For more than twenty years, designing and offering Faith Milestones has been one of the great joys and priorities of my ministry with both littles and their bigs. These moments create space for some of the most meaningful teaching we can offer—where Scripture and sacred Christian tradition come together in ways that are clear, personal, and developmentally appropriate.

Each Faith Milestone is more than a lesson—it’s an experience. A chance to practice holy habits, explore what we believe, and invite families to grow in faith together.

I was first inspired to create these milestone moments at a Christian Educators Fellowship gathering in Nashville. A speaker challenged us with a simple but powerful idea: many of the faith foundations we once assumed kids would “catch” in Sunday school were being missed in the busyness of life. What if we reimagined those teachings as special, can’t-miss events—something meaningful enough that families would plan around it… especially if there was a certificate involved?

That idea stuck—and it shaped so much of what I’ve built since.

Last Wednesday, I had the joy of leading a one-hour I Can Trust & Obey Jesus: A Faith Milestone designed for 1st–5th graders and a big person who loves them. My goal is simple: I don’t want a single child to move through our ministry without having the opportunity to learn what it means to trust and obey Jesus with their whole heart for their whole life.

This particular milestone centers on a foundational truth: people are like sheep—and we need a good shepherd. In other words, who is Jesus and why do we need Him.

What follows is the interactive, fill-in-the-blank content we used—paired with games and videos to bring it all to life. And here’s a little spoiler: every single blank has the same answer. JESUS. And yes—the giggles when the kids figured that out were absolutely priceless.

Takeaways: A certificate; A sticker book; The Case for Christ for the 4th & 5th graders, a tiny lamb

Worksheet Content: I CAN TRUST & OBEY JESUS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SHEEP AND JESUS IS A GOOD SHEPHERD. 

OPENING QUESTION: What are some things that are super important in your life? Think about the stuff that is really important to you.

TRUST

“Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3
Sheep and shepherds are mentioned more than 500 times in the Bible…they are big deal and can help us understand some things.

Who are the sheep? US.

Sheep wander, get lost, can’t get up, can’t get rid of bugs in their noses, can’t protect themselves, and stray looking for greener grass and something more.

“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way.” Isaiah 53:6a

When we turn our own way, we SIN.

Sheep need a GOOD SHEPHERD.

Object Lesson Break: Do you trust me? (fall back; chair to sit in)

OBEY

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” John 10:14

When we choose ________________________ , our GOOD SHEPHERD, to be the center of our lives when we remember who He is and what He has done.

What does it mean to be good? (Circle all that apply)

Kind                     Wicked                Protective            Mean

Generous            Grumpy               Evil              Helpful

Watch video: Who is a good shepherd?  ______________!

·   When we are upset, we can go to ____________________________ for peace.

·   When we are afraid, we can remember that _____________________ is strong.

·   When we are sad, we can remember that ______________________ can give us joy.

·   When we don’t know what choice to make, we can ask ____________ to make us wise.

Making ___________________________ the center of our lives, our GOOD SHEPHERD, means we go to Him over and over. We tell Him that we need Him. We believe that He is the only One who can help us with every part of our lives.

In the life of a Christian/follower, _________________________ is the One in charge of all things, so Jesus gets to make the rules.

Jesus is a good shepherd!

“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:16-17

When we choose to follow ________________________,

Jesus says we are His children. We are loved and set apart from the rest of the world. Because we belong to Him, He gives us certain rules (commands) to obey.

Jesus is a good shepherd!

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God  — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. We are all children of God.” John 1:12-13

Obeying the commands of  ___________________________ is part of our faith.

Jesus is a good shepherd!

“The person who knows my commandments and keeps them, that’s who loves me. And the person who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him/her and make myself plain to him/her.” John 14:21

We have the choice to obey ____________________________.

We call this ‘free will.’

Jesus is a good shepherd.

Watch video: Good sheep follow a good shepherd.

The Bible gives us a picture to help us remember: ____________________ is a good shepherd and we are His sheep. Look up Psalm 23.

The more we learn about ___________________________, by reading the Bible, going to Church, and praying to Jesus, the more His voice will be familiar to us. As good sheep, it will go well for us all when we want to do everything He tells us.

OBEY = immediately, completely, and sweetly

Game: Guess Who’s Calling? (Child faces the door and guesses who is calling his/her name) Goal: When you spend time with someone you begin to know their voice more and more.)

How can I keep learning to know the voice of my GOOD SHEPHERD?

Read your Bible – Psalm 1:1-3

¹ Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,
² but who delights in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night.
³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—  whatever they do prospers.

Go to Church – Hebrews 10:24-25

²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. 

Pray (talk & listen to God) – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I want to trust and obey Jesus ___________________________________.

Write your name here; Let’s pray!

Do you use something comparable to Faith Milestones in your ministry? Tell me more!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

It’s both a joy and a great responsibility to be given a few minutes in a worship service to speak to children. With just 2½–3 minutes, every word matters. It must be clear, intentional, and developmentally appropriate. And whenever I can involve the whole congregation—not just the children—I count it as a win.

Because here’s the truth: The children need to see the faces of the adults who promised at their baptisms to help them grow in faith, and the adults need to see the faces of the children they vowed to support.

Last Sunday was Master’s Sunday here in Georgia, I shared a special message inspired by the The Masters Golf Tournament. Last year, Mr. Bob and I had the chance to attend on a Friday, and I’ll be honest—it was one of my favorite days ever. A spring day at Augusta National Golf Club belongs on every Southerner’s bucket list.

Yes, we talked about the famous egg salad and pimento cheese sandwiches. We talked about the peach ice cream sandwiches. And we noticed all the colors—yellow, pink, white, blooming azaleas, and every shade of green imaginable.

But what always catches my eye isn’t only the golfers. It’s the caddies.

The caddies are dressed in white, wearing green caps, walking closely behind or beside their golfer whose name is on the caddy’s upper back. They carry the heavy clubs, hand over the right tool at the right time, and offer wisdom based on knowing the course. They encourage, guide, and remind the player to keep their eyes on the flag.

It struck me how much that looks like the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. The Holy Spirit who encourages us, guides us, offers wisdom, reminds us to keep our eyes on Jesus.

And then there’s the little pencil with no eraser. We don’t need to erase our past or pretend life hasn’t happened. God is always working through every moment of our story even when we land in the water, land in the sand bunker, land in the woods, and between the trees. As Romans 8:28 reminds us, God works all things together for the good of those who love Him.

Give away: golf pencils for all!

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” Matthew 25:23

Inspired by Wondering to Jerusalem, written by my dear friend and fellow “Jesus gal,” Vanessa Myers, we planned a Lent family event designed to help the holy week stories of our faith come alive for all ages and stages. Vanessa has a beautiful way of blending Biblical truth with hands-on creativity so that Scripture doesn’t just stay on the page—it’s experienced.

And this year, we took it on the road.

Because community is in our name, we partnered with a local senior living center to host the event. Truthfully, something like this had been on my ministry bucket list for years.

The relationships were already there—residents included church members and family members of our congregation. Invitations went out in every direction: residents invited friends and family, and our church did the same.

And when we asked if we could come? The program director didn’t even need to check the calendar. She shared that Sunday afternoons are often quiet—and sometimes lonely—for senior living center residents. After a big brunch, there’s typically no evening activity.

The senior living center welcomed us with open arms—and incredible generosity.

They provided:

• A lovely outdoor courtyard space
• Tables, chairs, and a tent
• A TV monitor for sharing videos
• Half of the door prizes
• Palm tree props for a photo station
• And even the food (portable charcuterie-style cups filled with cheese, crackers, pepperoni, and olives!)

The chef didn’t just prepare the food—he came to the event with his family, including his two children.

It felt like everyone was part of something special. Our church family showed up ready to serve.

Some wore live nativity costumes, others sported church t-shirts. They brought their children, grandchildren, parents, and grandparents—truly a multigenerational gathering.

Together, we led interactive stations just as designed in Wondering to Jerusalem, while instrumental Jerusalem marketplace music played softly in the background. Every 20–30 minutes, we paused to give away door prizes and share our children’s Resurrection Sunday shadow play on the big screen.

Laughter, conversation, storytelling—it all flowed so naturally.

We had clear goals going in and every single one of those goals was met:

• To connect with our community in a meaningful, intergenerational way
• To give our Ambassadors a place to practice serving
• To identify and encourage future Family Ministry Interns
• To create space for current interns to lead
• To serve side-by-side across generations

After everything was cleaned up and packed away, my ministry partner and I went back in to say one last thank you. That’s when the program director smiled and asked: So… can we talk about a live nativity?” Yes. Yes, we can.

Because when you bring the story of Jesus into the community, you never know what beautiful invitation might come next.

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” 1 John 3:16