Free 100 Best Ideas to Turbocharged your Preschool Ministry by Group Publishing Page B

storytelling or using a combination of the two.
    Use puppets to tell stories.Preschoolers love puppets.Puppets can bring life and energy to a story.
    We’ve just opened a new children’s building.The hallways are designed with storefront buildings that represent Bible stories: Jonah’s Travel Agency, Esther’s Day Spa, Goliath’s Big and Tall Shop, Solomon’s Bank, Joseph’s Coat Shop, Rahab’s Rooftop Inn, and more.Each building has a brochure holder containing cards that describe its Bible story.Parents can walk up to a building, pick up a card, and talk about the story with their children.
    Our prayer is that the greatest and truest stories ever told will be passed from one generation to the next.
—Dale

I have a confession to make.It’s probably not the confession you’d expect from a children’s pastor, but I’m going to share it anyway.It may even seem a little sacrilegious, but...I didn’t like church when I was a kid.
    As a child, my family and I were “Chreasters,” which means we only attended church on Christmas and Easter.Even with my limited church experience, I really didn’t look forward to the days we had to go to church.
    One of my earliest memories of church occurred while I was in pre-kindergarten.I was watching an episode of Super Friends when my dad told me it was time to go to church.I reluctantly got dressed and off we went.Instead of letting me sit with them in “big church,” my parents dropped me off in Sunday school.
    I remember the teacher had us gather around her on the floor for circle time.Then she told us something from the Bible about a guy who was thrown into a lion’s den and lived to tell about it.The other kids seemed to know this really well because they could recall all the details from memory.I have to admit, it seemed like a cool story.But I thought to myself, So what? Sure, the lions didn’t eat the guy, but I never really understood the point.For me, it was no different from watching the Super Friends defeat their enemies in Legion of Doom.
    How many preschoolers leave our ministries each week asking themselves the same question: So what?
They may be able to recite the Bible story verbatim, but they’re missing the point of the story.
We may be teaching them the story of Daniel, but they fail to notice the point of Daniel’s obedience to God and his trust in God no matter what happened in his life.
Our preschoolers may love the story of David fighting a giant but never grasp that it was God’s power working in and through David that killed Goliath, not David’s accuracy with a slingshot.
    If we want God’s Word to change the lives of the kids in our preschool ministries, we have to answer the question “So what?”before we can teach them to apply the Word.
    Our preschool ministries need to help kids develop heart attitudes, motivations, and actions that are in line with God and his Word.We have to help them move beyond learning God’s story from the Bible to living out God’s story in their daily lives.If we can accomplish this each and every Sunday, our kids will gladly turn off their cartoons and come to church to learn how God wants to change them from the inside out.
—Eric

How do you engage preschoolers and their parents?Visit Playhouse Disney Live at Disneyland or Walt Disney World and you’ll discover the answer.
    Preschool families love shared experiences, and that’s what you’ll find at this 22-minute live show designed for preschoolers and their families.You’ll see preschoolers and parents singing, dancing, and having fun together.You’ll see parents thrilled that their children are having so much fun, and preschoolers smiling and enjoying a special moment with Mom and Dad.
    Plan shared experiences for preschoolers and parents that include the following elements—and families will come!
    Interaction—Interaction is a key element at Playhouse Disney Live.The host has the children shout out their names, say the magic words so the