WORSHIP ENGAGEMENT, PART 2
Ideas for Worship Activity Bags
Regarding what to call these kits, I would encourage you to call them Worship Activity Bags rather than Busy Bags. We’re not trying to keep children busy; our hope is to engage them in worship. 
Now that your children understand your expectations and you have agreed on some strategies to help them participate in the worship service (see Worship Engagement, Part 1, above), what exactly should be in your worship engagement toolkit?
I encourage you to gather the things that meet your children’s wants and needs. You know them best. Here are some suggestions to get you started, gathered from a number of Christian educators:
- Children’s Bible and/or storybook Bible.
- A pencil case with pencils, colored pencils, eraser, crayons, or markers.
- Clipboard (for a hard writing surface for coloring sheets, puzzles, etc.
OR laminate cardstock and use a binder clip to make cheap clipboards - A notebook for note taking and Scripture Doodling.
- Dry erase board, Magna Doodle, or other erasable drawing board (these don't create waste like paper does).
- Lacing cards for younger children.
- Pipe cleaners (chenille stems) – to make objects that help retell the Scripture or to make figures to act out life application points. (A number of people commented, including "Believe it or not, the pipe cleaners are a great fidget toy and one of the most popular items in the bag. I used to keep a bag of pipe cleaners in my boys' stuff when they were kids - best quiet toys ever!!!!")
- A Bible figure for posing and fidgeting.
- Books of the Bible or memory verse flash cards.
- Worship bingo cards with worship activities and objects to watch for and key “church” words to listen for (laminate and include a dry erase marker for reuse each week).
- Individually wrapped hand wipes or hand sanitizer.
For more suggestions of activities and supplies that encourage active listening, see this blog post by Christie Thomas.
Children's Bulletin or Activity/Coloring Sheets
If your church does not provide a children’s bulletin or student worship guide, you can easily make one up yourself. In advance, ask your pastor what the Scripture or sermon theme is for this week’s worship. Your favorite search engine will help you find coloring sheets and puzzles. Here are a few of my favorite sites:
- One Page Printable Bible Stories, New Testament in both color and b/w.
- One Page Printable Bible Stories, Old Testament in both color and b/w.
- Christian Coloring Pages
- This is the word search generator that I like to use.
- Include a generic sermon note page, such as these from Path through the Narrow Gate (you may have to give your email to access this site, but you will receive lots of nice free coloring pages and holiday activities).
Storage Containers
Find a sturdy bag or plastic tub to store and keep your supplies in.
- paper gift bags or lunch bags - families keep or dispose
- ziplock bags (gallon or smaller) - can be kept, disposed of, or wiped clean
- cloth bags (Oriental trading has them at reasonable prices)
- plastic shoe boxes labelled for each family (filled with things they can wipe off. That way each family’s items are only used by them and they wipe them off. Keep the boxes at a check-in station so that no one else touches the other ones. Then they return them to a cart.)
There seem to be three schools of thought:
- worship kits in disposable bags (where the families keep the contents or they are thrown away after use),
- kits that are given to the families and they are responsible for bringing them back (and adding to them based on their kids' needs),
- and kits that need to be cleaned after use and are reused.
The best choice is different for each church based on size of church, budget, space, staffing,
Activity Sheets
Your favorite search engine will help you find coloring sheets and puzzles. Here are a few of my favorite sites:
- One Page Printable Bible Stories
- One Page Printable Bible Stories, Old Testament
- Christianity and Bible Coloring Pages
- Calvary Curriculum
- And there are a variety of blogs and things where people have posted Bible verses for coloring and reflection, such as Marydean Draws printables by scripture
- and more linked here.
This is the word search generator that I like to use. I also usually include a generic sermon note page, such as these by Path Through the Narrow Gate (you may have to give your email to access this site, but you will receive lots of nice free coloring pages and things).
Teacher/Parents
Remember to talk with your children after the worship service about what they created as well as any application of the sermon in their lives. That will reinforce that the worship guide and activities are not busy work, but are something that relate to what the children are hearing, learning, and experiencing in worship.
What else do you include in your worship kits?
