How to Choose Sunday School Curriculum for a Small Church
By Tony Kummer
You're shopping for Sunday school curriculum, and you have one room, a few teachers, and kids from preschool to fifth grade. It can feel like nothing out there was made for you. I've been there too.
Short answer: the best Sunday school curriculum for a small church is one you can hand to a volunteer without checking it first, that works with mixed ages, and that was written by people you know something about. And for some small churches, the best curriculum is a story Bible and a few good songs.
Try before you choose: our free Kids sample pack has four complete lessons for ages 6 to 12, and the free Preschool sample pack has six lessons for ages 3 to 5. Each lesson has a supply list, the Bible story, a game, a craft, a coloring page and a take-home page. Four Bible stories are in both packs, so a mixed room can hear one story at two levels.
What small churches need from Sunday school curriculum
When I was a children's pastor at a small church and taught children's church, the big push was age-separate classrooms. That just didn't happen for us. We had two or three grades in each class. The numbers changed month to month. If a teacher was out sick, we moved kids around.
My biggest frustration was the lack of flexibility. I wasn't a typical leader. I had been to seminary, and I loved writing my own lessons. But when I handed a lesson to a volunteer, I didn't want to check the whole thing first to see if it would work for the group. That's a real problem when volunteers are doing the teaching.
Small churches have a head start with families. The parents are often the teachers. The faith-and-family connection many churches work hard to build is already happening in your hallway.
7 questions to ask before you choose Sunday school curriculum
- Who wrote it, and where do they come from? I wish more churches asked this. Look past the packaging. Find the names of the people who wrote and edited the lessons, and what they believe about the Bible.
- Can you hand it to a volunteer without checking it first? Your teachers have jobs and families. A good lesson tells them what to gather, what to say, and what to do next, right on the page.
- Does it work with mixed ages in one room? In most small churches, that isn't the exception. It's every Sunday.
- Is it built like a menu, not a checklist? Some Sundays you only have 30 minutes, or kids come and go. You should be able to teach the Bible story and one activity and still call it a good day.
- Does it put the Bible in the teacher's hands? Kids need a teacher who opens the Bible, looks them in the eye, and tells them about Jesus. Pick lessons that make that the main event.
- Was it written for a church like yours? Some curriculum is written for churches with many rooms and a paid staff. If that isn't your church, the lessons may take a lot of reworking.
- Can you try it free first? Teach a lesson or two before you buy anything. Your kids and teachers will tell you if it fits.
Can one Sunday school curriculum work for all ages?
Yes, if you plan for it. A lesson written for ages 6 to 12 won't fit a 3-year-old as written, so our two free packs share four Bible stories at two levels. Mixed-age groups have to work, because that's the reality in so many churches. Here are ways that work in a small room:
- Make older kids helpers. A fourth grader can read the verse, pass out supplies, or co-teach the game.
- Use a buddy system. Pair an older child with a younger one, often a brother or sister.
- Teach one Bible story at two levels. Tell the story to everyone, then split for the activity if you have a second helper.
- Pick activities the youngest can do. Little ones can't skip ahead, so start there and let older kids go deeper.
One teacher put it this way in a review: "We have a small class of 12 students with ages from 4 - 13 so these lessons work perfect."
The goal isn't to check every box in your curriculum. The goal is to get kids into the Bible, help them have fun, and help them experience the love of Jesus. That happens in a kind room, with a few friends, and with a teacher who prays for them and knows their name.
Does a small church need to buy curriculum at all?
Not always. I'm a curriculum publisher, so I'm probably not supposed to say that. But if you're in a tiny church, you may not need a big curriculum. Sing a few songs, read from a story Bible, play a game, and you're done.
That's why Ministry-to-Children has given away free Sunday school lessons for years. Not every church needs to buy curriculum.
The best preparation isn't the curriculum
Your own walk with the Lord matters more than which curriculum you choose.
Praying and letting God's Word change your own life is the most important preparation. That's true no matter what curriculum you have, how many kids you have, or how many years you've been teaching. Each week, go back to the Lord and ask Him to grow your faith. Then you're ready to do the same for the kids in your ministry.
Kids won't remember every word you say. What often stays with them is a teacher who prayed for them and knew their name week after week. I know that from my own Sunday school days:
I don't remember a whole lot about Sunday school when I was a kid. I don't even remember what she said. But I remember she kept praying and she kept trusting in God. I knew something terrible had happened in her life, but she was there for us. She was still giving us cookies. She was still praying. I don't remember all the lessons, but that's what I remember.
Who writes our Sunday school curriculum
I'm Tony Kummer. I served ten years as a full-time children's pastor, and I hold an M.A. in Christian Education from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. After my pastorate, I served in mission work in Haiti.
I started Ministry-to-Children in 2006 to give away free Bible lessons. By 2020, the requests never stopped, and churches moving online needed digital lessons. I wanted to do more and do better, so we opened The Sunday School Store to write complete curriculum for small churches.
We're a small family team in Sellersburg, Indiana. Our lessons are written by people who love kids and the Bible, including Kristin Highley, a Director of Christian Education who serves in children's ministry every Sunday. We believe the Bible is the inspired, trustworthy Word of God, and that the good news that Jesus died and rose again to save us is the center of everything we teach. Our team comes from more than one church tradition, and the Bible is what we share. You can meet the whole team on our About page.
Questions small churches ask about Sunday school and children's church curriculum
What if we only have three or four kids?
Teach them together. A small group is a gift. Every child gets to talk, and you learn every name.
How much prep should a lesson take?
A volunteer should be able to read it once, gather supplies from the closet, and be ready.
Do these questions apply to children's church curriculum too?
Yes. The same questions work whether you teach a Sunday school class or lead children's church during the worship service.
Where should we start?
Start free. Try a free Kids sample pack or free Preschool sample pack with your group and see what fits.
Whatever you choose, you're the one God is trusting with these kids. Your job is to get kids into the Bible, help them have fun, and help them experience the love of Jesus.
Teachers, what has worked with mixed ages in your room? Leaders, how do you hand a lesson to a new volunteer? You know your room better than I do, and I'd love to hear it. Send us a note.
