Hello fellow Sunday School teachers! Teaching Sunday School for kids is incredibly rewarding…but it can also be very frustrating. We all want our Sunday School lessons to be great, but there are a lot of challenges that stack up against us.
- Busy schedules make it hard to find enough study time.
- It’s tough teaching kids who have grown up with screens everywhere.
- And most of us don’t have any formal training with teaching or preparing a lesson.
Not to worry, there’s some good news for you.
First, your best ability you bring is your availability. There is never enough help in Children’s Ministry, but you’ve stepped up, challenges and all. So, if you haven’t heard it in awhile, well done!
Second, with a few simple steps you can teach Sunday School like a rock star! So, let’s look at how to prepare a great kids lesson for Sunday School.
Teach the Bible
At the heart of every great Sunday School lesson is the Bible. The Word of God is living and active. And when we share Scripture accurately and with love, it changes children’s lives. Sometimes it can be tempting to focus more on entertaining children through games or activities, but if we help them discover the Bible, that is when a Sunday School lesson becomes great!
Here are some tips to help prepare your next Sunday School Bible teaching.
- Read your passage in a paraphrase like The Message. This can help you see a familiar passage with fresh eyes.
- After reading, reference an easy-to-understand Sunday School curriculum that will help you better understand a passage’s background and context.
- Pray through your passage. As you read, ask God to show you key ideas/applications to share with your class.
Tell the Story
It’s easy to fall into the trap of treating the Bible like a list of do’s and don’ts. But in reality the Bible is the amazing story of God and His great love for us. At the center of this story is the incredible life and sacrifice of Jesus. So, instead of teaching our kids a list of things to do, we should focus on sharing with them the greatest story in all of history!
Try these tips when preparing your next Sunday School Bible story.
- After reading your passage, try to summarize what you’ve read in no more than 1-2 sentences.
- Try to place yourself in the passage. What did it look like, sound like, smell like? Then, retell the story to your Sunday School class, including these details.
- Integrate strong visuals into your message like slideshows of Kids Bible Videos. These digital resources can go a long way in bringing your Sunday School lessons to life!
Start a Discussion
When Jesus taught his disciples, he asked questions and then listened to their answers. This Question and Answer format is one of the best ways to involve your kids the lesson, and help them learn. The moment you give kids a voice in your class, they become invested. This investment is what transforms a class from spectators to participants!
Here are some simple tips for getting a classroom discussion going:
- Show illustrations from your Sunday School lesson, then let your class retell the story as each picture is shown.
- Keep questions open-ended. For example “How would that feel?” or “When is a time that you…?” Avoid questions that can be answered with a simple yes/no.
- Project/display your questions on a screen. This helps the discussion stay focused as kids and volunteers get talking.
Get Creative
There are all kinds of ways that kids learn, so it’s important that we allow them to interact with our lessons in as many ways as possible. Teach, tell the story, have a discussion, but then let your class interact with the lesson. You can do this through lesson-related games, activities, coloring pages, crossword puzzles and more! The key is to creatively expand your Sunday School lesson.
Spark creativity in your class with a few of these simple tips:
- Take classic games and then give them a lesson-related spin. For example “pin the tail on the donkey” can easily become “stick Jonah to the whale.”
- Let your class dress up and act out the lesson’s story. You’ll be surprised by how insightful (and hysterical) this will be.
- Unleash your kids’ creativity with fun printable activities, like coloring pages, Bible mazes, crossword puzzles, and “spot the difference” activities.
Take it Home
It’s been said: “It’s not how you start, but how you finish.” Sunday School is crazy, and it rarely goes according to plan. But, no matter what crazy turns your lesson may take, always have in mind the Big Idea you want your kids to take home. Close your service with a key thought. And it you can tie it together with a memory verse and personal application, even better!
Here are a few simple ideas to help your kids take the message home:
- Ask yourself the question: “If my kids could only remember one thing about today’s Sunday School lesson, what would that be?”
- Practice a lesson-related memory verse with your children at the end of class. Try creating silly hand motions to help them remember.
- Close your service by reminding your class of the lesson’s Big Idea. If you can, display this on a screen for all the class to see. Then, have a volunteer read it out loud.
Sunday School Lessons for Kids
At Sharefaith Kids, we love creating amazing resources that build confident teachers and inspire Kids! In every Sunday School lesson, you’ll find:
- Easy to understand curriculum that will help you teach the Bible.
- Award-winning Kids Bible Videos that will bring your Bible stories to life.
- Interactive Q&A slideshows that will spark classroom discussion.
- Fun lesson-related games and activities that allow creativity to flourish.
- Big Idea, Memory Verse, and Closing Prayer slides that help your kids take the lesson home.
To learn more about Sharefaith Kids, visit us at sharefaithkids.com or click on the link at the end of this video.
