Children’s pastors are known for picking up the Bible when they need to prepare a lesson but leaving it alone the rest of the time. My challenge for you in 2013 is to change that. Read Scripture every day that has nothing to do with your lesson.
You can find some great reading plans at YouVersion. Some of these plans go through the Bible in a year.
If you really want to make a difference in the lives of children, challenge them to read the Bible every day. Depending on the age, give them a reading list with anywhere from a verse to a chapter to read each day. They can mark off the verses they read, and at the end of the week, you can reward them with a prize.
Another Bible challenge for 2013 is to teach and memorize memory verses. Here’s a great link, Memorizing Scripture, to help you do that. But remember, don’t expect the children to memorize verses you’re not willing to commit to memory.