“How are we helping children retain and apply this information about God?”
When most churches begin shopping for curriculum, it’s often because they’ve used that particular curriculum for one cycle of the scope and sequence. Other times it’s because teachers are ready for something new. Or maybe it’s not working for their context.
While all of these are valid reasons to switch, they are coming up short in one area: typically, each curriculum’s scope and sequence is meant to build from the youngest age level to the oldest age level so that children are learning more about God and building upon what they’ve learned previously.
When we step back and look at it, it’s okay that a child heard the story of the Israelites crossing the red sea and their time in the wilderness 2-3 different times in children’s ministry. It’s my favorite Old Testament story, so I could teach it every week!
When we consistently switch what we are teaching and how we are teaching the Word of God, it has the potential to make it difficult for children to remember what they’ve learned (and to practice it).
So, the big picture is: “What are children learning from nursery through 5th grade?” And the weekly picture is: “How are we helping children retain and apply this information about God?”
“What are children learning from nursery through 5th grade?”
Repetition in Children’s Ministry Increases Retention
When I express the importance of repetition in children’s ministry, it’s so that children learn not only the Bible story but then have more chances to see what God is doing in that story and are able to dive in even further to see how it relates to their lives. When every single service a child attends within the week is a new Bible story with a new fact about God and a new way to apply it, there is no space to practice what is being taught or to build upon it.
Utilizing one curriculum on Sundays and repeating it during your midweek time, gives you space to reshare the lesson from Sunday, with different options and activities, allowing kids to continue practicing what they learned.
It gives them space to retain what you’ve taught.
Repetition in Education
Every day, my son goes to second grade and only one element of his day changes—music, computer lab, art, gym, and library. The other moments are set times for math, for reading and spelling, and so on. He does math every day. He does the same spelling words for 5 days, some repeated in other weeks. Why? Because repetition is key to learning and key to retention.
Kids learn 6 + 5 = 11 for weeks at a time so that they retain the information and can build on it when they begin to do more complex problems as they grow.
The same is true for how we should approach teaching Scripture. If we are moving from David and Goliath on Sunday to Jesus raising Lazarus on Wednesday to Adam and Eve on the following Sunday with no connections made in between, we aren’t giving children space to comprehend what they are learning.
All this to say: It’s okay to repeat Bible stories on Sundays and midweek. It actually helps children retain what they’ve been taught about God and His people.
And imagine if parents are doing this at home as well! Kids will then have experienced a full week of consistent lessons as they figure out how to apply God’s Word to their lives.
The Importance of Curriculum: Repetition in Children’s Ministry
This is why following a scope and sequence is important. It’s why your choice of curriculum is vital. It’s a commitment to children from nursery to 5th grade, sometimes older, that we are going to study the Bible in this way, following this plan.
Does it always work out that way? No, and that’s understandable. Things happen and plans change! But every curriculum selection should weigh, “What does it look like if a child starts this curriculum in the nursery and we teach it through 5th grade?” “What does their journey of faith look like weekly and as a whole?”
While the reality is that about 4 in 10 American Christians attend church weekly or nearly weekly, and around 5–6 in 10 participate at least monthly—we should still consider the full picture of how the curriculum could impact a child (see more on attendance here: Pew Research/Gallup).
Curriculum Evaluation Checklist
Curriculum Evaluation Checklist
Curriculum Evaluation Checklist
Keep Going
You’re doing a great job, friend. Keep leaning into the Lord as He guides you in leading your children’s ministry. Remember that, ultimately, it’s about pointing children to Him so that they can live a life in His righteousness—in freedom.
If you need help with curriculum choices, check out trusted publishers like David C Cook and Group. They have great options for sharing God’s Word in your children’s ministry and helpful staff who care.
And remember that it’s okay to repeat lessons during the week. Michayla White said it so well in a Ministry Spark webinar. She said, “What we repeat, they (kids) will remember.” This is so true in every aspect of life.
So, no matter if you repeat lessons, or you don’t … make sure you repeat what matters: the kids in your ministry are seen by God and He loves them so much. May the Lord use you as He keeps calling each one of them closer.
Looking for a Curriculum?
These articles can help!
- The Top Children’s Curriculum from David C Cook
- Top 10 Children’s Church Curriculum for Small Churches
- How to Choose the Best Curriculum for Your Children’s Ministry
- The Top 5 Qualities of an Excellent Children’s Ministry Curriculum
- Why Your Time Is Too Valuable to Write Curriculum
- Navigating the Complex Process of Choosing Curriculum
- Practical Help for Finding the Right Children’s Curriculum
