ONLINE HACKS
GROW KIDS | JUNE 2020
HOW DO I ADAPT GROW KIDS CURRICULUM TO AN ONLINE-ONLY PROGRAM?
INSTRUCTIONS
STEP 1: BUILD A WEEKLY STRATEGY
You’re going to need a weekly strategy that’s unique to your church. But don’t worry! We have some resources to help you decide what you’ll do and when. Check this out if you need some help building your new weekly plan for online children’s ministry:
- FACEBOOK LIVE | 10 Tips for Building a Weekly Strategy for Online Kids Ministry (with Elle Campbell): Join our kids ministry Facebook group to watch this 1-hour workshop with Elle, where you’ll learn to build a weekly strategy and learn what other kids pastors are already doing well. WATCH
- PODCAST | 10 Tips for Building a Weekly Strategy for Online Kids Ministry (from Kids Ministry Answers): Join our hosts TJ and Kellee for a conversation unpacking Elle’s tips and sharing ideas of their own. LISTEN
- TRELLO BOARD | A Template for Online Kids Ministry: Grab our free Trello template to give you a structure you can customize and repeat each week for your ministry. VIEW
STEP 2: PLAN YOUR ONLINE KIDS SERVICE
By now, you’ve figured out that what works in person doesn’t exactly work online. Here’s a basic outline for an online service that you can use each week, using the curriculum you already have:
- MUSIC: Sing two worship songs.
- THE BIG IDEA: Share the Big Idea of the week.
- SCRIPTURE: Tell the Bible story (or show the teaching video) and repeat the Big Idea.
- DISCUSSION: Give families at least one question to discuss.
You can always add more elements if you’d like, but this is the basic formula you need for an effective online service — and with Grow Kids, you already have all of the elements you need to make it happen!
STEP 3: BUILD A LESSON GUIDE FOR PARENTS
Instead of talking to parents as if they’re only observers of what’s going on in your ministry, invite parents to participate as teachers and discussion-leaders for their kids! While families are watching church at home, equip parents with a weekly lesson guide that contains bite-sized versions of your curriculum that parents can teach with ease.
To create a simple lesson that parents can teach, edit the Word documents provided in your downloads to create a simple lesson for parents each week that follows this format:
- THE BIG IDEA
- SCRIPTURE
- ACTIVITY
- DISCUSSION
- PRAYER
- MEMORY VERSE
To make things extra easy for you, at the end of this post, we’ve identified the specific modules each week of the curriculum that we suggest including.
STEP 4: REPURPOSE (OR SKIP) THE REST OF THE LESSON
With Grow Kids, you get tons of activities, object lessons, videos, and more in each lesson! It might be sad to think you won’t get to use all of them during an online service, but there are ways you can still make use of those ideas! You can still make videos of object lessons and post them online! You can send parents the instructions for activities and games so they can play them at home!
At the end of this post, we’ve identified a few specific modules for each week of the curriculum that we suggest repurposing.
HACKS FOR EACH WEEK
WEEK 1: I can spend time with God anywhere.
ONLINE KIDS SERVICE
Use these modules from your lesson to create your online service:
- MUSIC |”God of Wonders”
- THE BIG IDEA | I can spend time with God anywhere.
- SCRIPTURE | Exodus 35:4-35
- VIDEO | Epic, Episode 1
- DISCUSSION | Give families at least one question to discuss together.
LESSON GUIDE FOR PARENTS
Use these modules from your lesson to create a lesson guide for parents:
- THE BIG IDEA | I can spend time with God anywhere.
- SCRIPTURE | Exodus 35:4-35
- ACTIVITY | House of Cards (Elementary) or ACTIVITY | Towering Tabernacle (Preschool)
- DISCUSSION
- PRAYER
- MEMORY VERSE | 1 Samuel 12:24 (NIV)
EXTRA IDEAS
Skip or repurpose the remaining modules in your curriculum however you’d like! But here are a few ideas…
- QUESTION | Road Trip List Post this question to your volunteer team and have them record their answer. Once you have all of the answers, put them together in a video to share on your social media page.
- VIDEO | The Tabernacle Post this video of a 3D model of the tabernacle.
- COLORING PAGE Send a copy of the coloring page to families and host a weekly coloring page competition! You can create an album of completed ones and even get people to vote on their favorites!
- ACTIVITY | Wilderness Art Have families do this activity at home during the week.
WEEK 2: I can trust God.
ONLINE KIDS SERVICE
Use these modules from your lesson to create your online service:
- MUSIC | God Made A Way
- THE BIG IDEA | I can trust God.
- SCRIPTURE | Numbers 13:2-14:9
- VIDEO | Epic, Episode 2
- DISCUSSION | Give families at least one question to discuss together.
LESSON GUIDE FOR PARENTS
Use these modules from your lesson to create a lesson guide for parents:
- THE BIG IDEA | I can trust God.
- SCRIPTURE | Numbers 13:2-14:9
- ACTIVITY | Fruits of the Land (Elementary) or ACTIVITY | Milk and Honey (Preschool)
- DISCUSSION
- PRAYER
- MEMORY VERSE | 1 Samuel 12:24 (NIV)
EXTRA IDEAS
Skip or repurpose the remaining modules in your curriculum however you’d like! But here are a few ideas…
- OBJECT LESSON | Two Lenses Film yourself doing this object lesson and post for families to watch.
- ACTIVITY | Ten and Two Mail a package to families with the materials to do this activity at home.
- ACTIVITY | Stomp Out Your Worries Mail a package to families with the materials to do this activity at home.
- MEMORY VERSE | Memory Verse Match Send a copy of this printable along with instructions for how to fill it out.
- COLORING PAGE Send a copy of the coloring page to families and host a weekly coloring page competition! You can create an album of completed ones and even get people to vote on their favorites!
WEEK 3: I can take risks for God.
ONLINE KIDS SERVICE
Use these modules from your lesson to create your online service:
- MUSIC | “You Make Me Brave”
- THE BIG IDEA | I can take risks for God.
- SCRIPTURE | Joshua 2:1-15
- VIDEO | Epic, Episode 3
- DISCUSSION | Give families at least one question to discuss together.
LESSON GUIDE FOR PARENTS
Use these modules from your lesson to create a lesson guide for parents:
- THE BIG IDEA | I can take risks for God.
- SCRIPTURE | Joshua 2:1-15
- ACTIVITY | Remembrance Bracelets (Elementary) or ACTIVITY | Where Are They? (Preschool)
- DISCUSSION
- PRAYER
- MEMORY VERSE | 1 Samuel 12:24 (NIV)
EXTRA IDEAS
Skip or repurpose the remaining modules in your curriculum however you’d like! But here are a few ideas…
- STORY | A Risky Story Film yourself sharing a story about a time when you, or someone you know took a risk for God. Try to make your story about something small that kids might be able to relate to.
- REFLECTION | Epic News Ask families to find newspaper articles or online articles of current events which call for political or social justice action.
- SNACK | Twizzler Ropes Mail families a surprise snack package in the mail with the supplies needed for this activity.
- ACTIVITY | Coloring Page Ask families to print out the coloring page, color it, then hang it up on the fridge.
WEEK 4: I can remember what God has done for us.
ONLINE KIDS SERVICE
Use these modules from your lesson to create your online service:
- MUSIC | My God is Big
- THE BIG IDEA | I can remember what God has done for us.
- VIDEO | Epic, Episode 4
- DISCUSSION | Give families at least one question to discuss together.
LESSON GUIDE FOR PARENTS
Use these modules from your lesson to create a lesson guide for parents:
- THE BIG IDEA | I can remember what God has done for us.
- SCRIPTURE | Joshua 3:10-4:9
- ACTIVITY | Story Stones (Elementary) or ACTIVITY | Follow the Leader (of Israel) (Preschool)
- DISCUSSION
- PRAYER
- MEMORY VERSE | 1 Samuel 12:24 (NIV)
EXTRA IDEAS
Skip or repurpose the remaining modules in your curriculum however you’d like! But here are a few ideas…
- SNACK | Ark Snack Post this to social media as a fun way to review the Bible story in the middle of the week.
- QUESTION | Your Favorite Memories Ask your volunteers to film themselves answering this question. Compile their answers into one video and post it for families to watch.
- VIDEO | Israelites Crossing the Jordan Post this video to review today’s Bible story.
- COLORING PAGE | Ask your volunteers to color this week’s coloring page themselves and post an album of photos of the volunteers holding up their picture.
