Organization tips for children's ministry

I've been enjoying teaching Sunday School this year. I teach the primary class, and Zann teaches the junior class. We are currently using the Joyful Life curriculum put out by A Beka Book. The program is well-organized; the songs are wonderful; and the stories chosen for each age group are great!  

Just as in any ministry, we should strive to be excellent in all we do. Being organized in our preparation helps so much. When we begin our class time, we're not focused on the materials, but rather on teaching these precious children the truths in God's Word. 

Here are some tips that have been a huge help to me each week:

1. Pray. Pray consistently for your students by name. Pray that God would help you teach the lesson well and to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading.

2. Prepare ahead of time. Don't wait until the night before to prepare yourself for Sunday's lesson. Work ahead a few days so that you know the story well enough to not be glued to the page. Looking ahead also allows you to see if you need to gather any other materials needed to supplement your lesson.

3. Practice, practice, practice. Work on any songs you don't know and practice telling the Bible story aloud a few times.

4. Pull out the worksheets early. I use a file folder to hold the worksheets and attendance stickers. They are ready to go before the children arrive. You don't want to waste any time trying to find the right page. 

5. Post-it notes work wonders! I mark the songs we're going to sing with these notes marked with #1, #2, #3, etc., in the song book. When I'm leading songs in the opening time, I can easily flip to the next one without any trouble. 

I hope these tips were a help and encouragement to you in whatever area of ministry you do in your local church. By the way, if you happen to get sick or have to leave town, these tips will help someone fill in for you easily. 

Have a great week ministering to others in your corner of the world.:)