PRETEEN MINISTRY LESSON ON GIFTS AND TALENTS
Have you ever witnessed the joy in a student’s eyes when they realize they are good at something?
It’s priceless.
One of the privileges of leading preteens is helping them discover and nurture their God-given talents at a young age.
Use this lesson to encourage students to take those first steps in asking God what their gifts and talents are.
Preteen Ministry Lesson on Gifts and Talents
Bible: 1 Peter 4:10
Bottom Line: God has created each of us with different gifts that make us who we are and enable us to help others.
SUPPLIES
Paper
Pen
Spoon
Butter knife
Bowl of cereal
Small block of cheese
OPENING GAME: CHATTER-ACT-DRAW
This game is a mixture of Pictionary, Charades, and Catch Phrase.
Create a list of words just like you would use for the above mentioned games .
Examples: house, bird, superhero, jellybeans, bubblegum, skateboarding, etc.
Split your group into two equal teams.
Have teams divide into three equal groups – artists, actors, and their “chattiest” people.
Spread the teams out all over the room and position a leader in the middle, equal distance from all the teams.
When you say GO, teams send a runner to the middle where they are given a word and race back to their team.
If the runner is an artist, they begin to draw it; if they are an actor, they begin to act out the word; and if they are one of the chattiest, they describe the word.
Remind all teams, that artists can not act or talk, actors can not talk or draw, and the chattiest can not act, draw or say any part of the word.
They can only use that one skill to get teammates to guess the word.
Once a teammate guesses correctly they tag a different member to race to the middle and choose a new word.
The relay continues until teams have met the point or time goals that you have set.
TEACH
Say: That game was a blast!
It really showed us that when everyone on a team is doing what they are good at, everyone wins!
Now, I need two volunteers that can help with a demonstration.
Invite two preteens to the front – give one of them a spoon and the other a knife.
Ask the preteen holding the spoon to begin eating a yummy bowl of sugary cereal – they can take a few bites and enjoy.
Now turn to the person with the knife, offer them a bowl of cereal too, but they have to eat it with the knife (no drinking from the bowl).
Obviously they can’t, or not as well as the person with the spoon.
Give the person with the knife a small block of cheese, ask them to cut a few slices.
After they successfully slice the cheese, turn to the person holding the spoon.
Ask them to slice up some cheese just like the knife, it doesn’t work.
Have them return to their seat.
Say: You can see that the spoon has been formed and shaped to scoop up delicious food and the knife has been created with the purpose to cut food.
They each have been created with a purpose and are both fantastic, but at the same time very different.
God has given each one of you special abilities that have a purpose.
These are gifts and talents that he has wired in you.
Some of you are natural encouragers, others are teachers or musicians.
Maybe you have the ability to organize well, or include others.
Have students name abilities a person could have that could be considered a gift or talent.
There are many different gifts that the Bible talks about and God has shaped and wired you before you were even born with these gifts.
1 Peter 4:10 says, “God’s gifts of grace come in many forms. Each of you has received a gift in order to serve others. You should us it faithfully.” (NIRV)
Think of the spoon and the knife, just sitting there on the table – there isn’t anything happening.
They have the ability to be used and have a purpose to them.
However, you have to pick them up and use them as they’ve been designed to be used.
When we use these tools you can see how they work, eating cereal and cutting the cheese (prepare for laughter).
Sharing the ability that the spoon or knife has been given with other people can provide a lot of enjoyment or “blessings” to others.
Make sure that you use the tools that you’ve been given, don’t just leave them sitting on the table.
Maybe you haven’t discovered what your gifts and talents are, or maybe you don’t think you have anything to offer.
Ask God to help you understand the ways that he has gifted you.
Close in prayer.
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Why is it important for us to figure out what gifts God has given us?
If you could do anything for God knowing it would be guaranteed success, what would it be?
3 Replies to “PRETEEN MINISTRY LESSON ON GIFTS AND TALENTS”
David
This looks fantastic! I’ll pass this on to our Kids’ Director!
Nick Diliberto
That’s great! Thank you!
Laura
Thank you for sharing!
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