10 Brilliantly Effective Ways to Share the Gospel with Kids
To share the Gospel with kids is to share the greatest story ever told— and sometimes it’s one of the most bland story ever told! A Sunday School teacher rattling off in a monotone voice about what Jesus did for us doesn’t get kids excited about it. It takes away from just how spectacular the gospel really is!
Share the gospel with kids in way that grabs their attention, and help them understand just how AWESOME God’s love for us is, with these creative ways to share the gospel.
(Note: Bible verses to use with these creative ideas, along with a sample salvation prayer, are at the end!)
1. Share the Gospel with kids using color! (The ol' standby)
The ol’ standby commonly known as “the wordless book” has been around for a long time. Invented by the great preacher Charles Spurgeon in 1866, it’s an oldie but a goodie— probably because its simple and memorable! (You can them for 60 cents each here!)
The most common version is a little “book” made from construction paper squares and staples, but you can use the colors as beads on a bracelet, make keychains, or even paint your fingernails with them! Here are the colors and what they stand for:
1. Yellow (or gold) — God is perfect and lives in Heaven
2. Black — Our sin (a creative way to explain sin)
3. Red — Jesus’ blood
4. White — Jesus washes us clean
5. Green — growing in Christ (after accepting Him as your Savior)
2. Share the Gospel while driving
Use every-day traffic signs to teach kids the gospel. You can make the signs out of paper, cardboard, or foam sheets, glue wooden sticks to them, and hold them up while you explain them. Here are the signs and what they represent when sharing the good news of the Gospel.
Road Signs and their Gospel Meaning:
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3. Talk about Superheroes!
This should really catch the attention of the boys!
Begin by asking kids what superheroes they like.
Discuss what kinds of things superheroes do. Then tell them about the greatest superhero of all— Jesus Christ!
Unlike Batman, Superman, and all those fictional guys, Jesus actually did save the whole world.
Want to know exactly what to say?
4. Reference Noah's Ark
God has woven the gospel into the entire Bible, and the story of Noah is no exception.
They may not expect this application, so using Noah’s story to share the Gospel with kids is the perfect way to grab the attention of both the newbies and the regulars who have heard the gospel a ZILLION times.
Here’s an outline:
- (This story is told in Genesis 6-9). God looked down at the world and saw that everyone was doing wicked things.
- God had to punish those people for breaking His laws. That punishment was death by a mind-boggling flood. (Mind-boggling because people didn’t believe it was coming, since a flood like that had never occurred!)
- Noah and his family were the only ones who still obeyed God. They believed Him when he said a flood was coming, and began to build the ark.
- God saved Noah and his family, and the rest of the world was destroyed.
Now, explain how this story mirrors the gospel:
- God looks down at us today and sees us doing wicked things.
- God says there is a punishment for sin, and it’s the same as it was in Noah’s day— death. In our case, it’s a spiritual death—separation from God for all eternity.
- If you believe God, even when you can’t see the future, that’s called faith. Just like Noah believed that God really would send a flood, you have to believe that you will be punished for your sins someday. However, just like Noah had the ark, you and I have a way to be saved to— our “ark” is Jesus Christ. He died on a cross to pay for our sins.
- Now, you have to “get on board” the ark. You have to accept Jesus’ gift and tell him that you believe and accept what He did for you.
5. Do a Gospel Science Experiment
Wake those sleepy-heads up with some fire and explosions! Ok, maybe those kinds of science experiments aren’t the best idea for indoor Sunday School lessons. But hey, that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of experiments that you can do without staining the church walls and singeing the carpet.
Here’s an easy, budget-friendly one to start you off:
Dirty Water Experiment
Put “dirty” water into a pitcher. Use iodine to “dirty” it.
Put some bleach mixed with some water in another pitcher.
Pour the bleach water into the dirty water to show how Jesus cleanses us from our sin.
Looking for some more great ideas? Check out these incredible object lessons.
6. Make a Tea Bag Fly!
Yeah, yeah…I know I said that fire experiments aren’t the best idea for Sunday School…but this one uses just a teensy weensy bit of fire.
just a teensy weensy bit of fire 🙂
I guarantee that not only will you NOT burn any carpets, but you’ll have the entire room hanging on your every word.
Here’s what to do:
- Buy the kind of teabags that open up into long tubes (not all of them do this).
- Open a bag and dump out the tea into a trash can, explaining that when we ask Jesus for forgiveness and to save us, he throws our sin out and doesn’t hold it against us anymore!
- Unfold the teabag into a cylinder, put the cylinder on a ceramic plate, and light the top of it with a lighter. It will burn, but the bottom part will float up into the air before it’s completely burned! Explain that because of Jesus’ forgiveness, we will one day be able to go up to heaven to be with Him!
7. Share the Gospel Playing Pictionary!
People who say that games don’t belong in the classroom don’t belong in the classroom themselves! There’s no good reason why you can’t teach the gospel while playing a game. And I don’t think I need to convince you that kids pay more attention when they are having fun!
People who say that games don't belong in the classroom don't belong in the classroom themselves!
Maybe you’re sitting there reading this and saying, “but the gospel is a SERIOUS subject!” Yes, you’re right! And that’s why we’ve got to put MORE EFFORT into teaching it!
So let’s pull out all the stops, and make the gospel story something they’ll never forget. There’s no better way to help kids understand that the gospel is AMAZING than to present it as FUN, GOOD NEWS!
Here’s how to play:
Draw the following words on a white board or large sheet of paper and have all the kids guess what they are. Then, reveal how they fit into the gospel story.
Or, divide the kids into 2 teams and have them draw the pictures for a fun competition.
Teach the concept of sin:
steal
cheat
hurt
Teach what Jesus did for us:
pay
cross
blood
Teach what we need to do:
pray
gift
choose
clean
8. Hunt for Gospel Treasure
Turn your gospel lesson into a wild, crazy treasure hunt! Divide the kids into teams and give them a list of things they need to find outdoors or around the room.
Each object will have something to do with the gospel (you’ll explain each object at the end of the game). Use this list of objects, or make your own!
A gold coin (God’s perfection, heaven)
A black piece of coal (our sin stains us)
A cross or money (Jesus paid the price)
White-out or an eraser (God erases our sin!)
A baby doll or baby stuffed animal (we are a new creation after accepting Christ)
A toy house or house drawing (God prepares a place for us in Heaven)
9. Do a "Magic Trick"
Don’t have enough time to put together an elaborate scavenger hunt? This “magic trick” is an easy and budget friendly way to share the Gospel with kids. All you need is a piece of paper!!
It might sound boring, but...
You’ll tell a story while you fold and tear the paper. It might sound boring, but kids will be intrigued, wondering what you are doing with the paper, since at first it just looks like you are tearing it to bits!
10. Tie a "Magic" Knot
This is another easy way to share the gospel with kids, but this time it’s reusable, and even portable!
Now you have no excuse to not witness everywhere you go)
All you need is a cord, two big sphere beads, and a cross bead.
- Tie a knot in the cord to separate one bead from the other, to illustrate the fact that our sin separates us from God.
- String the cross bead onto the cord so that it falls between the two beads, and pull the two ends of the cord until the knot disappears.
- Explain that Christ’s sacrifice made it possible for us to have a relationship with God again.
- It’s that simple!
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Key Gospel-Rich Verses About Salvation for Kids
You don’t need to use all of these verses to share the Gospel with kids, but make sure you use at least a few. God’s words are powerful and can convince kids of their need of salvation!
All references are from the NIV.
Psalm 92:15 reminds us that God is perfect and holy.
PSALM 92:15
"Proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him." (NIV)
No one is left out...everyone is a sinner.
ROMANS 3:23
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (NIV)
The punishment for sin is death.
ROMANS 6:23a
"For the wages of sin is death...." (NIV)
Jesus died to pay for our sins because He loves us.
ROMANS 6:8
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (NIV)
Jesus died for our sins, but He did not stay dead! He rose again!
1 CORINTHIANS 15:3-4
"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." (NIV)
Jesus can cleanse us from sin.
ISAIAH 1:18
"Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." (NIV)
You must accept Jesus' free gift to be saved.
ROMANS 10:13
"For, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (NIV)
JOHN 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (NIV)
Salvation is permanent.
JOHN 6:37
"All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away." (NIV)
Salvation is permanent.
JOHN 6:37
"All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away." (NIV)
ROMANS 8:38
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (NIV)
Salvation is through faith, not by works.
EPHESIANS 2:8-9
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (NIV)
HEBREWS 11:7
"By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith." (NIV)
Sample Salvation Prayer
Dear God,
I know I’m a sinner. I can’t do anything to save myself and I know I deserve to be punished.
Thank you for sending your son Jesus to die and take my punishment. I believe that you’re the only one who can save me.
Please forgive me for my sins, God, and give me the gift of being in heaven with you.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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