My best friend in high school wanted to be a missionary since she was a young child. She prepared to be a missionary, married a man who was also preparing to be a missionary and they served in Paupa New Guniea for many years!
If we want our children to be exposed to missions and grow up to either serve as a missionary or to support missionaries in prayer and financially, we need to help them learn about missions in a “hands-on” “real-life” manner. The following materials are designed to help you put together a missions curriculum tailor made for your own church and will teach your children about missions by involving them in the lives of the missionaries your church currently supports. Feel free to copy the materials for use in your church’s ministry to your children.
To begin with this missions curriculum, each class needs to choose a missionary, from those your church supports, to be their class’ missionary. Then a few months prior to the start of your missions program, send the missionaries one of each of the following pages for them to fill out and return to you. The pages consist of twelve topic pages, a map of their country, and an information page about the missionary family. When you get the information pack back from the missionaries, you will have a new topic to learn about each month, maps showing where your missionary is and the specifics about your missionaries to share with your class. For example, the month of December your missionaries will have answered questions relating to if the children in their country observe Christmas and how they celebrate it, or if they do not celebrate Christmas, any information about what life is like for children in their country and any special days they may celebrate. There are also specific prayer requests for the children in your class to pray for that month.
The maps may be copied and handed out to the children so they will be able to see where their missionary lives and how far it is from where they live. The maps may also be made into overhead transparencies, projected on to a bulletin board covered with butcher paper or other white paper and then traced to make a missions display in each class room.
The personal information on each missionary can be used to help the children pray more specifically and so your class can send birthday cards/care packages to their missionary families. If the missionary has a video camera they might even be willing to make a short film to share with your class on what a typical day is like for them. When the missionary is home on furlough they could visit the class and meet the children to answer questions in person. You might even have your class help plan a special dinner for their missionary on the Sunday they visit.
The purpose of this resource is to help bring missions into “real life” and to help your children learn how to pray for and to be involved with their missionaries.
SEPTEMBER
Do the children in your country begin school in September?
What ages attend school?
What are the classrooms like?
What time does school begin and when does it end each day?
What topics do children in grades _____________learn?
Do they learn more than one language?
Do both girls and boys attend school? If so, do they go to the same school?
Do the children in your country wear uniforms to school?
What specific prayer requests do you have that we can pray for this month?
OCTOBER
Is this a harvest time in your country?
What is the weather like in October in your country?
What kind of trees do you have in the area you live in, and do the leaves come off this time of year?
What kind of houses do the people in this country live in?
Are there many farmers or what kind of work do the people do?
Do you have any specific prayer requests we can pray for this month?
NOVEMBER
Do the people in your country celebrate any kind of Thanksgiving Day?
If they do, what would they do to celebrate?
Do the people eat turkeys in your country?
What kind of outdoor games do children in ______________ grade play?
What kind of chores would children do in an average home?
Do you have any specific prayer requests we could pray about this month?
DECEMBER
Do the people in your country celebrate Christmas?
If they do, what do they do to celebrate it? Do they have a Christmas tree? If so what kind of tree do they use?
If they do not celebrate Christmas, do they have another special day?
Does it snow in your country?
How many families are in your church?
Will the children put on a Christmas program this year?
Do you have any special prayer requests that we could pray about this month?
JANUARY
Does it get cold in your country in January?
Is it winter in your country?
Do the people in your country do anything special to celebrate the New Year?
What do children in your country do when they play inside?
Do the children get a winter vacation from school in your country?
Do you have any specific prayer requests we could pray about this month?
FEBRUARY
Do the people in your country celebrate Valentines Day?
What kinds of pets do the children in your country have?
What kinds of crafts do the children in your country enjoy making? (If possible, could you send directions for a craft? Thank you!)
What is it like outside in your country in February?
Do you have any specific prayer requests we could pray about this month?
MARCH
Do the children in your country make kites and then fly them?
What would an average day be like for a child in the _____________ grade in your country?
What is an average day like for you?
What are some of the most common food the people in your country eat?
Do the people in your country do anything special to celebrate birthdays?
Do you have any special prayer requests we could pray about this month?
APRIL
Do the people in your country celebrate Jesus’ resurrection?
If they do, what special things would they do?
If they do not, do they have any other special days they would observe and what would they do for it?
What is spring like in your country?
Do you have many flowers in your country?
Do the people in your church enjoy singing? If so, what is a favorite song?
Do the children in your church have a children’s choir?
Do you have any specific prayer requests we could pray about this month?
MAY
Do the children in your country help with planting gardens or crops?
Do the people in your country celebrate Mother’s Day?
If they do, what special things do they do?
What kinds of outdoor games do children in your country play in the spring?
Are there many doctors in your country?
Do many people have TV’s in your country?
If so, what kind of shows would children be able to watch?
Do you have any specific prayer requests that we could pray about this month?
JUNE
Is it Summer in your country?
Do the children in your country get out of school for the summer?
How many years does the average child go to school in your country?
Do the children in your country have many places to go swimming?
Is the water clean and safe in your country?
Do children have bikes in your country?
What kinds of things would children do in your country over the summer?
Do you have any specific prayer requests we could pray about this month?
JULY
Does your church have VBS for children during the summer?
If so, what kinds of things would you do during VBS?
Are there any wild animals where you live?
Does it get hot where you live during the summer?
Do you get much rain during the summer?
Do you have any specific prayer requests we could pray about this month?
AUGUST
What kinds of summer games would children in your country play?
How big is the average family in your country?
How might a child work around the house to help their family?
In your country do most fathers and mothers work outside the home?
Are there many cars in your country?
How old does a person have to be in your country to drive?
Do you have any specific prayer requests we could pray about this month?
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