What On Earth Should I Teach Kids In This Season?

If you had told me back in March 2020, we’d still be navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic, I never would have believed you.

We enthusiastically pivoted to teaching online about fear, anxiety & God’s faithfulness for a few weeks, until I quickly realized – this isn’t just going to be a few short weeks.

As we’ve moved into the fall, I’ve wrestled with this question: what do we teach kids in this season?

Do we stick to the planned script, scope & sequence?

Do we change it up when another outbreak happens, another new regulation comes down, or something else shifts in their world?

What do we teach this generation whose life is in a state of constant change?

Those are all important questions.

I believe that we should be asking them all the time, but this past 20 months has forced us to think about them even more intentionally.

As you decide what to teach the kids in your care this season, here are some things to consider:

Kids still need a firm faith foundation.

While so much in the world is changing, the kids that you serve are still in the pivotal years of faith formation. This is a time we will never get back.

When you are considering what to teach kids in this season, consider – what are the key truths about God they need to know in this season? Where are they found in Scripture?

Make a list of these truths – and prayerfully consider them. As you find themes you think are important to focus on, look for curriculum and resources that accompany them.

While we can never go wrong with teaching Scripture, we want to make sure we are a laying a foundation for kids that will stand the test of time.

Keep things simple and impactful.

One of the challenges I’ve found with teaching in this season is that I never know who, where or how I’ll be teaching! Due to isolation requirements, quick pivots to online ministry and constantly changing mandates, the format in which I teach can change from week to week.

That’s why in this season, I have looked for simple, impactful methods to teach. We have looked for big truths, but simple surefire methods. We’ve incorporated:

• Object lessons that can be done with simple, househol dobjects at church or at home
• Video elements that compliment the main teaching
• Games that require little/no prep
• Discussion questions that can be done with any group of kids
• Crafts/experiments that require minimal supplies

All of these methods were ways I’ve incorporated into my ministry for quite some time – attempting to empower volunteers to lead & keep things simple and straightforward in prep so we can focus on the most important things. This season has made those flexible, simple methods so much more important!

You can check some of them out in our curriculum samples.

Talk to families about what they need to hear in this season.

Every context is unique, and talking to the families in your setting to figure out what they need to hear from God’s Word in this season is a powerful tool.

Send a simple survey out to the parents in your ministry to ask them what their kids are asking questions about or what spiritual topics are relevant to their families right now.

You won’t be able to meet every need, but maybe you’ll find some common themes that you can incorporate into teaching.

Choosing what to teach kids in this season isn’t an easy task, but as we move through the fall and into the winter months, we want to be intentional that what we’re teaching is the thing our kids need in this season!

If you need more direction in how to plan what to teach, check out our Ministry Planning Tool. This is a simple method to get yourself thinking intentionally about what to teach:

And if you are looking for a series to help you teach in this season, here are some ideas: