Preteen Sunday School Lesson: Celebrating Christ’s Resurrection

Use this Preteen Sunday School Lesson: Celebrating Christ’s Resurrection to involve kids in upper elementary with each other, exploring biblical accounts of new life and in a creative Easter celebration. Find more great Sunday school lessons to help kids grow in their faith.

The high point of a Christian’s year is Easter. Christ’s triumph over death is the once-for-all victory. For preteens, Easter can be a memorable day because of the celebration of new life—Christ’s and their own.

In this Sunday school lesson, preteens will:

• explore biblical accounts of Christ’s Resurrection after experiencing a Bible Easter egg hunt;
• discuss the importance of resurrection stories for their daily lives; and
• celebrate their own and Christ’s Resurrection.

You’ll need:

• materials for the art projects you choose to do in activity #4 (see activity #4 for a listing of materials)
• favorite Easter songs
• for every 4 to 6 kids:
  • a large sheet of newsprint
  • a marker
  • a roll of masking tape
  • an “Easter Bible Study Instructions” handout
  • 4 to 6 slips of paper with Matthew 28:1-15, Mark 5:35-43, Mark 16:1-8 or 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 written on them (the Bible passages will divide the group into small groups; if you have more than 24 group members, repeat the same verses on different-colored slips of paper)
• For each person:
  • a Bible
  • an egg-shaped container (plastic or tin)

Before Class

• Read the lesson and collect supplies.
• Ask someone to bring refreshments.
• Prepare the eggs: Insert the slips of paper with the Bible passages into the eggs—one per egg. Make sure you have enough eggs for each person to have one, and that the Bible passages (and perhaps colors of paper) will divide the group into small groups of four to six.
• Hide the eggs.

The Lesson

1. A Bible Easter Egg Hunt

When your preteens have arrived, invite them to hunt for the hidden Easter eggs. Each person is to pick up only one egg. After everyone has found an egg and removed the Scripture passage, ask kids to get into small groups by finding other group members who have the same Scripture passage (or color of paper). Make sure there’s an adult sponsor in each group.

2. Easter Bible Study

Hand out Bibles for everyone. Give each small group a large sheet of newsprint, a marker, and, a roll of masking tape. Tell kids to do what the directions say below.

“Easter Bible Study” Instructions

• Look up your Scripture passage in the Bible and read it.
• Tape your sheet of newsprint onto the wall.
• Outline the events in the story on newsprint. Ask someone in your group to tell the story to the entire group later.
• Decide which is the most important phrase or sentence in your Scripture passage. Choose someone in your group to read it to the entire group later.
• Have each person again quietly read the section of Scripture and consider what meaning this Scripture has for his or her personal life. (How does it encourage, comfort, or reassure you?) Have each person tell his or her thoughts in the small group.
• As a group, complete this sentence to tell to the total group: “Two important meanings this Scripture has for our lives are . . .”
• Choose someone to report your sentence completion to the total group.

3. Large Group Reports

Once each small group has completed its Scripture study, bring everyone together. Ask each small group to take turns sharing the following information with the large group:

• An outline of the events in the Scripture passage.
• The most important phrase or sentence in the Scripture passage.
• Two important meanings the Scripture passage has for their lives.

4. Easter Celebrations

Point out that the preteens have been sharing their faith orally in both the small and large group. Next they can share their faith visually. Have kids get back into their small groups. Encourage small groups to use the passages they just studied as the springboard for the visual presentation of the Easter theme. Ask groups to first discuss what they want to say through their art form before they begin creating it. Try a few of the options listed below.

A mobile of resurrection symbols or pictures.

Materials: Wire coat hangers, doweling, string or thread, balsa wood or cardboard for symbols, Easter pictures with cardboard backing, glue, old Sunday school leaflets, a single-edged razor blade for balsa wood, pliers for coat hangers, scissors for cardboard and pictures.

An Easter banner.

Materials: A large piece of felt or other material for the banner; a piece of doweling for the top of the banner; pieces of felt, colored yarn, glue, needle and thread, scissors.

An Easter collage.

Materials: Photo magazines, Sunday school fliers, worship service bulletin covers, a large piece of cardboard, glue, scissors, poster paper.

An Easter hymn.

Kids could use an existing melody or compose their own music to fit original lyrics.

5. Closing

Bring the groups together. Ask each group to share its art with the other groups and explain its meaning. Invite prayers from the group relating to the Easter theme. Sing favorite Easter songs. Serve refreshments.

6. Artwork Display

Consider displaying the art forms in the church. Incorporate the art forms into the congregation’s Easter worship services.

Looking for even more great ideas for Easter? Check out all our Easter posts.