Tell the Story!
Everything on this website is designed to help you tell children of all ages about God.
Never run out of ideas again. Click through the menus to find over 170 Bible lessons and games, activities, crafts and prayers to help engage children.
The Bible contains many stories and lessons but it is actually one big story, the Story of God. Use and adapt these free resources to teach any age group in all kinds of teaching situations.
A well-told Bible story is the most natural and intergenerational method of sharing the Word of God. God bless you as you tell the story!
Menu List:
- Old Testament (91 Bible Lessons)
- New Testament (81 Bible Lessons)
- Teaching (planning lessons, teaching tips)
- Methods, Tools and Songs (how to tell stories, games, crafts, prayers)
Additional Free Teaching Materials
Most of the teaching material on this website relates to children aged three and older, but infants and toddlers aged 0-2 years have specific learning needs. Click here for a free curriculum for infants and toddlers.
UPDATE COMING IN MAY!
-
THANK YOU SO MUCH MARY i just sall your email i like your idea thank you
-
hi,am winnie yator in kenya and would like to start bible classes for children in my church and laiter expand to other areas but how to start it and the materials is what i luck ,please advice me because its a call i hav had it and it burdens me that i have not started.
-
Hi Winnie
This is a wonderful thing God has put on your heart. Remember, if he has given you a task, he will supply what you need (Philippians 4:19).
If your church has never had Bible classes for children then I would start by praying about this. Talk to the leaders of your church and others interested in the spiritual lives of children to join you in prayer.
This website has many Bible stories and lessons you can use for free. I would suggest that you choose one Bible story and then spend one or more lessons on it before moving to the next. I like to teach the stories in chronological order instead of skipping around but that is up to you. Click here for a list of stories and themes that you might like to teach.
You can read my step-by-step instructions for preparing for a class. But when it comes to setting up a program I would suggest the following:
Ask Others to Join You: Start thinking about others who can help you share God’s word with children. You will need the encouragement and help of others. The parents of the children will probably be interested in what you are doing. Are there other adults or teenagers in your church who love children? Think about people who might have gifts and talents like story-telling, singing, playing games, drawing, artwork, crafts or perhaps there are people who just seem to relate to children well and know how to keep their attention.
Learn from others: You will want to learn games and activities that will help you teach. Click here for some on my website. It is nice to have supplies and materials but you don’t actually have to spend a lot of money to teach children about God. There are many resources free to everyone (like this website). Talk to teachers at schools. Ask the children what kind of things they like to do. Go to the library. Visit other churches and find out what they do. You will begin with a few ideas but every time you teach you will learn something new.
Start Small: You don’t have to have a big program to begin with. At first you may wish to just gather the children together and tell them a Bible Story. You could ask them to share what they found interesting about the story and what they think God would like them to know about it. You don’t need to be formal but you could allow them the opportunity to hear about God and learn to love him like you do. Teach them to pray.
Set a time and Place: Many churches have “Sunday School” just before the Sunday worship assembly but you can choose a time that works for you. You might choose Sunday afternoon or Saturday or even one day after school. It might work best weekly or monthly. As for a place…if you are blessed with a church building, tables and chairs that is wonderful. But you can teach children in your home, in a park or at the beach. I’ve seen teachers roll out a mat or blanket and ask all the children to sit with them. This works fine.
I hope this helps you get started. May God bless you in this effort! I would love to hear how it goes.
-
-
Hi Mary,
I am currently teaching a bible class of 4-5 year olds using the Heritage of Faith curriculum here in Melbourne, Australia. Our term is divided into three units, each with its own memory verse. This coming Sunday is the final week of our first unit, and we have been working on John 1:3. Some of the children know the verse, but some don’t. Do you think it would be better to keep working on the same verse until all the children know it rather than jumping ahead as per the curriculum?
Hope you and the family are well.
Love and blessings,
Laura-
Hi Laura
I’m happy to hear you are helping the children in Melbourne memorise Scripture. God’s word will be a part of them for their entire lives.
I don’t think there is one right answer to your question. You’ll probably just have to weigh some factors and come to your own conclusion on this one. Here are some thoughts that come to my mind:
Desire and Ability: If the children who have not memorised the verse are still determined to do so then I think I would allow them more time. On the other hand, if their interest has waned, they are not as able as the others, or if they are not getting help at home then I would probably move on.
Keep a “Challenge Balance”: If those that learn the verse quickly are held back too long they will get bored and might even resent the children that take longer. If you are determined that all students memorise the verse then you might need to spend extra time with some children outside of class.
Focus and Time: What is the topic and memory verse(s) in the next unit? If the units are quite different and the next unit is something you know the children are going to benefit from then it won’t hurt to wrap up this one and move on so they will have time to learn the next one.
Make the Transition Easy: If you decide to move on then review the meaning of the verse together and perhaps display it somewhere in the room for later reference. Tell the class you are happy that everyone has learned the verse. You are proud of those who learned how to say it from memory and you are proud of those who learned about God and how he made everything.
Hope that helps.
-
Leave a Reply