Scripture: Mark 12:41-44, Luke 21:1-4
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn God is most concerned about what is on our hearts and minds.
- Students will learn God cares more about why we are giving and our attitudes toward giving than the actual amount given.
- Students will learn God does not like it when people give to show off to others.
- Students will learn how to use money to serve God.
Guiding Question: How can students learn different ways to use money and serve God?
Materials: Real coins
Procedure: Review the story of the Widow’s Mite from the scriptures above. Explain that God cares for widows and asks that we as Christian give special care to them as well. Remind students how God values a giving heart and how we can make an impact through giving. The widow gave God everything she had and she was willing to sacrifice a better life now to serve God.
Discuss with students how they currently spend their money and talk about ways they can serve God with some of their money. Give the students some real coins and explain they may keep them all or just some of them. They may donate some to God. Discuss the idea of saving for emergencies, spending for necessities, spending for fun things for ourselves, giving to God and using it to serve God by helping others. Suggest having multiple banks to divide the money, or teach older students how to create a simple budget. Explain that God doesn’t mind us enjoying some of the things our money can buy but that it should never be our top priority. Collect student donations to God anonymously and have students decide what ministry they want to donate their money.
Additional Questions: How can mentors help students learn to work with money?
Supplemental Activity: Have the students pair with an adult in the church during class to talk about their experience with money and help the child create a godly budget based off a certain amount of money.