Children’s Ministry

Get more than 350 lessons, activities, illustrations and resources for a simple donation. That’s enough resources to keep your children’s ministry going for almost two years!

Take a look at what’s waiting for you below…

Three-thirty ministries is your source for fresh, creative online children’s ministry resources. These resources hold to the truths of Scripture without compromise and keep kids and teachers coming back for more…

We want children to EXPERIENCE God’s Word.

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THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE RESOURCES YOU WILL FIND HERE…

See Samples HERE.

Children’s Bible Lessons

The Life of Jesus

The Great Island Adventure–-for younger children
  • Lesson 1–Jesus is Born
  • Lesson 2–Jesus Fights Temptation
  • Lesson 3–Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
  • Lesson 4–Jesus Calms the Storm
  • Lesson 5–Jesus Heals a Blind Man
  • Lesson 6–Jesus Died and Rose Again
  • Lesson 7–Jesus Rose Again and Ascended
Extreme Life–for older children
  • Lesson 1–Extreme Trust–Jesus is Born
  • Lesson 2–Extreme Courage–Jesus Fights Temptation
  • Lesson 3–Extreme Mission–Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
  • Lesson 4–Extreme Faith–Jesus Calms the Storm
  • Lesson 5–Extreme Love–Jesus Heals a Blind Man
  • Lesson 6–Extreme Obedience–Jesus Died and Rose Again
  • Lesson 7–Extreme Life–Jesus Rose Again and Ascended
The Early Church
  • Lesson 1–Peter Preaches After Denying
  • Lesson 2–Peter and John at the Beautiful Gate
  • Lesson 3–Philip and the Ethiopian
  • Lesson 4–On the Road to Damascus
  • Lesson 5–Peter’s Great Escape
  • Lesson 6–Paul, Silas, and the Philippian Jailer
  • Memory Verse Cards
Sailing the Seven C’s
  • Lesson 1–The C of Creation
  • Lesson 2–The C of Compassion
  • Lesson 3–The C of Character
  • Lesson 4–The C of Commitment
  • Lesson 5–The C of Calling
  • Lesson 6–The C of Christlikeness
  • Lesson 7–The C of Courage
  • Memory Verse Cards
Jesus, Our Lord
  • Lesson 1–Jesus is Our Good Shepherd
  • Lesson 2–Jesus is the Light
  • Memory Verse Cards
Happy Birthday, Jesus!
  • Lesson 1–The Real Meaning of Christmas
  • Lesson 2–The Savior is Born
  • Lesson 3–The Angel and Joseph
  • Lesson 4–The Light of the World
  • Lesson 5–The Greatest Gift
  • Memory Verse Cards

The Hall of Fame of Faith

  • Lesson 1–Run the Race
  • Lesson 2–By Faith
  • Lesson 3–Do You See What I See?
  • Lesson 4–Pass the Faith Along
  • Lesson 5–Joshua and Jericho
  • Lesson 6–Everyday People: Gideon
Old Testament Heroes
  • Lesson 1–Moses and the Exodus
  • Moses and the Exodus–Memory Verse Card

Children’s Worship

Learn more about:

  • Leading Children’s Worship
  • Starting a Children’s Worship Service

 

More Children’s Bible Lessons

The following lessons were created to be used in both small or large-group settings. They can be easily used in children’s worship services or Sunday School classes to challenge your students to know and follow Jesus.

Series  1: Way Beyond Myself (Miracles of Jesus)

  • Lesson 1-Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man
  • Lesson 2-Jesus & a Coin from a Fish’s Mouth
  • Lesson 3-Jesus Walks on Water
  • Lesson 4-Jesus & the Great Catch
  • Lesson 5-Jesus Raises the Dead

Series  2: No Compromise (A short walk through the book of Daniel)

  • Lesson 1-Daniel Determined in His Heart
  • Lesson 2-Daniel Interprets a Dream
  • Lesson 3-The Fiery Furnace
  • Lesson 4-Daniel Tells the Truth
  • Lesson 5-Daniel and the Lions Den

Series  3: The Choice to Rejoice (Great Thanksgiving lessons with a focus on Elisha / Christmas lessons)

  • Lesson 1-Paul and Silas in Prison
  • Lesson 2-Deadly Stew & Floating Axe Head
  • Lesson 3-Surrounded
  • Lesson 4-The Widow’s Oil is Multiplied
  • Lesson 5-Rejoice, A Savior is Born–part 1
  • Lesson 6-Rejoice ,A Savior is Born–part 2

Series  4: Examples

  • Lesson 1-Barzillai’s Example
  • Lesson 2-Andrew’s Example
  • Lesson 3-Joshua’s Example
  • Lesson 4-Mary’s Example

Series  5: Jesus Like Jesus

  • Lesson 1-The Good Shepherd
  • Lesson 2-Our Example of Self-Control
  • Lesson 3-Our Example of Servanthood
  • Lesson 4-Our Example of Sincere Love
  • Lesson 5-Our Example of Submission
  • Lesson 6-Our Example of Sacrifice-part 1
  • Lesson 7-Our Example of Sacrifice-part 2
  • Lesson 8-He is Risen
  • Lesson 9-The Light of the World
  • Lesson 10-Bible Bowl Review for Series 4 & 5

Series  6: Parables of Jesus

  • Lesson 1-The Good Samaritan
  • Lesson 2-The Lost Coin, Sheep, Son
  • Lesson 3-The Banquet
  • Lesson 4-The Greatest Treasure

Series  7: The Early Church

  • Lesson 1–Peter Preaches After Denying
  • Lesson 2–Peter & John at the Beautiful Gate
  • Lesson 3–Philip and the Ethiopian
  • Lesson 4–On the Road to Damascus
  • Lesson 5–Peter’s Great Escape

Series  8: What’s Your Story?

  • Lesson 1-Zacchaeus
  • Lesson 2-Matthew
  • Lesson 3-The Rich Ruler

Short Sessions

Short Sessions usually require less items, less resources, and less set-up. Most of these lessons are active-learning and although we call them short, they are geared for about a twenty to thirty minute segment. These are great sessions to use during the mid-week, especially as a part of a rotation–i.e., when children rotate through a Bible story area, a recreation session, a life lesson, a craft area, a music area, and so forth.

Series
  • Marshmallow Madness – 6 week Series: Learn truths from the Bible and how they apply to life through, believe it or not, marshmallows! Includes games, crafts and a variety of spiritual-teaching activities.Some eating might be suggested!
  • Kitchen Craze – 6 week Series: Get your spatula ready! Students will learn the truths of God’s Word and be challenged to live for Christ through good old-fashion (fairly instant!) kitchen cooking and food decorating. Come join us and learn to follow God’s recipe for your life. Some eating will be involved!
  • NEW! Sticky Situations – 6 week Series: Get ready to face some tough and sticky situations. What would you do? In this class students will learn how making wise choices and how godly living flows from their relationship with Christ.
  • NEW! More Kitchen Craze – 6 week Series: Get your spatula ready again and let’s get cookin’ on yet another incredible series of lessons from God’s Word taught through food. Come join us and discover how “instant” you are.
  • NEW! Balloon Blast – 6 week Series: This series is so much more than a bunch of hot air! Join us for some recreation-style learning through balloons. We will play games and discover life lessons from God’s Word. It’ll be a blast!
  • NEW! Creative Lessons Using Puppets – 2 Lessons: Your students will use puppets to learn these Bible lessons and, in the process, will learn basic puppet skills. Add to the lesson a puppet-making craft and you can extent these sessions for any length of time.
  • NEW! BONUS LESSON: The Potter and the Clay

 Miscellaneous Lessons

  • Being Like Jesus
  • Changed Lives
  • Christmas
  • Fighting Against Sin
  • Fully Devoted
  • Gift of God
  • Leading Others to Jesus
  • Let Love Flow
  • Not Alone
  • Seeking the Lost
  • Stay away from Sin
  • The Light of the World
  • The Sting of Sin

How to Lead a Child to Christ

Visit here to learn how to lead a child to Christ.

VBS & Mission Curriculum

The following sets of lessons have been designed for easy use inside a VBS  and many of them have been specifically written for easy use on a mission trip. Although these lesson might contain craft ideas, they have been primarily include for the teaching curriculum. Some of the individual lessons also parallel other lessons or Bible stories on this website.

  • VBS Curriculum–Treasure Quest
  • Mission Curriculum–Jesus is #1
  • Mission Curriculum–Jesus Saves!

Illustrations & Games

General Teaching Illustrations
  • A Way to Escape
  • A.S.K.
  • Beach Ball Toss
  • Binocular Illustration
  • Blindfold Watergun Hunt
  • Can You Feel It?
  • Can You OBEY?
  • Can You Read This?
  • Chair-Sitting Trust
  • Candy Cane Challenge
  • “Did You Know”–Thoughts About Creation
  • Create-A-Kid
  • Different Kinds of Love
  • Dirty on the Inside
  • Dizzy Dean
  • Dry Whistlers
  • Easter Egg Relay
  • Field Goals
  • Fill Your Life with Good Things
  • Fireman Free-For-All
  • Follow God
  • Footloose
  • Fruit of the Spirit – Introduction
  • Gentle Walk
  • Gentleness
  • Gift Illustration
  • Go Against the Flow
  • God Can Save Anyone
  • God is My Shield
  • God’s Greatest Treasure
  • GOOD
  • Grapes-a-Bunch
  • Great Grapes
  • Guide Me
  • Happiness or Joy
  • Hold Me Up
  • How Much Do You Love It?
  • Hula Hoop Competition
  • In God We Trust
  • In-Step, Out-of-Step
  • Javelin Throw
  • Love the Lord Your God
  • Love Your Neighbor
  • Macaroni Bites
  • My Way or God’s Way
  • No Roots, No Life
  • Not Alone
  • Not Weighty
  • Offering Illustration
  • On-and-Off Goodness
  • Pass the Salt
  • Phone Pass
  • Picture This
  • Play the Game
  • Popcorn Sunday
  • Roses or Seeds
  • Run and Touch
  • Say Yes
  • Show Me the Way
  • Sink or Float
  • Surprising Protection
  • Sweet and Sour
  • The Banana You Can Depend On
  • Ten Commandments–Hand Illustrations
  • Ten Commandments–Introduction
  • The $1000 Giveaway
  • The Best Gift
  • The Golden Rule
  • The Gospel according to a Banana
  • The Great Obstacle Course
  • The Greatest Gift
  • The Quick-Mouth Game
  • The Thankful Game
  • The Unfaithful
  • Toppling Towers
  • Two-Hand Illustration
  • Valentine Candy Hearts
  • What is Peace?
  • What’s in a Name?
  • When Things Go Sour
  • Where’s Waldo?
  • Which Voices?
  • You Smell

Slime Times

These fast-paced, Nickelodeon-style activities will challenge your students to know and follow Jesus. They are fun and crazy without creating too much of a mess and each of them makes a great point. It’s mess within limits. After all, someone has to clean it up! We first created SlimeTimes as a part of an effort to re-energize a Wednesday evening program called “PrimeTime,” meaning that now is the “prime-time” to know and follow Jesus. Every other week we would have a special Slime Time activity. The volunteers we used were usually students who had memorized verses or had done something else spiritually significant that we wanted to highlight or recognize, as a way of challenging other students to do the same. Slime Times were an immediate hit.

  • Beautiful are the feet
  • Buried Treasure
  • Crackers, Please
  • Cranberry Squish
  • Egg Nog Drink-Off
  • Life-Savor
  • Macaroni Bites
  • Mercy and Grace!
  • Pickle Juice
  • Pumpkin Grab
  • Silly Crowns
  • Sour Face
  • Spaghetti-Oh!
  • Sticky Situations
  • Sweet and Sour
  • Thanksgiving in a Blender
  • The Gospel according to a Banana
  • The Tower of Babel
  • Toe Jam
  • Waterballoon Review Questions
  • Waterballoon Timed Review
  • What’s In the Bag?

Marshmallow Madness

Did you know that many games can be played with marshmallows and that using marshmallows is often a great and affordable alternative to more expensive equipment? For example, if you don’t want to spend a lot of money buying safe balls for indoor Dodge Ball, why not grab a few bags of marshmallows and play Foot-Dodge Ball? You get the idea…Listed here are 45 games that you can play with that great-tasting white bite, the marshmallow. There are enough activities here to have a great theme night or even a Marshmallow Month. So, let the Marshmallow Madness begin! (NOTE: Be careful when using marshmallows on carpet. A good, hard stomp and it might become a long-term sticky spot!)

  • Shoot and Shield
  • Battleship
  • Beautiful Are the Feet
  • Best Tooth Award
  • Bucketeers
  • Buried Treasure
  • Burn, Baby, Burn
  • Choices, Choices
  • Circle Pass
  • Cup Bombers
  • Danglers
  • Distance Throw
  • Forehead Stack
  • Get-To-Know-You Toss
  • I Spy
  • Lick Em and Stick Em
  • Long-Distance Toss
  • Marshmallow Faces
  • Marshmallow Foot-Dodge Ball
  • Marshmallow Golf
  • Marshmallow Juggle
  • Marshmallow Sculptures
  • Marshmallow Shoot
  • Marshmallow Stack
  • Marshmallow Toss
  • Mine Field
  • Nose or Toes Relay
  • Piece It Together
  • Push Away
  • Quick Pass
  • Ruler Push Relay
  • Shoot and Shield
  • Sort It Out
  • Speed Eat
  • Spit-It-Out
  • Stay Still
  • Sticky Situations
  • Sticky-Forehead Relay
  • Stomp Relay
  • Straw Relay Race
  • Target Practice
  • The Great Obstacle Race
  • The Shield
  • Tongue-Balance Relay
  • Two To One
  • Unique New York
  • Various Marshmallow Relays
 Science Illustrations

Everything that surrounds you can be a tool to teach God’s Word, but science illustrations are ones that your students will probably go home talking about. Some set-up and practice might be required, but the life lessons you can pass to your students is well worth it. These do more than just present a point; they are memorable, and your children might want to go home and try the simpler ones on their friends or families. When you do an “amazing” illustration that your kids could do at home, encourage them to pass the challenge along–to find someone else to show and to tell them what the illustration teaches. This is just another way of helping our students remember, review and live out what they have learned.

  • Do the Impossible
  • Poke Your Head Through This!
  • Static Pull
  • Sink or Float
  • Surprising Protection
  • The Floating Paper Clip
Riddles

Give your older children a brain-teaser. Make them think. Give them a challenge and let them chew on it. Then use it to teach a spiritual point. Below are a few examples but the internet is full of good riddles that can be used in the same way to teach great life truths.

  • Can and Can’t Reach
  • Can You Solve This?
  • Going Home
  • Name One Thing God Hasn’t Made
  • Name Two Things God Can’t Do
  • Set Free
  • Test Your Knowledge
  • The Blizzard
  • What Am I Talking About?

Prayer Activities

The Bible never records the disciples asking Jesus to teach them how to preach or how to heal, but we do find them asking Him to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1). The following activities been developed to help you teach your students how to pray.

  • A.S.K.
  • Hold Me Up
  • Pray, Then Praise God
  • Prayer Skit
  • Throwing Fish
  • Praying for Each Other
  • Praying for Peace

Skits for Kids

The following skits can be done by either adult leaders or older children. Use your judgement on what would work best for your group.

  • Granny’s House (An Act-It-Out Skit)
  • In His Hands
  • Lost My Joy
  • The Airplane Skit
  • Then What
  • Create Your Own Drama
  • The Sin-Chair Skit
  • Prayer Skit

Games with a Point

    Games can be very powerful ministry tools, especially for children who learn best by doing. So play the game, have fun, and use the activity to help your children know and love Jesus more.

    Check out How to Lead Games for instructions on how to be an effective game leader.

    • Back-to-Back
    • Balloon Circle Chase
    • Balloon Pop
    • Band-Aid Tag
    • Bible Character Corner Tag
    • Bible Character Tag
    • Big Choices-Which Voices
    • Big Fish
    • Big Ten Balloon Hit
    • Big Ten Balloon Pop
    • Body Parts
    • Body Spellers–Courage and Love
    • Body Spellers–Faith and Trust
    • Catepillar Races
    • Chariot Races
    • Corner Call
    • Danger Valley
    • Dodge Ball
    • Elbow Tag
    • Freeze Tag
    • Gift Pass
    • Gorilla Beats the Man
    • Guiding Light
    • I Spy
    • Imitation Games
    • Let Love Flow
    • Line Up Games
    • Monster from Mars
    • Number Call
    • Off Balance
    • One-on-One Competitions
    • Paper Push
    • Paper-to-Foot Dodge Ball
    • Partner Call
    • Pen the Beard on the Wise Men
    • Plug It Up
    • Relay in Someone Else’s Shoes
    • Samarai
    • Squirt Them Out Simon Says
    • Stick It To ‘Em
    • Sticker Tag
    • The Ice Cube Pass
    • The Light of the World
    • Trading Places
    • Waterballoon Catch

    SpyKid Missions

    Use the following code book and coded missions to challenge your students to spy-out what God wants them to do as American missionaries. Help your kids understand that they are already missionaries for Christ and use this resource to show them how they can help others and share Jesus every day. Also, be creative in using the code booklet to create your own coded missions.

    Teacher Resources

    Teacher Helps

    • Using Senses to Create Teaching Connections
    • Caught, Not Taught
    • Expectations, Expectation
    • Making Partners
    • Sample Classroom or Large Group Rules
    • Sending Pictures as Postcards
    • Sending Pictures as Postcards–Label Format.doc
    • Sending Postcards
    • The Power of High-Five
    • The Priority in Children’s Ministry
    • Think Back
    • To Whom Are You Drawn
    • Walls Can Teach
    • What is a Control Tool
    • Building a Class Identity
    • Class Events
    • Favortism Factor
    • How to Lead Games
    • Leading Children in Prayer Times
    • Have Fun
    • Classroom Discipline

    Build Your Own Lesson

    Learn effective ways to build your own lessons.

    Control Tools

    Learn how to use teaching control tools with your children.

    Stories about Children

    • A Third Grade Opinion of God
    • An Eight-Year Old on the Mission Field
    • Be Careful What You Say
    • Dead Cat
    • Expectations, Expectations
    • Gypsy Smith as a Boy
    • How Big is Your Church?
    • I Go Where They Love a Fellow
    • My Future Wife
    • Name-Calling
    • No ma’am, I won’t–Ever
    • Ruth and Boaz
    • The Answered Prayer of a Ten-Year Old
    • The Memorial
    • There Goes Jesus
    • You Be Jesus
    • What Are You Hiding?
    Other Teaching Stories
    • 20-Year Old Shoes
    • A Big Walking Sermon
    • A Call from Within
    • A Fool for God
    • A Frickin’ Elephant
    • A Girl Named Tracy–Purity
    • A Test to Measure Character
    • All My Desire
    • Bank Robbery
    • Billy Sunday Quote
    • Boys’ Thoughts about Dad
    • Burdened to the End—John R Rice
    • But Where’s the Hat
    • Caught–Not Taught
    • Charles Borden
    • Charles Studd
    • Christmas Letter from Jesus
    • Church Bulletin Bloopers
    • Comments from 1955
    • David Livingstone
    • Do You Believe in Easter
    • Do You Care
    • Excerpt from an Ancient Roman Letter
    • Fellowship–POWs in Vietnam
    • Find a Fix
    • Footprints–A New Version
    • Funeral Sermon–Humorous
    • George Mueller
    • Getting Lost in the Package
    • God’s Protection–Nebraska 1950
    • Hit the Floor
    • How Much Do You Care
    • If I Believed–Story of Charlie Peace
    • If I Had my Life to Live Over
    • In God we Trust
    • Jim Elliot–He is no Fool
    • Judging Others
    • Just One More
    • Keep your Perspective–Report Card
    • Lies Catch Up to You
    • Standing Strong
    • Story of Two Families
    • The Church Bake Sale
    • The Hair-Brushing
    • The Willingness of a Child
    • Unfinished
    • What Manner of Love

     

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