Children's Ministry Now

Relational;

Gospel-focused;

Prayer-focused;

Interactive for a variety of learning styles;

Reusable.

These features were also important:

Games, activities, and crafts that are easy to set up, lots of fun and also reinforce the day’s Bible learning;

Inexpensive and easy-to-find supplies that give a lot of “bang for the buck.”

I pored over curriculum samples at my local Christian bookstore, and I studied curricula that other churches were using. Then I googled every kind and style of curriculum available, but I kept coming up short. It boggled my mind that I could not find a curriculum that fit the characteristics I was looking for.

During this time, I began to think maybe I could write a Sunday school curriculum for my church. The more I looked at my options, the better this idea seemed. When I proposed the idea to my pastor, he was enthusiastic. However, I began to second guess my big plan with thoughts such as: “Lord, who am I to write curriculum? I don’t want to teach bad theology or anything less than your best to the kids. This is a huge job! How will I find the time to do this? I don’t know where to start!”

I knew better than to listen to fear, so with the trust of my pastor and the nudging of the Holy Spirit, I decided to give it a try. With my background in education, publishing, ministry, and theological training, I realized I could crank out a passable Sunday school curriculum on my own. However, I wanted God’s best, not my best, for the kids. I didn’t want to crank something out; I wanted to be led by the Holy Spirit. So I prayed and kept praying. I was determined to do this God’s way.

During that time, a thought kept coming to mind. “What does Jesus wants his disciples to look like?” Here is what I felt God was showing me:

Jesus knows the Bible and so did his disciples. However, our society has a lack of biblical literacy, even among regular church goers.

Jesus uses repetition and a variety of teaching methods to reach his followers. Kids learn through repetition and in a variety of ways.

Jesus is relational. Often, kids and adults are disconnected from relationships due to the increasing amount of time spent on screens (computer, ipad, phone, etc.) and other distractions.

Jesus is constantly tuned in to the Father and expects his disciples to be the same. Imparting information must not be our main focus; children’s ministry also must be about meeting Jesus, loving and being loved by God, and being empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus expects his disciples to be doers, not just hearers. Kids need to know they are disciples, too. They can change the world for Christ right now.

“What does it mean to be a disciple?” became the main theme of the curriculum I began to write. Each week, I wrote three lesson plans for three different age levels (Pre-K & K, 1st & 2nd Grades, 3rd & 4th Grades) and developed a one-year New Testament Sunday School curriculum for each level. I asked for feedback from Sunday school teachers, parents, and kids and then edited the lessons to better suit our needs. I kept editing and revising for 7 years, always improving the lessons. Eventually, I had friends at other churches and friends-of-friends asking if they could use my curriculum, so I decided to put it in a format anyone (everyone!) could use .

Now I am pleased to give you three age groups of reusable Children’s Ministry Now Sunday school curriculum. My hope and prayer is that this curriculum will serve you and the kids in your ministry for years to come. May God bless you as you share Jesus with kids!

In Christ,

Leslie