Bible story murals continue to be one of our most popular themes for murals and themed environments. Our style for creating the Bible story themes is to make characters and scenarios fun and “cartoony” so they will appeal to kids and can be integrated into their world. As adults, we realize that personalities in the Bible were complicated people and didn’t always behave in ways that would be appropriate for kids, so it becomes necessary to focus on certain aspects of the stories when communicating them to kids.
We’re often asked to do an entire hallway or worship room design in a Bible story theme and while those stories work in the Bible, they don’t always work well as murals. One such topic that comes to mind is “Young Jesus Teaching in the Temple.” While we have created this mural before it is one that, out of context, is sometimes hard to decipher what is going on in the mural. Additionally, it isn’t always a mural subject that is of interest to children.
Some of the better Bible story themes come from the Old Testament. This may be because the Jewish people passed these down for generations as stand-alone stories. They often involve strong characters, dramatic conflict and a powerful story. Stories like The Creation, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Noah’s Ark, Jacob’s Coat of Many Colors, Samson, Queen Esther, Moses, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, Jonah and the Whale (or “Big Fish) and so many more.
The New Testament tends to be more often a record of historical happenings rather than stories but there are some gold mines there as well. Especially in the stories that Jesus told in the form of parables. The Lost Sheep, The Prodigal Son, The Good Samaritan, etc. Events in the life of Jesus also make great murals such as the Nativity, his baptism, Zacchaeus, healing the sick, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection and more. Also in the New Testament are stories about Paul’s journeys, some which can be adapted successfully to murals. For the adventurous, images from Revelation can also potentially be used in kids’ environments.
Stories which involve animals are always popular with kids so church murals of the Garden of Eden and Noah’s Ark will always be very popular. Subjects that center around kids are also ideal for children’s ministry design. Sometimes just adding more animals or kids to a mural can make the story more successful as a children’s design.
It’s important to keep in mind that good murals should tell the entire story on the wall. If the viewer has to go somewhere else for more information about what is happening in the story, it can make the mural confusing to many people. Plan ahead with the topics you choose for your murals and make sure you are designing for kids who are just learning the Bible stories and not adults who already have a familiarity with the events that happen in the stories. Keep the murals simple and even if it’s a complicated story, focus on just one aspect of that story.
Bible story murals make a great theme for you children’s church space if you take care to let them speak the language of kids. Make the murals fun, simple and easy to understand. Keep them centered around one character and a single storyline and you’ll have a very successful theme in your church kids’ space.