Spirituality is an aspect of a child’s identity. It is through spiritual development that children learn to be aware of qualities such as responsibility, reverence, and respect. They also develop a love for nature and the desire to protect it.
According to James William Fowler, an American theologian, children can progress from concrete to abstract thinking as they mature. They are capable of putting things into perspective, including the Bible stories they have heard. It means that the knowledge they have acquired while growing up can be carried through as grown-ups and can have a deeper meaning for them.
But how do you teach spirituality to your children?
BE AN EXAMPLE
Education begins at some, You are the primary caregivers as parents, you are the ones they see first thing in the morning and before they go to bed at the end of the day. According to Dr. Scott Turansky, you should be God’s partner in nurturing spirituality in your children. But first, you should lead a prayerful life with a regular time communing with Him by reading the Bible. How you apply your spirituality in everyday life can be emulated by your children.
MAKE SUNDAY WORSHIP AS INTERESTING AS POSSIBLE
Children are unique in the way they learn things, Different stages require different strategies in order to get their attention. But there is a universal method that will ensure learning and interactions at every level. Activity is their language. To teach your children about worship interactively, there must be props and an interesting scheme rather than just memorizing bible verses and singing hymns.
They will get excited with every Sunday worship and will look forward to it if there are fun projects that await them.
USE WOOD CRAFTED SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON MATERIALS FOR KIDS
Wooden crafts are environmentally friendly and are safe from toxins. They can be recycled which is another practical lesson you can teach your child. By using Wooden crafts, you are indirectly relating him to the beauty of nature and that there is a mighty God who created the trees that are being used in making these wood-crafted Sunday school lesson materials for kids like them.
If you find it hard to involve your kids in Sunday worship, you need to up the ante. Wooden crafts are environmentally friendly and can be recycled. Through this material, you can already teach children about nature and God. The following are wood crafted Sunday school lesson materials for kids that you can choose from.
One of the most interesting Biblical stories for children is Noah’s ark. Probably because of the different animals that are included in the story. This complete wooden set of ark, animals, carrying tray, prism, and even olive leaf, will surely get children’s attention and will ensure active participation.
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JESUS’ STORIES
From His boyhood until his crucifixion, this wood-crafted Sunday school lesson materials for kids is complete with wooden figures that will surely help you relate to children at each stage of Christ’s life on earth. Let the children experience ‘coming to Jesus and sit on His lap’ as they bring the wooden children to figure at Jesus’s lap just like in the Bible story.
There are separate sets about Jesus and Zacchaeus, Jesus in the Wilderness, Christ’s Baptism, Jesus the King-when He rode the donkey, and puzzles about Lent.
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CREATION
Make the creation story come alive in the children’s imagination with the help of this Creation Wood Set. It has color prints mounted on wood for each of the 7 days of Creation, a navy blue felt underlay, and a 14” wood tray.
Follow the journey of the Israelites to the promised land with these sets of wood-crafted materials. It tells how they left the desert and crossed the Jordan river into the promised land. The set includes seventeen wood figures, priests carrying the ark of the covenant, two river underlay, a wood tray, rocks, and a basket.
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PARABLES
Another interesting wood-crafted Sunday school lesson materials for kids are the figures of the different parables in the Bible such as The Good Samaritan, The Great Banquet, The Great Pearl, The Mustard Seed, and many more. Each set contains a gold parable box and color prints mounted on wood.
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THE TEMPLE
Let the children experience ‘building’ the tabernacle with this set of wooden parts of The House of God. A complete package includes an artifact set, the ark of the covenant, a table of shewbread, laver, an altar of burnt offerings, a menorah, the incense altar, a priest figure, and a carrying tray.
Teach children the practical ways to obey the ten commandments using this wood-crafted set. It has Mt. Sinai in it, the place where God gave Moses the ten commandments, a heart box that represents love for God and love for people, and laser engraved commandment cards.
Imagine sitting in the church the whole time listening to sermons their young mind could hardly grasp. You cannot blame children if they despise the mere mention of “Sunday worship”. Worst, they are being scolded for not behaving properly while the service is going on. Empathize with your children. Do not let them grow to hate the church. Loosen up a beat. Having a relationship with God should be fun.
It is not enough that you bring your child to Sunday school and expect that the teacher will take it from there. You are still the primary spiritual trainer of your child. Make sure that there are follow-ups each time they come home after the church services. Pray with your child every day that it becomes part of his everyday routine.
Teach him how to pray and tell him that that is the way Jesus talks to children. That Jesus wants to be his friend. Sing songs or play church songs every morning until they get used to hearing them and sing along. It is about how you make church worship appealing to their young mind that you can have an interactive Sunday worship. It is about how you introduce spirituality to your children that they will learn to appreciate God.