"But Jesus called the children to him and said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."
- Luke 18:16
Children's Bulletins
Many churches provide a bulletin or leaflet for children to use during the worship service. The very act of providing such materials makes a statement about the welcoming nature of your church towards children.
There are many publishers from which you can order complete bulletins, and they are listed in this Building Faith article: The Children's Bulletin: Which One is Right for Your Church? Bulletins are usually available for two age groups, readers and non-readers.
As we thought more about that upper age group and beyond, we decided to create our own children's bulletin, specifically designed to engage children with the worship service. It's less worksheet and more liturgical scavenger hunt. As our young worshippers answer the questions and fill in the blanks, they follow along with what is happening at church and create an immediate personal response.
Tips for Making a Children's Bulletin
- Tailor it to your church, perhaps with a graphic or logo.
- Don't print the specific date or Sunday at the top. Instead, leave that blank so you can print out the same bulletins and have them work for multiple weeks.
- Try to include aspects that are particular to your liturgy, your tradition, and your worship space.
- Leave the back page blank and then add Bible art, a Bible coloring page, a Bible game, or something else that children can engage with.
Check out this sample bulletin that we made for Chapel of the Cross:
Boykin Bell is a fun, creative, talented and enthusiastic advocate for Christian education and Godly Play as the Director of Christian Formation at Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.