PRC - Practical Resources for Churches
Children's Ministry
CONTENTS
PRC Booklets
PRC Pinterest Boards
Recorded Webinars
Blessings of the Backpacks/Devices
Bulletin Boards
Children's Christian Books
Christian Apps for Kids
Classroom Supplies
Devotional Resources for Kids
Faith Formation
Free Rotation Lessons
Free Spanish Language Sunday School Curriculum
Free Sunday School Curriculum
Games for Kids
Highly Recommended Children's Ministry Websites
Homelessness
Interactive Christian Websites for Kids
Miscellaneous Activities
Online Resources
Puppet Ministry
Rotation Model Curriculum
Sacraments
Skits
Stations of the Cross for Kids
Vacation Bible School
Welcome Back Sunday
Safe Sanctuary, Child Protection, and Background Check information can be found on the Management and Organization page.
Resources about autism can be found on the Caring Ministry page.
Resources about preventing bullying can be found on the Social Justice page.
PRC BOOKLETS
Basic Teacher Training booklet
Celebrating Advent with Children in Worship booklet
The Changing 21st Century Sunday School booklet
Christmas Pageants 2020 booklet
Creative Ways to Energize Your Sunday School booklet
Equipping Families to Teach the Faith to their Children booklet
Getting and Keeping Children's Ministry Volunteers booklet
Helping Families Celebrate a Holy Advent booklet
Keep Faith Alive in the Summertime Participant Handbook
Missions and Service in Sunday School booklet
New Ways of Doing the Christmas Pageant booklet
Reaching Out to Children of Unchurched Parents booklet
Spiritual Practices with Children and Youth booklet
Spiritual Refreshment for Busy Sunday School Teachers and Leaders booklet
Sunday School Curriculum Overview booklet
RECORDED WEBINARS
Click on the title to view.
Raising Kids Beyond the Binary in Church
Leader - Jamie Bruesehoff
Talking With Kids About Injustices
Leader - Sara Pantazes
Holy Work with Children: Children’s Spirituality
Leader - Rev. Dr. Tanya Campen
Holy Work with Children Presentation
Holy Listening: Connecting to the Faith Lives of Kids & Teens
Leader - Leanne Hadley
Simple Directions to Make Holy Listening Stones
Experimenting Alongside Kids in Worship
Leader - Heather Roth Johnson
Celebrating Pentecost with Children
Leaders - Elizabeth Christie, Rebekah McLeod Hutto, Juniper LaNunziata
Kids in Worship: The Prayground
Leaders - Brittany Porch, Erin Wise
Wonder Awaits! - Meet the Author
Leader - Caroline Hamilton-Arnold
Blessed Youth: Breaking the Silence About Mental Illness With Children and Teens
Leader - Rev. Dr. Sarah Griffith Lund
Dandelion Marketplace: Progressive Spiritual Formation for Families and Churches
Leader - Melissa Gepford
Dandelion Marketplace Website
Here: The Dot We Call Home - Meet the Author!
Leader - Laura Alary
Raising Race-Wise Families in a Race-Challenged World
Leader - Helen Lee
Raising Race-Wise Families Slides
Parenting for a Better World
Leaders - Susanna Snyder, Ellen Ott Marshall
parenting-for-a-better-world-discussion-guide
Developmental Concerns Regarding Children and Youth and Covid
Leader - Dr. Elizabeth Geiling, PhD, LMHC, LPC
Impact of Covid on Children
Kids Church School 101 for Hybrid Ministry
Leader - Elizabeth Christie
helpful resources for curriculum
Missional Confirmation
Leader - Mark D. Hinds
What's Next In Christian Education Workshop
Leaders: Elizabeth Christie, Debbie Kolacki, Karen Smith
children's ministries-slides
New Directions for Holy Questions: Meet the Authors!
Leaders - Claire Brown, Anita Peebles
A Messy Church for a Messy World
Leaders - Roberta Egli and Johannah Myers
DWELL: Help Kids Find Their Place in God’s Big Story
Leader - Jill Benson
Get to Know GenOn Ministries
Leader - GenOn Ministries
Intergenerational Ministry with GenOn Slides
The Micah Paradigm: From "Just Fine" to Transformative Justice with Children and Youth
Leaders - Kelly Demo, Barbara McCall
Building a Developmental Framework
Faithful Families for Lent, Easter, and Resurrection: Simple Ways to Create Meaning for the Season
Leader - Traci Smith
Children's Choir: Ideas and Adaptations for a Pandemic
Leaders: Katie Houts, Terry Taylor
Picture the Bible Teacher Training
Leader: Stacy Johnson Myers
We Are All Children of God: Creating Intergenerational Church Online, In-Person, and Hybrid
Leader: Rebecca Stevens-Walter
Intergenerational Church Slides
Follow Me: Biblical Practices for Faithful Living – New Curriculum coming summer 2021
Leader: Katie Snyder
PRC Follow Me Workshop
Breathe: A Child’s Guide to Ascension, Pentecost, and the Growing Time
Leader: Laura Alary, author
Breathe Webinar Resource List
Picture the Bible
Leader: Stacy Johnson Myers
Picture the Bible Presentation
SALT Project Resources for Lent, Easter, Summer, and Beyond
Leader: Liz and Matt Myer Boulton
Surviving a COVID Lent & Easter (Again) with Illustrated Ministry
Leader: Adam Walker Cleveland and Rebekah Lowe
Cradle Roll: Ministry with Babies and Their Families in a Pandemic
Leaders: Debbie Kolacki & Elizabeth Christie
Caring For Families With Children With Disabilities
Leader: Mindi Welton-Mitchell
Helping Kids Cope with "Back to School" Stress
Leader: Janet Siry, LCSW
Helping Kids Cope With Back to School Stress - presentation slides
resources for returning to school after covid
helping children with traumatic separation related to covid-19
resource list
Books for Children Dealing With Loss or Trauma
Celebrate Wonder - Cokesbury Curriculum Review
Leader: Erin Floyd
Upcoming Children's Book Releases from Flyaway Books
Leader: Kerri Daly
Flyaway Books Presentation
Formation Planning (birth - 12yr)
Leader: Dawn Rundman
Sparkhouse Resources and Online Faith Formation Planning
Growing in God’s Love: A Story Bible Curriculum
Leader: Katie Snyder
Story Bible Curriculum Presentation
Curriculum from The Thoughtful Christian
Leader: Katie Snyder
The Thoughtful Christian PRC Webinar
Called to Teach: Basics for Sunday School Teachers of Children and Online Faith Formation
Leader: Debbie Kolacki
Kids Leading Worship
Leader: Stephanie Luedtke
Engaging Kids in Worship
Making the Holy Seasons Holy for All
Leader: Elizabeth Christie
Information about Elizabeth Christie
Faithification: Gamifying Faith Formation
Leader: Stephanie Luedtke
Handout - Faithification
Sunday School Curriculum Development
Leader: Emily Delikat
Flyaway Books: Picture Books That Help the Next Generation Soar
Leader: Kerri Daly
Tackling Tough Topics with Kids
Leader: Karen Ware Jackson
Unleashing God’s Word in the Lives of Children: Introducing Bible Story Basics
Leader: Daphna Flegal
Children’s Sunday School Curriculum from Cokesbury and Abingdon
Leader: Brittany Sky
Early Childhood Ministry: Who, Why, How?
Leader: Dawn Rundman
Early Childhood Ministry Handout
Doubts and Questions as Teachers of the Faith
Leader: Traci Smith
Praygrounds and Worship Activities for Children
An Alternative Sunday School webinar
Leader: Christine V. Hides
Digging Deep: Tools to Help Children Reach a Deeper Spiritual Level
Leader: Nani Arning
Godly Play in a Nutshell
Leader: W. Lee Dickson
Passing on the Faith in Today’s Congregations
An Alternative Sunday School webinar
Leader: Debbie Gline Allen
Celebrating a Holy Lent and Easter Through Children’s Literature
Leader: Elizabeth Christie
Using Children’s Literature in Children’s Ministry
Leader: Elizabeth Christie
Baby Steps: Bringing Children Back to the Sanctuary
Part of the Alternative Sunday School Series
Leader: Michelle Ketepa
Let’s Kill Sunday School (before it kills the church)
Part of the Alternative Sunday School Series
Leader: Rich Melheim
Messy Church
Leader: Anais Hussian
Alternative Sunday School Series: Curriculum + Service + Spiritual Practice
Leader: Marissa Letscher
Kids of All Ages Together
Leader: Elizabeth Christie
BLESSING OF BACKPACKS/DEVICES
Backpack Blessing!
The Salt Project offers two options for Backpack Blessing Prayers.
Backpack Blessings
Ministry Matters has blessings for students, teachers, and donated backpacks and supplies.
Blessing Backpacks: Prayer and Resources
This post has a blessing prayer and suggestions for a token sacred item to keep in a backpack.
Blessing of the Backpacks and Back-to-School Worship Liturgy
Illustrated Ministry offers a free downloadable worship liturgy which includes a Call to Worship, Opening Prayer, Blessing of the Backpacks Liturgy, Prayers of the People, Closing Prayer, and a Benediction.
Blessing of the Backpacks: A Prayer for the Start of School
This blog post has a blessing of the backpacks and a prayer for the start of the new school year.
A Blessing of the Backpacks and the School Year
This blessing comes from the Discipleship Ministries website of the UMC.
Blessing of the Devices
There are suggestions for stickers to go along with this Blessing of the Devices litany.
New Beginnings
This Building Faith article includes a Litany for a New School Year, which recognizes the excitement and anxiety of a new school year; it can be used as part of the Blessing of the Backpacks and/or Devices.
CHRISTIAN APPS FOR KIDS
The Bible App for Kids
YouVersion offers a free app with animated, interactive Bible stories as well as games and activities.
Buddy Quest App
This free app from Group Publishing Buddy Quest helps kids learn and practice virtues in their everyday lives.
Children’s Bible App for Android
The Children's Bible contains 218 Bible stories for kids, taken from the Old and New Testaments.
Christian Book Apps for Children
This article from the Centre for Apologetic Scholarship and Education provides links to ePicture books as well as Bibles and Bible resources,
Guardians of Ancora
This is a fun, epic adventure game for older children where players run, jump, roll and slide their way through stories of the Bible where they’ll meet Jesus and experience the miracles he performed.
CLASSROOM SUPPLIES
Carson Dellosa Education
They offer books, stickers, posters, and bulletin board decorations for the Christian classroom.
ChristianBook
This site offers classroom decor and teacher supplies for Sunday school.
Teachers Paradise
They sell a variety of products for the Sunday school classroom.
Please help us keep this information up to date.
Send Us an E-Mail when you find a broken link!
These links and resources come from a variety of sources with varying theological perspectives. Please use them thoughtfully, adapting them as necessary to fit your church's theology.
DEVOTIONAL RESOURCES FOR KIDS
Books
Celebrate Wonder Bible Storybook
These 150 stories written by Brittany Sky will engage children through simple storytelling and open-ended questions that encourage the children to wonder about the Bible story and make connections between the Bible and their lives.
Five-Minute Devotions for Children: Celebrating God's World as a Family
Each devotion in this book includes a story about an animal illustrating its dominant trait as created by God; that trait is then related to a child with questions to answer. Each devotional concludes with a short Bible verse.
God's Power in Me
Margaret Feinberg is the author of this interactive 52-day devotional that encourages young readers to break free from negative thinking and focus on the positive truths of who God made them to be.
Growing in God's Love: A Story Bible
This resource by Elizabeth Caldwell and Carol Wehrheim features 150 popular Bible stories that are organized by 13 themes. Three reflection questions--Hear, See, Act--are included at the end of each story to help children further ponder the message of the story.
I Wonder: Exploring God's Grand Story
Through innovative storytelling and open-ended questions, this book by Glenys Nellist offers a remarkable approach to teaching young minds to wonder about the mysteries found in God’s Word.
Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions for Kids
These devotions are written as if Jesus is speaking directly to a child's heart.
My Jesus Journal
This book from Buck Denver who created the “What’s In the Bible” DVD series includes activities for families to make a Mustard Tree and Jesus Journal as well as other activities.
The One Year Book of Devotions for Preschoolers
Each reading in this book pairs a Little Blessings illustration with a short Bible verse and devotional thought.
The One Year Devos for Animal Lovers: Cool Things Animals Show Us About Our Creator
This one year devotion uses animals to point to spiritual truths. Each devotion concludes with an activity to do that day that relates to the devotion.
Prayers for Faithful Families
Traci Smith’s book equips busy parents with simple prayers, written in ordinary language, for a wide variety of occasions, from everyday moments like mealtime and bedtime to milestones such as the first day of school, the death of a pet, or welcoming a new baby.
FAITH FORMATION
Building Faith
This is a ministry of the Virginia Theological Seminary with resources to equip and inspire churches and individuals for the ministry of Christian education and faith formation.
Faith Practices Toolkit
The Toolkit from the PC(USA) focuses on faith practices which include: prayer, storytelling, service, retreat, and hospitality. These areas are threaded together by age and stage, intergenerational and home.
Lifelong Faith
This website provides extensive resources, training, and assistance to help leaders develop faith formation for all ages and generations.
FREE ROTATION LESSONS
Rotation.org
This is an online community of Sunday School teachers and church staff sharing free and premium Sunday School lesson plans, creative ideas, and discussion.
FREE SPANISH LANGUAGE SUNDAY SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Calvary Chapel’s Children’s Ministry has 325 free downloadable lessons from the Old and New Testaments available in both English and Spanish. It includes coloring sheets and other activity sheets.
Mission Arlington
This site offers lessons to download in both English and Spanish.
Sermons4Kids
This free site follows the lectionary and includes a children’s sermon for each week, plus coloring sheets and other activity sheets available in both English and Spanish.
FREE SUNDAY SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Calvary Curriculum
This website offers its original children’s curriculum to non-members. The 325 lessons from Genesis through Revelation were created for 1st-6th grades in English and Spanish.
Episcopal Children’s Curriculum
This curriculum was discontinued in print but is available as a free download on the website of the Virginia Theological Seminary. It is available in three age groups for preschool to grade 6 and there are three years of material for each age group.
Episcopal Curriculum for Youth
This curriculum is available for younger youth and older youth. Like the children’s curriculum, there are three years of lessons available as free downloads.
Lesson Plans that Work
Designed to follow the Revised Common Lectionary, these lesson plans are written by experienced church school teachers using practical approaches to respond to the needs of volunteer teachers. Both a lesson plan for young children and a lesson plan for older children are offered each week, and intergenerational lesson plans are available for many major feast days throughout the liturgical year.
Mission Arlington
This curriculum is written specifically for the unchurched child, teenager, and adult.
Sermons4Kids
This website provides children’s sermons and group activities, as well as coloring and activity sheets, for each Sunday in the lectionary year. The resources are available in both English and Spanish.
Virtual Church School
This curriculum follows the Revised Common Lectionary and is available in both English and French.
Please look at these curricula carefully before using to determine that they are in line with your church’s theological position.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED CHILDREN'S MINISTRY WEBSITES
HOMELESSNESS
Unsheltered Lives
This interdisciplinary activity guide for grades K-12 teaches about homelessness.
INTERACTIVE CHRISTIAN WEBSITES FOR KIDS
Keys for Kids Children's Ministries
Children’s Bible Hour (CBH) is now Keys for Kids, using multiple platforms (radio, live streaming, CDs, MP3, e-books) to bring their message to children and their parents. Multilingual. Offers devotionals, Bibles, books and more.
My Place with Jesus
An online interactive Bible study for children.
Peter's PowerPoint Station
Offers free presentations in PowerPoint format & free interactives & games for kids. Includes Bible stories and books of the Bible.
Life Kids TV
Interactive online Bible study and downloadable apps for parents and
Compassion
Compassion International is “a child-advocacy ministry that pairs compassionate people with those who are suffering from poverty.” Site offers a magazine, links to devotions, activities, and cultural info about impoverished children around the world in a manner that children can understand and appreciate.
MISCELLANEOUS ACTIVITIES
The Well Creative Children's Ministry
This site offers crafts and other activities, including seasonal ones. There's also information about other topics related to children's ministry.
ONLINE RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN'S MINISTRY
PUPPET MINISTRY
Creative Ministry Solutions
This resource supplier offers materials and training for puppeteers, ventriloquists, clowns, magicians and others involved in creative arts.
Danielle's Place
There are free puppet skits along with links to purchase puppets for the skits.
How to Build a Portable Puppet Theater
Instruction are provided on how to build a puppet theater out of PVC pipes and black fabric.
The Ministry Mama
A list of links to websites offering free puppet skits is provided.
Puppet Resources
Free puppet skits can be downloaded in a variety of formats.
Puppets - Before the Show
This article on the Children's Ministry website offers ideas for starting a puppet ministry.
ROTATION MODEL CURRICULUM
Jubilation Station
David C. Cook sells 22 downloadable rotation lessons.
Rotation Stations
Cokesbury Kids offers lessons on numerous Old and New Testament stories with seven stations divided into three age categories.
Spark Rotation
They offer lessons based on 48 Bible stories for three age groups with an all-ages option.
SACRAMENTS
Baptism
Baptism: Help kids explore the mystery
In this article from the UMC website, Glenys Nellist, author of Baptized in the Water: Becoming a Member of God’s Family, suggests ways to talk to children about Baptism. There is also a link in the article to a free activity pack that accompanies “Baptized in the Water” with printable puzzles, bookmarks, coloring pages and more.
Including Children in the Baptism of Other Children
This post on Worshiping with Children provides a list of ways to include children in the baptism of infants that help them grow in their understanding of baptism and feel that they are part of the whole congregation.
Virtual Church School
This downloadable lesson is on Jesus’ baptism.
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Communion
10 Things to Tell Children About Communion
This post is from the Building Faith website.
All About Communion
Lifelong Faith provides a Communion Playlist with free resources to help kids learn what Communion is and why it's important. There are activities, links to videos, a downloadable Deep Blue Kids lesson, and more.
Lessons from the Table Children's Lesson Plan
This five-session study from the Presbyterian Mission Agency is designed to be used for a broadly graded children’s group.
Teaching Children About Communion Workshop
These activities from the Faithward website are intended to be used for workshop rotation or learning center lessons but can also be adapted for intergenerational use or used over several weeks.
Welcoming Children to the Lord’s Supper Toolkit
This toolkit from the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) has educational, family, and worship resources relating to children and Communion. Although the resources are written from a CRC perspective, they can be adapted for use by other denominations.
SKITS
Church Skits
Free short skits and full-length dramas are listed alphabetically; you can also search by topic or Scripture.
Sunday School Center Church Skits
Free church skits for youth or children for life application or evangelism, as well as Christmas skits for youth to preschool and Easter Skits for everyone.
STATIONS OF THE CROSS FOR KIDS
Domestic-Church
Families can use this clear and simple guide to the Stations. Contains explanations and prayers designed for children.
Loyola Press
Contains printer-friendly, downloadable PDF and link for online.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Check out our Vacation Bible School Tips and Programs
Concordia Supply
Each year they offer a free VBS Resource Guide with information about the most popular programs and tips for running your VBS.
Ministry Tools Resource Center
This site has articles on administration, crafts, curriculum, games, skits, etc.
WELCOME BACK SUNDAY
15 Fantastic Fall Kickoff Ideas for Children’s Ministry
The Childrens Ministry site offers a variety of ideas for the first day of Sunday school.
Blessing of the Backpacks: 6 Tips for Success
The Building Faith website offers tips and links to prayers and other resources for the Blessing of the Backpacks.
Christian Formation Celebration Week
The Presbyterian Church (USA) offers this resource which includes ideas for Kick-Off Sunday, Rally Day, and Intergenerational Events.
Commissioning of Church School Teachers
The Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut offers litanies and prayers for church school teachers as the program year begins.
Pray, Bless, Support: Ideas and Aids for Back-To-School Ministry
This article on the ResourceUMC website lists what some churches are doing for Rally Day and includes links to related worship resources as well as outreach and other resources.
Thinking About Rally Day
A Church for Starving Artists offers a thoughtful article with suggestions for a new kind of Rally Day.
Worship Resources for Promotion Sunday and Rally Day
Discipleship Ministries of the UMC offers blessings for teachers and learners.