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COMPASSION SUNDAY FOR CHILDREN | 1
Compassion Sunday for Children
A lesson plan to teach Sunday school students about
poverty
Dear children’s ministry leader,
Thank you so much for taking this opportunity to teach the children at your church
about poverty. By doing so, you’re helping them develop empathy and a global perspective.
We appreciate your advocacy on behalf of children in need — and thank you for sharing
the gospel with children in your community!
This lesson plan and activity will make your Compassion Sunday an engaging, fun,
educational and inspiring day for the kiddos!
Sincerely,
Your friends at Compassion
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Poverty Lesson Plan for Children’s Ministries
Lesson Overview and Preparation
What students will learn
Through a class discussion and an activity sheet, students will learn why your church is
hosting a Compassion Sunday, what poverty is, what God says about helping the poor and
how to help.
Activity sheet and take-home handout
Ahead of time, print out one activity sheet per child, which they will ll in and color while
you go through the discussion (hand it out at the start of class). Also print out one take-
home handout per child, which you will give to them or their parents before they leave
class.
Bible focus
God wants all children to be healthy and happy and to know the love of Jesus. The Bible
says we should help the poor. Helping them changes our lives too.
Memory verse
Proverbs 19:17 — “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them
for what they have done.”
How to help
Ways kids at your church can help children living in poverty
Additional resources
At the end of the lesson plan are links to free printable activities, stories and devotionals
on our Compassion Explorer website for kids.
Age level
Elementary
Time
35 minutes
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Class Discussion
Introduction (5 minutes)
Millions of children around the world live in poverty. Does anyone know what poverty is?
[Wait for answers.] Poverty is when you don’t have enough of what you need. Children
who live in poverty might not have enough food, water, medicine or other things we’ll talk
about today.
Our church is having Compassion Sunday today. It’s an event where everyone learns more
about poverty and how we can help. The word “compassion” describes the feeling you get
when you see someone who is sad, sick or in pain and you want to help. There are lots of
ways to help people who live in poverty.
Do you know anyone who has less than you, who doesn’t always have enough food to eat
or a coat to wear in the winter? Does it make your heart sad to learn that some people
don’t have those things they need? It makes God’s heart sad too. Even if you don’t person-
ally know any children who live in poverty, they are still our brothers and sisters in Christ.
God has asked us to care about them and to love them, just like He does.
Today we’re going to talk about some of the things children need to be happy and healthy.
Then we’ll talk about ways to help children in poverty.
[If you haven’t already, hand out an activity sheet to each child.]
The Need for Water (3 minutes)
Can anyone name something that everyone needs to live? [Wait for answers.]
One thing everybody needs is water. When you get thirsty, where do you get water? [Wait
for answers.] Do you get sick from drinking it? [Wait for answers.] In the United States,
most people have clean water in their homes. But kids in many countries don’t. Some kids
walk an hour or more every day to get the water their families need! They collect water in
buckets from lakes, rivers or wells. The water can have germs in it. Sadly, kids who drink
dirty water can get very sick and can even die.
Churches around the world are teaching kids to never drink water that hasn’t been pu-
ried. They get clean water and healthy meals. If they do get sick, their churches help
them get medicine. And some churches help build wells with clean water near sponsored
children’s homes.
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The Need for Health and Medicine (3 minutes)
Another thing everyone needs is a healthy body. Do you remember the last time you got
sick? Did you take medicine or go to a doctor so you could feel better? [Wait for answers.]
How do you think you would have felt if you hadn’t gotten to see a doctor or get medicine?
Sadly, many kids around the world die because their families can’t aord medicine or doc-
tor visits. In places with a lot of poverty, kids face more dangers than we face here in the
U.S., like raw sewage in the streets, mosquitoes that cause diseases, and bathrooms that
are dirty and don’t have faucets for washing away germs.
Thankfully, churches around the world help Compassion-sponsored children stay healthy
and they get them the doctor checkups and medicine they need.
The Need for Food (3 minutes)
Another thing every kid needs is food. Many kids living in poverty don’t get all the nutri-
tious food they need. This makes them hungry and less healthy.
What was the last food you ate? [Wait for answers.] How many meals do you normally eat
each day? [Wait for answers.] What about snacks? [Wait for answers.]
Did you know that a lot of kids around the world get only one meal per day? Others go a
day or more without eating anything. We are blessed to have more than enough food. But
many poor people can’t aord or nd the food their families need. When children don’t
get enough nutrients from food, their bodies and minds don’t grow strong. Some kids get
sick and die because they don’t get enough nutrients.
God tells us to help people who don’t get enough food. Proverbs 22:9 says, “The generous
will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.”
Can you think of any ideas for how you could help people who don’t get enough food?
[Wait for answers, and if they get stuck you can suggest: giving food to a local food pantry,
joining a food drive at your school or at our church, volunteering to serve a meal to home-
less people in our town.]
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The Need for Love and Hope (3 minutes)
Every child also needs love and hope. Many children living in poverty have dicult lives
and have a hard time believing things will get better. They can’t always see God’s plan for
their lives. But in the Old Testament, the prophet Jeremiah passes along an important
message from God to God’s people: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the
L, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”
(Jeremiah 29:11).
Do you know that God loves you? [Wait for answers.] How does it make you feel to know
that God sent His only Son, Jesus, to Earth so you can have Him as a friend for your whole
life and then go to heaven? [Wait for answers.] Learning that makes children living in
poverty feel hopeful and happy!
What are some ways you can show love to someone this week? [Wait for answers. Some
ideas: Do a chore at home without being asked, invite a classmate who may be lonely to
play with you or eat lunch with you, share your toys with your siblings, etc.]
The Need for Shelter (2 minutes)
The next thing that every kid needs is shelter. Some families live on the streets because
they can’t aord to pay rent or buy a home. In countries where Compassion-sponsored
kids live, many families have homes that are smaller than most bedrooms in the United
States.
Can you imagine if your whole family lived in a home the size of your bedroom, with a dirt
oor that you slept on together? That’s what life is like for many kids around the world.
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The Need for School (3 minutes)
Did you know that some kids who live in poverty can’t go to school? Can you name some
reasons why school is important? [Wait for answers.] School makes you smarter, and all
kids deserve to gain knowledge and skills they will need to live a good life. That’s why all
kids need school.
Some parents don’t have enough money to pay for their kids’ school fees, uniforms, books
and supplies. So the kids can’t go to school. That means when they grow up, they won’t be
able to get the good jobs they need to get out of poverty. But kids who have sponsors do
get to go to school because having a sponsor helps the whole family.
What is your favorite thing to learn about in school? [Wait for answers.] What do you
want to be when you grow up? [Wait for answers.] Aren’t you thankful that you have the
chance to go to school so you can be whatever you want to be when you grow up?
Memory Verse (5 minutes)
Now that you know more about what kids need and how kids in poverty don’t have ev-
erything they need, let’s learn what the Bible says about it. We can work on memorizing
Proverbs 19:17 together.
Shortened memory verse for ages 4-7
“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD” (Proverbs 19:17). [Wait for children to
repeat, then say it again and have them repeat it again.]
Memory verse for ages 8-11
“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they
have done” (Proverbs 19:17). [Wait for children to repeat, then say it again and ask the
children to repeat it again.]
You say (for all ages)
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to whom? [Wait for children to answer, “the LORD.”]
Now repeat the whole verse after me. [Repeat verse, and then wait for children to repeat.]
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How Kids Can Help (5 minutes)
By now you might be wondering how you can help kids living in poverty. One way is by
sponsoring a child through Compassion International, which is a charity that connects
families like the ones at our church with children living in poverty around the world.
Sponsored kids go to churches for Compassion activities, like learning about Jesus, play-
ing games, getting health checkups and eating yummy meals. You could talk with your
family to see if you might be able to sponsor a child together.
What are some ways you can raise money to help people who live in poverty? [Wait for
answers. Here are some ideas: making and selling baked goods, holding a car wash, setting
up a lemonade or hot chocolate stand, shoveling snow, mowing lawns, asking for dona-
tions instead of birthday gifts, holding a garage sale to sell toys, books and clothes they no
longer use, etc. Find more ideas in the “Care” section here: explorer.compassion.com/explor-
ers/]
Another way you can help children who live in poverty is by praying for them.
Let’s spend some time praying for kids who live in poverty.
Dear God, thank you for blessing us with clean water, food and medicine and the
chance to go to school. Most of all, thank you for sending Jesus to be our Savior.
We pray for kids around the world who don’t have everything they need. I pray
that you would give them clean water, food, good health, shelter, school, hope and
love. Please give me ideas of how I can help kids who live in poverty. In Jesus’
name, Amen.
End of lesson plan. Give the handout to kids or their parents
at the end of class.
All Scripture verses are taken from the New International Version.
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Additional Children’s Resources
Video/photo story about Compassion Sunday
A 2.5-minute video and a photo story about a 10-year-old girl who hosted a Compassion
Sunday and also visited her sponsored child: explorer.compassion.com/sorpresa/
Compassion 101
A photo-lled, illustrated guide to explain to children what Compassion International
does: explorer.compassion.com/compassion-101/
Pipes and Rivers board game about water issues
explorer.compassion.com/pipes-and-rivers/
Health Matters activity sheet
explorer.compassion.com/health-matters/
Where’s My Toothbrush logic puzzle
explorer.compassion.com/wheres-my-toothbrush/
Food “A-Cross” the World crossword puzzle
explorer.compassion.com/food-cross-world/
“Following Hope” devotional
explorer.compassion.com/following-hope/
Chasing the Dream quiz
explorer.compassion.com/chasing-the-dream/
Ready to Roll one-player game about Compassion Sunday
explorer.compassion.com/ready-to-roll/
Patintero
A playground game that kids in the Philippines love:
explorer.compassion.com/patintero/
More activities, recipes, devotionals and stories: explorer.compassion.com
What we talked about today
Millions of children around the world live in poverty.
Poverty is when you don’t have enough of what you
need. Children who live in poverty might not have
enough of what they need.
What do all children need?
Water, health, food, love and hope (Jesus!),
shelter, school
What can I do to help?
• Pray for kids who live in poverty.
• Sponsor a child with Compassion!
• Raise money for kids who live in poverty in other
countries or in your community.
How does Compassion
International help?
People who sponsor a child with Compassion are
helping release that child from poverty in Jesus’
name. Sponsorship enables a child to go to a church-
based center for Bible lessons, tutoring, health
checkups, meals, games and much more. Sponsors
receive letters from their children and can write back
to them and even go visit them!
Conclusion
God wants all children to be healthy and happy and
to know the love of Jesus. The Bible says we should
help the poor.
Discussion questions
• How did you feel when you think about
kids who live in poverty?
• What do you think it would be like to walk
hours every day to get all the water we need?
• What are some ways our family can help
people in need in our town? Let’s brainstorm.
Choose a child to sponsor as a family!
compassion.com/familysponsorship
Memory verse:
“Whoever is kind to the
poor lends to the LORD,
and he will reward them
for what they have done.”
— Proverbs 19:17, niv
Find more children’s resources and activities about Jesus, poverty
and family at explorer.compassion.com.
Food
Water
Shelter
Health
School
Hope
