Challenge Accepted: 8-Week Children's Ministry Curriculum

📩 Instant PDF Download
🚸 Ages 6-12 Years Old

“Challenges” are wildly popular on YouTube and social media. This series captures some of the family friendly fun to teach kids about following Jesus. Children will love these game-based lessons that points them back to the ultimate challenge – deciding to follow Jesus and live a life devoted to God.

This curriculum is flexible enough to handle a wide range of age groups in even the smallest Sunday school. We have included “more than enough” with each lesson to help you adapt to every teaching situation. Use what you can to teach the main idea, even if your class time does not allow for all activities.

Click here to download the free lesson sample.

See more lesson plans for Sunday School from Jessa McClure.

ABOUT THIS CURRICULUM

• Perfect for ages 6 to 12
• Designed for small churches
• Instant digital download
• Flexible teaching activities
• Includes easy-print PDF format
• Includes easy-edit Microsoft Word files
• Unlimited permission to share directly with volunteers or families in your church
• NIV Translation Included, but adaptable to any Bible version

EACH LESSON INCLUDES

• Large group lesson
• K-1st small group discussion
• 2nd-5th small group discussion
• Memory verse activity
• Full color memory verse poster
• Multiple age-appropriate learning activities: craft, skit, or games
• Coloring sheet
• Parent take home sheet

Lesson #1: The Whisper Challenge

• Big Idea: Many people believe that God’s voice is booming down from Heaven like a mighty wind, but often God speaks to us in a whisper. Key Passage: 1 Kings 19:9-18  Elijah’s encounter with God. Elijah is being hunted for being devoted to God. The word of the Lord comes to him and he commands him to go to the mountain to wait for God. Although he thinks his voice and presence will be like an earthquake or fire, it is just a whisper. 

Lesson #2: The Try Not to Laugh Challenge

• Big Idea: As humans we cannot fathom the power of God. We sometimes don’t understand God’s big plan. So, it is important to be content (happy, joyful) while we wait for God’s guidance.  Key Passage: Ecclesiastes 3 There’s a time for everything under the heavens. This passage tells us that God has made everything beautiful in its time. The best we can do is enjoy the journey and strive to be good.

Lesson #3: The Seven Seconds Challenge

• Big Idea: The number 7 is a significant digit to God. He uses this number in the Bible to make his point. Key Passage: Joshua 6 The Battle of Jericho. The Lord tells Joshua that he has delivered Jericho into his hands and then commands him to march around the city seven times. His directions eventually lead to Joshua’s victory in the battle. 

Lesson #4: The Blindfolded Drawing Challenge

• Big Idea: It is difficult to move forward when we don’t know what will happen. But God wants us to have faith that he will guide us through life and reward us for that faith. Key Passages: Mark 10:46-52 Blind Bartimaeus. Read through this passage and talk about the faith Bartimaeus had to walk into the arms of Jesus without seeing where he was going. God rewarded his faith with the gift of sight.

Lesson #5:  The “What’s in the Box?” Challenge

• Big Idea: When we put our hands in a box and don’t know what we’ll pull out, it’s sort of like living your life for God and not knowing what will happen to you. Key Passages: Acts 20 Paul’s farewell to Ephesian elders. In Paul’s time, the price of following God was steep. It could mean prison or even death. But Paul knew God was asking him to Jerusalem, and he had to face this journey even if he was afraid.

Lesson #6: The “Brand Name” vs. “Off-Brand” Challenge

• Big Idea: Buying “off-brand” products at the grocery store is a common practice when you want to save a few dollars. But there’s no “off-brand” God. He is the real deal and there’s no imitation. Key Passage: Deuteronomy 5 Moses and the 10 commandments. Moses has received the commandments from God and is explaining them to the Israelites. The first of which is “you shall not have any Gods before me.” God cannot be replicated nor replaced.

Lesson #7: The “Pause” Challenge

• Big Idea: It is easy to want to do things in our own time. We want what we want when we want it. But God wants us to pause and listen to what he has to say before we act on our own will. Key Passage: Esther 5:1-8 Esther’s patience. Instead of jumping at the chance to talk to King Xerxes about saving her people, she waited for God’s guidance to speak at the right time. Her patience proved to be a saving grace for her people.

Lesson #8: The Decision Challenge

• Big Idea: We can choose to follow Jesus even when we are faced with challenges. God gives us instructions to follow to be saved and spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Key Passage: Acts 16:16-40. Paul and Silas in prison. The two Christ-followers are thrown into jail because of their beliefs. They begin singing and an earthquake rips through the prison. The jailer asks Paul what he must do to be saved and Paul tells him he must believe in the Lord.