Faith Milestones are those teaching workshops offering developmentally appropriate faith formation experiences for kids shared with someone they love and who loves them. Children’s Ministry offers multiple faith milestones each year specific to holy habits such as prayer for 1st and 2nd graders and their families.
Promotion: FB event (2 months out), bulletin (1 month out), posters (1 month), personal mail (3 weeks), fliers home from Sunday school (1 week), large group announcement (2 weeks), talk about it everywhere (3 weeks), email (2 weeks)
Set up a quiet room with two chairs at each station
- Photo station with Jesus
- Names of all registrants on a jumbo post-it note where I can see it (prompts me to use all kid’s names in attendance; know who’s not yet arrived)
- Start on time; end 5 minutes early
- Starter activity: kids pick up an empty bag; squishy Jesus; handout; ink pen
Schedule
5:45-6pm Welcome; write-in the blank handout (big fills out the blanks while littles watch/listen and hold squishy Jesus); act out 2 prayer stations; surround room with pictures of kids praying artwork
6-6:15pm Self-directed remaining stations
6:15-6:30pm Review 4 steps of prayer (Greet God, Thank God, Ask God, Close in Jesus’ name); invite each child forward to receive their certificate (read one aloud so they know what the certificate says; students receive their certificate AFTER they tell me aloud their favorite station – as they speak aloud I tell them “I LOVE hearing your voice! God wants to hear your voice EVEN MORE!”; close in repeat-after-me prayer and group photo
Handout: How To Pray
Prayer is t_____________________ and l__________________________ to God. (talking; listening)
Prayer can be shared
- In your m_________________ (mind)
- Out l__________________ (loud)
For meaningful prayers, it is best to pray
- By yourself and in a q___________ place. (quiet)
- With someone you t__________ and love. (trust)
When we pray we speak to our Lord God, three in one:
God the Father Creator.
Jesus, God’s only son, our Savior and friend.
The Holy Spirit, our helper and comforter.
G______ the Lord. (Greet) – who are talking to?
T______ the Lord. (Thank) – grateful for God the giver of all good things
A______ the Lord. (Ask) – after thanking God we can ask for help
Close in Jesus’ n_______. (name) – We do this because Jesus is our Savior, our mediator and go-between between death (physical and spiritual) and eternal life. We also close with saying AMEN because it means we accept or agree with what’s been said.
Pray for f___________ (forgiveness)
Pray in a g__________ (group)
God will answer prayers with a Y____, N_____, and a N______ Y_______. (Yes, No, Not Yet)
Prayer Stations (stations prepared from ‘What’s in my closet? What’s already in my hands?’)
Prepare signs for each station AND prepare a take home paper with same info/images to their take-home bags so they can implement clearly at home.
Journals – composition books; trace hands of those you love (as you pray, place your hand on the traced hand)
Glory celebration bells – celebrations of ‘glory!’ to praise the Lord (place in a room where everyone meets)
Berenstain Bears book on prayer to take home (read aloud book is super kid-friendly)
Prayer cubes leftover from last Easter (hardy, hand-held item with prayer language)
Fidget spinners – thankful prayers while it spins until it stops; waiting prayers for in line or waiting on appointments (encourages longer, unrushed times of listening and talking with God)
Mini scented playdoh (aka prayer-doh) – when hands are busy, minds are calm (God’s favorite smell = our prayers! Psalm 141:2)
What’s already on your shelf or in your supply closet? Make it simple, limited text, add an image of what you’re doing and kids can take it from there with someone they love sharing the teaching and practice.
“I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me; hear me when I call to you. May my prayer be set before you like incense, may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” Psalm 141:1-2
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