It is simple to play and has the added bonus of additional slides, suitable for a brief comment on the eternal nature of God’s love, and how it is seen in Christ’s sacrifice.

After the title image, the game is played on one slide. The children choose a number (if played as a review game, they earn the right by answering a question correctly). Once that number is clicked, it reveals a chocolate.  Ordinary chocs score 25, but heart chocs are worth 50 points!

Full instructions are included on the slides at the end, together with a suggested commentary on the bonus extra slides.

RIGHT-click on the links below to download the PowerPoint and save it to your computer.

If you do not have the PowerPoint program on your computer, you can still enjoy the game by downloading the PPS version. This is a self playing version which will start and fill your screen. Use the mouse to click and advance the slides, and then click on the cookies in the usual way.

Download the free PowerPoint game: Chocolate Hearts. (Full PowerPoint version)

Download the free PowerPoint game: Chocolate Hearts. PPS (Self running Powerpoint Show)

It’s a very simple idea – the two teams have to answer questions in order to light all five bulbs in their string of Christmas lights. 

Right-click on the link below and save the file to your harddrive. Don’t worry if you do not have the Powerpoint program on your computer. This self-running file with open up and work just the same, using your mouse to click on the lights.

You can download the Christmas lights game here.

Dan Scott has prepared a series of PowerPoint slides and loaded them onto Flikr. These would be great for a talk to children, youth or adults. One of them illustrates this post, but you can see them all on his Flikr account.

You’ll get all the info on Dan’s  blog, together with a suggested music play list.

Thanks Dan for your generosity in making these available.

As the post announcing this resource is deep in our archives, we are flagging it up again here, to let you know that the free PowerPoint is still available for download, as is the PDF with notes for a simple presentation of the Bible story of the first Christmas.

We have found little children are not the only ones who love to hear this story retold. Older children and adults alike have enjoyed this presentation, with the colourful and endearing pictures. We hope you might find it useful in whatever context you are working.

>> Download the Nativity PowerPoint presentation 

>>Download the outline script for the Nativity PowerPoint Presentation [PDF]

Damaris Trust 

This year, Damaris have once again received permission to use snippets from the British film Nativity! Using this as a starting point, they have created ideas for a primary school Christmas season assembly.

When you visit the Christmas assembly page  you can click to open up the elements you wish to use and have a PDF made of those parts.
There is also a PowerPoint presentation to use and ideas for drama, singing and a time of reflection.

To view the Damaris suggestions and pick up the PowerPoint, visit the Collective worship for Christmas page.

You may also find these free Christmas resources of ours to be helpful.

Christmas Cookie Count is a simple but effective PowerPoint game. It can be played quickly as a stand-alone game, or used effectively as a review game after a Bible lesson.

Here’s how it works…

• Two teams play alternately
• After answering a review question correctly and being awarded points (we suggest 50 for a correct answer) the first team chooses a cookie. It is fun to have them describe the cookie, rather than simply point to it. This encourages the children’s powers of expression.
• The PowerPoint operator then clicks once on the selected cookie.
• that cookie will slide off the screen and a Bonus Score will then be revealed and should be added to the score so far.
• The next team will win their chance to play by answering a review question.
• They then choose their cookie and the revealed score is added to their total.
• The game continues until all the cookies have gone, or the time alotted has finished.
• The winning team is the one with the highest score.

RIGHT-click on the links below to download the PowerPoint and save it to your computer.

If you do not have the PowerPoint program on your computer, you can still enjoy the game by downloading the PPS version. This is a self playing version which will start and fill your screen. Use the mouse to click and advance the slides, and then click on the cookies in the usual way.

Download the free PowerPoint game: Christmas Cookie Count. (Full PowerPoint version)

Download the free PowerPoint game: Christmas Cookie Count. PPS (Self running Powerpoint Show)

NEWS UPDATE! We now have a printed version of this game for those who prefer the low-tech option!

Based on the people who gave something on the first Christmas, and speaking of what they gave, this Bible-based presentation, like all the resources here on Effective Childrens Ministry,  is free to download.

There are also notes with suggestions as to how you might present the teaching. You can download these separately and see if the presentation suits your needs.

To download, RIGHT-CLICK on the links below and follow the dialog to save the file to your own computer.

If you have any difficulties, feel free to contact  us (Catherine and Lin). Details are on our contact page.

Download Christmas Gifts Powerpoint
Download Christmas Gifts Notes (PDF)

Since then, many more visitors have joined us here, so it seems apt to flag it up again, as older blogs can sink to the bottom of the archives!

Myth or Truth? is a  PowerPoint presentation which may be used as one element in a service, or as the basis of a small group Bible study.

It is a brief introduction to the main areas of evidence which prove that Jesus is the promised Messiah, Saviour of all who trust in him.
Develop this as you wish. It is absolutely free to download.

A script is provided in PDF format, to guide you through the slides. 

Download the “Myth or Truth?” PowerPoint Presentation

Download the script for “Myth or Truth?” (PDF)

We have all felt fear at some time or another.
Some fears are good. They keep us safe. For example, fear of being hit by a car will help us watch out when crossing a street. Fear of being burned will help us to be careful when we are near camp fires or barbecues.
But sometimes there are fears which are harmful to us. They can take over and spoil our lives and even control what we do, so that we are held back form doing good things we would enjoy and are compelled to wear ourselves out doing other things which are not helpful.
But fears can be zapped, so that will no longer upset us or spoil our lives.

Using scenarios that children can identify with, (including “spooky stuff”, creepy-crawlies, the dark, bullying and others sources of fear)  this presentation gives you visuals and full presenter’s notes. It suggests how you might lead the children in discussion, as well as give the biblical answer to the question “What can I do when I am afraid?”

It focuses on the mighty power of God and shows in very practical steps how we can use the Bible effectively, and how to rely on Christ at all times.

By the end of this session, the children will have learned how to zap some fears by themselves, how to ask for help when they need it and how to trust God to zap the fears that only he can deal with.

Right-click on the links below and save the files to your own computer.

Download the presenter’s notes for When I am Afraid (PDF)

Download the free PowerPoint presentation for When I am Afraid. (8MB)

Originally, we had only three presentations. But  from those to whom we were teaching  Parts 1-3 came questions about the Apocrypha. So we began to create some teaching to place into context these books, which appear in some versions of the Bible and not others.

Then, with the rising popularity of The Da Vinci Code book and film, came questions about what Dan Brown and others believed regarding the life of Jesus and the people surrounding him. So Gnosticism became another topic, and it sat very well with the teaching we were preparing on the Biblical Apocrypha.

This PowerPoint presentation and leaders’ notes is now available for you here. As you will see from another post, the materials found on this site need not be confined to children’s ministry.  Youth and adults will benefit from this, too.

In The Bible Part 4: Apocrypha and Gnosticism you will find material which answers the questions:

• What is the Apocrypha?
• Does it fit in with the rest of the Bible?
• Why are these books not accepted by main-stream evangelicals?
• What are the Gnostic Gospels?
• What do gnostics today believe?
• Are present day gnostics correct in their thinking?

To download the files for this presentation, right-click on the links below and save to your own computer.

The Bible Part 4 – The Biblical Apocrypha and Gnosticism – Powerpoint file

The Bible Part 4 – The Biblical Apocrypha and Gnosticism – Leaders’ notes PDF