Team Rotation
- 1st Sunday: Tom & Marcia
- 2nd Sunday: Josh & Socorro
- 3rd Sunday: Jade
- 4th Sunday: Bethany
- 5th Sunday: Ken & Sandee
If you won’t be able to be at church on your week to lead Children’s Church, please make arrangements to trade weeks with one of the other teachers. If something comes up at the last minute, text Bethany at 563-260-7527 to let her know.
Curriculum
The Whole Story for the Whole Family: A Year of Jesus-Centered Family Devotions by Michael Kelley
Each week contains four lessons, written to be used as family devotions. The book works its way chronologically through the Bible (although we will jump out of order for Christmas and Easter).
You may choose one of the four lessons provided to teach on your assigned week. This allows each teacher the flexibility to choose the lesson that they feel most drawn to, or that lends itself to additional activities.
The rest of the lessons will be sent home with parents to serve as a tool for family devotion times.
Lesson Schedule
September
- 5 Week 1 (p. 7-14)
- 12 Week 2 (p. 15-22)
- 19 Week 3 (p. 23-31)
- 26 Week 4 (p. 32-41)
October
- 3 Week 5 (p. 42-49)
- 10 Week 6 (p. 50-58)
- 17 Week 7 (p. 59-67)
- 24 Week 8 (p. 68-75)
- 31 Week 9 (p. 76-84)
November
- 7 Week 10 (p. 85-92)
- 14 Week 11 (p. 93-101)
- 21 Week 12 (p.102-109)
- 28 Week 13 (p. 110-117)
December (skip ahead for Christmas)
- 5 Week 34 (p. 280-288)
- 12 Week 35, Day 1 (p. 289-290)
- 19 Week 35, Day 2 (p. 291-292)
- 26 Week 35, Day 3 and/or 4 (p. 293-296)
January
- 2 Week 14 (p. 118-125)
- 9 Week 15 (p. 126-133)
- 16 Week 16 (p. 134-141)
- 23 Week 17 (p. 142-149)
- 30 Week 18 (p. 150-157)
February
- 6 Week 19 (p. 158-165)
- 13 Week 20 (p. 166-173)
- 20 Week 21 (p. 174-181)
- 27 Week 22 (p. 182-189)
March
- 6 Week 23 (p. 190-197)
- 13 Week 24 (p. 198-205)
- 20 Week 25 (p. 206-213)
- 27 Week 26 (p. 214-221)
April (skip ahead for Easter)
- 3 Week 43 (p. 354 -361)
- 10 Week 44, Day 3 (p. 366-367)
- 17 Week 44, Day 4 (p. 368-369)
- 24 Week 45 (p. 370-377)
May
- 1 Week 27 (p. 222-229)
- 8 Week 28 (p. 230-238)
- 15 Week 29 (p. 239-246)
- 22 Week 30 (p. 247-255)
- 29 Week 31 (p. 256-263)
June
- 5 Week 32 (p. 264-271)
- 12 Week 33 (p. 272-279)
- 19 Week 36 (p. 297-304)
- 26 Week 37 (p.305-312)
July
- 3 Week 38 (p. 313-320)
- 10 Week 39 (p. 321-328)
- 17 Week 40 (p. 329-336)
- 24 Week 41 (p. 337-344)
- 31 Week 42 (p. 345-353)
August
- 7 Week 46 (p. 378-385)
- 14 Week 47 (p. 386-393)
- 21 Week 48 (p. 394-401)
- 28 Week 49 (p. 402-409)
September
- 4 Week 50, Day 1 or 2 (p. 410-413)
- 11 Week 50, Day 3 or 4 (p. 414-417)
- 18 Week 51 (p. 418-425)
- 25 Week 52 (p. 426-433)
Order of Activities (plan for approximately 30-40 minutes)
- Introductory mini illustration/object lesson
- Bible lesson
- Memory verse
- Prayer
- Activity (video/game/craft)
- Free play time (if time allows)
Procedures
Following predictable procedures each week will help maintain continuity even when the teachers rotate each week. This benefits both kids and teachers by setting clear expectations and allowing for a more settled and secure group of kids.
- Service leader dismisses kids for Children’s Church
- Children’s Church leaders should be standing in the back during offering time in order to “organize the stampede”!
- Have kids wait at the top of the stairs until ALL the kids are in line
- Assign a line leader (one child to lead the other kids down in an orderly way)
- Instruct kids to walk (not run) and to enter through the same door to the children’s church room (next to the restrooms)
- Help kids immediately take a seat at the table once they enter the room
- Have kids introduce themselves if you don’t know all their names, or if there are visitors present
- Take a minute to talk and engage with the kids before starting the lesson
- Start promptly with the Bible lesson as soon as kids are settled, and keep it short (5-10 minutes) to maximize attention
- Let older kids volunteer to read the Bible passage–this helps both the child reading and the other kids be more engaged
- Follow up the Bible lesson with a couple questions about key points–kids love answering questions and it’s a great way to check their comprehension of the story!
- Choose a short memory verse to go along with the Bible lesson, and write or print it out to send home with kids (you can use the church copier if you don’t have a printer at home). Say it together a couple times to help the kids get started on memorizing it. Leave one copy pinned to the bulletin board in the room so the next teacher can review it with the kids the following week.
- Lead the kids in a short, concise prayer relating to the Bible lesson. Optionally, you can ask kids if anyone has prayer requests, and encourage some of the kids to lead in prayer for requests.
- Send one devotion packet home per family (give it to the oldest child and instruct them to give it to their parents)
- Circle or highlight the lesson you used on the copy sent home to families so they know which one you did in Children’s Church and which ones they should do at home
- When it’s time to go back upstairs, lead them back upstairs in an orderly fashion.
- Instruct the kids to report directly to their parents when they get upstairs, not to wander around or go outside without first checking in with their parents.
Activity Options
- God’s Story on YouTube (Crossroads Kids’ Club Channel) has lots of short videos that tell Bible stories (and the kids love these)–you may be able to find one that goes along with your lesson. David (or one of the other older kids) can help you locate them if you need help.
- Active games: Try dodgeball, capture the flag, red rover, etc! Feel free to go outside when the weather is nice, or use the dining area when it’s not.
- Crafts: try searching online for craft ideas that go along with the week’s lesson. There are oodles of activities out there if you take the time to search. . . try including “children’s church” or “Sunday School” in your search terms.
- Free play: There are lots of options for free play time including play doh, rice, blocks, legos, dollhouse, bracelet making, and drawing. All are located in the children’s church room.
- Music: During free play time, you might want to play some background music–Bethel Kids channel on YouTube has some great videos, or you can search for other kids’ worship music on YouTube. If you are musical, feel free to lead the kids in a song or two–this might be a good way to begin the lesson!
Bibles for New Kids
We have picture Bibles (in the cupboard in the Children’s Church room) to give as gifts to first-time visitors. Ask kids if they have already taken home a picture Bible (in case they were given one by another teacher) and let them choose one to take home. You might offer a choice of two age-appropriate picture Bibles, rather than all of the options. At your discretion, you can give one per family or one per child (i.e., if kids are close in age, they might share one, but if there is a significant age gap, it would make more sense for them to each have their own). Write their name inside, perhaps with a brief message, and let their parents know about the gift if you have a chance.
Supplies & Materials
Basic craft supplies are provided on the shelf in the Children’s Church room. Please let Ethan or Bethany know if we are running low on any supplies, or if you think there is something we should have on hand that we don’t currently have. Please avoid leaving leftover supplies from a craft or activity in the Children’s Church room unless it belongs to one of the categories currently stocked, and fits in the bin provided. When in doubt, ask! Clutter builds quickly and we want to maintain a neat and orderly room so that everyone can easily find what they need.
The following additional supplies are located in the room across the hall in the filing cabinet:
- Acrylic paint, watercolor paint, paintbrushes, paint trays, aprons, t-shirts, gloves, water containers
- Foam sheets
- Tissue Paper
- Felt
- Craft sticks
- Paper cups
- Pipe cleaners
