“In my father’s house are many rooms (or KJV Mansions) if it were not so I would have told you…”

Check out these children's Sunday school object lesson ideas for John 14:1-14, which talks about the many rooms in our Father's house: Stress that we don’t need to worry that it is short of space. Highlight that Jesus said he was going there ahead of us to prepare this wonderful place.

Involve the kids in Building a house: Bring in some toy building blocks and ask the children to help you build a house. Talk about how just as we need many rooms in a house for different people to live in, there are many rooms in our Father's house for all of us. Stress the idea there is lots of room.

Finding Our Way to our true home with God our father: Give each child a small compass and ask them to follow the direction of "home." (You may need to give a bit of an explanation about what a compass in and how it works) Talk about how just as a compass helps us find our way, Jesus is the way to our true home in heaven.

"The Key to Heaven": Bring in a large key (have a wood working friend make one) and talk about how it represents the key to heaven. Ask the children what they think it takes to get the key and discuss how by believing in Jesus, we are given the key to eternal life. Discuss what might be the characteristics of “our our heaven father’s house”.

Work with the children to produce a “Map to Heaven": Bring in (or make) a large map and talk about how it represents the journey to our Father's house. Discuss how by following Jesus, we can find our way to our ultimate destination and home.

Ideas and tips for supporting parents of Sunday School children - - 

1 Work with your church pastor to get his or her ideas. Children’s ministry can be a wonderful doorway to ministry with families – young and old.

2 Provide faith resources, such as books or articles, that can help parents deepen their own faith.

3 Organize fun events or activities that allow parents and children to connect and build community with one another.

4 Create a network of support where parents can talk to one another about their experiences and challenges. This has a benefit for the whole church fellowship.

5 Provide childcare during Sunday school classes so parents can attend worship services or participate in other church activities. Sadly, I know many parents who have dropped out of church because it was simply too much stress and worry to attend.

6 Encourage parents to volunteer in Sunday school, which can give them a deeper understanding of their child's experience and also provide support for the Sunday school teacher. (They could assist with lesson presentations or help provides snacks for the snack time.

7 Offer opportunities for parents to serve in the wider community, such as organizing a service project or participating in a local charity event. Many church have community fun raising projects to support Sunday School ministry.

8 Provide opportunities for parents to receive training or education on topics related to parenting, such as discipline, communication, or spiritual growth. Although parents are older, they may be still grappling with keep questions about the Christian faith.

9 Provide resources and support for parents who are dealing with difficult family situations, such as divorce, illness, or financial hardship. Their needs provide an opportunity to show love in action.

10 Be available to listen and offer support to parents who are struggling with the challenges of raising children in a Christian context. The culture has shifted so much and there certainly is hostility to the good news of Jesus.

- Andrew Hewlett

Children's Sermons Should Be:

It should be a Biblical children's story: The theology for the Sunday Morning Kids Story doesn't need to be sophisticated but it does need to be Biblical. Keep it simple but keep it scriptural.

It should be an Interactive children's message. Don't preach to the children. Involve them in the learning experience. 

It should be a short children's message. Most kids have a very short attention span. Don't let them get bored. Otherwise, the main thing they will learn is that church is boring. I would keep it under 5 minutes. 

It should clearly present some aspect of the Gospel. If you get too abstract most kids will miss the point. Keep the thought progression simple.

It should be a FUN children's message. Ideally the children should look forward to this time in the service.

It should be a "risk free" children's message: Protect the kids from being embarrassed in front of the congregation.

This is the new template.