Timothy L Brock (2018), public domain

They’re growing up so fast!

If you’re a parent, you’ve heard this refrain, perhaps from an older friend in your life. And there’s a reason you hear it so often—it’s true!

As children mature, they move through learning stages and require different aids along the way. On this blog we’ve devoted many posts to teaching children how to study the Bible, and we’ve given attention to the nuances of different developmental stages. Today we’ll do the same for helping children follow along during the sermon.

A Resource for Older Children

I’ve previously shared the sermon notes sheet I use for my 8-year-old daughter. The space for both writing and drawing helps her to follow along and enjoy the sermon time.

My older daughter is 12, and today I’m sharing the sermon sheet I made for her. It bears many similarities to the earlier document but with a few strategic differences.

I’ve taken away the instructions for drawing. My 12-year-old is mature enough, for the most part, to process the sermon in writing. (Although she occasionally does include a drawing on her notes!)

I’ve also added a few items to help her follow along with the preacher and process the sermon.

1. In the instructions that open the area for sermon notes, I encourage my daughter to follow along with the sermon outline in the church bulletin (if one is provided). I also ask her to record the other Scripture references she hears so she can look them up and think through the relationship between different parts of the Bible.
2. The middle of the sermon sheet is blank, allowing for as many notes as my daughter needs. But the back of the sheet asks her to write down one or two of the most important things to take away from the sermon. I want my daughter to think about the sermon as a whole and try to summarize what the preacher said. This skill requires some maturity that I don’t expect from my younger child.
3. Also on the back page I point my daughter toward application. I remind her of the three spheres of application (head, heart, and hands) and I ask her to think of some applications that naturally flow from the sermon.

Fuel for Good Discussion

The last two items on this sermon notes sheet have been great discussion-starters for our family. If we are able, we will talk about my daughter’s responses to these questions over lunch or dinner on Sunday. The point here is not to grill her or put her on the spot, but her understanding of and reaction to the sermon helps each of us think about the teaching from the Bible we heard that morning. It can make for good discussions as well as good opportunities to train and disciple our children. Of course, the adults often learn much during these discussions too!

Take it and Use it!

Here is the document my 12-year-old is using. You are free to make a digital copy of your own and adjust it in any way you find helpful. (Instructions for doing this are on the third page of the file.)

The document is landscape oriented and is designed to be printed two-sided and folded in half. (You will likely have to choose “two-sided printing” and then “flip on short edge/side” when printing, though your computer may label these options differently.)

We hope this sermon notes sheet is helpful for you and your children as you carry on the task of reading and studying the Bible.

Nils Stahl (2019), public domain

Christian parents have a great privilege and a weighty responsibility. We must teach and show our children how to trust and follow Jesus. What an important calling! (And what a reminder of our need for God’s grace!)

Whether we do so well or poorly, we’re always discipling our children. This happens around the table, in the park, and on the way to school. And it certainly happens at the weekly corporate worship service.

How should we worship God? Why do we sing, or give, or celebrate communion, or pray? Why do we listen to someone talk for thirty minutes? These are natural questions for children to bring to their parents.

The Sermon as Discipleship

The sermon is probably the hardest part of a Christian worship service for young children. And because of this, the sermon is a big source of tension in families and stress for parents.

Here’s an encouragement to parents: Hang in there! Keep going! Your kids will grow and mature, despite all evidence to the contrary. And the approach you take to the sermon—even from a young age—really matters.

I’ve written before about how to help your children listen to the sermon. In that article I focused on what to do before, during, and after the sermon. In this post, I’ll provide a practical tool to use during the sermon.

As Children Age

If a church offers a nursery and parents decide that is the best option for their young children, that is great! Nursery workers at a church offer a vital and life-giving ministry. The rest of this article will address children who stay in the worship service.

As children move past board books and snacks to puzzles or drawing, parents can tie the activities into the sermon. Every little pointer can train children to listen and pay attention.

After a few more years, parents can encourage a mixture of coloring and note-taking. A thoughtful preacher or children’s ministry director might even provide activity sheets for children that incorporate the sermon’s Bible text.

When children are able to write on their own and listen for longer stretches of time, parents can teach them to take notes during the sermon. A note-taking sheet provides an activity while also training children to listen and record important truths.

The Goal

As a father, I try to instruct my children in age-appropriate ways. Understanding their limitations is crucial, because demanding too much is a recipe for frustration all around.

I’m not expecting my children to understand the sermon completely. I don’t require adult-level processing of the information they hear. I’m not as concerned about the present as I am the future.

I want to develop good habits in my children. I hope they come to the sermon with eagerness and expectation. I pray they will give attention to the Bible and honor God as they attend corporate worship.

If my children hear and remember enough of the sermon that we can discuss it later, that is a victory. Even small snippets of truth can be great fodder for conversation.

Finally, I want my children to learn the practices of mind and body needed to worship God during the sermon. I want them to discern what is true to the Bible and to respond with joy and obedience. These are all learned behaviors that I’m praying my parenting efforts encourage.

For You and Your Children

Here is the document I created for my seven-year-old daughter. We have been using it weekly for several months. Since she cannot process the sermon quickly enough to take copious notes, her sermon sheet has space for both notes and drawings. For her, this mixture is great; she’s been engaged through the whole sermon since we started using these.

But I designed this document to be helpful for you. You can make a digital copy and edit it for your own situation. Create more space for drawing or note-taking, or add an element I omitted. Talk to your children and make adjustments as needed.

A few final notes about the document itself.

• The sermon sheet is written in landscape orientation (11 inches wide by 8.5 inches tall). It should be printed out two-sided and folded in half. This makes it easy to tuck into a Bible on the way to and from church.
• When printing, you may have to choose “two-sided printing” on your computer and then the option “flip on short edge/side.” (Each printer is slightly different.)

Use It!

Consider this document a starting place; nothing is one-size-fits-all. But I hope this worksheet will encourage parents, grandparents, children’s ministry directors, and pastors to pray and help the young ones in their churches learn how to be attentive during the sermon.