Sunday School Teaching: The Start of My Journey to Ignite Love for God’s Incredible Story

The Early Days of Teaching Sunday School

As a teenager I started teaching Sunday School in the church where I grew up. Along with a friend, we took the lead of a preschool class and practiced how to capture the attention of wiggly learners who cared most about interactive play. As my confidence and experience grew I took on the challenge of older listeners and practiced the same skill of capturing attention. Older kids presented new challenges with wittier senses of humour, desire for more challenging activities and a wonderful skill of pointing out when I got answers wrong.

When I moved away from my childhood church and headed to university I found opportunities to volunteer in new churches and once I settled into a church I could call my own I eventually took on a formal leadership postition.

Back then, I didn’t have some grand vision of ministry. I just kept saying “yes” because I loved kids and loved Jesus and I found that the Sunday School setting could be a lot of fun.

But along the way, I’ve learned, stumbled, been surprised, and found myself shaped just as much as the kids I’ve taught. I’m hoping to share parts of the journey with you through this blog but figured I’d start with some of the beginning moments where I felt a vision growing for teaching God’s incredible story.

An Amusement Park Changed How I Teach Sunday School

One of the most unexpected moments of inspiration came not in a church basement, but at an amusement park. I spent just over a year working at KidTropolis, a “city for kids” where children could role-play adult careers. The park looked like a storybook town, complete with a grassy park, streets, store fronts, a fire department, a hospital, and more.

Kids put on uniforms and chose careers. They rode a mini firetruck and responded to a simulated fire call, put on a doctor’s coat and stethoscope and cared for a nursery of baby dolls, baked cakes in the bakery, rocked out in the music studio, delivered mail, drove little pedal cars while learning traffic rules, and designed the latest fashion at the clothing store. The list of options was extensive. Kids got paid in play money and even got to deposit it into their own account at the bank.

Seeing Kids Thrive in Play

In KidTropolis, a child’s make-believe play momentarily became real. I saw kids of all ages (and sometimes their parents) fully commit to their play experience. Through the power of imagination, an inspiring backdrop, a few well-chosen props, and some cleverly designed activities, kids believed they were the town’s doctor, firefighter, banker, or celebrity rockstar.

It was remarkable to watch children come to life in this space. Children jumped into every activity with excitement and pride. Kids who were self-proclaimed haters of math ran the bank and didn’t realize they were working hard to master adding and subtracting. Quiet and shy kids loved hollering instructions from the fire engine. A cluster of kids who’d only just met became an instant team when they realized they needed to complete a city-wide mail run in record time.

KidTropolis created a magical experience. Kids were playing, learning, building new friendships, cooperating, growing self-confidence, feeling proud, and having a blast. And I believe that some of these experiences ignited dreams for their future. In fact, I know a girl who fell in love with the play hospital and later became a doctor. I’m sure there were many influencing factors that guided her career journey, but perhaps this space was part of the path.

What I witnessed in KidTropolis planted a seed in my brain…what if kids’ ministry at church could look like this? What if we could do Sunday School in a way that kids would jump right into their Sunday morning experience and learn about the Bible and God in a way that captured their attention and inspired their engagement? What if kids felt like they had ownership in their church experience so that it set a path for ownership in their faith journey? What if their experiences could grow excitement for a whole life of walking with God?

This kid city was the start of my journey to reshape Sunday School.

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My Quest for the Perfect Sunday School Curriculum

After my experience at KidTropolis, I couldn’t stop thinking about how teaching Sunday School could be something more, something truly transformational. I set out on a mission to find the perfect curriculum, convinced it had to be out there. My search took me across the internet, where I downloaded every sample I could find, borrowed books from other churches, and spoke with peers in the field. At one point, I even called churches across the country hoping someone had the answer. But no matter how much I searched, nothing connected with the vision in my mind. Each resource fell short, leaving me frustrated and stuck.

Improtant note: Looking back, I see this season differently. Fuelled by the energy of young adulthood, I was overly critical at times, and I now have a deeper appreciation for the simple beauty of any adult who is willing to invest in children. No single program can revolutionize church or children’s ministry, because at the heart of it all are relationships and a love for Jesus. Still, that passionate pursuit of “something new” shaped me. It stretched my imagination, clarified my values, and became an important part of my story.

Lessons From My Search

Despite all those months of searching not producing what I expected, the process helped me clarify what I was looking for. My checklist began like this:

• Grand Narrative Focused – I want kids to fall in love with God’s story, not as a list of rules or answers, but as a living narrative that sparks imagination, invites curiosity, and inspires a lifelong love of Scripture. When children encounter the Bible as a grand story, they discover something new each time they read, and my hope is that they learn to listen for God’s voice within its pages and carry that love of the story throughout their lives.
• Developmentally Appropriate – Stories should be chosen and taught with a child’s age and development in mind.
• Rich in Teaching – Teaching should offer depth by exploring the historical and biblical backgrounds of the stories we share, helping kids understand the world in which Scripture was written. It should also make space for a variety of perspectives, showing children that faithful people can see things differently and that questions are not something to fear but an important part of learning. I want kids to have Bible reading tools that grow with them.
• Participatory – Activities should engage every child by honoring different learning styles and bringing the biblical story to life. Every resource should pass the filter, “How does this invite children to actively participate in their faith?” This approach favors engagement over entertainment, using art instead of crafts, guided improv instead of scripts, open conversation instead of right-or-wrong answers, and imagination instead of memorization. It creates space for children to express themselves in relationship to God’s story.
• It has to be fun – The experience should be infused with fun and energy, not just for the children but for the volunteers too. Fun is holy.

This was only the beginning of my “do-better” list, which continued to grow as I uncovered more challenges within children’s ministry and wider church ministry. But after nearly a year of searching for answers, discouragement set in. My mind was overloaded with information, and I began to realize that the path forward was far more daunting than I had imagined.

So, I made a decision—I put the books away and resolved to take a break.

Discovering Innovative Sunday School Teaching in Manitoba

In 2008, I attended a family wedding in the small town of Altona, Manitoba. While celebrating with loved ones, two unexpected highlights unfolded. First, I was introduced to the delicious tradition of Mennonite Faspa with freshly baked buns, jam, cold cuts, and pickles. Yum! Second, I stumbled upon a pivotal moment in my Sunday School teaching journey.

After the ceremony, curiosity led me to peek into the Sunday School wing of the church where the wedding was held. The space was creatively transformed, resembling a summer camp, with each room designed as a themed activity area. One room was an art studio, fully stocked with paint supplies and smocks, ready for kids to dive into creative projects. Another room was a mini movie theatre, complete with tiny rows of theatre seats facing a large screen. I had never seen a Sunday School space like this before, but I could immediately imagine the kind of engaging learning and play that would take place here. It felt like a miniature version of KidTropolis, right in a church setting. In that moment, I knew I had found a crucial piece of my Sunday School puzzle.

Intrigued, I reached out to the church staff and learned that they were using a resource I hadn’t come across during my search. They pointed me to rotation.org, unlocking an entirely new approach to Sunday School. An approach that happened to connect with most of my checklist!

Just like that, my plan to press the snooze button on my Sunday School dream was derailed. I was catapulted into the next step of my journey, hitting the ground running as I began creating a Rotation Ministry for the church we were attending.

Embracing Rotation Ministry for Sunday School Teaching

The discovery of rotation.org quickly put my ideas for Sunday School into action. I found a methodology that matched my vision for teaching, a treasure chest full of resources, and a whole community of people leading the way, already living out many of the dreams I had envisioned.

Key Elements of Rotation Minsitry

This resource and approach to teaching Sunday School shaped and defined the next 12 years of my ministry. Here are some of the key elements that resonated with me then and continue to inform much of my approach:

1. Variety of Learning Styles: Rotation Ministry centers around a variety of learning styles. This is an excellent strategy for helping kids learn and engaging volunteers with a wide variety of skills and interests.
2. Biblical Literacy: Rotation Ministry has a strong focus on Biblical literacy that emphasizes repetition and highlights the importance of teachers and leaders being well-studied in scripture and its context. (I’ll write another blog one day all about repetition, it’s still the best tool in by toolbox.)
3. Creativity and Engagement: Rotation Ministry is highly creative, with a focus on workshop spaces that engage children from the moment they walk into the space. Art, science, cooking, movies, drama, games, and more become essential tools to exploring the Bible and faith in non-intimidating and inspiring ways.

Launching Our Street 2:52 Rotation Ministry

Countless hours were spent poring over posts, chat boards, and files, and I was thrilled to find ideas I could build on. Within a few months, the scope and sequence had been drafted, workshops outlined, and a presentation prepared to share the vision with our church. As with any major change, there were some skeptics, but overall, the idea gained momentum. Two incredible women volunteered to join me in bringing our vision to life, and together, we launched Street 2:52, (named after the verse Luke 2:52) a place where kids could belong, learn, and grow.

We hired an artist to design our walls, and volunteers came together to gather props. One man made giant pencils to decorate the art studio, and another built custom benches for our “chapel.” Some crafted costumes and handmade dolls to act out Bible stories, and we even created a life-sized blow-up whale that you could enter into for the Jonah story. The energy and excitement surrounding the changes is this previously old and drab space was palpable. By the time we launched the program, everyone was eager to see what the new year would bring.

Building the physical space was just the beginning. The other major task was developing the curriculum for all of our Sunday School teachers. Initially, I borrowed lessons and ideas from rotation.org, but soon realized that I had ideas of my own. Contributors on the site inspired me to dive deeper into my own Bible study and theological learning. Before I knew it, I was writing nearly all of our lessons. My two amazing teammates, who also became dear friends, took charge of editing lessons, gathering supplies, and preparing workshops for volunteers. My focus remained on writing and teaching. Over the next eight years, I wrote more than 300 lesson plans as a volunteer Sunday School teacher.

You can still find some of my original lessons on the rotation.org website under the name ZBCC. You’ll need a free account for this link to work. Just remember these were some of my very first ever written lessons and I still had lots to learn 🙂

I’ll be honest, this approach was intense, and I wouldn’t recommend anyone replicate it. The hours were excessive, but if I had any doubt about my passions (enter laughter here), it became crystal clear that I have a passion for kids ministry, curriculum writing, and the Christian church.

Growth, Impact, and Community

The success of this ministry far exceeded my expectations.

1. We had an incredible team of adults who embraced the vision and rotated through teaching. Parents, non-parents, young adults, and seniors all participated, creating a remarkable sense of community. Intergenerational relationships blossomed, and all ages benefited from learning together. I was humbled by their willingness to test my ideas and laugh with me when things didn’t go as planned.
2. The kids were highly engaged. Attendance grew and participants were excited to arrive each Sunday and see what experiences were waiting for them. This enthusiasm persisted year after year.
3. More importantly, knowledge and love for God’s story deepened in ways I never anticipated. The children remembered what we taught, asked more questions than I had witnessed before, and never tired of hearing the same story over several weeks. In fact, they seemed to love it more each time. Even the volunteers would stop to talk about what they were learning or send me emails sharing their own “aha” moments.
4. Personally, I grew as well. Writing curriculum and teaching Sunday School changed me. I devoured theology books and articles and gradually I began to understand the Bible in new ways. I discovered that as I read this passion for learning only increased. My view of God expanded and my understanding of capital “C” church deepened. I also started to recognize and become more aware of the ways that church/poor theology/religion had caused harm and I felt a growing passion to stand up against injustices and contribute towards healthier teaching. As I worked to disciple kids, I experienced the love and discipleship of Jesus.

Moving Toward a New Chapter

Every moment of building Street 2:52, learning to run a Rotation Ministry, and watching it thrive was deeply rewarding. In the later years, however, a sense grew that God was guiding me toward a new chapter.

If you’ve ever left a church you loved, you know it’s rarely a simple decision. There are always layers. Beautiful relationships, meaningful moments, and, sometimes, hard challenges that make staying difficult. The full story is one best shared over coffee, but after much prayer, conversation and discernment, we knew it was time to step away.

Continuing to Learn and Evolve

After years of volunteering, a paid position opened up at another church. This new role offered a fresh start, a chance to grow, and an opportunity to serve in ways that aligned with the shifts happening in my heart and mind. Most of those shifts forming from the hours spent studying the Bible, reading theology and practicing ministry within Sunday School!

Now, I’m working at a small local church, continuing to grow and learn every day. Over time, I’ve developed my own approach to Children’s Ministry, one that blends elements of Rotation Ministry with a simpler, more approachable style.

I’ve also learned that age-specific programming has its limits and an intergenerational approach to worship has become more central to how I lead. I’ll eventually write more of my thoughts on my shift away from a fully age segregated approach.

However, one thing has remained consistent: I want every child to know and love the biblical narrative and to have those words come alive in their hearts and minds, sparking curiosity and a lifelong love for scripture. It’s in God’s incredible story that they meet Jesus.