Preschool Missions
The journey to make disciples of Jesus who live on mission begins as you lead your preschoolers to grow in missions. Preschoolers come to understand that God loves me, God loves all people, and some people do not know about God’s love.
You can teach your preschoolers about missions by helping them
- learn about missions work in North America and around the world,
- pray for missionaries and people who need to hear of God’s love,
- give to missions through cooperative giving and special missions offerings, and
- do missions by helping others in your church, your community, and around the world.
MISSION FRIENDS
Mission Friends is the WMU missions discipleship group for preschoolers from birth through kindergarten. In Mission Friends, preschoolers develop a missions heart as they move from a focus on themselves to a focus on others. Preschoolers grow toward God as they become aware that God wants everyone to know of His love.
CONNECT WITH MISSION FRIENDS:
Preschool is an exciting time in a child’s life, where they develop an understanding of who God is and how they play a part in His plan for the world. That’s why we created Mission Friends — to provide preschoolers the building blocks of faith and teach them of God’s love for all people.
Through engaging activities, games and stories each week, Mission Friends will move from a focus on self to a focus on others. This builds a lasting foundation that helps them grow into the next generation of Christ followers who will fulfill His Great Commission.
Preschoolers can learn about missions through
- Bible thoughts related to missions,
- fun hands-on activities,
- mission stories,
- cultural learning activities,
- sensory activities,
- prayertimes,
- giving offerings, and
- helping others.
Do you need some tips and ideas for leading your missions group? If so, you’ve come to the right place!
You can use these resources to help you start and/or lead missions discipleship in your church.
Just click on the links in the list below. You can view these resources online, or you can download and print the materials you need.
Unfolding the Bible’s Mission Story – God’s heart is for all people to know Him and worship Him. View this video to find how the story of missions unfolds throughout the Bible. Mission Friends is biblically rooted as the Scriptures serve as our guide.
Missional Characteristics – In Mission Friends, we seek to instill four characteristics of a missional person within preschoolers.
What Is Mission Friends – Learn the purposes of Mission Friends. As we seek to lead preschoolers, plan the age groupings of preschoolers based on the needs in your church.
How To Start – Starting Mission Friends takes a few simple steps.
Mission Friends Resources – Provide fun missions activities and tell the mission stories to preschoolers with our resources. The basic resources for Mission Friends leaders are described, along with ordering information.
Leader Responsibilities – What does a Mission Friends leader do? We give some helps for leaders.
Leadership – We offer a chart to determine the number of leaders needed. If your church has more than one Mission Friends group, consider having a leader who coordinates the overall plans for the groups.
Mission Friends: When and Where – Find ideas for times Mission Friends can take place in your church’s schedule, and options to consider for meeting places.
Learning Components – In this video, you will discover the two things preschoolers learn each month in Mission Friends.
Mission Friends Sessions – Preschoolers learn through activities and Group Time in a session. Find a basic session schedule and ways to adjust the schedule for your needs.
Helping Others Activities – Involve preschoolers in doing missions through Helping Others activities.
MISSION FRIENDS LEADER
In each issue of Mission Friends Leader, you’ll find session plans and weekly activities in interest areas such as music, art, blocks, nature, homeliving, and more. Creative activities and mission stories are included to help establish missions awareness and involvement for preschoolers, birth through Kindergarten.
This is an annual subscription (4 quarterly issues) available in print, digital or purchase the combo of both print & digital.
MISSION FRIENDS LEADER KIT
In each issue of the Mission Friends Leader Kit, you’ll find games, songs, posters and vibrant photos to enhance the learning activities found in Mission Friends Leader (sold separately). This kit is a must-have aid to complement your lesson each week in Mission Friends.
This is an annual subscription (4 quarterly issues).
SING TO THE TUNE
Sing to the Tune Imagine familiar songs such as “The Farmer in the Dell” and “Mary Had a Little Lamb” with new words to celebrate Christian missions ideas. Sing to the Tune has re-purposed preschool songs and simple illustrations, designed for use by preschool leaders and parents.
BIG ENOUGH TO HELP OTHERS
Learning to help others begins when preschoolers shift from a focus on self to a focus on other people, which is one of the goals in early missions education. Big Enough to Help Others presents a variety of project ideas that parents and teachers can do with their preschoolers.
April 2023 Devotion: Hope from the Hospital Bed
April 2023 Play and Learn: Cooking in St. Louis
March 2023 Play and Learn: Learning About Self
February 2023 Play and Learn: Telling People in the Asian Pacific Rim About God
Use these free downloads to enrich your missions discipleship for preschoolers at church and at home.
April 2023
March 2023
- Mission Friends Leader March 2023 Extra Activities
- Bulletin Board Idea: March 2023
- Helping Others Rebus Story
February 2023
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FORMS AND CHARTS FOR LEADERS
- Allergy Alert Chart
- Attendance Chart
- Bible Thoughts
- Bible Thoughts in Spanish
- Christmas in August Parent Note
- Helping Others Parent Note
- Mission Friends Enrollment Form
- Mission Friends Song Sheet Music
- Monthly Planning Sheet
- Mission Friends Supply Checklist
RECOGNITION CERTIFICATES
- Mission Friends Participation Certificate
- Mission Friends Promotion Certificate
- Teacher Appreciation Certificate
MISSIONS STORYBOOKS
NATIONAL WMU PRESCHOOL CONSULTANT
Joye Smith
jsmith@wmu.org
(205) 991-4980
Joye Smith is preschool consultant and Preschool Resource Team leader for national WMU. In her position, Joye encourages missions awareness and involvement of preschoolers by providing training, conferences, and consultation to preschool missions leaders. She takes joy in seeing preschoolers develop a heart for missions.
If you would like to more information from your state WMU office, please find their contact information here.
