Following God like

Ida

Discovering God’s Mission in You Through the Life of Ida Scudder

A Four-Session Curriculum for Kids

Recommended Ages: 8–12 years old

Note that each session is designed to take about an hour.

SESSION 1: What Is Mission? – God at Work in the World

Theme: Joining God’s Mission in the World
Goal: Children will understand that mission means joining God in his work to love and care for others, and that God calls everyone—young and old, boys and girls, near and far—to be part of this mission.

Lesson Overview

Welcome and Introduction (5 min)
Bible Time: God’s Mission in Scripture (10 min)
What Is Mission? (10 min)
Mission Then and Now: God’s Work Around the World (10 min)
Interactive Activity: Mission in Action (10-15 min)
Reflection and Response (5-10 min)
Closing Prayer and Take-Home Challenge (5 min)

1. Welcome and Introduction

Say:
Today, we’re going to explore a big word: mission. I wonder what comes to your mind when you hear the word mission? Maybe you think of a secret mission or a space mission. But God has a mission too—and guess what? You are invited to be part of it!

Ask:

What does it mean to help someone?
Have you ever done something kind or brave for someone else?

Say:
When we help, care, and love others—especially when we do it because we want to live like Jesus did—we are joining in God’s mission. And the best part? God invites everyone into this mission: kids and adults, boys and girls, people from every place.

2. Bible Time: God’s Mission in Scripture

Read aloud (in kid-friendly versions):

How to Choose a Children’s Bible that Will Form Faith for Life | Faithward.org

Genesis 12:1-3 – God blesses Abraham to be a blessing to others.
- I wonder why God chose Abraham?

Say:
From the beginning, God has wanted to bless the whole world. When Jesus came, he told his followers to go and share that blessing—to tell others about his love and teach them to follow him. That’s mission: going with God to bless the world!

3. What Is Mission?

Show: What is a Missionary video.

Explain:
Mission means joining God in what God is doing to make the world more like heaven. That includes:

Telling people about Jesus
Helping people who are hurting or in need
Standing up for what’s right
Loving others—near and far

Say:
Mission is not just something missionaries do in other countries. Mission is not just something that happens far away or done by adults. Mission happens every day, and God uses kids just like you.

Ask:

I wonder how God might be inviting you into God’s mission today?
I wonder what kinds of things you’re already doing that could be part of God’s mission?

Say:

From the very beginning, God had a plan to bless the whole world. When Jesus came, he gave his followers a mission: to go everywhere and tell people about God’s love. And this mission isn’t just for grown-ups—it’s for everyone.

4. Everyone’s Invited – Mission Is for All People

Say:
God doesn’t just call missionaries who travel far away. God calls everyone. That means:

Boys and girls
Young and old
People who are shy or loud
People from every culture and country

Example story:
Have you ever heard of Ida Scudder? She was a girl who never wanted to be a missionary. But when she saw people in India suffering, God called her to help—and she changed thousands of lives through her medical training and care. She was just one person who said yes to God’s mission.

Say: We will be learning a lot more about Ida Scudder in later lessons together.

Ask:

I wonder what God’s mission might look like at your school, or in your neighborhood?
I wonder if God might be calling someone your age to do something big or small?
I wonder if you’ve ever felt God nudging you to care for someone or speak up?

Say:
You are never too young for mission. God wants to use your voice, your hands, your heart—right now.

5. Interactive Activity: Mission in Action

Choose one or two options:

Option 1: Mission Match-Up

Create cards with examples of actions (e.g., “sharing lunch,” “telling someone about Jesus,” “recycling,” “praying for someone,” “starting a food drive”) or download and print these cards. Ask kids to sort the cards into Ways I Can Join God’s Mission and Not Mission (yet!)

Examples:

Ways I Can Join God’s Mission:
(These actions reflect loving God and loving others — key to God’s mission.)

Sharing lunch with someone who forgot theirs
Praying for someone who is sick or hurting
Donating nice toys or clothes to those in need
Writing a card to encourage someone
Being kind to a new student
Drawing a picture to cheer someone up

Not Mission (yet!)
(These actions aren’t wrong — they just don’t clearly reflect God’s mission of love and justice… at least not on their own.)

Playing video games
Watching TV
Doing homework (important responsibility, but not automatically mission-related)
Drawing just for fun
Riding your bike
Playing tag at recess

Ask:

I wonder which of these actions show love the way Jesus did?
I wonder if some things that don’t look like mission… might actually be mission after all?

Option 2: Mission Map

Give each child a paper with a blank map of the world or your city. Have them draw or write places where they think people need help, and what they could do to share God’s love there.

Option 3: Act It Out!

Give small groups a scenario: someone at school is sad, someone doesn’t have lunch, someone is new to the neighborhood, etc. Let kids act out how they can be part of God’s mission in that situation.

6. Reflection and Response

Ask:

I wonder how it feels to know that God wants to use kids—like you—in God’s mission?
I wonder what special gifts God has given you to help others?
I wonder where you might see someone who needs God’s love this week?
I wonder what one small thing you could do this week to join God’s mission?

Write It Down:
Give each child a small card to write or draw:
“This week I will join God’s mission by…” (e.g., helping a neighbor, inviting someone to church, praying for a friend). Make your own or use these mission challenge cards.

7. Closing Prayer and Take-Home Challenge

Prayer:
God, thank you that you are always working in the world. Help us join you in your mission. Show us how to love others like Jesus and to be your helpers—at school, at home, and everywhere we go. Amen.

Challenge:

Optional: Print and download this set of mission challenge cards.

Do one of these this week:

Invite someone to play with you or sit with you at lunch.
Pray for people in another country.
Help with a chore or donate something.
Tell someone that Jesus loves them.

Conclude by saying:
Next time we meet together, we will learn more about India and the Scudder family!

Optional Materials:

Mission storybook or missionary bio (e.g., Ida Scudder or a story from Faithward)
World map and/or local map
Printable mission match-up cards
Printable mission challenge cards
Coloring page(s): Ida as a girl, adult Ida with students

Deep Dive for Parents

Pick an RCA missionary for your family to explore and learn more about together. Visit www.rca.org/missionaries to access missionary profile pages that include photos, prayer requests, a mission description, and videos.

SESSION 2: Welcome to India!

Theme: India’s rich culture and the story of the Scudder family’s mission work

Big idea: God’s love reaches across the world—and the story of the Scudder family in India helps us see how people, young and old, can serve God in many ways. God invites us to learn, pray, and care about people everywhere.

Lesson Overview

Welcome and Curiosity Questions (5 min)
Explore India: Culture and Faith (10-15 min)
The Scudder Family in India (10-15 min)
The Reformed Church in America’s Mission in India (5-10 min)
Interactive Activity: Culture Discovery Stations (10-15 min)
Reflection and Wondering Circle (5-10 min)
Closing Prayer and Take-Home Challenge (5 min)

1. Welcome to India!

Ask:

I wonder if you’ve ever heard of the country called India?
I wonder what words or images come to your mind when you think of India?

Activity Suggestion:
Show pictures of Indian markets, festivals, landscapes, and food. Ask children to share what they notice.

Explain:
Today we’re going to learn about the country of India—a place full of beautiful colors, languages, and traditions—and how one American family, the Scudders, lived there for over 100 years as missionaries and doctors. We’ll also see how God is at work in every part of the world, including India. India is a country in South Asia with over 1.4 billion people—that’s more than three times the population of the U.S.! It has many languages, religions, and customs. It’s full of color, music, amazing food, and rich history.

Bible Time: God’s Mission in Scripture

Read aloud (in kid-friendly versions):

Matthew 28:18-20 – Jesus gives the Great Commission.

I wonder why Jesus gave his friends a mission?
I wonder how you would feel if Jesus asked you to go and share his love?

Acts 1:8 – The Holy Spirit sends us to be witnesses everywhere.

I wonder what it means to be a blessing to others?
I wonder what the world might look like if everyone joined God’s mission?

2. Explore India: Culture and Faith

Show:
On a map, point out India’s location and size. Note that it is the seventh largest country by land and the most populated country in the world.

Ask:

I wonder what kind of weather or foods you might find in India?
I wonder what kinds of holidays or music people in India enjoy?

Explain:
India is a country with many different languages—over 20 major ones! It’s home to many religions, including Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, and Buddhism. People wear bright clothes, eat spicy foods like curry, and celebrate big holidays like Diwali (festival of lights) and Holi (festival of colors). It’s also a place where Christians have been living for hundreds of years.

Visual Aid Option:
Show a map of India and locate Vellore, Tamil Nadu—where Ida Scudder served. Refer to timeline at the back of the Ida and the Three Visitors book for historical photos.

3. The Scudder Family in India

Ask:

I wonder what it would be like to move across the world with your whole family?
I wonder what might make a family want to stay and serve in another country for generations?

Explain:
The Scudder family was a large American family who served in India as missionaries and doctors for over 100 years! In fact, there were over 40 Scudders who went to India to teach, preach, and provide care through hospitals and schools.

Ida Scudder was part of that family. Her grandfather went to India as a missionary doctor. Her father did too. And Ida followed in their footsteps—she helped start a hospital and a school for women to become nurses and, eventually doctors, in Vellore, India. This wasn’t just one person—this was a whole family, across many generations, saying yes to God’s work in India.

4. The Reformed Church in America’s Mission in India

Ask:

I wonder what it means to be part of a church that sends people to serve far away?
I wonder if you’ve ever felt like you could help someone far away?
I wonder what it means to be part of a church that works with people all over the world?
I wonder how people from different countries work together to share God’s love?

Explain:
The Reformed Church in America (RCA) is a historic denomination in North America made up of a group of churches from across the continent that love and follow Jesus. People in the RCA believe the Bible is God’s Word and try to live like Jesus by worshiping God, loving others, and helping those in need. The Reformed Church in America (RCA) started sending missionaries to India in the 1800s. They worked alongside Indian Christians—building schools, starting churches, translating the Bible into local languages, and helping with healthcare.

Remember, mission is not about “bringing God” to others. It’s about joining what God is already doing—and learning from the people we meet.

5. Interactive Activity: Culture Discovery Stations

Set up discovery stations where kids rotate through short, hands-on activities:

Language Table: Write their names in Tamil or Hindi (with printouts or guides)
Food Table: Sample or smell Indian spices (like cardamom, cinnamon, curry)
Dress Up Table: Try on scarves or fabric like saris or kurtas
Art Table: Create a Rangoli design with colored paper or sand

6. Reflection and Wondering Circle

Sit in a circle and ask a few open-ended questions to spark discussion:

I wonder what surprised you the most about India?
I wonder what it felt like for the first Scudders to leave their home and go some place far away?
I wonder how people in India showed God’s love to the missionaries?
I wonder what gifts you might have to share with the world?

Say:
God’s mission isn’t just for people who go far away. It’s for all of us—big and small, boys and girls, right here and around the world. We are all part of God’s big story.

7. Closing Prayer and Take-Home Activity

Prayer:
God, thank you for the people of India and the ways you are at work all around the world. Thank you for the Scudder family, and for showing us that mission can be a whole family’s journey. Help us to learn, listen, and care about others—no matter where they live. Amen.

Take-Home Challenge:
Send home a reflection card. You can use an index card with one or both of the following prompts, then invite each child to complete the prompt. Or you can use the session 2 card from this mission challenge card set.

One thing I learned about India…
One way I can care about people far away is…

Say:

Next time we come together, we will learn about Ida Scudder!

SESSION 3: Meet Ida Scudder – Called to Care

Theme: God calls people—young and old—to respond to the needs of others with love and action.

Big idea: Ida Scudder didn’t plan to be a missionary, but when she saw the needs around her, she responded to God’s call with courage, compassion, and faith.

Lesson Overview:

Welcome and Wonder (5 min)
Ida’s Story: Called to Care (10-15 min)
Deep Dive: What Ida Did in India (10-15 min)
Ida’s Legacy and God’s Call Today (10 min)
Response Activity (10 min)
Reflection and Closing Prayer (5-10 min)

1. Welcome and Wonder (5 min)

Ask:

Have you ever had a plan for your life—and then something changed it?
I wonder what it feels like to see someone hurting and want to help?

Say:
Today, we’re going to learn about someone who grew up thinking she would never be a missionary. Her name was Ida Scudder. But when she saw people in need, God opened her heart—and her life changed. She became a doctor, a missionary, and a leader who helped thousands of people in India.

Bible Time: God’s Mission in Scripture

Read aloud (in kid-friendly versions):

Jeremiah 1:4-8 – God Calls a Young Person

Jeremiah didn’t think he was ready or important enough to be used by God. But God reminded him: “I will be with you.” Like Jeremiah, Ida didn’t think she was meant for this work, but God called her anyway—and gave her the courage she needed.

2. Luke 10:25-7 – The Good Samaritan

When Ida saw people suffering, she didn’t turn away. Her heart broke, and she took action—just like the Good Samaritan, who stopped to care for someone no one else would help.

2. Ida’s Story: Called to Care

Read Ida and the Three Visitors by Eric and Meredith Schrotenboer, or tell the story (in narrative form)

Say:
Ida was born in India, but her family was American. Her father and grandfather were missionary doctors. When she was a teenager, she didn’t want to live in India. She wanted to live a more comfortable life back in the U.S.

But one night, when she was visiting India, something happened that changed everything. Three different families came to her house asking for a doctor to help their wives who were in labor. Because there were no women doctors—and because the culture didn’t allow male doctors to care for women—all three women died that night.

Ida was heartbroken. She felt God saying, “You can do something about this.”

Ask:

I wonder how Ida felt when those women died?
I wonder what you might have done if you were her?

Say:
Ida went back to the U.S., studied medicine, and became a doctor—one of the first American women to do so. Then she returned to India, where she lived the rest of her life helping others.

3. Deep Dive: What Ida Did in India

Say:
When Ida returned to India, she started a small hospital for women and children in Vellore, in South India. She cared for people who had never had access to a doctor. But she didn’t stop there.

Ida started a medical school for Indian women. In a time when many people believed women shouldn’t be doctors, Ida believed God could use anyone—boys or girls, rich or poor, young or old.

Today, that school has become one of the top hospitals and medical colleges in all of India: the Christian Medical College in Vellore. Ida’s work still helps thousands of people every year.

Ask:

I wonder what people thought when Ida trained women to become doctors?
I wonder how Ida would feel if she knew her work would still be helping people over 100 years later?

4. Ida’s Legacy and God’s Call Today

Say:
Ida didn’t plan to be a missionary. But when she saw people in need—and felt God calling her to help—she said yes. That yes changed lives.

You don’t have to be a grown-up to make a difference. God calls everyone—including kids—to show love, courage, and compassion.

Ask:

I wonder what you’ve seen in the world that makes your heart feel sad?
I wonder if God might be calling you to care for someone in a special way?

5. Response Activity

Choose one of the following based on your group:

Option 1: “Called to Care” Poster

Kids draw a heart in the center of a page and write or draw people or situations they feel called to care about (e.g., sick people, lonely friends, people without homes).

Option 2: Letter to Ida

Have kids write a short letter to Ida Scudder, thanking her for her work and sharing how they might follow in her footsteps.

Option 3: Story Reenactment

In small groups, kids act out Ida’s story—her early doubts, her call, her hospital work, and her legacy. Ask them to creatively show how God’s love moved her to action.

6. Reflection and Closing Prayer

Ask:

I wonder what part of Ida’s story sticks with you most?
I wonder how God might use you to care for others—today, tomorrow, or when you grow up?

Closing Prayer:
God, thank you for Ida Scudder. Thank you that she listened to your call and helped people who were hurting. Help us see the needs around us—and show us how we can love and serve, just like Ida. Amen.

Optional Printables and Take-Home Ideas

Share a copy of the book or a link to order their own with each child.
Coloring page(s): Ida as a girl, adult Ida with students

SESSION 4: Respond – You Can Make a Difference Too!

Theme: God invites each of us—no matter our age—to make a difference in the world.
Big idea: Just like Ida Scudder and so many others, you are invited to say “yes” to God’s call to love and serve others.

Lesson Overview

Welcome and Review (5-10 min)
Mission Heroes Then and Now (10 min)
You Are Part of God’s Story (10-15 min)
Called to Respond – Interactive Reflection (10-15 min)
Commissioning Circle and Prayer (5-10 min)
Celebration and Take-Home Challenge (5-10 min

1. Welcome and Review

Say:
We’ve been learning about mission—how God is always at work in the world, and how people like the Scudder family joined God’s mission in India. But today is all about you! You’re part of God’s mission too.

Ask:

I wonder what you remember most from the last three sessions?
I wonder what stuck with you about India, or about Ida Scudder?
I wonder where you see God at work around you?

Bible Time: God’s Mission in Scripture

Read aloud (in kid-friendly versions):

Hebrews 11 – The “Faith Hall of Fame”

This chapter lists people—young and old, rich and poor—who responded in faith to God’s call. Like Ida Scudder, they weren’t perfect, but they trusted God and took action. Today’s mission heroes are part of that same long story—and you can be too!

Mark 10:13–16 – Jesus Welcomes the Children

Jesus not only welcomed children—He said the kingdom of God belongs to them. You don’t have to wait until you’re older to be part of God’s kingdom work. You’re already part of it.

Matthew 28:19–20 – The Great Commission

Jesus told His followers to “go and make disciples of all nations.” That’s the heart of mission—going where we’re sent, and loving people well in Jesus’ name.
That “Go!” is for kids too. Whether it’s across the street or across the world, you are being sent to live with purpose.

2. Mission Heroes Then and Now (10 min)

Say:
Let’s look at some people—kids and adults—who said “yes” to God’s call. Some went far away. Some stayed in their neighborhood. But all of them made a difference.

Show and Tell:
Choose a few short bios of kid-friendly mission heroes (Ida Scudder, a modern missionary, or even kids doing big things). Use pictures or short video clips if available.

Ask:

I wonder what all these people had in common?
I wonder if you noticed how God used each person’s gifts in different ways?

3. You Are Part of God’s Story

Say:
You don’t have to wait until you’re grown up to make a difference. God loves using kids—your ideas, your voices, your kindness. Just like God called Abraham, and sent Jesus’s disciples, and inspired Ida Scudder… God wants to work with you too!

Ask:

I wonder what kinds of needs you’ve seen in your school, your family, or your neighborhood?
I wonder what makes your heart say, “That’s not right. I want to help.”
I wonder what special gifts God gave you to use in God’s mission?

4. Called to Respond – Interactive Reflection

Choose one of the following activities based on your space and group:

Option 1: My Mission Plan
Give kids a worksheet or journal page with prompts:

“Something I care about is…”
“One way I can help is…”
“A gift I have is…”
“This week, I will join God’s mission by…”

Option 2: Mission Tree
Provide leaf-shaped cutouts. Kids write or draw one way they want to join God’s mission. Stick all the leaves on a “Mission Tree” poster or bulletin board to show how we grow together.

Option 3: Footsteps of Mission
Give each child a paper footprint. On it, they write where they feel God calling them to serve—home, school, friends, neighborhood. Place the footprints around the room as a symbolic “path of mission.”

5. Commissioning Circle and Prayer

Say:
Mission isn’t just something we learn about—it’s something we live. Today we’ll pray over one another, asking God to help us live out our mission.

Commissioning Circle:

Form a circle. One at a time, bless each child with simple words like:
“(Name), God has given you gifts to love and serve. May you shine God’s light wherever you go.”

Group Prayer:
God, thank you for inviting us into your big mission. Help us love people, help people, and show others your kindness and truth. Give us courage, joy, and creativity as we follow you every day. Amen.

6. Celebration and Take-Home Challenge

Say:
Let’s celebrate! You are part of something big and beautiful—God’s mission in the world.

Optional:

Give each child a “Mission Badge” or certificate: Official Helper in God’s Mission
Invite them to share one sentence: “I will join God’s mission by…”

Take-Home Challenge:
Send home a “Mission Challenge Card” (use the session 4 card) with this week’s challenge options:

Show kindness to someone new
Donate something to help someone in need
Learn about a country and pray for it
Write a note of encouragement to someone

Conclusion:

God’s mission is all around us—and it includes YOU. You are never too small to do something big for God.

TOOLKIT: Resources and Printables

Order the book Ida and the Three Visitors by Eric and Meredith Schrotenboer, illustrated by Tyson Ranes

The following free resources can be downloaded and printed to use alongside this curriculum. Each of these resources is imbedded in the sessions, but they are gathered here in one place for easy reference.