SUMMER SUNDAY RESOURCES

Over the Summer months, our children’s programmes find a new rhythm. Volunteers need a rest, holidays impact attendance, and it can be a challenge to still engage our children in worship. It is so important however, that we still do all we can so that our children feel welcomed, loved, and able to engage. We need to be careful not to underestimate our child’s need to worship, or to forget that they enhance our experience of worship too. We all are partners together in our worship services.

These resources are simple printable activities that will hopefully help you to provide for your children. They can be used in a variety of ways:

SERMON NOTES:

There is a sermon note template for both Kids and Teens. These worksheets invite the children and young people to engage in the worship service. They include simple activities that help them to notice what is happening. Younger children may need help to complete these sermon notes, but hopefully they encourage helpful questions between the children and their significant adult. These templates are generic and can be used on any Sunday, ideally, they should be printed on a single side, so the other side is blank for them to be creative. If your children are using these, please be intentional about asking them what they have filled in, or how they have heard God. They may have questions that you could help to answer, or perhaps, you might learn something new from them!

FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT:

These are nine printable worksheets based on the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). They are aimed at Primary-aged children however, younger children will need help with some of the activities. Written sections can be adapted to be drawing sections for those younger children. The worksheets are also accompanied with a colouring-in memory verse picture that may be more appropriate for younger members of your Church. The worksheet and picture could be printed back-to-back so that the children can choose which they would like to complete. These activities can be completed as the children sit with you in church, if they need to ask questions, we welcome that! If they are a little noisy, we welcome that too, for it is all part of how they are engaging and worshipping God.

If you are planning to have a children’s programme that takes the children out of the main worship service, these worksheets and activities could be adapted to create your teaching programme. You could use them along with a bible story that shows Jesus displaying the fruits of the Spirit, you could teach the memory verse in a fun way, you could create space for the children to ask questions that would increase their understanding and faith… the opportunities are endless! Have fun as you invest in your children this summer.

SOME TOP TIPS

· Please remember to have plenty of colouring pencils or felt tip pens for the children to use. You could make some pen pots, so the children can take their own pot of pens to their seat, or you could create a space in the church with tables and chairs where the children can sit and work on the activities whilst also participating in the rest of the service.

· Not all your children will enjoy the writing or drawing activities, so perhaps you could have a Lego station, or play dough table, for those children who like to build or be more tactile in their learning. You could set a theme for each Sunday of what you want them to build or create.

· Be mindful of those children in your congregation who may have special educational needs. Perhaps you could get some fidget toys, noise cancelling headphones, or plan other accessible activities for them. Parents and carers will be the best ones to advise you of what would help their child best engage in worship.

· Be intentional. Make sure to welcome your children and take time to ask them what they have been doing during worship. Listen carefully, they may just have the most wonderful insight of the work of God that your Church needs to know!