bring it back to their pile.  The hitch is that they can only go to one corner at a time and they must promptly bring the item to their corner.  They can run diagonally also. Run each round for 20 seconds.  The action is fast and intense.  Remind the kids to be careful not to crash into each other.   Have them recite the memory verse before and between rounds.  The one with the most candy wins.  We usually award the winner with one candy prize.

Click here for CHILDREN’S CHURCH CURRICULUM

Posted on by

Children’s Church Games

Children’s Church Games

Here is a link to some Children’s Church Games that are faith related.  Perhaps one of them will suit your topic this week.

http://childrensministry.com/articles/active-indoor-games-faith

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources

Posted on by

Children’s Worship Song: A Gift To You

Children’s Worship Song:  A Gift to You

Here is a beautiful children’s worship song, easy for the children to learn.  It is important for kids to be able to worship God with songs that are uncomplicated, easy to sing from the heart.

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources

Posted on by

Turning Points Part Two (From Insight for Living Blog)

God never wastes times of testing. The pain and struggles you face only SEEM futile.

— Charles R. Swindoll

 

TURNING POINTS PART TWO

Below is the link to the rest of the blog article from Insight for Living.

This life has times of suffering.  No one is exempt, not even children.  I myself lost my father to cancer when I was 9 years old.  ONLY Jesus makes life make sense.    Children who have a living relationship with Jesus always have hope.  The strength of child hood, I believe, is that we really do seek to know Jesus, just for the sake of knowing him.  As adults sometimes our pursuit of him gets more complicated especially when we have life and ministry responsibilities.

May we all seek to know Jesus more, just to know him.

https://www.insight.org/resources/daily-devotional/individual/the-turning-point-part-two

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources

Posted on by

How Struggle Helps us

How Struggle Helps Us

Below is a link to a blog I found at Chuck Swindoll’s web site.  When I look back over my life, I see how the struggles I experienced as a child actually made my spiritual life very strong, because I looked to the Lord for help.  (My father died when I was 9 and I turned to Jesus and he eventually revealed the Heavenly Father to me.)

We never wish troubles on anyone, but when we see children struggling, encourage them to hold unto Jesus more than ever.  What can seem to be a setback can actually be used by God to propel our faith forward, stronger than it would have without the struggle.

https://www.insightforliving.ca/read/articles

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources

 

Posted on by

THANKSGIVING PUPPET SHOW

Here is a puppet show for Thanksgiving on Thankfulness

Thankfulness From Curriculum Life of Christ 02  Lesson 1

(Characters:  Stinky and Sally)

Stinky:  I hate my nose!  It’s an ugly nose.

Sally:  I think you have a cute little nose.  Why aren’t you thankful for your nose?

Stinky:  Cause it’s a puppet nose!  That’s why!

Sally:  Would you rather have an elephant nose?

Stinky:  No.  And I hate my poofy hair.  I can’t do anything with it!  Every day is a bad hair day!

Sally:  Why aren’t you thankful for your hair?  Some people I know, who shall remain nameless, don’t hardly have any hair!

Stinky:  Cause it’s puppet hair!  That’s why!  And my long floppy legs, I hate em!

Sally:  Now that’s it Stinky!  I have heard enough of your ungrateful attitude.  Look at me.  I don’t even have any legs!

Stinky:  That’s cause you’re a puppet Sally!

Sally:  So?

Stinky:  I’m a puppet!  Can you believe it?  I’m a puppet!  I always thought I was a real boy.  But Blue Bob, told me that I’m a puppet!

Sally:  (with attitude) And what’s wrong with being a puppet?  I’m thankful to be a puppet.

Stinky:  You always knew you were a puppet and you didn’t tell me I was a puppet?  You just let me think I was a real boy!

Sally:  I thought you always knew you were a puppet.  There’s nothing wrong with being a puppet.  You have lots to be thankful for.

Stinky:  What do I have to be thankful for?

Sally:  You get to come to kids church pretty much every week.  Lots of the puppets backstage never get to come to kids church.  Some puppets have only come to kids church one time in six years, but they don’t have the stinking ungrateful attitude you have.

Stinky:   I’ve never thought about it that way before.

Sally:  God uses us puppets.  We are VIP’s, very important puppets.  We get to give messages to kids.  Kids can learn things from us.

Stinky:  You’re right Sally.  I’m sorry I have been so unthankful.  (to the kids)  Is it okay kids if I’m a puppet and not a real boy?

(Let kids respond.)

Stinky:  I like my nose.  It’s a cute nose.

Sally:  Very cute.

Stinky:  I like my hair.

Sally:   You should!

Stinky:   I like my long skinny legs.  Sorry you don’t have any legs Sally.

Sally:  I’m still thankful.  At least I have hair and 2 eyes and 2 arms.

Stinky:  You have a good attitude Sally.  Will you marry me?

Sally:   Nope.

Stinky:  How come?

Sally:  Cause I don’t like boys.

Stinky:  But I’m not a real boy.  I’m a puppet.

Sally:  It’s all the same to me.

(Sally exits.)

Stinky:  Girls!

(Stinky exits.)

 

Click here for more Children’s Ministry Resources.

 

Posted on by

BEING A DOER OF GOD’S WORD

BEING A DOER OF GOD’S WORD

 

“Knowledge comes by taking things apart but Wisdom comes by putting things together.”  (E. C. McKenzie, 1800 Quotable Quotes)

So often when it comes to God’s word, people can read it and feel that they know all about God and they know all about the Christian way but really  we only truly understand and gain an appreciation for God’s wisdom when we become a doer of the Word, not just a hearer.

Encourage the kids that we are not here just to get knowledge but to actually do the things that they learn, then they will grow in wisdom.  Then they will see that God’s way is the best way.

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.

 

Posted on by

Cost of Children’s Ministry

COST OF CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

“The bird with the largest bill isn’t the pelican – it’s the stork.”  (E.C. McKenzie, 1800 Quotable Quotes)

 

Of course, this is a play on words, the bill being the cost of something.  In this blog I want to talk about the cost of children’s ministry.

Churches who want to thrive in years to come should put a lot of their budget towards children’s ministry.  Many years ago I heard statistics that said that 80% of the people in the church said they had received the Lord Jesus as savior when they were under the age of 20 years old.