Detectives for Christ: 6-Week Kids' Ministry Curriculum

Turn your kids into detectives who seek God with all their heart!

Detectives for Christ is a six-week kids’ ministry series built on Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV): “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” God first spoke these words through the prophet Jeremiah to His people far from home in Babylon, and they show His heart that never changes: He wants to be found! Each week, kids look for evidence of God in creation, in His Word, in the prophecies and eyewitnesses that point to Jesus, in their own amazing bodies, and in His miracles. We want our kids to be more than church kids who know facts about God. We want them to chase after Him, love Him with their whole hearts, and walk with the Holy Spirit as true disciples of Jesus.

Now for ages 4–11! Along with the full elementary teachings, this series includes Little Ones lessons for ages 4–5 that teach the same big idea and a short, exact part of the same memory verse each week, so your whole kids’ ministry learns the same truth at the same time.

The Lessons

• Week 1: Looking for Evidence (Jeremiah 29:13, NIV). The series kicks off with the Great Cookie Mystery! Kids follow the clues, learn what evidence is, and discover that God has left evidence of Himself everywhere. They dig into the Hebrew meaning of “seek” and learn that God wants us to chase after Him with all we’ve got.
• Week 2: Looking for God in His Word (Psalm 119:2, NIV). The Bible shows us who God is. Kids discover that God is creative, always with us, loves justice, always tells the truth, fights for us like a warrior, and protects us, and that knowing His heart helps us trust Him.
• Week 3: Our Amazing Earth (Psalm 19:1, NIV). From the Goldilocks Zone to the earth’s magnetic field, the giant planets, the heliosphere, and the Milky Way, kids see how carefully God made and protects our home, and how creation declares His glory.
• Week 4: Looking for Jesus (John 1:14, NIV). Kids search for Jesus in Old Testament prophecies written hundreds of years before He was born, in the eyewitness accounts of His followers, and even in the writings of historians like Josephus and Tacitus.
• Week 5: Our Amazing Body (Psalm 139:14, NASB). Amazing facts about our eyes, ears, brain, and DNA show that each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made by a Creator who made us with great care.
• Week 6: Miracles (Jeremiah 32:27, NIV). The series wraps up with God’s miracles in the Bible and today: the Red Sea, the walls of Jericho, Jesus turning water into wine, walking on water, and healing the sick. Nothing is too hard for God!

What's Included

• Start Here Series Overview with an at-a-glance chart, week-by-week big ideas, Little Ones overview, leader tips, and prep notes
• Fully scripted teaching notes for all 6 weeks, with slide and click cues and every teaching verse quoted exactly and labeled (PDF)
• PowerPoint slide deck for each week, with an animated title slide and memory verse slides
• “Think on It” parent takehome for each week, with In the Car, Hanging Out, Dinner Discussions, and At Bedtime sections (PDF)
• Detective Notes kids’ notesheet for every week
• Memory verse cards for every week (full verse and Little Ones verse), plus a Series Memory Verses sheet to send home with Scripture memory ideas
• Small group discussion questions plus two fun activities every week, with all the printables included: God’s Evidence Bingo, Fingerprint Detectives, Who Is God? Match-Up, Bible Detective Race, Planet Line-Up, Constellation Viewers, Jesus Is… Charades, Prophecy Code Breakers, Taste Test Detectives, Body Fact: True or False?, Miracle Charades, and Freely Give Cards
• A Home Bible Study parent flyer with a QR code to send home in week 1

Little Ones Lessons (Ages 4–5)

• A Little Ones Leader Guide with lesson flow, tips for teaching 4- and 5-year-olds, and lessons at a glance
• Six two-page lessons, one for each week, each with a Bible Point, a short exact part of the week’s memory verse with motions, a welcome activity, an object lesson, a Bible story, a hands-on activity or game, and a prayer
• Bible stories: Elisha’s Servant Sees God’s Army, Ezra Reads God’s Word, Jesus Calms the Storm, Simeon and Anna Find Baby Jesus, Baby John Jumps for Joy, and Elijah Prays and Fire Falls
• A “Tell Your Grown-Up” line every week so parents hear what their child learned
• Printable templates for every lesson: Clue Cards, Magnifying Glass, Scroll, Stormy and Calm Card, Temple Doors, Wonderfully Made Me, and Fire from Heaven

Want Sunday School Lessons Too?

The Detectives for Christ Sunday School Companion (sold separately) builds on each week with a new Bible story, the same memory verse, a Leader Preparation page, a hands-on activity, and activity sheets for ages 4–5, 6–7, 8–9, and 10–11. See the Sunday School Companion →

Want both? Get the Detectives for Christ Complete Bundle with the Curriculum and the Sunday School Companion together, and save $10! See the Complete Bundle →

Keep the Learning Going at Home

The Detectives for Christ Home Bible Study (sold separately) helps families go deeper all week long with five short days of Bible study for each week of the series, in Junior (ages 6–8) and Ages 9–12 versions. See the Home Bible Study →

Good to Know

• Every memory verse is quoted exactly from the NASB (1995) or the NIV, labeled with its version, and identical across the teachings, slides, Little Ones lessons, and Sunday School Companion.
• This is a digital download. You'll receive one zip file of PDFs and PowerPoints; no physical items will be shipped.
• Lesson 6 includes spots for you to share a testimony of answered prayer or healing from your own church or family.
• The slides use the free Google Fonts Poppins and Inter. Install them before presenting so the slides look their best.
• Your purchase includes a license for one church, ministry, classroom, or family. See the Terms of Use included in your download.