Family Ministry Back-to-School Blessing Idea
Send kids back to school with patience and a blessing! Incorporate these simple ideas into your church’s worship service the Sunday before school begins. Or consider hosting a meal for families at your church, then host this 20-minute program following the food. It’ll be a meaningful way to honor kids and invite families to fellowship and get to know each other better.
For more seasonal family ministry ideas like this one, you need to check out Group’s Team Family. Through easy-to-use annual guides and faith-shaping PowerPaks, churches love using Team Family resources to partner with families at church and at home.
Prepare for Your Back-to-School Blessing
Set Up
Prepare a place for children to stand on stage during this service. If there are a lot of kids in your church, consider adding risers or steps to your stage so there is space for each child to stand and be seen. If you know how many children to expect, place painter’s tape marks on the floor and invite kids to stand on their very own piece of tape. That’ll help them get situated faster!
If you’d like to create a kid-friendly setting onstage, consider purchasing the Summer Adventures Insta-Theme Fabric Backdrop or Go With the Flow Photo-Op Fabric Backdrop.
Supplies
Beforehand, invite kids to bring their backpacks to church that day. Have several inexpensive backpacks available for those who may forget or miss the memo.
*This program will most likely be held at the end of summer. So consider giving each family a fall Team Family PowerPak at this event so they can continue having fun and growing faith at home when the school year starts.
Program Overview
During this 20-minute service, your church family will encourage and bless kids and their families as they return to school.
- Welcome (3 minutes)
- Bible Verse: Psalm 145:8 (3 minutes)
- Backpack Blessing and Prayer Time (10 minutes)
- Parent Benediction (4 minutes)
Note: Words that the Host should say are in boldface.
Welcome Families to the Back-to-School Blessing
Say: Hello! Welcome to kids of all ages. It’s still summertime here in [your town], but soon you kids will be heading back to school.
Invite kids who are going back to school or beginning studies again to stand. Have everyone clap for them.
And teachers are heading back to school, too!
Invite teachers in the room to wave hello. Have everyone clap for teachers.
And parents? Well, you’re buying new clothes, finding backpacks, reinstating bedtimes, and trying to mark off all the to-dos before the big back-to-school day.
Invite grown-ups who care for kids to hold their heads with both hands, like they’re stressed. Have everyone clap to thank them.
Well, those of us here who aren’t kids or teachers or parents are your church family! And we want to take some time today to bless and pray for you all as you head back to school. This is the day to celebrate and support each other.
Set the Back-to-School Stage With Scripture
Say: Let’s read a verse from the Bible. The words in the Bible help us understand who God is and what God has done for us. Let’s read Psalm 145:8.
Read the verse from a kid-friendly Bible translation (like this one!).
Say: “The Lord” is another name for God! This verse tells us that God is loving and patient! We humans sometimes get frustrated when things don’t go our way. We get impatient and upset with people. It’s a good thing our loving and patient Father God helps his kids be patient and loving—even when it’s hard. Turn to someone beside you and answer this question:
- When is it hard for you to be patient?
Kids and teachers, you might think about times at school. Everyone else may think of examples at home or at work! Take a few moments to talk about that now.
Allow people to talk for about a minute.
Say: Patience isn’t easy—especially when we’re anxious for new stuff to start, like school, practice, bus rides, and parent-teacher conferences! But patience is easy for God.
That’s because God is “merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.”
Let’s look at one more verse from the Bible. It’s Colossians 1:11.
Read Colossians 1:11.
Say: God gives you the power to be patient! If you can’t wait for school…or can’t wait for it to be over. God will give you the endurance and patience you need to do great things.
Kids, did you happen to bring your backpacks today? If so, strap them on your backs and come up to join me onstage. Don’t worry, if you need a backpack, we’ve got one for you!
Family Ministry Prayer Time
Pray for Kids
Have volunteers help kids get positioned onstage. Assign one person to give backpacks to kids who need one.
Say: Kids, we love that you are part of our church family. And we trust that God will do great things in your lives this school year. I’d like to pray for you now.
While we pray, could you stand in a certain way? Strike a pose that shows something you like to do at school or homeschool. You might hold your hand like you’re writing a story. Or pretend to kick a ball if you like gym class. Maybe you like reading during free time. Or even eating or talking with friends at lunch. Pick your favorite school pose now.
Give kids a few moments to choose.
Say: Great! Now “freeze” and hold that pose as we pray for you. It may take some endurance and patience to stand so still—but give it a try! Let’s pray.
Pray: Dear God, please strengthen these children with all your glorious power so they’ll have the endurance and patience they need this school year. Bless them as they learn and try new things. May their backpacks be filled with stuff to discover and do, and may their hearts and minds be filled with love for you and others. You love them a lot, Father, and so do we. We entrust these beloved kids to your care. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Invite kids to “unfreeze” from their poses and relax. This may be a great time for someone from your church to capture a photo of all the kids!
Pray for Teachers
Say: We prayed for children. Now let’s pray for teachers.
Ask for a willing child (or two) to pray for teachers this school year. Invite everyone to pray as the child(ren) leads.
(Consider asking specific children to pray for teachers ahead of time. That way, they’ll be prepared and confident!)
Say: Thanks for joining me onstage, kids. You may go back to your seats now. As you go, receive a special gift in your backpack!
Have volunteers ready to put the special gift or the Team Family PowerPak in kids’ backpacks—one per family.
Prepare Parents for Back-to-School Season, Too!
Say: You know, there is another group of people in this room who are “standin’ in the need of prayer.” Parents! Grandparents! Aunts! Uncles! All the grown-ups who love and take care of kids. Kids, will you put your arm around your grown-ups to create a group hug? Allow time.
Let’s pray for them, too!
Pray: Dear God, thank you for loving us through these special grown-ups. Please bless them and protect them. May you smile upon them and be gracious to them. Please show them your favor and give them your peace. Amen. (From Numbers 6:24-26)
Invite families to give a final group hug squeeze, then wrap up your time together.
This activity is adapted from Team Family Book Two—Group’s year-long guide for intentional family ministry. For the full Back-to-School Blessing program AND awesome family ministry ideas for the full year (summer, fall, Christmas, and Easter), explore Team Family at group.com. And don’t forget to check out Team Family’s PowerPak tools to equip families at home, too!
