Why is small group time important? Small group time gives kids a chance to be known and connect relationally with a godly leader and a group of peers. It’s a time when kids feel safe, loved, and known, and when they can ask questions and share stories.
Wonder Ink includes small group time for kids to engage in small group for discussion questions, prayer, and reviewing the Word of Wonder. An ideal group size for small group time is between 6–12 kids, but if your groups are larger or smaller, that’s OK too!
Check out these tips for leading a great small group in your children’s ministry.
Lead a Great Small Group
Arrive on time and prepared.
Make sure to review the lesson, Bible story, and small group questions and activities before you arrive. Aim to arrive before the kids start coming so you can gather supplies and be in place, ready to greet the kids as they come!
When you take the time to review the lesson ahead of time, you can even think of ways to bring in personal stories or tweak the questions to fit your group, and you can interact with the kids instead of just looking down at your paper the entire group time.
Small group is a time when kids feel safe, loved, and known, and when they can ask questions and share stories.
Want to lead well? Get to know the kids in your group.
Serve consistently and build relationships with the kids in your group. Learn (and use!) their names. Ask questions about their week, their struggles, their lives (and follow up the next time you come!). You may be one of the few godly people in a child’s life who cares and points her to Jesus.
Ask questions and really listen. Encourage them and build them up. Pray for them. Write postcards to let them know you’re thinking of them (or when they haven’t been to church in a while).
Make sure the kids know each other’s names too. If your group is inconsistent or has new kids regularly, start each group time by sharing names and answering a quick get-to-know-you question such as, “What’s your favorite meal?” (See the Welcome Question in the Elementary lesson for ideas!)
Don’t do all the talking during the small group.
It’s important for you to share and facilitate discussion, but you shouldn’t be doing the majority of the talking. Ask questions and guide the discussion. Use the small group leader guide but try not to just read from the paper the entire time.
Ask open-ended questions as well as comprehension questions.
Instead of asking “yes” or “no” questions, ask questions that promote curiosity, wonder, and critical thinking. Ask wondering questions or questions about their experiences. Comprehension questions can be a great way to review and reinforce the Bible story and Wonder Truth.
If the questions in the small group time are too difficult or abstract for your group offer suggestions or ask the question in a different way.
(Example: How can the Holy Spirit help you this week? What is a problem you’re facing? Are you struggling to obey? Who is hard for you to get along with? Does God promise the Holy Spirit always helps us? Can you trust the Holy Spirit to help you?)
Adding in some “yes” or “no” questions to help them get an answer can be helpful at times.
Ask questions that promote curiosity, wonder, and critical thinking.
Intentionally include all kids.
Watch for kids who may feel left out or aren’t answering any questions. Draw them into the conversation and give them a chance to share, but don’t push if they aren’t ready. If some kids are dominating the conversation, redirect by asking them to tell you their stories later and call on another child to answer.
Keep your attention on the whole group, not just one kid.
If one kid is taking all of your attention (whether by talking over everyone else or behavior issues), call on another leader to help so you can keep your focus on the group. You can also be proactive by giving that child a special job or having that child sit next to you. If there are a few kids who struggle when sitting by each other, split them up.
Engage with parents as much as possible.
If the parents drop off their kids or pick up from your small group, look for opportunities to connect with the parents and share something positive and specific about their kids each week. Parents will appreciate another leader investing in their kids!
If the kids are struggling to stay focused take a quick break during the small group time.
Invite the kids to get their wiggles out or give them a specific action to do (such as clapping three times or answering the questions with their hands on their toes). Telling a personal story that connects to the Wonder Truth can help grab their attention too. Do an activity with your discussion (such as passing an object and doing “hot potato” to see who answers).
If a child shares something inappropriate or too personal firmly and respectfully redirect.
Ask the child to talk with you after the group time is over. If something needs to be reported, include another leader and follow your church’s reporting procedures.
If a child asks a question that you can’t answer don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know. Let’s find out!”
Look up the answer or talk with someone who may know. You don’t have to be a Bible expert or theologian to lead kids. Encourage curiosity and affirm their questions. Don’t forget to come back with answers if you discover the answers.
If the kids get off-topic or take too long on one question, lead by redirecting to keep the kids on topic.
Don’t be afraid to let the Holy Spirit direct the conversation if it gets a bit off-topic. The goal of small group time isn’t to get through every single question in record time, but to allow kids to connect, be curious, and build relationships. So if that takes your conversation to another topic, or if kids want to stay on one question for most of the group time to allow more people to share, that’s OK.
If no one speaks up to answer a question rephrase the question to make it more personal or relatable for your group.
Telling a personal story can help kick off the discussion too. Give ideas for how kids could answer the question. For example, if kids can’t answer “How can the Holy Spirit help us live at peace with others?” try asking, “When was the last time you felt at peace?” or “Who are you not in a peaceful relationship with right now? What could help make it better? Does the Holy Spirit help us?”
If you get through all the questions and have extra time, use it!
Use the extra time to review the memory verse, take prayer requests (and allow the kids to pray), or let them retell the Bible story in their own words.
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.
