One of the main goals in children’s ministry is to bring the Bible, God’s Word, into the lives of children. If children cannot remember or apply what they learn to everyday life, the mark has been missed. Here are some ways you can help guide your kids in applying what they learn:
- Keep in mind the seeker kids and don’t assume they understand the meaning of words or Christian living concepts that are being taught.
- Model the Bible truth. Don’t be afraid to share how you have applied the biblical truth in your own life. Be real. Let children see how you, an authentic Christian, live. Appropriately share the challenges and struggles you face, too.
- Use a variety of teaching methods to accommodate the different learning styles such as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic/tactile. Teach the Bible creatively. Use variety in reviewing, discussing, teaching, and sharing. If the same question is asked in the same way every week, kids will become bored.
- Explain difficult words or phrases. It will open the door to understanding so that the message can be applied to the child’s life.
- Tell the kids why it’s important to remember or memorize certain Scripture. How will it help them in daily situations? How might they call upon God’s Word in times of need or to resist temptation? Don’t expect kids to remember something that you haven’t been willing to remember yourself.
- Help kids remember and memorize by making activities fun. Kids can retain information without ever realizing your goal to bury the Word of God in their hearts. They’re just enjoying the activity!
- Get excited about learning and remembering. Share short stories or experiences about how learning Bible stories or Scripture verses has helped you in the past. Kids will pick up on your excitement and want to share in the delight of it, too.
- Give children an opportunity to ask what words mean if they don’t already know. Remember, if the words have no meaning in the lives of children, learning them will be of little or no value to them in the long run.
- Have faith that God will work through you to help the kids learn and apply what He wants them to know.
Copyright © 2005 Promiseland.
