Use this guide in the week before your first Sunday teaching elementary kids, then take its 45-minute plan into class with you. Your first Sunday does not need to be perfect. The guide is written for brand-new Sunday school teachers and anyone asked to fill in. Inside are the steps for the week before, a simple class plan and eight beginner activities that need almost no supplies.
What is in the free pack: four complete Sunday school lessons for kids ages 6 to 12. Each one has a supply list up front, an opening game and a Bible story script with discussion and prayer. It also has an object lesson, a craft, a coloring page, a word search and a take-home page for parents.
One new teacher wrote to the Sunday School Store this fall. Her pastor asked her to lead one children’s moment, then gave her the whole hour. She said the crafts were not enough to hold attention. Her kids wanted more than a coloring page, and some were too young for the word search. A mom wrote that she was excited to start, but did not know where to begin. This guide is for teachers like them.
What to Do the Week Before Your First Sunday
Start early in the week. Most of the work happens before Sunday morning. For the basics, from class ages to room setup, see How to Teach Sunday School.
- Read the Bible passage twice. Read it once on Monday and once later in the week. Know the story well enough to tell it without the page.
- Pray for your class by name. Ask for the class list if you can get it. Pray for each child, and pray for yourself.
- Ask four questions. How many kids usually come? What ages? How long is class? Who is the second adult in the room?
- Learn your church’s safety rules. Ask about check-in, bathroom breaks and pick-up. Follow them every week.
- Read the lesson out loud once. Time yourself. Mark the one question you most want the kids to answer.
- Pack one bag. Put your Bible, the lesson, paper, crayons and any supplies in one place on Saturday night.
- Plan to arrive 15 minutes early. Kids will come early. Be ready to greet them at the door.
A Simple Plan for Your First Sunday School Class (45 Minutes)
Here is a plan you can follow for a 45-minute class. Write the times on a sticky note and keep it in your Bible.
- Welcome (5 minutes). Greet each child by name. Give early kids paper and crayons to draw while others arrive.
- Opening game (5 minutes). Play one short game to burn off energy and get everyone together.
- Bible story (10 minutes). Open your Bible in front of the kids. Tell the story in your own words, then read one or two key verses.
- Talk about it (5 minutes). Ask three questions. What happened? What does this show us about God? What can we do this week?
- Activity (15 minutes). Pick one activity from the list below that fits your story.
- Prayer and goodbye (5 minutes). Pray together. Tell each child you are glad they came.
Only have 30 minutes? Keep the game, the Bible story and the prayer. One teacher with a ten-minute class wrote that the game and the Bible story are the two parts she always keeps.
If your class mixes ages, give the older kids a job. They can read the verse, help little ones with the activity or lead the game. There are more ideas in How to Teach Multi-Age Sunday School.
8 Easy Sunday School Activities for Beginners (Almost No Supplies)
These activities work with any Bible story. Most need nothing at all. The rest need paper and crayons.
- Act out the story. Tell the story a second time and let kids play the people in it. Give the shy kids a simple part, like the crowd or the wind.
- Story charades. One child acts out a part of the story with no words. The class guesses which part it is.
- Stand up, sit down. Say a sentence about the story. Kids stand if it is true and sit if it is false. Mix in a few silly ones.
- Verse with motions. Pick a short verse from the story. Add one hand motion for each phrase and say it together until kids know it.
- Draw your favorite part. Give each child paper and crayons. When they finish, each one tells the class what they drew and why.
- Story in order. Ask four kids to stand in a line. Give each one a part of the story to say. The class puts them in the right order.
- Twenty questions. Think of a person or thing from the story. Kids ask yes or no questions until they guess it.
- Popcorn prayer. Kids pop up one at a time and pray one sentence. Start it for them: “God, thank you for…”
Want more games like these? See Sunday School Games Without Materials.
What to Do When Your First Sunday Goes Sideways
Something will not go to plan, and that happens to every teacher. Here is what to do when it does.
- A child will not sit still. Give that child a job. Let them hold the Bible, pass out paper or lead the motions.
- The story falls flat. Stop and ask a question. “What would you do if you were there?” gets kids talking again.
- Only one or two kids come. Teach anyway. Sit together, read the story and talk. Small classes can be the best ones.
- You run out of time. Skip the activity. Never skip the Bible story or the prayer.
- You forget what comes next. Open your Bible and read the passage out loud. God’s Word is never a wrong choice.
- A child is upset or behavior gets out of hand. Stay calm and get the second adult. Follow your church’s rules and tell the parent at pick-up.
For more help, read 3 Tips for Dealing with Disruptive Children.
Free Sunday School Lessons for Your First Month
You do not have to write your own lessons. We made a free Kids sample pack with four complete lessons for ages 6 to 12. That is your first four Sundays. Print it, read through it once and teach.
Teaching preschoolers ages 3 to 5? Get the free Preschool sample pack. It has six complete lessons with play centers, a group game, a craft and a take-home page for parents. You can also read How to Teach a Preschool Sunday School Class.
A Prayer for the New Sunday School Teacher
Pray this over yourself before class, or pray it for a new teacher in your church.
Father, thank you for this teacher and for every child in this room. Give them a love for these kids that only you can give. Make your Word clear when they open it. Cover their mistakes with your grace. Let every child leave knowing that Jesus loves them. In Jesus’ name, amen.