By Brent Lacy

10 Sunday School Lessons for Small Churches (Free Printable)

Finding quality Sunday school curriculum for a small church can be frustrating. Most curriculum is designed for large churches with multiple classrooms and paid staff. But what if you have 3-15 kids of mixed ages and a volunteer teacher who has never taught before?

We created these 10 Sunday school lessons specifically for small churches. Each lesson is designed to work with mixed-age groups (elementary-age kids), requires minimal preparation, and uses supplies you already have.

What Makes These Lessons Different

Most Sunday school curriculum assumes you have separate classrooms, a budget for supplies, experienced teachers, and 20-30 kids per class. These lessons assume none of that. They are designed for the reality of small church ministry: one room, one teacher, mixed ages, and a limited budget.

How to Use These Lessons

Each lesson follows a simple format:

1. Bible Story (10 minutes), Read the passage and tell the story
2. Discussion (5-10 minutes), Ask questions and listen to answers
3. Activity (10-15 minutes), A hands-on activity to reinforce the lesson
4. Take-Home (5 minutes), A one-page summary for families

The 10 Lessons

1. God Creates the World (Genesis 1-2), God is the Creator of all things, and He called His creation “very good.”
2. God Makes a Promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-9), God promised to bless all nations through Abraham, pointing forward to Jesus.
3. God Delivers His People (Exodus 14), God parted the Red Sea and rescued His people from slavery.
4. God Gives the Law (Exodus 20), God gave His people rules to live by, showing them His holiness and their need for a Savior.
5. God Provides in the Wilderness (Exodus 16), God sent manna from heaven, showing He provides for His people.
6. God’s People Enter the Promised Land (Joshua 3-4), God kept His promise to bring His people into the land He promised them.
7. God Raises Up Judges (Judges 2-3), God raised up leaders to deliver His people when they turned away from Him.
8. God Calls Samuel (1 Samuel 3), God spoke to a young boy and called him to be a prophet.
9. God Chooses David (1 Samuel 16), God chose a shepherd boy to be king, showing that God looks at the heart.
10. God Keeps His Promise to David (2 Samuel 7), God promised David that one of his descendants would reign forever, a promise fulfilled in Jesus.

Tips for Teaching Mixed-Age Groups

• Teach to the middle. Aim your teaching at the average age. Younger kids will learn from older kids.
• Use older kids as helpers. Let older kids help younger kids with activities and reading.
• Adjust activities. Simplify for younger kids, add challenges for older kids.
• Focus on the main point. One clear truth per lesson is better than five truths kids forget.

Full lesson content with teaching outlines, activities, and take-home pages is being prepared. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified when new lessons are published.

Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.