Since March, I’ve had numerous discussions with children's ministries leaders, all of whom have been impacted by COVID-19. For many, biblical instruction at church came to a screeching halt. Some were able to take advantage of available technology and are teaching their classes online. And while these CM leaders know this format is far from ideal, it has also provided some missional opportunities.
One CM leader I spoke to noted that the number of children participating in the church's online Sunday school was higher than the attendance at church. She cited two things 1) all competing activities were shut down, and 2) parents told their friends about the online opportunity. As a result, more churched kids and more un-churched kids were hearing the good news of the gospel.
Recently at Truth78, we began asking the question: What can we do to help churches and families in this time of transition?
As we were asking this question internally, our own churches were formulating their plans to transition back from COVID-19. A few things emerged…It will take time, not all will come back at once…and those who do come back will need to follow social distancing guidelines (among many other details).
So, back to the question then: What could Truth78 do to help our churches and families in transition?
Our answer was to create a new companion resource for one of our existing intergenerational curricula, Lord Teach Us to Pray.
Family Kit for Lord, Teach Us to Pray
Beyond the benefits of our intergenerational curriculum structure, we thought, What a great curriculum study for the current time! What might the Lord be pleased to do as we teach our children how to pray using the model of the Lord’s prayer, as Jesus Himself taught His disciples to pray?
We call the new companion resource a Family Kit. By design, it is a resource used by each family in its own home in conjunction with the lesson being taught by the church.
This serves churches that are not having Sunday school or Bible classes at church this summer. But it can also serve churches in transition. Because social distancing doesn’t keep families or households apart, an intergenerational curriculum is an ideal option. Those families that do come back to church can remain together in Sunday school, socially distanced from other families while being taught Lord, Teach Us to Pray.
Finally, in the transition, it is possible to serve both the families at home and those at church at the same time. Most churches are now comfortable with video conference solutions and can leverage this technology to teach at church with a small number of families and include those families at home using video conference/live stream of the classroom. During the 13-week study, if families decide to come back to church halfway through the curriculum, they will not have missed a thing and will be able to seamlessly join back in.
While developing the resource I was in much discussion with a children's ministry leader in Lincoln, Nebraska. Here’s what she had to say:
I am excited to embark on a study of prayer this summer using the Lord, Teach Us to Pray curriculum for our Children’s Ministry. We will be providing video lessons for families to watch at home. It is our hope that the Lord will stir the hearts of children to delight in the One who hears and answers our prayers, and that He will lead families to pray together.
I decided to purchase the Lord, Teach Us to Pray family kit for each family in our body with children. I was drawn to the family kit because it has activity and prayer cards for each lesson that are meant to be assembled into a 4x6 photo album, leaving each child with a little keepsake booklet from our study on prayer. ~Jen
It was a joy to develop a good solution for this church and for other churches. Maybe this solution could serve your church.
If you have any questions about how to use this resource, please contact our Customer Care Team.
About Lord, Teach Us to Pray
The purpose of prayer is not to change God, but to change the person praying. Through prayer, God reveals our sinful hearts, makes His will known, discloses His Kingdom purposes, and reveals Himself to His children. True prayer is getting to know God better. Lord, Teach Us to Pray is an intergenerational study on prayer. When Jesus responded to the disciples' request to teach them to pray, He gave them the Lord's Prayer as a model. In it, Jesus shows us what should be in the believer's heart when he comes to his Heavenly Father in prayer. Lord, Teach Us to Pray is not about the correct formula for prayer—it's about God's children learning to fellowship with Him in prayer.
The Electronic Family Kit is intended to be used in conjunction with the Lord, Teach Us to Pray Teacher's Kit.
One electronic Family Kit contains the following files:
- Family Discussion Guide—During the lesson, there are breakout times for discussion. Use the Discussion Guide to guide your family through the Scriptures and questions, making sure everyone understands what has been taught.
- Scrapbook—Each week the teacher will assemble a scrapbook page during the teaching time to teach main ideas. The Family Kit includes a copy of the scrapbook, allowing families to assemble it in their homes during the teaching time.
- Prayer Cards—Prayer cards are provided for each lesson, instructing your family regarding the prayer topic.
- Mini scrapbook pages—The activity for the study is a mini scrapbook that serves as a reminder of the important concepts taught.
Order 10 or more Family Kits to receive a discount (or 50 or more for the best discount).
