Session introduces the importance of identifying personal experiences and values that shape one’s approach to children’s ministry. Participants are encouraged to reflect on their own story to create a curriculum that reflects their unique journey and values.

Session focuses on sourcing ideas for curriculum development, encouraging participants to draw inspiration from personal experiences, scripture, and daily life to create meaningful and engaging lessons.

Session explains “The Stan Lee Principle,” emphasizing the importance of approaching each lesson as if it’s a child’s first time hearing it. This principle encourages accessibility and clarity in lesson design.

Session highlights the role of reading in curriculum development, stressing that reading scripture and other resources enriches lesson content and equips teachers with deeper knowledge.

Session discusses the importance of outlines in lesson planning, explaining how a clear structure supports consistency, focus, and clarity in delivering the lesson’s core message.

Session introduces “The Kid Filter,” a concept for simplifying lessons so they’re age-appropriate and relatable. The Kid Filter encourages the use of language, visuals, and examples that resonate with children’s everyday experiences.

Session discusses strategies for keeping children engaged by understanding their attention spans. Techniques include changing activities every few minutes and using cues to regain focus when attention wanes.

Session introduces the Sandwich Principle, which involves beginning and ending lessons with humor to capture children’s interest, while focusing on serious, impactful teaching in the middle of the lesson.

Session emphasizes the power of storytelling as a teaching tool. Using personal stories and engaging voice techniques helps make lessons more relatable and memorable for children.

Session discusses character development for skits and teaching aids, highlighting how consistent characters with distinct traits can reinforce lesson messages and make the curriculum more engaging.

Session covers the benefits of teaching in a series, explaining how each lesson can build on the previous one to create a cohesive learning experience for children.

Session provides guidance on preparing and running a productive creative meeting, where a team collaborates to brainstorm engaging elements for lessons based on the Curriculum Matrix.

Session explains the Curriculum Matrix, a tool for planning a structured, multi-week series. Participants use it to organize key elements like Bible stories, memory verses, and activities across the series.

Session covers basics of producing engaging videos for curriculum, from scripting to filming and editing. It discusses how using familiar faces and relatable content in videos enhances engagement.

Session discusses building a personal writing routine for lesson creation, encouraging regular practice and the development of a writing discipline tailored to each person’s schedule.

Session emphasizes the importance of testing curriculum through practice sessions and feedback from other churches. Testing allows for adjustments that improve clarity, engagement, and effectiveness.

Session discusses self-publishing strategies, focusing on editing, professional design, and formatting to prepare the curriculum for digital and physical distribution.