Every Sunday, parents all over the country walk out of church trying to make sure they didn’t forget their oldest kid’s jacket, the middle kid’s favorite stuffed animal they insisted on bringing (and it just wasn’t worth the fight to say no), and the baby’s pacifier. They spend 5 minutes making sure everyone is buckled in the
However, without a curriculum that bridges the gap from Sunday School to home, parents are often lucky if they find out even what the general story or lesson was that their kids learned at church. The Bible is clear that our relationship with the Lord is not just a Sunday morning occasion, and that it should be talked about in our homes and to our children:
“Therefore, take these words of mine into your heart and soul. Bind them on your arm as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. Teach them to your children, speaking of them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up, and write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates, so that, as long as the heavens are above the earth, you and your children may live on in the land which the LORD swore to your ancestors he would give them.”
– Deuteronomy 11:18-21
Incorporating your child’s Sunday School lesson at home doesn’t have to take hours of planning or prep work, it can be as simple as dedicating 10 minutes a day to focus on what the Lord is teaching your family.
Here are some of our favorite ways to spend those 10 minutes together:
Re-Read the Scripture Together
The Word of God is living and active (Hebrews 4:12) which means your child can learn something from the Word just as much as you can.
One great way to read the Scripture together (especially with younger children) is to make it more dynamic by using different voices for different Biblical characters or incorporating actions that your children can do as the Scripture is read.
You can also read from different versions of the Bible that may speak to different members of your family in different ways.
Watch a Video about the Lesson
It’s no secret that children love videos. Can I get an amen from the parent who fights the daily screen time battle?! Because of this, it’s a great idea to take this love of videos and turn it into a time that your family can focus on the lesson they learned Sunday!
Videos can take a Bible story or lesson and make it real. It turns something that may be a little harder to understand to something relatable. Plus, videos are memorable to children, meaning they will be thinking on the lesson far beyond Sunday morning.
Ask Discussion Questions
Asking questions is a great way to not only make sure children understand what they learn, but to engage with them and make them feel heard, loved, and valued.
Questions about the lesson don’t have to be complicated or in-depth (though they can be depending on the age of your child). Here are a few ideas of questions to ask:
- Ask which character was your child’s favorite and why
- Ask about the theme in age-appropriate ways
- Ask about an action your child can take that would make God happy
- Ask them to tell you the story in their own words
Do an Activity
What better way is there to help children solidify their knowledge of the lesson than to take an action that lives out the teaching? In the words of Mr. Rogers, “Play is really the work of childhood.” Because of this, let the children play in ways that bring the lesson to life!
Here are a few ideas of how you can incorporate lesson play at home:
- Download coloring pages of your child’s favorite character or of the story
- Let your children play dress up to act out the story
- Download activity pages that may include things like crossword puzzles, spot the difference images, mazes, word finds, and more!
- Do a craft to create an item from the story
Pray Together
Did you know that it’s never too early to teach your children to pray? Even the simplest prayer from a babbling toddler brings glory to God.
Spend a few minutes reflecting on the lesson and then thank the Lord for all He taught you and your family through it. You can also ask Him for opportunities to apply what you’ve learned.
Praying together will help your children learn how to communicate with God about His Word!
At ParishSOFT our mission is to empower churches to achieve their mission. That’s why we pride ourselves in providing the best possible web-based church management, accounting, development, and giving software around. Want to learn more? Call our Sales department at 866-930-4774 x6 and get all your questions answered!
