Image from prekinders.com

Read all about how to make it and use it with the children  and download the printables by visiting Prekinders.com

Image by ChristianWallpaper.org

As Easter is approaching, we have been keen to create a free PowerPoint teaching aid for you to use with kids, teens or even adults.

Only Part 1 is ready at present. It covers 9 powerful evidences for the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Part 2, when it is ready, will deal with  5 common objections to this core belief of Christianity and answer each one.

Part 1 – The Evidence covers details of

• The broken seal
• The stone moved away
• The grave clothes intact
• The  empty tomb
• The evidence of the women
• The guards evidence
• The appearances of the risen Christ
• The transformation of the disciples
• The unbelievers who changed their minds

Accompanying the PowerPoint presentation is a set of Presenter’s Notes. They are in PDF format for you to download and print out. These will guide you through the presentation, with cues indicating when to advance the slide. The notes are full enough for you to read aloud as they are, but we recommend that you “make them your own” and adapt them to suit the age and culture of the people you are working with.

Here are three sample slides, to show you the type of visuals that are included.

What the guards saw and experienced

Peter's list of some of those who saw Jesus alive after the resurrection

Christ's followers became bold, despite opposition

To download the whole presentation,  RIGHT-click on the links below  and save the files to your computer.

Oh, one more thing, this has been completed to the best of our ability,though quickly, to get it to you in time for Easter.  So there may be some typos or something might not work as it should. Lin is using the 2010 version of PowerPoint, and we are not sure if the slide animations will behave themselves if you are using an earlier version. We would value your feed-back in order to get this as good as it is possible to be and help you all we can.

Please let us know if you are having problems by visiting our contact page.

Don’t  forget to download your notes as well as the PowerPoint!

1. Download the PRESENTERS’ NOTES  for Evidences of the Resurrection of Christ (PDF)

2. Download the Free POWERPOINT  presentation for Evidences of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (5.7mb)

**News Update!**

If you do not have PowerPoint you can now download the Resurrection presentation in Open Office Format

Practise well, and you will be able to do this anywhere, anytime! Brad even gives us some detailed practical tips which will help us make this a sparkling and inspirational presentation of the gospel message. Thanks Brad, for generously sharing this with us all.

Image from childrensministry.com

Children’s Ministry magazine is always a fund of great ideas. There online resources are no exception.

In this craft and activity you can wave your home-made palm branches and shout praises to Jesus, while thanking God for the blessings others bring into your lives.

This idea for a family Palm Sunday celebration can be used in a church context, family worship or class room. Just adapt the setting. The discussion and craft are very versatile and helpful. Through our own emotions we can gain a greater understanding of what the Jerusalem people and Jesus felt. We can also have opportunity to value and appreciate others – and that is always good.

Here is the Palm Sunday activity and craft plan from Childrensministry.com

Thinkstockphotos.com

For quick, amusing, simple and clever games Minute to Win it ones are hard to beat.

This site has them listed, with mini videos to explain how to play them.

Maybe there are a few here you can keep use. If you do, let us know the ones that worked best for your kids, by commenting below.

NBC’s Minute to Win It site

Some big things! Photo by Creatas/Thinkstock.com

Ken Sapp, over at CreativeYouthIdeas.com today recounted a story of the great Abraham Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln was riding home from church in his carriage one Sunday when his secretary asked how he liked the sermon. “Not very much,” said the president. His response surprised the secretary because the preacher was popular and most people considered him a very gifted speaker. When asked what the problem was, Lincoln replied, “He did not ask me to do anything great.”

Applying Bible truth

When we are communicating Bible truth, whether to kids, teens or adults, do we apply to their lives the truth we are teaching ?
Do we make sure that they know the “great thing” God wanted them to do as a result of what they had heard from us? Do they understand that, though they are young, they can do great things for God?

Asking the right questions

We often ask the children, “What have you learned today from this Bible lesson?” It’s good to do that. It helps us assess the effectiveness of our communication.
But let’s not forget to also ask the children to consider this , “What are you going to do about it?” (They don’t need to answer aloud, but they will benefit from considering it.)
Knowing something and doing something about it are two different things.

A “call to action”

Secular marketers and advertisers call it a “call to action”.

• Sign up here!
• Buy Brekky Crunch today!
• Order your copy now!

We don’t need to be so “in-your-face”! But we can point children in the right direction, and encourage them to consider what action they could take to follow up on what they have learned.

For example, wouldn’t it be great if our kids were able to say something like this?

Today I learned:
… that Moses worshipped God in the desert and up a mountain as well as in the Tent of Meeting. I can worship God anywhere.
Now I will:
… come to God at any time when I want to pray or worship him; in any place, not just church – Even silently in school or out in the back yard.

Today I learned:
…that God wants me to honour and respect my parents
Now I will:
… come in from playing outside, or clean my room, when they ask me.

Today I learned:
…Barnabas was kind to Saul when he was just converted. He introduced him to the disciples and stood up for him.
Now I will:
…be a friend to the new kids in my class and try to encourage and help them

Abraham Lincoln wanted to be asked to do “something big”. Any of the three outcomes above, and plenty more besides, are BIG things! We’d be stunting our children, rather than stretching them and encouraging them grow, if we fail to help them see the big things God is calling them to do.

Oh, and by the way, will you ask yourself, as I do, “What big thing did God speak to me about today? How can I make a start?”

Then pretty soon we’ll have some practical examples to share with our children of how God helps when you tackle the big things!

• 5 lesson plans
• 4 craft session
• 2 game ideas

All focus on Christ’s love for us, and how we can practically show our love for others.

For this wealth of ideas, visit the Ministry-to-Children Valentine’s Day ideas and resources page.

You may also be interested in:

Our own Valentine’s day Free PowerPoint Game.

It is simple to play and has the added bonus of additional slides, suitable for a brief comment on the eternal nature of God’s love, and how it is seen in Christ’s sacrifice.

After the title image, the game is played on one slide. The children choose a number (if played as a review game, they earn the right by answering a question correctly). Once that number is clicked, it reveals a chocolate.  Ordinary chocs score 25, but heart chocs are worth 50 points!

Full instructions are included on the slides at the end, together with a suggested commentary on the bonus extra slides.

RIGHT-click on the links below to download the PowerPoint and save it to your computer.

If you do not have the PowerPoint program on your computer, you can still enjoy the game by downloading the PPS version. This is a self playing version which will start and fill your screen. Use the mouse to click and advance the slides, and then click on the cookies in the usual way.

Download the free PowerPoint game: Chocolate Hearts. (Full PowerPoint version)

Download the free PowerPoint game: Chocolate Hearts. PPS (Self running Powerpoint Show)

Do you think this principle has any relevance to children’s ministry?
Feel free to comment below!

This great craft idea from Awana at home is pretend “spaghetti and meatballs” with “tomato sauce”. And it’s a delicious cake dessert.

This is what you start with! Image from Awana at Home

It is easy to make at home, or even with a small group in a club, because you can buy pre-baked fairy cakes and have the decorating materials ready.

To find out how to make the delicious and fun dessert, visit the Awana at Home blog, ApPARENTly Blogging, for all instructions and some gooey, mouth-watering pics.

And here is the finished product! Pic from Awana at Home

Can you guess what makes the meatball, tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese? You’ll find out here!