March is a special time in many churches as we prepare to give to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering®. But how do you explain missions, generosity, and the work of Annie Armstrong to preschoolers?

You tell a story.

And Annie Armstrong’s story is one preschoolers can understand because at its heart, it’s about loving Jesus and helping others know Him.

Annie Armstrong is known for her heart for missions. She believed deeply that everyone should hear about Jesus. Throughout her life, she encouraged churches to pray for missionaries and give money to support them so that the name of Jesus would be known throughout the world.

In 1888, Annie became the first corresponding secretary (what we would now call the executive director) of WMU. She served faithfully for 18 years, until 1906. Annie was a strong leader and a tireless encourager. She is especially remembered for the many letters she wrote to churches, urging them to pray, give, and care about missions.

And she didn’t just talk about missions, she led the way.

Projects Annie helped lead through WMU included

• Financial gifts to send three missionaries to China
• “Brick cards,” where women gave dimes to help purchase the land and building for a church in Cuba
• Developing literature so women in churches could learn about missionaries’ work
• Adopting Sunbeam Bands (the predecessor of Mission Friends) as a special WMU project

Annie also began what we now know as the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering®, an annual offering that supports North American missions. Later, the offering was named in her honor.

Preschoolers may be small, but their hearts are big. This is the perfect age to plant seeds of

• Generosity
• Prayer
• Compassion
• Obedience to God

When we teach preschoolers about Annie, we aren’t just telling them about history, we are showing them how they can love and serve Jesus right now.

Use the book Meet Lottie and Annie. Turn to the pages with blue edges beginning on page 18. This section helps preschoolers understand how Annie encouraged missions work. Keep it conversational and pause to ask simple questions like:

• “Why do you think Annie wrote letters?”
• “How can we help people learn about Jesus?”

Annie was famous for writing letters to churches and missionaries. Let your preschoolers follow her example!

Set up a writing area with:

• Paper and notepads
• Pencils, pens, and crayons
• Sticky notes
• Envelopes

Preschoolers can practice writing on their own or dictate letters for you to write. They might write to:

• Missionaries
• Church members
• A friend who needs encouragement

This activity builds early literacy skills while reinforcing Annie’s legacy of encouragement.

Make learning memorable with a simple tea party!

Serve ginger snap cookies and warm tea (or a child-friendly substitute). Read pages 22–23 of Meet Lottie and Annie. Practice saying a Bible thought from your Mission Friends unit together.

Preschoolers will love the special setting and you’ll create a moment that connects joy with learning about missions.

Annie once encouraged churches to send “frontier boxes” filled with clothing to missionaries in North America.

Recreate this spirit of generosity by collecting clothing items to donate to a local ministry center. Let preschoolers help:

• Bring items from home
•  Sort and fold clothing
• Pack the box
• Pray for the recipients to hear about and love Jesus

Explain in simple terms: “We are helping people who need clothes. That’s one way we show Jesus’ love.”

This tangible act of giving helps preschoolers understand compassion in action.

Preschoolers can give too!

You might:

• Make small offering banks
• Provide offering envelopes
• Use Missions Banks available through WMU

Explain it simply: “This money helps missionaries in North America tell people about Jesus and His love.”

Even small coins can teach big lessons about generosity.

When you teach preschoolers about Annie Armstrong, you are planting seeds of missions-minded faith that can grow for a lifetime.

You are teaching them:

• We can pray.
• We can give.
• We can encourage others.
• We can help people know Jesus.

Annie Armstrong used her letters, leadership, and love for Jesus to change lives. Now, we have the privilege of helping little ones learn they can do the same.

And who knows? The preschooler dropping coins into a missions bank today might one day be the missionary, leader, or faithful church member God uses to reach the world.

by Joye Smith