Jesus was the greatest storyteller who ever lived.  He didn’t lecture.  He didn’t hand out worksheets.  He didn’t stand behind a pulpit and give three neat points with alliteration.  Instead, He told stories.  He painted pictures with words — farmers scattering seed, women sweeping floors, fishermen throwing nets, shepherds searching for lost sheep. Everyday objects became windows into eternal truth.

Matthew reminds us that this wasn’t accidental. It was fulfilment:

“I will talk in parables; I will explain mysteries hidden since the beginning of time…”
(a prophecy echoed in Matthew 13:35)

Jesus used stories because stories slip past defences.  They settle into the heart.  They make truth memorable.  And that’s exactly why storytelling is one of the most powerful tools we have in Children’s Church!

Kids learn through pictures, not paragraphs

Children don’t naturally think in abstract ideas.   They think in images, characters, colours, movement, and emotion.  Tell them “God forgives,” and they nod politely.  Tell them a story about a father running down the road to hug his runaway son, and suddenly forgiveness has a face.  Stories make truth stick.

Stories turn Scripture into something they can hold

When you tell a Bible story with expression, props, puppets, or even a silly voice, you’re doing what Jesus did — taking something eternal and wrapping it in something familiar.  A stone becomes a reminder of God’s strength.  A coin becomes a picture of God’s searching love.  A loaf of bread becomes a promise of God’s provision.  Children remember what they can see, touch, and imagine.

Stories reveal mysteries — gently

Jesus didn’t explain everything at once.  He invited people to lean in.  A good story does the same.  It opens a door.  It sparks curiosity.  It whispers, “Come closer — there’s more to discover.”  When we tell stories in Children’s Church, we’re not just filling time.  We’re shaping hearts.  We’re planting seeds.  We’re doing what Jesus did.

So keep telling stories

Tell them with joy.  Tell them with props.  Tell them with your whole heart.  Because every time you tell a story, you’re joining Jesus in His mission to reveal mysteries that have been hidden since the beginning of time — mysteries now made clear in Him.

And the children in your care?  They’re listening.  They’re imagining.  They’re absorbing truth in the way God designed them to.  Storytelling isn’t a side activity.  It’s discipleship. It’s ministry.  It’s following in the footsteps of the Master Storyteller.

Use your best storytelling skills to present these lessons!

Crucial Kids 1: Naaman’s Servant Girl https://cooeekidsministry.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Crucial-Kids-I.pdf

Crucial Kids 2: Paul’s Brave Nephew https://cooeekidsministry.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Crucial-Kids-II.pdf