Shunammite Woman Sunday School Lesson for Kids

This free Shunammite woman Sunday school lesson teaches kids to trust God and run to Him when things are hard. A great woman in Shunem made a little chamber for Elisha, the man of God (2 Kings 4:10). When her son died, she rode to Elisha, said "It is well" (4:26), and would not leave him, and God gave the child life again. It comes in four age levels, each a separate printable teacher lesson, plus one take-home sheet for families. Pick the one that fits your class. Everything is in the order you teach it.

Choose your age level

• Preschool (ages 3–5), 20–30 minutes, 2 pages: a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, a "little room" game with four things from the story, three simple questions, a shortened memory verse ("is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well.") with a thumbs-up, and a drawing activity.
• Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 3 pages: the story in simple words, six recall questions with answers, and the Is It Well? memory verse game with six index cards.
• 3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story (the little chamber, Gehazi, the staff, mount Carmel), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
• Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: students read 2 Kings 4 out loud themselves, then discuss serving God's people, hoping, trusting God while grieving and not giving up in prayer. Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (2 Kings 4:26 and Psalm 56:3).

Lesson at a glance

• Bible passage: 2 Kings 4:8–37
• Main point: When things are hard, we can trust God and run to Him.
• Memory verse: 2 Kings 4:26 (KJV), with Psalm 56:3 added for preteens
• Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

1. Opening game: a short game about the four things in Elisha's little room, or about where we run when things go wrong.
2. Bible story: the little chamber on the wall, the son God gave, the hardest day, the ride to mount Carmel, "It is well," Elisha's prayer, and "Take up thy son." Every fact has its verse reference so you can check it.
3. Questions to ask: with answers, at the right level for each age.
4. Memory verse: a game or motion to help kids learn 2 Kings 4:26.
5. What this means for us: run to God in prayer, the gospel (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
6. Activity: the Shunammite woman word search, a Four Things drawing, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
7. Prayer.

Tips for teaching the Shunammite woman

• The boy dies in this story. Every level tells it gently and gives you a short note for any child who has lost someone they love.
• Let kids hear 2 Kings 4:26 read straight from the Bible. On her hardest day, she said, "It is well," and kept going to the man of God.
• Kids love counting: the four things in the little chamber (4:10) and the seven sneezes (4:35) help even little ones remember the story.
• Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.