When One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Modifying Missions Journey: Kids Curriculum
Let’s face it: As easy as it might make life for one size to always fit all, that’s just not the case.
We understand most of the people who lead a children’s missions discipleship group at their church are not professionally trained teachers.
We understand every children’s group is different — from number of children and leaders to ages of children to room size to availability of supplies to timeframe for the lesson.
Since one size doesn’t always fit all when it comes to children’s groups, Missions Journey: Kids curriculum is designed to provide leaders with quality options from which to pick and choose and modify without being overwhelming.
Whether you are a new or a seasoned teacher, let’s look at ways to modify the Missions Journey: Kids curriculum to fit your group.
Curriculum Structure
First things first, familiarize yourself with the structure of each lesson. Weekly lessons in Missions Journey: Kids are designed with choices of activities and projects, purposely done so you can customize a lesson for your specific group’s needs. Don’t be afraid to highlight the sections you want to use or cross out sections that you won’t be using! This method will help you stay on track as you teach the lesson and not become overwhelmed with the amount of materials.
Next, notice the options that are provided with some of the activities. These may be questions you can ask children in your group, terms to know, or simply project suggestions. The options are designed to give you flexibility when you teach, either to help children apply what they are learning to their own lives, help them understand the material at a deeper level, or to give you other ideas to better fit the activity to your group. Incorporate them as you are comfortable into your lesson.
Finally, realize each lesson ends in a prayertime for the featured missionaries of the week and month. One important aspect of teaching children to live a missional lifestyle is teaching them to pray for missionaries and missions work. Use the creative ideas our writers have suggested to keep prayertimes interesting and engaging, including the quarterly “Prayer Plan” in Missions Journey: Kids.
Consider Learning Styles
When planning activities for a lesson, leaders should incorporate as many different senses into the lesson as are feasible.
Visual: Using a map or globe to locate the featured country or state; watching short videos referenced in the curriculum and available on the WMU website; etc.
Auditory: Singing Christian songs that match the Bible story/verse of each unit; engaging children through creative storytelling or retelling; playing listening games; etc.
Kinesthetic: Arts and crafts activities; preparing and cooking recipes; introducing real objects that fit the lesson (e.g., sombrero and maracas); etc.
Centers
If you have a large group, consider using centers to have more focused time with children and better meet individual needs. Begin your time together as a group with the “Opening” activity, and then divide children into smaller groups. Turn the “Making Connections” activity and “Adventure Activity” into centers, each led by an adult leader. Set a timer and have the groups rotate through each center activity. At the conclusion of your meeting time, gather together for prayertime.
Extra Activities
At the end of each unit you will find supplemental “Extra Activities” designed specifically for Girls in Action, Royal Ambassadors, and Children in Action, as well as individual achievement plan activities that correlate with GA Journey™, RA Trek™, and Missions Expedition™.
The extra activities can be used for children to earn badges/patches as a group or individually, or they can be used by leaders as replacement or supplemental activities during the weekly group meetings.
Never done individual achievement? An individual achievement plan helps kids live out the missions concepts they learn during regular sessions. It provides opportunities for kids to deepen their missions discipleship and strengthen their faith.
Need help? Have questions about children’s missions discipleship?
Schedule a free consultation with one of our children’s missions experts!
Keith Gates serves as national WMU ministry consultant for Royal Ambassadors, Challengers, and Youth on Mission. He shares, “RAs changed my life as a camp staffer in the early 2000s. Developing a better RA program, at least in my circle of influence, has been a passion since then.” Keith has a vision for RA and in leading boys and students to grow in missions awareness and involvement.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (205) 991-4040
Heather Keller is the national WMU ministry consultant for children and students. She is responsible for program planning and leadership development for Girls in Action, Children in Action, and Acteens, as well as managing missions discipleship online training elements. Heather enjoys empowering leaders to help children and teens realize just how much they can impact their world with the Great Commission.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (205) 995-4816
