3 Things to Do Differently When Preparing for Sunday School

Simple Changes That Make a Big Impact

When the sun comes up on Sunday morning do you feel prepared and excited for leading the children who will arrive at church in a few hours? Or are you quickly reviewing your lesson minutes before church starts while praying it all goes well? There is no doubt that many Children’s Ministry workers have had a week or two of being under prepared. But this shouldn’t be how we approach ministry every week!

God has given us a great calling and privilege to serve and lead children. It is a joy to share God’s word with them and it is an even greater blessing when you are ready for the day. But maybe you have lost some excitement or energy and you are looking to change a few things in how you prepare.

At WellConnected we want to see your ministries thrive! Whether you are a Sunday morning volunteer or a full-time Children’s Ministry staff member we pray that this blog will challenge you, re-ignite your passion for ministry, and create a greater impact in the life of the children in your community!

Take a look at these 3 ways you can prepare differently in order to make a greater impact in your Children’s Ministry:

Know Your Lesson By Heart

The first step of preparing for serving in Sunday school is to read your lesson. But we challenge you that once you have read it once, read it again and again… and again! Before you know it, you will know your lesson by heart and this will make a huge difference in the way you do everything on a Sunday morning.

Knowing it by heart means that you have memorized it and can lead without looking at your notes at every step. When you don’t have to rely on your teacher notes you will be able to put your attention to shepherding your classroom instead of just trying to get to the end of your lesson. You will able to focus on your students, have a greater impact in their lives, see when a child needs extra attention, and be able to identify what parts of the lesson make the biggest impact.

Here are a few tips for reading and preparing:

1. Completely read your lesson a minimum of 2 times.
2. Read the scripture that correlates to your lesson. If you can, read the entire book. Or read the surrounding chapters if you are teaching from a bigger book of the Bible.
3. Highlight key words in your lesson and in the scripture that you want to help your kids remember.
4. Write notes in the margin of your lesson. Writing down a note for every idea you have will help you remember everything you want to say and do on Sunday.
5. Get a blank piece of paper and write your own outline for the morning. This will solidify in your mind everything you want to accomplish.
6. Now go back and read the entire lesson and passage again one more time. You will see it with new eyes now that you have worked with it and memorized it!

When you prepare this way, you will also see a big impact in your own life. It allows the Holy Spirit to change and challenge YOU with the very word of God that you will be sharing with your class. A teacher who has been transformed by God’s word is better equipped to lead children into life transformation than a teacher who is just going through the steps of the lesson.

We encourage you to read and then re-read your lesson and the scripture that you are teaching; it will make a big difference!

Show Up Earlier and Prepare EVERYTHING

Hopefully you are showing up before your class does on a Sunday morning! But are you giving yourself enough time to feel prepared? Challenge yourself to get there earlier and see how God blesses your efforts.

Here is what you can do when you show up early:

1. Pre-make a list of everything you need and go over it on Sunday morning.
2. Put out props, materials, papers, chairs, tables or anything else you have for your lesson.
3. Go the extra mile and decorate your room. To keep it simple, add some decoration to the entry of your classroom.
4. Write notes to your class or their parents. Encourage them and share how you see God working in their lives or the lives of their children.
5. Pray over your class, their parents, and the lesson. Ask the Lord to bless your morning.
6. Leave time for God to show you how you can make that Sunday a blessing for your class.

Showing up early and preparing EVERYTHING will give you time to focus on the important things; your class! Greet them with a smile, let them talk about their lives, ask them what they think about the lesson, play with them, pray with them, and let them know you are excited to see them again next week.

On Sunday, show up early. And then show up even earlier. It will make a huge difference!

Plan Surprises

Everyone loves a good surprise, especially children! It keeps them curious and engaged. Surprises can be big and elaborate but they can also be small and simple. Either way, surprises are more than fun. They can complement your lesson or make an impact that will help you lead your class to Christ. When you have fun with your class you gain their trust. And when you gain their trust they will listen to you when you share the gospel with them.

Here are some ideas for surprising your class:

• Bring in a guest story teller
• Introduce a new song
• Do your entire program in reverse
• Play a game
• Bring a treat
• Set up your room differently
• Have children lead portions of the lesson
• Put on a skit.

We encourage you to make your own list of surprises that fit your ministry. Pray to the Lord to reveal ideas to you and then try to imagine what would capture their interest. What would create fun and allow for you to engage them in an impactful way? What would bring joy to your class and communicate God’s love for them? We encourage you to get together with other Children’s Ministry workers and brainstorm ideas together. There are countless ways to add a surprise to your classroom.

Surprises can add the extra special touch that will make your class want to come back for more!

Next Sunday, when the sun comes up, we hope you wake up with a thrill of excitement for ministry! But this will not happen by briefly reading the lesson or passage. It requires memorizing, planning, and getting creative. We pray these 3 new ways of preparing will re-ignite your passion for your ministry and will create a greater impact in the life of the children in your community!