Keeping Sunday School kids engaged

For Sunday school teachers, keeping lessons fun, fresh, and engaging can make a huge difference in capturing children’s attention and fostering a love for learning about God. It’s not always easy when you are teaching every week! Here are a few tips to help make each lesson memorable and meaningful.

1. Incorporate Hands-On Activities: Kids love using their hands and being involved! Object lessons, crafts, and interactive experiments (like  building crafts related to the lesson) can bring Bible stories to life.

2. Use Visual Aids and Multimedia: Consider using colorful visuals, videos, or animated Bible story clips that capture the story’s essence.

3. Engage Through Role Play and Storytelling: Get the kids involved by letting them act out parts of the story, dressing up, or using puppets. This keeps them actively engaged and helps them remember the lesson.

4. Include Games and Friendly Competition: Bible-themed games, trivia, and scavenger hunts can add excitement, especially when they reinforce the day’s them (get outside too, if the weather permits)

5. Bring in Music and Movement: Sing worship songs, incorporate hand motions, or dance along to music. Kids connect powerfully with music, and it helps them internalize Bible truths joyfully.

6. Keep Lessons Short and Simple: Break lessons into short, easy-to-understand sections with different activities to keep their attention. Lastly,

7. Build Relationships and Make It Personal: When kids feel loved and seen, they’re more likely to engage with the lesson. Show interest in their lives, use their names often, and encourage their questions! These simple ideas can keep your Sunday school lessons dynamic, meaningful, and something children look forward to every week. Blessings – A.H.

Kids Object Lesson: “God Forgets Our Sins!”

Bible Verse: Hebrews 10:17 - “Then he adds: ‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.’”

Main Point: When we confess our sins, God forgives us and actually forgets our sins! Because of Jesus, God doesn’t remember the wrong things we’ve done.

Materials Needed:

• A handful of sticky notes (Post-its)
• A calendar or planner (optional: use a phone calendar if it’s easier)
• A piece of string or rubber band for each child to put on their finger

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduce the Idea of Forgetting Things
   • Show the sticky notes and say, “Sometimes we have a lot of things to remember, right? Like homework, chores, or something we promised to do.”
   • Write down “chores,” “homework,” and “promise” on the sticky notes, sticking them to your shirt or hand to show you “remember.”
   • Ask the kids: “Do you ever forget things, even when you try to remember them?” (let them respond)
2. Use the Calendar or Planner to Show Memory Aids
   • Show the calendar or planner and explain, “Sometimes we write things down so we won’t forget, like appointments or birthdays. Or we might tie a string around our finger as a reminder.”
   • Give each child a small piece of string or a rubber band to put on their finger, saying, “This is a reminder! Sometimes, even when we try our hardest, we still forget things.”
3. Explain How God ‘Forgets’ Our Sins
   • Say: “Did you know that God chooses to forget something too? (You could ask if they know what He forgets) When we tell God we’re sorry for something wrong we’ve done wrong (what the bible calls sin) and ask Jesus to forgive us, God forgets our sin!” – How amazing is that. He choses to forget our sin!
   • Stick a few sticky notes on yourself with the word “sin” written on them. Explain that these represent the wrong things we do.
   • Say: “These sins “stick to us” sometimes, and we might remember them. But when we say we’re sorry and ask God to forgive us, because of Jesus, He ‘takes off’ these sins and chooses to never remember them again.” Remove the sticky notes and throw them away (or crumple them up).
4. Illustrate ‘God’s Forgetfulness’
   • Emphasize, “God’s forgetting isn’t like when we forget to do something. God actually chooses to forget our sins! He doesn’t hold them against us anymore. Because Jesus took the punishment for our sins, we don’t have to carry them, and God doesn’t remember them.”
5. Connect It to Jesus’ Sacrifice
   • Say: “Because Jesus died for us, He paid the price for all the things we do wrong. That’s why God can truly forget our sins. Jesus has taken care of them completely!” How wonderful is that?!
6. Prayer
   • Encourage the kids to think of something they want to say “sorry” to God for, then take a moment for silent prayer.
   • Close with a prayer thanking Jesus for taking away our sins and asking God to help us remember His love and forgiveness.

Optional Memory Verse Activity

• Have the kids memorize Hebrews 10:17 by repeating, “God says, ‘I will remember their sins no more.’” Let them keep the string on their finger as a reminder that God forgets our sins because of Jesus’ love and sacrifice.

Children’s Prayer: Dear God, thank you that because Jesus we can be forgiven and you will forget our sins. Help us to remember that good new always -  In Jesus’ name – Amen!

This lesson helps kids understand God’s amazing forgiveness in a tangible way, showing that when we confess our sins, God remembers them no more

Copyright SundayChildrensFocus 2024 Feel free to use this but please give credit to this we site. Thank you    A.H.

KIds sermon "Don’t Be Fooled!"

Bible Passage: Mark 13:3-5

Main Point: Jesus warns us not to be led astray by anyone claiming to be Him. We need to know who Jesus truly is and follow only Him.

Object lesson Materials Needed:

• A fun wig or disguise (could include glasses, a hat, or anything that looks "sneaky")
• A picture of Jesus (or a cross) to refer back to as the “real Jesus”
• A simple prize (like stickers or a small treat) for children who can “see through” the disguise (optional)
• Optional: A sign saying "The Real Jesus" to emphasize the focus of the lesson

1. Introduce the Disguise
   • The leader puts on a disguise (like a wig and glasses) out of the children’s view and then enters, pretending to be someone else in the church (e.g., the organist, worship leader, or even a “famous person”).
   • They should dramatically say, “Hello! I’m [pretend name], and today I’m here to share something special with you!”
   • Act over-the-top and a little silly to grab the kids’ attention. Make it fun!
2. Ask the Children
   • After a few seconds, pause and ask the children, “Do you believe that I’m [pretend name]? Or do you think I might just be your teacher in a disguise?”
   • Allow kids to giggle, talk, and eventually figure out who you really are. (Note – Make sure the person who you are pretending to is confident and wont be miffed)
3. Reveal the Truth
   • Take off the wig and glasses and say, “You were right! I’m really [your real name], not [pretend name]. You didn’t let me fool you because you know who I am!”
   • Explain that just like today’s trick, sometimes people may try to pretend they are someone they’re not. And sometimes, people even pretend to be Jesus or say things that don’t match what Jesus taught.
4. Read the Bible Verse
   • Open your Bible to Mark 13:3-5 and read: “Watch out that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray.”
   • Explain that Jesus was warning us to be careful because some people might try to say they’re Jesus, or they might teach things that aren’t true.
5. Explain Why We Need to Stay Close to Jesus
   • Say: “So how do we make sure we’re following the real Jesus? We can do this by learning what He really said and did in the Bible. When we know Jesus well, it’s easier to spot things that aren’t true!”
   • Show the picture of Jesus (or the cross) and explain that whenever we’re not sure, we can always look back to what Jesus said and trust what the Bible says about Him.
6. Play a Quick “Real or Not?” Game (optional extra if you have time)
   • Tell the kids you’ll say a few things about Jesus, and they should decide if it sounds true or not. If it’s true, they should shout, “Real!” If it’s not, they should shout, “Not real!”
     • Sample statements:
       • “Jesus said, ‘Love your enemies.’” (Real!)
       • “Jesus said, ‘Take lots of money and only help yourself.’” (Not real!)
       • “Jesus healed people who were sick.” (Real!)
       • “Jesus said, ‘Be selfish!’” (Not real!)
7. Wrap-Up and Encourage Them to Know Jesus Well
   • Say: “Great job! You’re already good at spotting what’s real about Jesus and what’s not. Remember, the best way to follow the real Jesus is by learning about Him and sticking close to His love and kindness. Let’s pray and ask Him to help us always know His truth!”
8. Closing Prayer
   • Dear God, give us wisdom to know the real Jesus and not be lead astray. Help us to stay close to Him and follow Him daily. In Jesus’ name – Amen

Copyright 2024 Sunday Children’s Focus. Feel free to use this on Sunday but please give credit to this site and consider sharing the website link. Blessings – A.H.

Children's object lesson: "Why Did Jesus Cry?"

Objective: Help children understand that Jesus understands our feelings and is with us in hard times. He knows what it’s like to feel sorrow.

Object lesson items needed:

• A box of Kleenex (tissues)

Welcome    "Hi, everyone! I’m so glad you’re all here. Today, we’re going to talk about something special. It’s something that reminds us just how much Jesus loves us and understands our feelings!"

Begin the Lesson

1. Show the Box of Kleenex

Hold up the box of Kleenex.

"Does anyone know what these are?"
Pause for answers.
"Right, these are tissues! (or Kleenex) And when do we usually need tissues?"
Pause for answers like: 'when we’re sick' or 'when we cry.'

2. Discuss Why We Cry

"Sometimes we use tissues when we’re sad or hurt. Have you ever felt sad? Maybe you lost a toy, or maybe a friend moved away. Sometimes, sad things happen to us, and we feel like crying. And that’s okay! God made our tears and gave us feelings so we can express when we’re sad or hurt." (Be prepared for a child giving you a gut wrenching story about a loved one)

3. Introduce the Story of Jesus Weeping

"Today, we’re going to look at a very short verse in the Bible, but it’s a super important one. In the Gospel of John, there’s a verse that says, ‘Jesus wept.’ (It’s the shortest verse in the Bible.) That means that Jesus, the Son of God, cried. Isn’t that amazing to think about?"

4. Explain Why Jesus Cried

"Do you know why Jesus cried? It happened when His friend, Lazarus, had died. Jesus saw everyone around Him being really sad and crying. Even though Jesus knew He could bring Lazarus back to life, He still felt sad because His friends were sad."

5. Use the Kleenex as an Object Lesson

Pass around the box of Kleenex, inviting each child to hold one tissue.
"When we cry, we might reach for a tissue to dry our tears, right? Just like we’re holding these tissues, Jesus holds us close when we’re sad. He doesn’t leave us alone with our sad feelings; He feels them with us."

6. Relate It to the Kids’ Lives

"So, next time you feel sad or see someone else who is sad, remember that Jesus understands. He knows how it feels to be sad, and He’s right there with you. And you can talk to Him about it!"

Closing Prayer

"Let’s pray together and thank God / Jesus for always being with us and for understanding our feelings and our tears."

Prayer: "Dear God, thank you for understanding us and loving us. Thank you for being with us when we’re sad and for caring about our feelings. Help us remember that you are always there to comfort us. – In Jesus’ name Amen."

Copyright 2024 SundayChildrensFocus  A.H.