{"id":464127,"date":"2025-12-29T14:13:44","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T19:13:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/go\/?p=464127"},"modified":"2026-02-09T08:19:40","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T13:19:40","slug":"how-to-help-kids-spend-time-with-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/go\/how-to-help-kids-spend-time-with-god\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Help Kids Spend Time with God"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There are so many great reasons why many of us stepped into kids ministry. Maybe it was a love for animal crackers, a desire for more glitter-based artwork, or the absolute thrill of wearing a costume at nine o\u2019clock in the morning on a Sunday. These are all valid reasons\u2014but underneath all the glamour, we were really motivated by the possibility of helping kids grow in their faith.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s the heart of what we do. We want to help kids know Jesus, follow Jesus, and build a faith that lasts. But as you\u2019ve probably learned, helping kids grow can be a little more complicated than it sounds.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"1\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">How do you measure spiritual growth?<\/li>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"1\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">What \u201ccounts\u201d as progress?<\/li>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"1\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">Which habits really matter over time?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That\u2019s why our <a href=\"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/go\/annual-discipleship-strategy-for-youth-ministry\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-gc-link=\"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/go\/annual-discipleship-strategy-for-youth-ministry\/\">discipleship strategy<\/a> focuses on four spiritual habits\u2014<strong>Spending Time with God, Spending Time with Others, Using Your Gifts, and Sharing Your Story<\/strong>. We believe these habits sit at the center of spiritual growth, and they become the lens through which you can see everything you do each year\u2014your teaching, your events, and how you support parents and volunteers.<\/p>\n<p>These habits shape the decisions, behaviors, and rhythms that help kids grow spiritually over time. And anytime we see a kid practicing even one of them, we celebrate it as a real sign of growth.<\/p>\n<p>So in this blog, let\u2019s focus on just one of these habits\u2014<\/p>\n<h4><strong><em>SPENDING TIME WITH GOD<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Spending time with God is the habit we\u2019re probably most familiar with. In fact, it\u2019s often the first\u2014or only\u2014one we think of when we hear \u201cspiritual growth.\u201d While spending time with God isn\u2019t the whole picture of discipleship, it <em>is<\/em> an essential habit to develop. After all, if kids are going to live out their faith, they need to learn how to connect with God on their own.<\/p>\n<p>That connection can look different for every kid. It might involve opening the Bible, talking with God through prayer, or discovering how they best connect with God through worship. What matters most is helping kids see that spending time with God is personal, meaningful, and accessible.<\/p>\n<p>So how can we help kids learn to Spend Time with God in ways that stick? Here are a few practical ways to start\u2026<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"1\" data-gc-list-style=\"unordered\"><strong>GIVE THEM A BIBLE.<\/strong> Reading the Bible might not be the only way to spend time with God, but it\u2019s a great place to begin. Give kids a Bible written in language they can understand\u2014and would actually use. We love the NIV, NLT, The Message, and The Voice translations because they\u2019re clear, engaging, and kid-friendly.<\/li>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"1\" data-gc-list-style=\"unordered\"><strong>HELP THEM MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE.<\/strong> Kids are amazing at memorizing song lyrics and movie quotes, so Scripture memorization is absolutely within reach. Make it fun with games, friendly competition, or a simple rewards system in small groups. You could even turn a verse into a catchy song. The more kids memorize Scripture, the more God\u2019s Word becomes part of how they think, pray, and live.<\/li>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"1\" data-gc-list-style=\"unordered\"><strong>TEACH THEM TO PRAY.<\/strong> Prayer can feel unfamiliar\u2014or even awkward\u2014for kids who are just starting out. Help them by offering simple prayer models and explaining that prayer is really just talking with God. Then model it for them by praying out loud together and giving them regular opportunities to pray on their own and with others.<\/li>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"1\" data-gc-list-style=\"unordered\"><strong>HELP THEM DISCOVER HOW THEY\u2019RE WIRED.<\/strong> Every kid connects with God differently. Some kids connect best with God outdoors. Others through art, music, movement, learning, serving, or quiet reflection. Help kids discover the ways God uniquely wired them to connect\u2014and remind them that there\u2019s no \u201cright\u201d way to spend time with God.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And if you\u2019re looking for new ways to help kids spend time with God, here are a couple of great places to start\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-464128 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/go\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/TitleSlide_H_The-TrailBlazers-Journal_Discipleship_GrowKids-300x159.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"159\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/elementary\/discipleship\/trailblazer-journal-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-gc-link=\"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/elementary\/discipleship\/trailblazer-journal-2\"><strong>The Trailblazer Journal<\/strong><\/a> is designed to help kids interact with the story of Jesus and practice a few new habits like prayer, gratitude, and reflection. Inspired by the stations of the cross, this interactive experience invites kids to walk a path that brings the story of Jesus to life in an age-appropriate way.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-464129 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/go\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/TitleSlide_H_TheBibleBuddyReadingPlan_GrowKids-1-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" \/><\/p>\n<p>With <a href=\"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/elementary\/discipleship\/the-bible-buddy-reading-plan-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-gc-link=\"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/elementary\/discipleship\/the-bible-buddy-reading-plan-1\"><strong>the Bible Buddy Reading Plan<\/strong><\/a>, kids won\u2019t be reading alone\u2014they\u2019ll have a special stuffed animal buddy to join them on their journey through Scripture. Each week, kids \u201cadopt\u201d a Bible Buddy to take home. Their new friend will tag along as they read, learn, journal, and grow in their faith. Whether they\u2019re reading aloud to their Bible Buddy, drawing pictures of what they\u2019ve learned, or writing down their thoughts, this experience will help kids connect with God in a personal and memorable way.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s so much you can do to help kids spend time with God. And if you\u2019re feeling overwhelmed, we\u2019d love to help. When you use <a href=\"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-gc-link=\"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/\"><strong>Grow Kids Ministry Curriculum<\/strong><\/a>, you\u2019ll find everything you need to help kids build the habit of Spending Time with God\u2014weekly teaching materials, complete event guides, discipleship activities, small group questions, and tools that help parents invest at home. Grow is more than just curriculum. It&#8217;s everything you need for your ministry\u2014for the whole year, or just for next week!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are so many great reasons why many of us stepped into kids ministry. Maybe it was a love for animal crackers, a desire for more glitter-based artwork, or the absolute thrill of wearing a costume at nine o\u2019clock in the morning on a Sunday. These are all valid reasons\u2014but underneath all the glamour, we [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":371,"featured_media":464140,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[234,383,83],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-464127","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-discipleship","8":"category-discipleship-home","9":"category-kids-ministry-blog"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.0 (Yoast SEO v27.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Help Kids Spend Time with God | Grow Youth &amp; Kids Ministry Curriculum<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn practical ways to help teenagers discover and use their gifts through service, encouragement, and discipleship in your youth ministry.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/go\/how-to-help-kids-spend-time-with-god\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Help Kids Spend Time with God\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There are so many great reasons why many of us stepped into kids ministry. 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