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Creating a Sunday School Lesson using Chat GPT - How to find new ideas to teach your kids in church

Creating a Sunday School Lesson using Chat GPT - How to find new ideas to teach your kids in church

Creating a Sunday School Lesson using Chat GPT - How to find new ideas to teach your kids in church

I've been playing around with Chat GPT for a couple weeks now.  In case you have never heard of Chat GPT, its a software that allows you to create all kinds of content by typing in a little information.  I've found it pretty amazing.  Chat GPT is definitely a better writer than I am.  It does a lot of other things also, but for this post I'm only going to talk about how you can use Chat GPT to make your kids more interested in learning about God and the Bible.

 Our church is a mid size church and we have a Christian Educator that provides the Sunday School lessons each week.  We buy them from Cokesbury, which is the education division of the United Methodist Church.  

I'm going to break this blog down into two sections.  The first is for smaller churches that may not have the money for paid resources.  The second would be situations like our church where we have resources but I'm looking for something else, like a game, craft, new or different ideas or videos.  I know you can search the web for free Sunday School resources about any topic and find a number of great lessons but Chat GPT does several things that the other resources don't offer.  

First it is customized based on your particular input and second it creates an entire lesson based on the information you put in.

So for my first experiment I wrote into Chat GPT:  "write a Sunday school lesson for 4th graders on Palm Sunday. Include game and craft. Include YouTube Video for kids on God's might and that he cares for them.

This is what it gave me.  I am using Chat GPT 4 so if you try it you will get different information, especially if you are using 3.5.  

Title: Palm Sunday - The King who cares for us

Objective: To help 4th graders understand the significance of Palm Sunday and the message of God's love and care for them.

Lesson Duration: 60 minutes

Materials:

  • Chart paper
  • Markers
  • Palm leaves or green construction paper
  • Scissors
  • Glue sticks
  • A computer or tablet with internet access

Introduction (5 minutes):

  1. Begin the lesson by asking the children if they know what special day we are celebrating today. Explain that it is Palm Sunday, the day when Jesus entered Jerusalem, and people waved palm branches to welcome Him as their King.

  2. Share the Bible verse from John 12:13, "So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, 'Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!'"

Bible Story (15 minutes):

  1. Read or narrate the story of Palm Sunday from the Bible (Matthew 21:1-11 or Luke 19:28-44).

  2. Discuss the significance of the story and how Jesus was welcomed as a King, even though He was riding on a humble donkey.

  3. Emphasize that Jesus was not an ordinary king, but a loving and caring King who came to save and protect His people.

Game: Palm Relay (10 minutes):

  1. Divide the children into two teams.

  2. Give each team a palm leaf (or a green construction paper cut into the shape of a palm leaf).

  3. Have the children line up on one side of the room, and place a "finish line" on the other side.

  4. Explain that they will take turns running to the finish line while holding the palm leaf above their heads, then run back to their team and pass the leaf to the next person in line.

  5. The first team to have all their members complete the relay wins.

Craft: Palm Leaf Bookmarks (15 minutes):

  1. Hand out pre-cut palm leaves made of green construction paper or actual palm leaves to each child.

  2. Ask the children to write their favorite Bible verse or a short prayer on the palm leaf with markers.

  3. Allow them to decorate their bookmarks with stickers, glitter, or other craft supplies.

  4. Encourage the children to use their bookmarks in their Bibles to remember the story of Palm Sunday and Jesus' love and care for them.

YouTube Video (10 minutes):

  1. Show the children the YouTube video, "God's Story: Palm Sunday" by Crossroads Kids' Club (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTmbTuutBgg).

  2. This short video explains the story of Palm Sunday and its significance in a kid-friendly way, emphasizing God's might and care for His people.

Closing (5 minutes):

  1. Summarize the lesson by reminding the children that Palm Sunday is a special day when we remember Jesus entering Jerusalem as a King who loves and cares for His people.

  2. Encourage the children to share their palm leaf bookmarks and the story of Palm Sunday with their family and friends.

  3. Close the lesson with a prayer, thanking God for His love and care for us, and asking for guidance in sharing His love with others.

It produced this in less than three minutes.  

For the next test I asked it the following:  "I'm teaching a Sunday school lesson on Easter to 3rd and 4th graders. Looking for three youtube videos that will be age-appropriate, one game and a couple craft ideas."  This is what Chat GPT generated:

Here are three age-appropriate YouTube videos for your Sunday school lesson on Easter:

  1. The Easter Story - Beginners Bible (11:27) Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL8R158Ujp4 This video shares the Easter story in a simple and engaging way, using colorful animations and easy-to-understand narration. It covers Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection.

  2. The Story of Easter (Jesus' Sacrifice) - Saddleback Kids (5:03) Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rE4sHJxdBg This animated video tells the story of Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection in a kid-friendly way. The video uses simple language and visuals to make the Easter story accessible to 3rd and 4th graders.

  3. VeggieTales: An Easter Carol (3:03) Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3gE_biVVhM This VeggieTales clip is a fun and light-hearted take on the Easter story. It introduces kids to the concept of Easter and its significance through entertaining and engaging characters.

Game: "Easter Egg Relay Race" - Divide the children into two teams. Provide each team with a spoon and a plastic Easter egg. The objective of the game is for each team member to carry the egg on the spoon to a designated point, then return to the starting line and pass the spoon and egg to the next team member. The first team to have all their members complete the relay wins.

Craft Ideas:

  1. Tissue Paper Stained Glass Cross Supplies: Black construction paper, tissue paper in various colors, glue, scissors, and a hole punch Instructions: Have the children cut out a cross shape from the black construction paper. Then, instruct them to tear the tissue paper into small pieces and glue them onto the cross, creating a stained glass effect. Once completed, punch a hole at the top and add a string or ribbon for hanging.

  2. Resurrection Garden Supplies: Small terra cotta pots, soil, grass seeds, small rocks, twigs, a large stone, and hot glue Instructions: Fill each pot with soil and plant grass seeds. Arrange small rocks and twigs to create a tomb and three crosses. Place the large stone to represent the rolled-away stone. Over the next few weeks, children can watch the grass grow, symbolizing new life and the resurrection.

You can use the information exactly as Chat GPT created it or modify it.  Either way it quickly creates some pretty good content that can make Sunday School more engaging and fun for the kids.

Give it a try and tell me what you think.  Will it make Sunday School lessons more interesting?  Does it give you any new ideas?  Click here to try Chat GPT

 

Growing Churches and Evangelism Sunday School Lessons

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