Step 3: Use the First Look curriculum to begin talking about the Bible story and how it applies to your preschoolers’ lives.
- We’re not quite to the journals yet, but we’ve come a long way! Keep your words short and sweet as you talk about the Bible story. Listen as much, if not more, than you talk.
- Try and quickly connect the Bottom Line to their young hearts. Just one or two examples are enough. The Bottom Line will get lost in a lot of words.
- Being able to apply the Bottom Line is more important than knowing story facts. (I would rather have a child understand that it’s important to tell Jesus “Thank You” in his everyday life than to be able to retell the story of Jesus and the ten lepers.)
Step 4: Are you ready to pull up and walk? Take out your journals. It’s time to start recording those precious preschool prayers.
- You are now to the point where you can follow the First Look curriculum just as it is written. You have taught your children how to:
- Go to their Small Group spot.
- Know you and their new friends by name.
- Pray.
- Practice their memory verse together.
- Talk about the Bible story and how it applies to them.
- Now you’re going to add the journal.
- When it’s time to pray together, write down each child’s name in print so they can recognize the letters and their own name.
- First Look gives a suggested question to ask the children. Write down their responses beside their names. (One question might be, who can we tell the good news that Jesus is God’s Son? They would each say one person’s name.)
- When you close with prayer, say each child’s name and what they recorded in your journal in your prayer. Offer the opportunity for each child to pray. (The children have the sweetest prayers!)
I have three children. They all learned to walk at different ages. One of my daughters walked at nine months. But my son, I was still lugging that boy around when he was 13 months old! (Yes, he did finally walk. He now plays football for his high school!) The same is true with your preschool Small Groups. Some will learn to walk faster than others, but it will happen. Hang in there and know that you are doing a good work and your children, their families and your church will be better for it.
