One topic that comes up frequently in children’s ministry is how to stretch one lesson to cover two different weekly services. Some use it in a Sunday school hour and then children’s church on Sundays. Some use it in two different Sunday morning children’s church services.
Some use it on Sunday and also a Wednesday night service.
However you use it—we have tips to help you get the most out of Wonder Ink lessons so you can use them for two services a week! We asked our Wonder Ink users how they use lessons in two different services a week, and here are their ideas.
Tips and Ideas for Using One Lesson Twice A Week
Remember, Repetition is Key in Learning!
First, keep in mind that in general, repetition is good for kids and helps them really engage with and retain the lessons and information. So for any of kids who are experiencing the same Bible lesson more than once, cast the vision that repetition is a key component in learning for kids. Hearing and learning the same Bible story in different ways can greatly impact the way kids internalize the message.
Customization to Fit Your Needs
Wonder Ink makes it easy for you to customize and edit the lessons to fit your needs! The lessons are completely editable, and you can add in your own elements too! In the portal, you can copy each lesson and make as many copies as you want.
Learning the same Bible story in different ways can greatly impact the way kids internalize the message.
You can even name the duplicate lessons whatever you want, to make it easy to know which lesson is for each service (for example: lesson one is called 8:30am Service and lesson two is called 11:00am Service).
Before you begin editing, evaluate your needs and service flow and consider the best flow and format for your church.
- Will you have all ages combined for both services?
- Or will one be split into age-based groups or rooms?
- Is one service more attended than the other?
- How many kids will repeat the services each week?
- Are your volunteers different, or the same? Is one service more outreach oriented, while the other more discipleship-based?
- Will one person be editing the lessons for everyone, or do the volunteers have freedom to edit their own lessons?
Answering those questions will help you determine your needs and your goals.
Change it Up Each Time!
You can also add in extra elements from Wonder Ink, such as using the Bonus Games (located in the series resource library and at the end of every Elementary lesson in the portal). You can pull elements from different age groups (such as using the Early Childhood craft in your Elementary room).
You could use a hands-on activity from the Wonder@Home sheet. Or you can use the Coloring Pages and Bible Story Pictures provided.
One church uses the Bible story pictures to allow the kids to tell the Bible story themselves. Another church uses the Early Childhood games in the Elementary room on Wednesdays and the Elementary Bonus Games in the Early Childhood room. It’s easy to copy elements and activities from one age group to the other, and if needed, edit them to age them up or down.
Some Wonder Ink users tell the Bible story live using the live teaching script on Sundays and show the Bible story video on Wednesdays. One leader tweaks the Tac the Cat skit from the Early Childhood lessons to make a review skit with Tac on Wednesdays. The series Wonder@Home documents include spiritual practices that can be tweaked and used in a children’s service as well.
Before you begin editing, evaluate your needs and service flow and consider the best flow and format for your church.
Adaptable Content
Instead of offering a different children’s ministry service for all kids, some churches allow repeat attenders to be “leaders” or help in another age group for a second service or offer a separate space for kids who are at church for two different services. The space can include fun activities for relationship-building, service project opportunities, or deeper engagement with the Bible story (the Responding in Worship activity works great here if you didn’t get to it in your main service!).
Some churches use the Elementary videos for all ages on Sunday mornings and the Early Childhood videos for all ages on Wednesday nights. Some churches use the Curiosity and Belief sections of the lessons on Sunday mornings and the Faith and Identity (with the Bible story video) on Wednesday nights. One leader recruits an art teacher to come up with fun crafts that go with the Bible story each week on Wednesday nights.
While each Wonder Ink lesson provides content to fill 75 minutes, there are lots of ways to stretch that to fill more time! You can add in worship music (the average kids’ worship song is 3.5–5 minutes, so adding in three worship songs can fill an extra 15 minutes).
If you still have more time, you can add in your own components like tithes/offering, announcements, rules/values, Communion, missions spotlight, outreach project, memory verse review and challenge, get-to-know-you activities (such as having the kids share their best/worst parts of their week or playing games), and more!
Wonder Ink’s 3-year, 52-week children’s ministry curriculum offers kids space to fully find their place in God’s Big Story. Children discover they are Known by God, Loved by Jesus, and Led by the Holy Spirit.
