New Year’s Resolutions. Weekly goals. Day planners. To do lists. All of these are at the forefront of our brains at the beginning of each year. It’s good to make plans. If we don’t plan, we’re guaranteed we won’t reach our dreams. If we do plan, we might catch some of our dreams. I’d rather bank on 50% failure than 100% failure.
Children can learn to set goals too. But how? Should we waste our time teaching children how to set goals? Why not! Setting goals surrounds our lives with structure and discipline. When there is a lack of discipline, folly moves in to fill the void (Proverbs 5:23). We – and the children we teach – will grow faster and more effectively in our spiritual lives if we purposely set out to grow in specific ways. The idea behind the biblical phrase, “seek the Lord,” is looking for specific ways to please God.
In college, one-third of my class on educational psychology was devoted to the art and psychology of setting goals for students. We learned such big words as cognitive, affective and psycho-motor. We learned that goals should be attainable, realistic and specific. How do you translate that to a child’s level? Yesterday, in our junior church session, we taught the kids about goal setting. Here was our lesson plan:
First, we asked the kids what they had accomplished in the last year, what did they enjoy doing, what did they do for the first time? Next we asked them what they would like to see happen in the next year. We told them no idea was a bad idea – at this point, we’re just dreaming.
The kids were a little shy. I can understand why. It’s difficult to share your inner dreams with adults you don’t know well. To encourage their thinking, I read a list of my daughters’ goals they had written in 1998 when my husband and I did this exercise with them. Soon, each child in the class was able to list one thing they wanted to do in the next year: play more baseball, learn the guitar better, learn a classical piece on the piano.
We talked about what they would have to do to accomplish their goals. We talked about wording the goal in such a way that it was possible to reach it. A boy may have the dream of playing professional baseball but circumstances beyond his control may keep him from reaching that goal. But he can reach his stated goal, “I will ask my older brother or dad to practice baseball with me every day this summer.”
Next, we talked about setting spiritual goals. I told the group God is more interested in who we are rather than what we do. He wants us to become closer to him. I think they had a harder time with this section, but at least we planted some seeds. We looked at such Scriptures as Proverbs 16:3, 16:9 and 21:21. Proverbs 21:21 is a great verse for spiritual goal setting, for the verse tells us that if we want success, long life and a good reputation, we must seek righteousness and love. How will we learn what is right? Kids came up with the goal to read the Bible every day.
Our next step will be to work on some art projects that will be visual reminders of the students’ goals. They’ll decorate the front of a journal where they will write their goals and keep track of their progress. They’ll make a calendar where they will put reminders to themselves to schedule time for working on their goal.
You know, God has set some goals for us as well. Psalm 40:5 says, “Many, O Lord, are the wonders you have done/The things you planned for us no one can recount to you/Were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.” Proverbs 16:9 says, “In his heart, a man plans his course but the Lord determines his steps.” God has wonderful plans for us. He has an exciting, fulfilling life planned for us with an even better eternal existence. When we insist on our own way, we thwart God’s best plans for us. Regardless of how we try to live life our own, we are not in full control. God has the final say regarding our eternal destiny. Our job is to commit to the Lord whatever we do, then our plans will be successful (Psalm 37:4,5).
Monday, January 04, 2010
Thursday, December 03, 2009
The Worth of a Visitor
When a relative or close friend passes away, I like to spend some time reflecting on the memories of special moments I enjoyed with that person. This helps me deal with closure, especially if I am far away and unable to attend the funeral. Experiencing two deaths in the last two weeks has made me nostalgic. One of those deaths, the passing of Aunt Mabel, my grandfather’s sister, brought back a wonderful memory about Sunday School.
When I was a child, I had a horrible time with homesickness, even into my teens. I suppose it came from not being able to see well, that I was suddenly thrust into unfamiliar surroundings where people didn’t understand my needs as well. My embarrassment at my lack of emotional control only made things worse. Several times I stayed at relatives’ homes only to beg to come home. Unfortunately, if I was out of town, coming home was not an option.
True to my character, I was miserable before the first day was over when, at the ripe old age of twelve, I visited my great-grandmother 120 miles away. Aunt Mabel, who checked on Grandma every day, picked up on my misery but, intent to give me dignity, said little. Instead, she tried to get me involved with projects to get my mind off my angst. Since Grandma was house bound, Aunt Mabel offered to take me with her and Uncle Bob to church that Sunday.
This caused more anxiety. Raised in an independent Christian church, I was asked to go to a Baptist church! Sacrilege!! It was a huge church too. More sacrilege! More angst! Yet, in spite of the large number of preteens filling the massive room, the teachers welcomed me kindly and guided me toward my small group of seventh grade girls.
The lesson that morning was on Josiah finding the book of the law. Are you surprised I remember the lesson? I’m not, because the way the teacher presented the lesson made it unforgettable. She told the story, then assigned parts. One person was Josiah, another was the secretary and the rest of us were a long line of workers that passed the word, first to “go clean up the Temple,” then “We found the Book of the Law!” I was chosen to be the worker who actually found the book. And I did my part with much exuberance to the giggles of the other girls. For that hour, I forgot my homesickness. For that hour, my feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness vanished.
Why have I never forgotten this story? First, it was a new way to present a Bible story. I grew up in the sixties where we were made to sit quietly while the teacher read the story out of the quarterly and we responded by filling out a worksheet. If we were lucky, the teacher used flannelgraph pictures which I could never see anyway. This was different! The teacher involved us in telling the story. That day, a seed was planted in my life that has grown and blossomed to create me into the teacher I am today. I believe that I am the proponent of interactive teaching that I am because I saw it work when I was just twelve years old. I saw how drama makes student live the story rather than just hear the story.
I learned another important lesson that day – the importance of involving your visitors. I would never darken the door of that classroom again, yet the teacher chose me, a visitor, to take an important role in our little drama. She probably was tempted to pass over me this sullen, shy, awkward teen. Without the foresight of how involving me would affect my life and teaching philosophy, she chose to do her job faithfully by showing kindness and preference to a one time visitor.
Each time we teach is a precious opportunity. We may never know this side of heaven the impact we will have on the lives we teach. The children who are inside our classroom today may never cross the threshold again. As teachers, we don’t know what baggage each child carries, how our attitude toward them can bolster or corrode their self-confidence.
Each child who walks through your classroom door has a story. Each child has a need to know the Savior’s love. You have this moment to teach, to influence.
That Sunday morning, Aunt Mabel could have decided not to bother with a sniffling, sulky preteen. Instead, she chose to take me to church, never realizing the impact one Sunday School session would have on my life and my future ministry.
Aunt Mabel, now that you are in heaven, I hope Jesus lets you know that I’m glad you took me to church that day And if that teacher from that Baptist church is up there too, would you let her know? Just tell her I said thank you.
When I was a child, I had a horrible time with homesickness, even into my teens. I suppose it came from not being able to see well, that I was suddenly thrust into unfamiliar surroundings where people didn’t understand my needs as well. My embarrassment at my lack of emotional control only made things worse. Several times I stayed at relatives’ homes only to beg to come home. Unfortunately, if I was out of town, coming home was not an option.
True to my character, I was miserable before the first day was over when, at the ripe old age of twelve, I visited my great-grandmother 120 miles away. Aunt Mabel, who checked on Grandma every day, picked up on my misery but, intent to give me dignity, said little. Instead, she tried to get me involved with projects to get my mind off my angst. Since Grandma was house bound, Aunt Mabel offered to take me with her and Uncle Bob to church that Sunday.
This caused more anxiety. Raised in an independent Christian church, I was asked to go to a Baptist church! Sacrilege!! It was a huge church too. More sacrilege! More angst! Yet, in spite of the large number of preteens filling the massive room, the teachers welcomed me kindly and guided me toward my small group of seventh grade girls.
The lesson that morning was on Josiah finding the book of the law. Are you surprised I remember the lesson? I’m not, because the way the teacher presented the lesson made it unforgettable. She told the story, then assigned parts. One person was Josiah, another was the secretary and the rest of us were a long line of workers that passed the word, first to “go clean up the Temple,” then “We found the Book of the Law!” I was chosen to be the worker who actually found the book. And I did my part with much exuberance to the giggles of the other girls. For that hour, I forgot my homesickness. For that hour, my feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness vanished.
Why have I never forgotten this story? First, it was a new way to present a Bible story. I grew up in the sixties where we were made to sit quietly while the teacher read the story out of the quarterly and we responded by filling out a worksheet. If we were lucky, the teacher used flannelgraph pictures which I could never see anyway. This was different! The teacher involved us in telling the story. That day, a seed was planted in my life that has grown and blossomed to create me into the teacher I am today. I believe that I am the proponent of interactive teaching that I am because I saw it work when I was just twelve years old. I saw how drama makes student live the story rather than just hear the story.
I learned another important lesson that day – the importance of involving your visitors. I would never darken the door of that classroom again, yet the teacher chose me, a visitor, to take an important role in our little drama. She probably was tempted to pass over me this sullen, shy, awkward teen. Without the foresight of how involving me would affect my life and teaching philosophy, she chose to do her job faithfully by showing kindness and preference to a one time visitor.
Each time we teach is a precious opportunity. We may never know this side of heaven the impact we will have on the lives we teach. The children who are inside our classroom today may never cross the threshold again. As teachers, we don’t know what baggage each child carries, how our attitude toward them can bolster or corrode their self-confidence.
Each child who walks through your classroom door has a story. Each child has a need to know the Savior’s love. You have this moment to teach, to influence.
That Sunday morning, Aunt Mabel could have decided not to bother with a sniffling, sulky preteen. Instead, she chose to take me to church, never realizing the impact one Sunday School session would have on my life and my future ministry.
Aunt Mabel, now that you are in heaven, I hope Jesus lets you know that I’m glad you took me to church that day And if that teacher from that Baptist church is up there too, would you let her know? Just tell her I said thank you.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Teaching Children Diversity
On a flight from Atlanta to Paris, a seatmate and I intermittently talked books for nine hours. I was woefully embarrassed by how illiterate I sounded, for time and again I had to answer “no” to her queries of “Have you read this?” Finally, determined to join the real literary world, I grabbed my notebook to record the titles she threw at me as fast as a batting machine. My face flushed with embarrassment when I shared the list with my daughters, “Oh I’ve heard of that one,” they repeated.
As I started to read books from my list, I curiously noted a recurring theme. The books the world currently considers as hot titles often deal with cross-cultural osmosis, tales of how Americans grew in their understanding and appreciation for other cultures and religions It made sense. For the last twenty years, my children have been inundated in public schools and universities with diversity training. Intellectuals seem eager for us to understand and accept each other so we can become tolerant of differences be they cultural, religious or lifestyle preferences. The flaw in their thinking, however, is that Christianity is the one world view which is not tolerated. The author of “Three Cups of Tea” seems to delight in showing how the son of Lutheran missionaries humbly asked a Muslim man to teach him how to pray to Allah. In the Introduction to “Eat, Pray, Love,” the author is quick to point out that the beads the yogis of India wear to pray over and seek balance morphed into the rosary beads used by Catholics. They are quiet little put downs of Christianity, but they are there. The subtle message is: other worldviews are better, older, wiser and you ought to come over to our side. The prejudice seems to stem from a mindset that Christians are narrow minded, bigoted, intolerant people themselves. What do you do with a group of people who hold to their teacher’s claim, “No one comes to the Father but by me (John 14:6).”
The craze for tolerance finally caught up with the world when a lone gunman took down almost fifty people at the Fort Hood Army post. The military had seen signs for months of the man’s radical Islamic tendencies yet nothing was done. Why? We need to be tolerant and politically correct, don’t we?
Is tolerance all bad? Shouldn’t we teach our children to be accepting of those different from us? How can Christians adhere to the truth of the Bible while still being accepting of others and their differences? Finally, how do I translate these big philosophical ideas into practical teaching for the children I lead?
First, we can look to Jesus. As the only Way, Truth and Life, Jesus chose to associate with all kinds of people. He touched lepers. He dined with tax collectors. He let loose women kiss his feet in love and repentance. He walked outside his cultural norms to heal demon-crazed men and children of Gentile women. Jesus did not isolate himself with his convenient, comfortable group. He mingled with the masses and was willing to soil Himself with their dirt. Yet, He never let go of His purpose and of the Truth. He was willing to die for the fact that man needed to reestablish his relationship with God and there was only one way to get the job done.
Also, we need to realize that the world wants to pull Christianity down so they paint this picture of intolerant, judgmental, Pharisaical critics. Instead of buying into the picture they’ve painted of us, let’s hold our heads high and show the world what we are really like. Yes, we need to cross cultural and lifestyle barriers but our goals and motives are different than those promoted by the secular intelligencia. Our goal is to change hearts, not culture. Our goal is to give the hope of heaven, not to make people’s lives a hell on earth. Our motive is love, not selfishness, greed or power. Our method is one hundred acts of kindness that spell acceptance and promote a higher, better way to live.
So how do we teach diversity and tolerance from a Christian world view to our children?
Teach the truth. Help your students establish a sound moral compass, that they know intuitively what is right and what is wrong.
Teach children the character trait of kindness. Lead them in service projects that help them rub shoulders with all kinds of people.
Talk often of the hope you have in heaven, in God’s power to save, protect and provide. Build your student’s confidence not just in their own abilities but confidence in a God who can do anything and who delights to use them as messengers of His memorandum of love and forgiveness.
Teach by example. Love your kids. Show interest in them. Let them know you love them in spite of what they do. Have zero tolerance for bad behavior, but stand firm on one hundred percent tolerance for the individual. In other words, “hate the sin; love the sinner.”
I think of the grandmother who recently took her pregnant granddaughter and the boyfriend into her home. She’s just loving them, providing for their needs. She could shake her finger in their faces, telling them what a mess they’ve made of their lives, but she didn’t need to do that – they’ve already heard it from other relatives. Behind her bedroom door, she prays for them. She looks for open doors to share her faith with them. Her church group is providing Christmas gifts for them. And slowly the doors of change are opening. One day the boyfriend asked her to pray for him and she assured that she prays for him on a regular basis. This grandmother is showing tolerance but her goal is, through love and kindness, to bring about change and to present two more lives at Heaven’s gates.
As I started to read books from my list, I curiously noted a recurring theme. The books the world currently considers as hot titles often deal with cross-cultural osmosis, tales of how Americans grew in their understanding and appreciation for other cultures and religions It made sense. For the last twenty years, my children have been inundated in public schools and universities with diversity training. Intellectuals seem eager for us to understand and accept each other so we can become tolerant of differences be they cultural, religious or lifestyle preferences. The flaw in their thinking, however, is that Christianity is the one world view which is not tolerated. The author of “Three Cups of Tea” seems to delight in showing how the son of Lutheran missionaries humbly asked a Muslim man to teach him how to pray to Allah. In the Introduction to “Eat, Pray, Love,” the author is quick to point out that the beads the yogis of India wear to pray over and seek balance morphed into the rosary beads used by Catholics. They are quiet little put downs of Christianity, but they are there. The subtle message is: other worldviews are better, older, wiser and you ought to come over to our side. The prejudice seems to stem from a mindset that Christians are narrow minded, bigoted, intolerant people themselves. What do you do with a group of people who hold to their teacher’s claim, “No one comes to the Father but by me (John 14:6).”
The craze for tolerance finally caught up with the world when a lone gunman took down almost fifty people at the Fort Hood Army post. The military had seen signs for months of the man’s radical Islamic tendencies yet nothing was done. Why? We need to be tolerant and politically correct, don’t we?
Is tolerance all bad? Shouldn’t we teach our children to be accepting of those different from us? How can Christians adhere to the truth of the Bible while still being accepting of others and their differences? Finally, how do I translate these big philosophical ideas into practical teaching for the children I lead?
First, we can look to Jesus. As the only Way, Truth and Life, Jesus chose to associate with all kinds of people. He touched lepers. He dined with tax collectors. He let loose women kiss his feet in love and repentance. He walked outside his cultural norms to heal demon-crazed men and children of Gentile women. Jesus did not isolate himself with his convenient, comfortable group. He mingled with the masses and was willing to soil Himself with their dirt. Yet, He never let go of His purpose and of the Truth. He was willing to die for the fact that man needed to reestablish his relationship with God and there was only one way to get the job done.
Also, we need to realize that the world wants to pull Christianity down so they paint this picture of intolerant, judgmental, Pharisaical critics. Instead of buying into the picture they’ve painted of us, let’s hold our heads high and show the world what we are really like. Yes, we need to cross cultural and lifestyle barriers but our goals and motives are different than those promoted by the secular intelligencia. Our goal is to change hearts, not culture. Our goal is to give the hope of heaven, not to make people’s lives a hell on earth. Our motive is love, not selfishness, greed or power. Our method is one hundred acts of kindness that spell acceptance and promote a higher, better way to live.
So how do we teach diversity and tolerance from a Christian world view to our children?
Teach the truth. Help your students establish a sound moral compass, that they know intuitively what is right and what is wrong.
Teach children the character trait of kindness. Lead them in service projects that help them rub shoulders with all kinds of people.
Talk often of the hope you have in heaven, in God’s power to save, protect and provide. Build your student’s confidence not just in their own abilities but confidence in a God who can do anything and who delights to use them as messengers of His memorandum of love and forgiveness.
Teach by example. Love your kids. Show interest in them. Let them know you love them in spite of what they do. Have zero tolerance for bad behavior, but stand firm on one hundred percent tolerance for the individual. In other words, “hate the sin; love the sinner.”
I think of the grandmother who recently took her pregnant granddaughter and the boyfriend into her home. She’s just loving them, providing for their needs. She could shake her finger in their faces, telling them what a mess they’ve made of their lives, but she didn’t need to do that – they’ve already heard it from other relatives. Behind her bedroom door, she prays for them. She looks for open doors to share her faith with them. Her church group is providing Christmas gifts for them. And slowly the doors of change are opening. One day the boyfriend asked her to pray for him and she assured that she prays for him on a regular basis. This grandmother is showing tolerance but her goal is, through love and kindness, to bring about change and to present two more lives at Heaven’s gates.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Children's Ministry and Thanksgiving
A friend sent me a cute email this week. It told the story of a man who visited heaven. The angel guide took him first to a large room. “This is the receiving room where prayer requests are received.” Volumes of paper and a large group of scurrying angels worked hard to process all those prayer requests. Then the angel took him to another large room, called the “Packaging and Delivery Room.” In this room, all the blessings people asked for were packaged up for delivery.
The angel took the man down the hall to a final room. Maybe you are already anticipating the end of the story. Yes, this room was quite small. It was the “Acknowledgement Room.” Why so small? Because very few people acknowledged the blessings they had received.
My recent visit with bible students from Central Asia made me aware of how many blessings I have as a Christian educator that I didn’t even ask for, yet God has graciously given them to me. As we approach the Thanksgiving season, I’d like to challenge you. What are you thankful for in your children’s ministry? What can you tell God “thank you” for regarding your church?
Here is my list.
1. Freedom to teach, sing and pray aloud without fear of harassment or arrest.
2. Support of the church leadership.
3. Three fantastic, dedicated women who share the work of Junior Church with me.
4. A cabinet full of supplies – more than just crayons and paper, too.
5. Children who want to learn about God.
6. Children who can read! That makes my job simpler in teaching bible verses. Many children in the world cannot read.
7. A nice big room that serves as our classroom.
8. Wonderful, bible based curriculum.
9. My own good health that allows me to be able to teach.
10. Children who come to church with full tummies, warm clothes and good health.
11. Children, who in spite of all the choices our modern society has to offer that would distract them, have chosen to come to church to learn about Jesus.
12. The stack of Bibles in my room from which children can read for themselves about Jesus’ love and sacrifice for them.
13. The training I’ve had to be able to teach these children.
14. A loving supportive family who smiles at my crazy teaching ideas and takes me shopping to get the supplies I need to carry them off.
15. Two children who have come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ in the last six months.
There’s so much more I could add. Now it’s your turn. Leave a comment, telling us what you are thankful in your children’s ministry.
The angel took the man down the hall to a final room. Maybe you are already anticipating the end of the story. Yes, this room was quite small. It was the “Acknowledgement Room.” Why so small? Because very few people acknowledged the blessings they had received.
My recent visit with bible students from Central Asia made me aware of how many blessings I have as a Christian educator that I didn’t even ask for, yet God has graciously given them to me. As we approach the Thanksgiving season, I’d like to challenge you. What are you thankful for in your children’s ministry? What can you tell God “thank you” for regarding your church?
Here is my list.
1. Freedom to teach, sing and pray aloud without fear of harassment or arrest.
2. Support of the church leadership.
3. Three fantastic, dedicated women who share the work of Junior Church with me.
4. A cabinet full of supplies – more than just crayons and paper, too.
5. Children who want to learn about God.
6. Children who can read! That makes my job simpler in teaching bible verses. Many children in the world cannot read.
7. A nice big room that serves as our classroom.
8. Wonderful, bible based curriculum.
9. My own good health that allows me to be able to teach.
10. Children who come to church with full tummies, warm clothes and good health.
11. Children, who in spite of all the choices our modern society has to offer that would distract them, have chosen to come to church to learn about Jesus.
12. The stack of Bibles in my room from which children can read for themselves about Jesus’ love and sacrifice for them.
13. The training I’ve had to be able to teach these children.
14. A loving supportive family who smiles at my crazy teaching ideas and takes me shopping to get the supplies I need to carry them off.
15. Two children who have come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ in the last six months.
There’s so much more I could add. Now it’s your turn. Leave a comment, telling us what you are thankful in your children’s ministry.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Creative Bible Teaching
Breaking News: Minister’s wife caught leaving church carting a suitcase and clutching a teddy bear. Speculations as to her motive are running rampant in her tiny community. (You know how news flies in small communities – who needs a newspaper?) Yesterday’s event was only the last of a series of bizarre behaviors. Several Sundays ago she asked her congregation for a donation of metal coffee cans. (Is she out of touch? Doesn’t she know coffee cans are now made of plastic?) Another Sunday, she looked like Mother Goose toting to wicker baskets on her arm.
As to yesterday’s behavior, was she:
a) Running away from home?
b) Running away to join the circus?
c) Needed a suitcase to hold all her teaching supplies?
d) An example of creative bible teaching at its best?
Kids love visual images. They want lessons that are relevant to their lives. Creative bible teaching meets them where they are at and takes them where God wants them to be. It doesn’t take much to accomplish that. A simple prop like a basket or a suitcase instantly draw them in, making them wonder, “What’s with the suitcase?”
How did I use that suitcase yesterday? I told the kids I was going on a trip so I started to pack my suitcase. I put in a pair of jeans, toothpaste, a teddy bear, my Bible, made a point that I had forgotten my toothbrush but oh well, there’s always Walmart. I asked the kids what they liked to take with them on trips and where they have gone on vacation. Then I told them the man in our story went on a trip too. His name was Paul and God sent him to be a missionary.
Visual object lessons accomplish several things:
1) They grab your students’ attention.
2) They help your students connect every day life to God’s word.
3) They entice the kids to keep coming because each week, your lesson is new and different. (What is she gonna do this week??)
4) As you cart in your supplies, you send a loud message to the rest of the congregation, “Good stuff is happening in our children’s department.
Some people are critical of such aids. Our kids live in an entertainment society and we have to wow them in order to get their attention. Such critics say we’re caving to the culture. I don’t agree. Kids have always been visual. Creative lessons have always been more effective. Jesus knew this too. Look at his parables. The stories dealt with common everyday things. Why, I can just imagine him pointing to a nearby plowed field as he told the story of the sower and his four kinds of soil.
Our kids are used to the fast action special effects of modern technology. We can use this to our advantage. Our simple object lessons are different enough from the virtual reality in which today’s youth live that a simple thing like a suitcase and a teddy bear or an archaic coffee can will get their attention because it is out of the ordinary for them.
Look at your lesson for next week. Look at the introduction. How does your lesson guide encourage you to start the lesson? Don’t skip it – consider it. Will it work for you? Are you willing to give it a try? How can you adapt it to fit your situation? If the lesson doesn’t suggest a visual object lesson at the beginning of the bible story, what can you do to bridge into the story?
Yes, you might look strange. You will definitely feel uncomfortable. Get used to it! That is part of being a children’s ministry teacher. Long ago, I gave up my persona of normalcy. If I can catch the children’s attention and draw them closer to Jesus, I’m willing to look strange. It reminds me of the memory verse I taught the children yesterday: “I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for salvation to all who believe (Romans 1:16).”
So, don’t be embarrassed. Just do it. You might bring a child to kneel at the foot of the cross. And that is what creative bible teaching is all about.
As to yesterday’s behavior, was she:
a) Running away from home?
b) Running away to join the circus?
c) Needed a suitcase to hold all her teaching supplies?
d) An example of creative bible teaching at its best?
Kids love visual images. They want lessons that are relevant to their lives. Creative bible teaching meets them where they are at and takes them where God wants them to be. It doesn’t take much to accomplish that. A simple prop like a basket or a suitcase instantly draw them in, making them wonder, “What’s with the suitcase?”
How did I use that suitcase yesterday? I told the kids I was going on a trip so I started to pack my suitcase. I put in a pair of jeans, toothpaste, a teddy bear, my Bible, made a point that I had forgotten my toothbrush but oh well, there’s always Walmart. I asked the kids what they liked to take with them on trips and where they have gone on vacation. Then I told them the man in our story went on a trip too. His name was Paul and God sent him to be a missionary.
Visual object lessons accomplish several things:
1) They grab your students’ attention.
2) They help your students connect every day life to God’s word.
3) They entice the kids to keep coming because each week, your lesson is new and different. (What is she gonna do this week??)
4) As you cart in your supplies, you send a loud message to the rest of the congregation, “Good stuff is happening in our children’s department.
Some people are critical of such aids. Our kids live in an entertainment society and we have to wow them in order to get their attention. Such critics say we’re caving to the culture. I don’t agree. Kids have always been visual. Creative lessons have always been more effective. Jesus knew this too. Look at his parables. The stories dealt with common everyday things. Why, I can just imagine him pointing to a nearby plowed field as he told the story of the sower and his four kinds of soil.
Our kids are used to the fast action special effects of modern technology. We can use this to our advantage. Our simple object lessons are different enough from the virtual reality in which today’s youth live that a simple thing like a suitcase and a teddy bear or an archaic coffee can will get their attention because it is out of the ordinary for them.
Look at your lesson for next week. Look at the introduction. How does your lesson guide encourage you to start the lesson? Don’t skip it – consider it. Will it work for you? Are you willing to give it a try? How can you adapt it to fit your situation? If the lesson doesn’t suggest a visual object lesson at the beginning of the bible story, what can you do to bridge into the story?
Yes, you might look strange. You will definitely feel uncomfortable. Get used to it! That is part of being a children’s ministry teacher. Long ago, I gave up my persona of normalcy. If I can catch the children’s attention and draw them closer to Jesus, I’m willing to look strange. It reminds me of the memory verse I taught the children yesterday: “I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for salvation to all who believe (Romans 1:16).”
So, don’t be embarrassed. Just do it. You might bring a child to kneel at the foot of the cross. And that is what creative bible teaching is all about.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Noah's Ark Revisited
As a children’s ministry worker, I tend to think of the Bible in terms of the bible stories I teach my students. Years of writing curriculum has taught me to look for the application of the story to daily life. This drives my husband nuts because sometimes bible stories are recorded in God’s word not necessarily for us to apply a lesson but to show the working of God among His people. Sometimes, I hate to admit it, children’s curriculum writers, so eager to make the story relevant, will focus on an application that misses the point of the story.
Perhaps you’ve seen the following in a forwarded email. It’s cute. It’s fun. It’s lighthearted. And the points are true. But, let’s face it. It does miss the point of the story of Noah. With that in mind, smile as you read on, and remember the most important lesson of all – don’t invite the woodpeckers onto your ark.
The story of Noah can teach us:
1. Don’t miss the boat.
2. Remember that we are all in the same boat.
3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
4. Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
5. Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
6. Build your future on high ground.
7. For safety sake, travel in pairs.
8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
9. When you're stressed, float a while.
10. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
11.No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.
Perhaps you’ve seen the following in a forwarded email. It’s cute. It’s fun. It’s lighthearted. And the points are true. But, let’s face it. It does miss the point of the story of Noah. With that in mind, smile as you read on, and remember the most important lesson of all – don’t invite the woodpeckers onto your ark.
The story of Noah can teach us:
1. Don’t miss the boat.
2. Remember that we are all in the same boat.
3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
4. Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
5. Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
6. Build your future on high ground.
7. For safety sake, travel in pairs.
8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
9. When you're stressed, float a while.
10. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
11.No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Customizing Your Curriculum
One day, several years ago, the beginning activity of my weekly lesson suggested I prepare a blind taste test. I was to put several foods, both desirable and undesirable, like peanut butter, lemon juice, and icing in small dishes, blindfold the kids and lead them one by one to taste the foods. I particularly remember one of the suggested foods was horseradish.
Now I have never tasted horseradish in my life. From descriptions, it does not sound like something I want to taste. I wouldn’t know where to find it in the store and even if I could, I didn’t want to buy an entire container for one little spoonful. So, I asked various people in my church to donate some of our supplies, including the horseradish. One lady gave me a jar that she said was a couple of years old. If it had gone bad or if horseradish can go bad, I wouldn’t know it because I have never eaten horseradish.
So I set up our little taste test. Wouldn’t you know it? That was the Sunday we had two visitors! The horseradish was a big hit. Everyone appropriately hated it and it was a great jumping off point to drive home the lesson application, whatever it was.
But my two visitors never returned. Ever since that day, I have felt badly. Was I responsible for driving two children away from church because I made them eat horseradish? In retrospect, following my curriculum guide to the letter that day was not a wise idea. I never should have insisted that everyone participate.
Your curriculum is just that – ONLY a guide! It is not meant to be followed to the letter. A wise teacher will read the suggested activities and think, “Will this work? How can this best apply to my group?” If the activity bombs, a humble teacher will ask, “Why didn’t this activity work? Was I prepared? Was it age appropriate? Were the children ready to learn? What would I do differently next time?
How do you know beforehand whether an activity will work? You don’t. Sometimes you have to customize your planned activity as soon as you walk in the door and see who you have to work with that day. Even then, only experience will ultimately teach you what works and what doesn’t. However, until you arrive (and none of us have), use these guidelines in choosing appropriate activities for your lesson:
1. Consider the audience. If you have a group of shy, non-competitive children, an active, competitive relay is not going to work for them. In the case of the horseradish, many children do not like trying unusual foods. I should have chosen familiar foods.
2. Try the activity yourself if possible. If it’s something you wouldn’t do, don’t pull it on your students. It’s the basic Golden Rule. I would not like to be blindfolded and ordered to eat something I had never tasted especially knowing it might be unpleasant, so perhaps that is a red flag of caution that I may not want to do that to my class.
3. Be extra considerate of visitors. I should have immediately excused those two girls from participating. Everything is new to visitors! Let them set the pace. Gently encourage them to be involved but don’t force it.
4. Don’t totally discount the activity. If you aren’t sure the activity will work, ask yourself, what will work instead that will still get the point across. In the case of the horseradish, my solution would have been simple. Ask for volunteers. The older boys in my group loved it. The rest of the students would have been content watching their reactions! The taste test was a great activity and the application was strong. My point of failure was in the logistics.
5. Keep the main point, the main point. You know what is really sad about my horseradish experiment? I don’t even remember the point of the lesson! I suspect every child attending that day will only remember, “Miss Karen made us eat horseradish.” I love zany, off the edge activities that get my student’s attention and get them interacting with the lesson material. However, I’ve seen so many fun activities in curriculum books where the activity was so long, complex or energetic, the students would not have been able to connect the fun activity with any Bible application. Remember always, your main purpose, your prime directive, is to teach the word of God, not to entertain the troops. You can have fun teaching the Word of God but if the fun overshadows the lesson, you’ve lost your audience and the opportunity to proclaim Jesus as Lord – which is why we teach in the first place.
Now I have never tasted horseradish in my life. From descriptions, it does not sound like something I want to taste. I wouldn’t know where to find it in the store and even if I could, I didn’t want to buy an entire container for one little spoonful. So, I asked various people in my church to donate some of our supplies, including the horseradish. One lady gave me a jar that she said was a couple of years old. If it had gone bad or if horseradish can go bad, I wouldn’t know it because I have never eaten horseradish.
So I set up our little taste test. Wouldn’t you know it? That was the Sunday we had two visitors! The horseradish was a big hit. Everyone appropriately hated it and it was a great jumping off point to drive home the lesson application, whatever it was.
But my two visitors never returned. Ever since that day, I have felt badly. Was I responsible for driving two children away from church because I made them eat horseradish? In retrospect, following my curriculum guide to the letter that day was not a wise idea. I never should have insisted that everyone participate.
Your curriculum is just that – ONLY a guide! It is not meant to be followed to the letter. A wise teacher will read the suggested activities and think, “Will this work? How can this best apply to my group?” If the activity bombs, a humble teacher will ask, “Why didn’t this activity work? Was I prepared? Was it age appropriate? Were the children ready to learn? What would I do differently next time?
How do you know beforehand whether an activity will work? You don’t. Sometimes you have to customize your planned activity as soon as you walk in the door and see who you have to work with that day. Even then, only experience will ultimately teach you what works and what doesn’t. However, until you arrive (and none of us have), use these guidelines in choosing appropriate activities for your lesson:
1. Consider the audience. If you have a group of shy, non-competitive children, an active, competitive relay is not going to work for them. In the case of the horseradish, many children do not like trying unusual foods. I should have chosen familiar foods.
2. Try the activity yourself if possible. If it’s something you wouldn’t do, don’t pull it on your students. It’s the basic Golden Rule. I would not like to be blindfolded and ordered to eat something I had never tasted especially knowing it might be unpleasant, so perhaps that is a red flag of caution that I may not want to do that to my class.
3. Be extra considerate of visitors. I should have immediately excused those two girls from participating. Everything is new to visitors! Let them set the pace. Gently encourage them to be involved but don’t force it.
4. Don’t totally discount the activity. If you aren’t sure the activity will work, ask yourself, what will work instead that will still get the point across. In the case of the horseradish, my solution would have been simple. Ask for volunteers. The older boys in my group loved it. The rest of the students would have been content watching their reactions! The taste test was a great activity and the application was strong. My point of failure was in the logistics.
5. Keep the main point, the main point. You know what is really sad about my horseradish experiment? I don’t even remember the point of the lesson! I suspect every child attending that day will only remember, “Miss Karen made us eat horseradish.” I love zany, off the edge activities that get my student’s attention and get them interacting with the lesson material. However, I’ve seen so many fun activities in curriculum books where the activity was so long, complex or energetic, the students would not have been able to connect the fun activity with any Bible application. Remember always, your main purpose, your prime directive, is to teach the word of God, not to entertain the troops. You can have fun teaching the Word of God but if the fun overshadows the lesson, you’ve lost your audience and the opportunity to proclaim Jesus as Lord – which is why we teach in the first place.
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