Head to the Heart™ Cheat Sheet - Big Impact with Little Prep Time

Strapped for time? Everyone in ministry has too much to do and too little time to do it. If you find yourself up against the clock, what follows is a universal cheat sheet you can use to put together your Head to the Heart Theme Event and come out looking excellent.

There is much more to choose from than the pieces listed below, but if you are tight on time, these suggestions will do the trick.

Step 1: Before the Event, Read the "Focus of the Week"

Found at the beginning of each theme, this short paragraph gives you the main point of the entire lesson. Along with the Objective, it will help you stay on target and know exactly what you are trying to get across to your kids.

Step 2: At the Event, Play Music While Groups Gather

Play the MP3 theme song provided for the week's lesson, or some other contemporary Christian music, as groups gather in your teaching space. Background music makes people feel more comfortable. No one likes walking into a quiet room.

Step 3: Lead a QuizBowl or "What's That Word" Game with Prizes

Your event has started and the kids have gathered. As part of the "open the kid before you open the book" philosophy, welcome the groups and hold a QuizBowl or What's That Word as either a preview of what you are about to cover or a review of last week's material. Have prizes on hand, not just for winners but for other kids too, just for the fun of it. You will be surprised how even the simplest little gifts can excite kids.

Step 4: Pick Three Images and Analogies

You won't have time for much more. We suggest a Life Line story and Art Attack as quick solutions, usually found on pages 3 or 4 of each theme. The Life Line story gives you a framework for sharing something from your own life that connects to the theme. Better yet, bring in someone else to tell their story. Art Attack uses visual cues from the included Dr. He Qi artwork or cartoon art to teach to the point.

Step 5: Lead Bible Time

Get kids into their Bibles. At the very least, have them highlight the verse of the week. Then use one of the Bible studies found in section E, usually on page 4 of each theme, to help familiarize kids with the Good Book. If your kids are using Bible apps, cross-reference different translations on the spot and have them compare and contrast.

Step 6: Dismiss into Small Groups

The key to Head to the Heart is small group time. Let groups go anywhere they and their Guide find fun and comfortable. Don't limit them to tables, chairs, and classrooms. Give groups a time limit so they can reconvene for a closing, and make sure Guides cover Highs and Lows with their kids.

Step 7: Close with Announcements and Prayer

At minimum, reiterate the Wrap-up Reflection to your groups (usually on page 5) and invite everyone to pray together as one large group for whatever is on their minds.

The list above, along with any times suggested, are only guidelines. Sixty to ninety minutes can fly by quickly, so be ready to adapt on the fly.