Setting Spiritual Goals for the New School Year
Are you ready to help your kids grow spiritually this school year?
Do you struggle to turn back-to-school routines into faith-building opportunities?
Are you looking for simple ways to keep God at the center of your family or classroom?
If so, you’re not alone! Many parents and Bible teachers want the new school year to be more than just gaining knowledge. They want it to be a time of spiritual growth, too.
Let’s look at how you can set spiritual goals that are flexible, engaging, and easy to keep up with—even during a busy school year.
1. Why Set Spiritual Goals?
Spiritual goals help focus your family or class on what matters most. Just like you plan your academic year, it helps to plan your spiritual year too. These goals can give direction, spark meaningful conversations, and encourage steady growth in God’s Word. In our busy schedules it is easy to loose track of how much time has passed without evaluating what we are doing with our time. By intentionally setting goals, we assign time to the most important things in our lives, like our spiritual growth.
Proverbs 16:3 – “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”
2. What Makes a Good Spiritual Goal?
Keep it simple and specific! Try goals like:
- Memorize one Bible verse a week
- Complete one Bible study unit each month
- Pray for someone new each day
- Learn the books of the Bible
- Practice gratitude once a day
- Trace a timeline of Bible events
Start small and build on your success. You don’t need to do everything at once but you do need a starting point and a way to see your progress.
3. How to Track Progress
Whether you’re teaching in a classroom or leading your family, visual tools help keep kids engaged and make learning more interesting. Try:
- Sticker charts for memory verses
- Drawing or journaling responses to Bible lessons
- Bible timelines to watch progress across the year
- Create trivia flash cards as you go through the year to review the lessons
Need tools that make this easier? We’ve bundled together everything you need—Bible studies, timelines, flashcards, and more.
4. Ask Students and Parents to Help Set Goals
Want more buy-in? Involve your students and their parents when setting spiritual goals. Ask questions like:
- What would you like to learn about the Bible this year?
- Is there a Bible story or topic you want to dig into?
- How would you like to grow in your faith?
When kids have a voice in setting the goals, they’re more likely to stay engaged—and parents feel more connected to what’s happening, too.
5. Review and Revise
Goals are meant to guide, not to guilt. Set a reminder to review your spiritual goals each quarter or at the halfway mark of the school year. Celebrate what’s working, and don’t be afraid to revise what isn’t.
Maybe a goal was too ambitious, or maybe your kids mastered something faster than expected—either way, adjusting is part of the process and will lead to great success!
6. Stay Flexible and Have Fun
Life happens. That’s why your spiritual goals should be flexible. If you miss a week, don’t give up—pick up where you left off. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s steady, faith-filled progress. We are encouraging faithfulness, and teaching that we may not make it every time but we keep trying.
7. Celebrate the Milestones to Stay Motivated
Reaching a goal is exciting—but so is making progress along the way! Break big goals into smaller milestones and celebrate each one.
Maybe it’s a small treat, a shout out during class, or a sticker on a chart. Simple celebrations help students see how far they’ve come and motivate them to keep going.
Progress builds confidence. Celebration builds joy!
Setting spiritual goals for the new school year doesn’t have to be complicated. With a little planning, flexibility, and creativity, you can guide your students toward a deeper understanding of God’s Word and a stronger faith. Whether you’re teaching at home, in a classroom, or at church, now is the perfect time to lay a solid foundation for the year ahead.
