Most of us memorized the 23rd Psalm by the time we turned five. We could quote the books of the Old Testament and the New Testament, the fruit of the Spirit, and a number of other verses, including John 3:16 and John 11:35 (Jesus wept). After we reached 7th grade, however, we outgrew all that memory work, and our teachers stopped giving it to us.
There's no reason to have stopped it. In fact, there is a good reason to continue. Bible study and Bible discussion classes are necessities for the Christian, but a Bible student also needs to know where to find relevant passages in the Bible. Most of us know what is in the Bible and what God says, but we have trouble finding just the spot we want. So we say things in a Bible discussion like, “We can’t just give our money to God and think that’s enough. The Bible says, I think in James, we should always be doing good.” Which is a fine statement, but doesn’t do us much good if we cannot point to the exact passage for a study of the context. For all anyone else knows, we might have quoted Shakespeare (which happens on occasion).
The only way to remedy this is to memorize important Scriptures and ideas in the Bible and where they are found. It seems like a daunting task, but it really isn’t if we tackle it one week at a time, rather than all at once. Teachers can have one piece of memory work each class, whether it is a scripture, a list like the Judges, or other important Bible facts. If the students come back each week with their memory work complete, they get a prize at the end of the quarter. For younger kids, especially if you teach a class where your child is a student, you might host a cookout or take the students for ice cream. This works with adults, too. You might bring donuts to class each week for those who complete the work. (You might also ask people to help out with the expense, or even ask the Elders.)
Coming up with the memory work is not hard. You can find your own, such as those listed in the box above, or you can use the Scriptures in each week’s lesson. Just flip through the lesson and find a relevant Scripture. For instance, in Lambert’s The Living Way series book on Miracles and Parables of Jesus, a verse from Isaiah about the providence of God, found at the end of lesson one on page 10, can be used for the memory verse. If you use a Scripture from each week’s lesson, the students will gradually build up their knowledge of relevant passages for Bible topics from Baptism to the return of Christ.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
How to Teach a Better Bible Class: End by Giving a Point to Think About by Josh Hardin
Bible class never really ends. The teacher may finish the day’s lesson, the buzzer may ring, the students may go home, but the Bible study, or at least thinking about the Bible, should never end. Deuteronomy 6:7-9 tells when people should think about the instructions of God:
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on our foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
In other words, all the time. The Word of God is something to carry in the forefront of a Christian’s thoughts. It is what directs his other thoughts and actions. It is something to meditate on every day, all the time. A Bible class should reflect that by giving the students a point to think about as they leave class.
The ending point is a question that does not need to be answered before the bell. It can be given, in fact, just after the bell rings. It should reflect the main point of the lesson and give the students something they may want to study that week and even talk about with their parents (or their spouses and friends).
This ending question can be more personal and can challenge the students to look at some truth in a new way, or at least with a little more depth. For example, after a lesson on patience, a teacher might ask: “Remember the person you gave as an example of patience? What makes them patient, and how can you be more like that person this week?”
Bible study helps Christians understand what God wants and makes them into His people. Bible teachers who take their responsibility seriously and work to improve their teaching skills help people become more Christ-like in their thoughts and their actions. They help all Christians write the words of God not just on plaques outside their doors and on needlepoint frames on their walls, but on their hearts. They have a great responsibility, but they also have a great reward for helping people get to Heaven.
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on our foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
In other words, all the time. The Word of God is something to carry in the forefront of a Christian’s thoughts. It is what directs his other thoughts and actions. It is something to meditate on every day, all the time. A Bible class should reflect that by giving the students a point to think about as they leave class.
The ending point is a question that does not need to be answered before the bell. It can be given, in fact, just after the bell rings. It should reflect the main point of the lesson and give the students something they may want to study that week and even talk about with their parents (or their spouses and friends).
This ending question can be more personal and can challenge the students to look at some truth in a new way, or at least with a little more depth. For example, after a lesson on patience, a teacher might ask: “Remember the person you gave as an example of patience? What makes them patient, and how can you be more like that person this week?”
Bible study helps Christians understand what God wants and makes them into His people. Bible teachers who take their responsibility seriously and work to improve their teaching skills help people become more Christ-like in their thoughts and their actions. They help all Christians write the words of God not just on plaques outside their doors and on needlepoint frames on their walls, but on their hearts. They have a great responsibility, but they also have a great reward for helping people get to Heaven.
Friday, July 11, 2008
How to Teach a Better Bible Class: Let the Silence Hang After a Question by Josh Hardin
Most teachers are nervous if they ask a question and no one responds. If there is a moment of silence, it must mean the teacher is not doing his or her job. After all, a classroom is a place where information is exchanged, and in order for that to happen, someone has to talk. So teachers often ask a question and then answer it themselves if no one responds in a few seconds. Silence, however, is not a bad thing. Silence can be a useful teaching tool.
The previous two articles focused on how to get students to think and how to ask thought-provoking questions. When a thinking question is asked, the students will need time to think. This will result in a period of silence. That type of silence, however, is a productive silence. That silence may be the most useful part of the class because the students are not using their mouths or listening to the teacher. Instead, they are using their brains. So teachers should let that silence hang for a few moments and give those brains time to work. (And give their own brains and ears a moment’s peace.)
This may be uncomfortable for some teachers. Thoughts may run through their heads. “Maybe I need to explain some more so they will understand.” “Maybe I need to tell them the answer so they will know it.” But if a teacher gives in to those things, the students will not have time to figure it out on their own. Not every moment should be filled up with talk. Some should be filled up with thought.
There may be times when no one answers even after a few moments of silence. There are a few things a teacher can do that are better than just answering the question and moving to the next part of the lesson. One of those things is to call on someone. There are students in every class who are thoughtful enough to have a solid answer most of the time even if they don’t speak up. A teacher can call on one of these students to break the ice once in a while.
Another thing a teacher can do is to rephrase the question. Maybe no one understood what was asked. If no one responds to, “When you hear the word ‘peace,’ what do you think of?” the teacher can rephrase that to, “What images come to mind when I say the word ‘peace?’”
Finally a teacher can give an example. If no one responds to the rephrased question on peace, a teacher might say, “For instance, peace is the opposite of war.”
This will give the students an idea of what the question is about and give their brains something more to work on.
Silence in a classroom should not be feared, but should be used instead to let the students work their brains and learn how to think.
The previous two articles focused on how to get students to think and how to ask thought-provoking questions. When a thinking question is asked, the students will need time to think. This will result in a period of silence. That type of silence, however, is a productive silence. That silence may be the most useful part of the class because the students are not using their mouths or listening to the teacher. Instead, they are using their brains. So teachers should let that silence hang for a few moments and give those brains time to work. (And give their own brains and ears a moment’s peace.)
This may be uncomfortable for some teachers. Thoughts may run through their heads. “Maybe I need to explain some more so they will understand.” “Maybe I need to tell them the answer so they will know it.” But if a teacher gives in to those things, the students will not have time to figure it out on their own. Not every moment should be filled up with talk. Some should be filled up with thought.
There may be times when no one answers even after a few moments of silence. There are a few things a teacher can do that are better than just answering the question and moving to the next part of the lesson. One of those things is to call on someone. There are students in every class who are thoughtful enough to have a solid answer most of the time even if they don’t speak up. A teacher can call on one of these students to break the ice once in a while.
Another thing a teacher can do is to rephrase the question. Maybe no one understood what was asked. If no one responds to, “When you hear the word ‘peace,’ what do you think of?” the teacher can rephrase that to, “What images come to mind when I say the word ‘peace?’”
Finally a teacher can give an example. If no one responds to the rephrased question on peace, a teacher might say, “For instance, peace is the opposite of war.”
This will give the students an idea of what the question is about and give their brains something more to work on.
Silence in a classroom should not be feared, but should be used instead to let the students work their brains and learn how to think.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
How to Teach a Better Bible Class: Ask Open-Ended Questions by Josh Hardin
The first thing to do in order to lead a good discussion class is to ask open-ended questions. Nothing kills a discussion like a question to which everyone knows the answer. No one wants to speak up, because it is obvious that no one should have to. When someone finally does speak, they say one or two words and then go silent. No one else says anything, because there is nothing else to be said. Discussion over.
Open-ended questions, however, can allow a discussion to build. They allow the class as a whole to work through the thought process of answering the question. The students have to think through to find the solution rather than trying to determine just what the teacher wants to hear. The teacher acts as mediator for the discussion. He or she makes sure everyone stays on the subject and that the class continues to move forward. The teacher also makes sure that the students see the problem with a biblical mindset and think through it in God’s way. Certainly, there will be some answers that are not quite right. The teacher can see how the student might have arrived at that idea and guide them back to looking at it in the proper light. Once a discussion has gone far enough, the teacher can summarize the good things everyone has said and move on to the next questions or passage of Scripture.
Here’s an example. In a class about the Exodus, a teacher might tell the story about Moses going up on Mount Sinai to receive the law from God. Meanwhile, down below, the people melt their gold and make an idol of a calf, which they praise as being their god. Moses comes down off the mountain and smashes the tablets of the Ten Commandments in anger.
The teacher asks: “Did the people sin by making a Golden Calf?”
A student answers: “Yes.”
Teacher: “Should they have done that?”
Student: “No.”
Teacher: “Should we worship idols today?”
Silence.
Someone finally says: “No.”
End of discussion.
Teacher goes on reading and making comments.
Instead of asking those yes or no questions, the teacher could have asked open-ended questions to make the students think. “Why do you think the Israelites made a calf to worship right after they had seen God’s power bring them out of Egypt?” “Why did Aaron agree to build the calf?” The students’ answers may also give rise to other questions that can be discussed.
With these types of questions, the students have to think through why the Israelites did what they did. What were they thinking? What was their mindset? Did they really believe that calf, which they just made, brought them out of Egypt? Most importantly, how do we avoid falling into that same type of mindset and thinking today? The class thinks through the problem together, the teacher makes sure that people stay on the right track, and the students learn to evaluate problems and figure out biblical solutions on their own, even when the teacher is not around to give them the answers.
It may frighten some teachers to ask open-ended questions. Students may give some answers the teacher does not expect. Students may ask some questions the teacher cannot answer. But it is important to remember that no teacher has all the answers, and it is okay to say, “I don’t know. I’ll have to do some more study on that.”
It takes more work to teach using open-ended questions, but the class itself is easier because the teacher talks less, and the students actually learn more and are able to examine the Bible in a way that will help them think like God wants them to.
Open-ended questions, however, can allow a discussion to build. They allow the class as a whole to work through the thought process of answering the question. The students have to think through to find the solution rather than trying to determine just what the teacher wants to hear. The teacher acts as mediator for the discussion. He or she makes sure everyone stays on the subject and that the class continues to move forward. The teacher also makes sure that the students see the problem with a biblical mindset and think through it in God’s way. Certainly, there will be some answers that are not quite right. The teacher can see how the student might have arrived at that idea and guide them back to looking at it in the proper light. Once a discussion has gone far enough, the teacher can summarize the good things everyone has said and move on to the next questions or passage of Scripture.
Here’s an example. In a class about the Exodus, a teacher might tell the story about Moses going up on Mount Sinai to receive the law from God. Meanwhile, down below, the people melt their gold and make an idol of a calf, which they praise as being their god. Moses comes down off the mountain and smashes the tablets of the Ten Commandments in anger.
The teacher asks: “Did the people sin by making a Golden Calf?”
A student answers: “Yes.”
Teacher: “Should they have done that?”
Student: “No.”
Teacher: “Should we worship idols today?”
Silence.
Someone finally says: “No.”
End of discussion.
Teacher goes on reading and making comments.
Instead of asking those yes or no questions, the teacher could have asked open-ended questions to make the students think. “Why do you think the Israelites made a calf to worship right after they had seen God’s power bring them out of Egypt?” “Why did Aaron agree to build the calf?” The students’ answers may also give rise to other questions that can be discussed.
With these types of questions, the students have to think through why the Israelites did what they did. What were they thinking? What was their mindset? Did they really believe that calf, which they just made, brought them out of Egypt? Most importantly, how do we avoid falling into that same type of mindset and thinking today? The class thinks through the problem together, the teacher makes sure that people stay on the right track, and the students learn to evaluate problems and figure out biblical solutions on their own, even when the teacher is not around to give them the answers.
It may frighten some teachers to ask open-ended questions. Students may give some answers the teacher does not expect. Students may ask some questions the teacher cannot answer. But it is important to remember that no teacher has all the answers, and it is okay to say, “I don’t know. I’ll have to do some more study on that.”
It takes more work to teach using open-ended questions, but the class itself is easier because the teacher talks less, and the students actually learn more and are able to examine the Bible in a way that will help them think like God wants them to.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
How to Teach a Better Bible Class: Teach HOW to Think, Not WHAT to Think by Josh Hardin
There are two problems with a straight lecture class. One of them is that students tune out the drone of a lecture. The other problem is that lectures do not teach students how to think. Lots of information can be imparted with a lecture. Some classes and topics call for lecture because a lot of facts must be taught. Chemistry comes to mind, so do History and Grammar. Bible class is different, however, because students do not need to learn just facts about the Bible, but how to make it the main part of their lives.
A Bible class should teach students how to think like a Christian, not just what a Christian thinks. That goes for any topic covered in the class. Facts are great. Especially for playing Bible trivia games or if someone is on Jeopardy! But Christians need to understand how those facts apply to their lives. A teacher can tell students, “Don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t dance, etc,” for an hour, but then the student leaves class and goes out on his own. Sooner or later they will be in a situation that is not exactly like the one talked about in class. If they have not been taught HOW to apply biblical principles and reason out the problem, they will not be able to make the right decision. Teachers cannot make every decision for their students, so they have to teach students to make proper decisions in real time.
Paul talks about thinking like a Christian and making God-like decisions in Romans 12:2: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Notice that there is a pattern both for the world and for God’s way of thinking. If students learn just facts about the Bible or answers someone else tells them, they do not learn God’s pattern. In fact, they only learn how to put Bible facts into the pattern of the world. Instead, Christians should transform their minds, renew them to think like God so they can put things from the world into God’s pattern. When a Christian knows how to think and view things the way God views them, he can test, he can prove, he can reason out what God wants him to do.
That is difficult to do in a lecture class because the students do not have to follow the reasoning to the conclusion. They only have to hear the final answer. It is much easier to teach the thinking process in a discussion-style class. In that setting, a teacher can better understand what the students think about the topic; consequently, the teacher can not only give them the right answer but can also guide them to the proper pattern of thought. In this way, the teacher can show students the process of how to reach the truth rather than simply handing them conclusions.
Next week’s article will cover how to conduct a discussion-style class.
A Bible class should teach students how to think like a Christian, not just what a Christian thinks. That goes for any topic covered in the class. Facts are great. Especially for playing Bible trivia games or if someone is on Jeopardy! But Christians need to understand how those facts apply to their lives. A teacher can tell students, “Don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t dance, etc,” for an hour, but then the student leaves class and goes out on his own. Sooner or later they will be in a situation that is not exactly like the one talked about in class. If they have not been taught HOW to apply biblical principles and reason out the problem, they will not be able to make the right decision. Teachers cannot make every decision for their students, so they have to teach students to make proper decisions in real time.
Paul talks about thinking like a Christian and making God-like decisions in Romans 12:2: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Notice that there is a pattern both for the world and for God’s way of thinking. If students learn just facts about the Bible or answers someone else tells them, they do not learn God’s pattern. In fact, they only learn how to put Bible facts into the pattern of the world. Instead, Christians should transform their minds, renew them to think like God so they can put things from the world into God’s pattern. When a Christian knows how to think and view things the way God views them, he can test, he can prove, he can reason out what God wants him to do.
That is difficult to do in a lecture class because the students do not have to follow the reasoning to the conclusion. They only have to hear the final answer. It is much easier to teach the thinking process in a discussion-style class. In that setting, a teacher can better understand what the students think about the topic; consequently, the teacher can not only give them the right answer but can also guide them to the proper pattern of thought. In this way, the teacher can show students the process of how to reach the truth rather than simply handing them conclusions.
Next week’s article will cover how to conduct a discussion-style class.
How to Teach a Better Bible Class: Pray for the Lesson by Josh Hardin
Prayer is the simplest way to ensure that a Bible class goes well and achieves its goal. Many people, however, avoid prayer except in times of distress. Some people forget to pray, some have only certain times of day that they pray, and some think God should not be bothered unless the problem is too big to handle without Him. None of those reflect the Bible’s view on prayer. Prayer is effective in any situation, no matter how great or small, and God tells Christians to use it continuously. It is a first act of preparation, dedication, and guidance, not a last resort when human effort fails. A Christian’s instinctive reaction to a problem of any size should be to stop and pray.
Prayer asks for God’s help and guidance, and puts a Christian in the proper mindset of acceptance of His aide rather than reliance on personal effort. People can fail. God does not. This is true for even the simplest situations and smallest decisions. “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed” (Proverbs 16:3). A negative example of this is found in Joshua chapter 9. Joshua and the Israelites made a treaty with people they met. It seemed like an easy decision, but verse 14 says they “did not inquire of the Lord.” Joshua later found out that the people lied, but he couldn’t go back on the treaty. The Israelites regretted that simple decision for years because they did not think to ask God first. Bible class is a perfect example of that same need to seek God’s guidance first. It is something so simple, something that a person can do without help, but it is imperative that God be a part of it. A Bible teacher should teach God’s Word, not their own. There is no better way to make sure that happens than to ask God. He will help; and the teacher will go into the class understanding that the students benefit from God’s Word, not the teacher’s effort.
Prayer does not have to be complicated. It does not have to generate a feeling of awe, or devotion, or peace. It does not have to be long. It can be and often should be very simple. A prayer for a Bible class can be as easy as “Dear Heavenly Father, please help me to teach these students the right way. Let me teach your Word and not mine, and let them learn what they need to learn. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.” It can be prayed on the way to worship service, before the lesson is studied, or right before a teacher walks through the door to class.
It is not easy to see how God helps through prayer, but the Bible says that He always does help when a Christian asks in the right way. “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). That goes for any situation, great or small, including Bible class.
Prayer asks for God’s help and guidance, and puts a Christian in the proper mindset of acceptance of His aide rather than reliance on personal effort. People can fail. God does not. This is true for even the simplest situations and smallest decisions. “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed” (Proverbs 16:3). A negative example of this is found in Joshua chapter 9. Joshua and the Israelites made a treaty with people they met. It seemed like an easy decision, but verse 14 says they “did not inquire of the Lord.” Joshua later found out that the people lied, but he couldn’t go back on the treaty. The Israelites regretted that simple decision for years because they did not think to ask God first. Bible class is a perfect example of that same need to seek God’s guidance first. It is something so simple, something that a person can do without help, but it is imperative that God be a part of it. A Bible teacher should teach God’s Word, not their own. There is no better way to make sure that happens than to ask God. He will help; and the teacher will go into the class understanding that the students benefit from God’s Word, not the teacher’s effort.
Prayer does not have to be complicated. It does not have to generate a feeling of awe, or devotion, or peace. It does not have to be long. It can be and often should be very simple. A prayer for a Bible class can be as easy as “Dear Heavenly Father, please help me to teach these students the right way. Let me teach your Word and not mine, and let them learn what they need to learn. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.” It can be prayed on the way to worship service, before the lesson is studied, or right before a teacher walks through the door to class.
It is not easy to see how God helps through prayer, but the Bible says that He always does help when a Christian asks in the right way. “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). That goes for any situation, great or small, including Bible class.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
How to Teach a Better Bible Class: Start the Class by Requiring Thought from the Students by Josh Hardin
Class sessions that are the most successful require thought from the students. The earlier that thought is required, the better. When students have to think, when they are forced to take an active part in the lesson, they are more likely to pay attention and learn. Each class session should begin with something that requires thought from the students and focuses their minds on the lesson topic.
Many classes begin with lecture or a scripture reading. There is nothing wrong with either, but they do not require anything from the students except that they listen. Listening is the hardest thing for a student to do, especially at the very beginning of a class period. Students may have just gotten out of bed, or they may be thinking about what happened at school or work or what they must do for the next day. What they need is something that will bring their minds to the lesson at hand, and listening to another person talk will not do it.
It seems like a normal thing for a teacher to talk and to tell the students things they need to know. Most people, teenagers and even adults, tune out the drone of a lecture. Everyone who has sat through a class has done this. The teacher’s voice becomes just a dull roar in the background. Their words turn into nonsense sounds just like the teachers on Charlie Brown. (Wak wa wak wak wak, wa wa wak.) If a class period begins with the teacher talking for five minutes, a large number of students will stop paying attention. The teacher may not get it back for the rest of the class time. It is much better to get the students’ minds thinking right away. Once their attention is fixed, it is harder to lose it.
A student’s mind needs to be warmed up for the learning ahead. Just like an oven must be preheated or a car takes a few minutes after startup before it runs smooth, the brain has to “get going” on a train of thought in order to really work right. The teacher can help this by opening up the class with a small activity or thinking question that relates to the main point of the lesson.
These activities do not have to be complicated. For instance, if the lesson is on peace, the teacher might ask, “What do you think of when you hear the word ‘peace’?” Each answer can then be written on a chalkboard for reference later in the class. For a lesson on patience, the teacher can ask the class to think of people they know who are patient and what makes them patient. Some activities might require a little preparation before class, while others need none at all. In either case, the students’ minds will be focused on the topic and ready to think about the lesson. Not only is this easier on the teacher, but the students will learn more from the Bible study.
Many classes begin with lecture or a scripture reading. There is nothing wrong with either, but they do not require anything from the students except that they listen. Listening is the hardest thing for a student to do, especially at the very beginning of a class period. Students may have just gotten out of bed, or they may be thinking about what happened at school or work or what they must do for the next day. What they need is something that will bring their minds to the lesson at hand, and listening to another person talk will not do it.
It seems like a normal thing for a teacher to talk and to tell the students things they need to know. Most people, teenagers and even adults, tune out the drone of a lecture. Everyone who has sat through a class has done this. The teacher’s voice becomes just a dull roar in the background. Their words turn into nonsense sounds just like the teachers on Charlie Brown. (Wak wa wak wak wak, wa wa wak.) If a class period begins with the teacher talking for five minutes, a large number of students will stop paying attention. The teacher may not get it back for the rest of the class time. It is much better to get the students’ minds thinking right away. Once their attention is fixed, it is harder to lose it.
A student’s mind needs to be warmed up for the learning ahead. Just like an oven must be preheated or a car takes a few minutes after startup before it runs smooth, the brain has to “get going” on a train of thought in order to really work right. The teacher can help this by opening up the class with a small activity or thinking question that relates to the main point of the lesson.
These activities do not have to be complicated. For instance, if the lesson is on peace, the teacher might ask, “What do you think of when you hear the word ‘peace’?” Each answer can then be written on a chalkboard for reference later in the class. For a lesson on patience, the teacher can ask the class to think of people they know who are patient and what makes them patient. Some activities might require a little preparation before class, while others need none at all. In either case, the students’ minds will be focused on the topic and ready to think about the lesson. Not only is this easier on the teacher, but the students will learn more from the Bible study.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
How to Teach a Better Bible Class: Know the Lesson by Josh Hardin
The best way for a teacher to conduct a good Bible class is to study the lesson before trying to teach it. This sounds obvious, and most teachers will say, “Sure, I know that.” But many teachers still neglect to spend enough time in study before the class session. Weekly schedules are hectic. Our brains just want to shut down and rest after a day at work. Saturdays are filled with odd jobs to do around the house. Sunday sneaks up and the lesson still has not been studied. Any teacher who has run out of time and thought, “I know enough. I’ll just wing it,” knows what that experience is like. The class is rarely helpful and is often frustrating for both students and teachers. Those are the Sunday mornings when students fight to stay awake because it is obvious the teacher is not sure what to say or where the lesson is going.
The good news is that it really does not take long to prepare for a Bible lesson. The hardest part is the decision to start. A total of two hours of study time the week before will be enough. It can be thirty minutes a night, or an hour Friday and Saturday. It is also easier to study if a few points are kept in mind.
• Decide upon the ONE MAIN POINT you want to get across.
• Think about what the students need to think about in order to learn.
• Think about possible questions the students might ask.
• Write down passages of scripture that relate to the topic. Even if you are teaching from a book of lessons, try to find passages that the book does not give. It will help you understand the lesson and be more prepared to teach.
Many of these things can be done on the way to and from work. Think through the main points of the lesson, what needs to be said, and what the Bible says about the topic or passage. Think about how you, the teacher, came to understand the lesson and if there are questions you had or still have. This type of preparation takes up little time, helps students learn and stay interested, and gets easier with practice.
Preparation not only makes a Bible class more interesting and thoughtful, but it is also pleasing to God. Instructing others about the truth of the Bible is a serious matter. Teachers have a responsibility to God to give their very best for Him. In Malachi 1, God tells the people He is displeased with their offerings because they are second-rate. “Try offering them to your governor!” (verse 8). A boss or job supervisor would not be pleased with a worker who came to work unprepared, overdue on deadlines, or unfamiliar with what had to be done. Not only is it helpful for a teacher to be prepared, it is also a duty to give the very best effort to God.
The good news is that it really does not take long to prepare for a Bible lesson. The hardest part is the decision to start. A total of two hours of study time the week before will be enough. It can be thirty minutes a night, or an hour Friday and Saturday. It is also easier to study if a few points are kept in mind.
• Decide upon the ONE MAIN POINT you want to get across.
• Think about what the students need to think about in order to learn.
• Think about possible questions the students might ask.
• Write down passages of scripture that relate to the topic. Even if you are teaching from a book of lessons, try to find passages that the book does not give. It will help you understand the lesson and be more prepared to teach.
Many of these things can be done on the way to and from work. Think through the main points of the lesson, what needs to be said, and what the Bible says about the topic or passage. Think about how you, the teacher, came to understand the lesson and if there are questions you had or still have. This type of preparation takes up little time, helps students learn and stay interested, and gets easier with practice.
Preparation not only makes a Bible class more interesting and thoughtful, but it is also pleasing to God. Instructing others about the truth of the Bible is a serious matter. Teachers have a responsibility to God to give their very best for Him. In Malachi 1, God tells the people He is displeased with their offerings because they are second-rate. “Try offering them to your governor!” (verse 8). A boss or job supervisor would not be pleased with a worker who came to work unprepared, overdue on deadlines, or unfamiliar with what had to be done. Not only is it helpful for a teacher to be prepared, it is also a duty to give the very best effort to God.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
How to Teach a Better Bible Class: Introduction by Josh Hardin
Many people are afraid to teach a Sunday School Bible class. Some people are uncomfortable standing in front of a group. Others think their Bible knowledge is limited. Still others would like to teach, but believe they do not have the ability. It is right to have a respect for teaching the Bible, as James 3:1 indicates: “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” That doesn’t mean, however, that every Christian should avoid teaching. It means that a person who decides to teach a Bible class should understand the responsibility to study and present a truthful and meaningful lesson. A Christian who is afraid or nervous about teaching a class should not feel overwhelmed, but should instead work to become a good teacher. And a teacher with years of experience should continue to work to do their best.
Congregations need mature Christians who are willing to teach and who will also do a good job. Bible students need teachers who can teach them the truth and show them how to study the Bible on their own. Many capable Christians shy away from teaching because they feel they are not very good at it, while others teach but often feel they have not done an adequate job. It is true that teaching can be difficult, but it is possible to go from being a poor teacher to a good one or from a good teacher to a great one. Nervous teachers can learn to be comfortable in a classroom. Teachers who seem to get little response from students can learn how to lead interesting discussion classes. Great teachers are not born, they are made, but it takes time and effort. Unfortunately, there are not that many opportunities for Bible teachers to learn how to teach.
That is the purpose of the Bible Teachers Workshop at Lambert Book House. Teachers need training, not just for the benefit of the students, but for their own benefit as well. Trained teachers are more comfortable in the classroom and can be confident that they meet the responsibility God places on them to teach people how to live and think as Christians.
Over the next eight weeks, the Bible Teacher’s Workshop will publish articles that will help teachers of any experience level gain an understanding of what is expected in a Bible class and give some simple guidelines on how to teach a better lesson. These ideas are practical reminders that help a Bible teacher improve their skills in the classroom. The lessons will not turn someone into a perfect teacher overnight, but they will help any teacher present a thoughtful and interesting lesson on God’s Word. When put into use over time, these articles can help turn a willing Christian into a good Bible teacher.
Congregations need mature Christians who are willing to teach and who will also do a good job. Bible students need teachers who can teach them the truth and show them how to study the Bible on their own. Many capable Christians shy away from teaching because they feel they are not very good at it, while others teach but often feel they have not done an adequate job. It is true that teaching can be difficult, but it is possible to go from being a poor teacher to a good one or from a good teacher to a great one. Nervous teachers can learn to be comfortable in a classroom. Teachers who seem to get little response from students can learn how to lead interesting discussion classes. Great teachers are not born, they are made, but it takes time and effort. Unfortunately, there are not that many opportunities for Bible teachers to learn how to teach.
That is the purpose of the Bible Teachers Workshop at Lambert Book House. Teachers need training, not just for the benefit of the students, but for their own benefit as well. Trained teachers are more comfortable in the classroom and can be confident that they meet the responsibility God places on them to teach people how to live and think as Christians.
Over the next eight weeks, the Bible Teacher’s Workshop will publish articles that will help teachers of any experience level gain an understanding of what is expected in a Bible class and give some simple guidelines on how to teach a better lesson. These ideas are practical reminders that help a Bible teacher improve their skills in the classroom. The lessons will not turn someone into a perfect teacher overnight, but they will help any teacher present a thoughtful and interesting lesson on God’s Word. When put into use over time, these articles can help turn a willing Christian into a good Bible teacher.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Promoting Your VBS: Raising Your Visibility in the Community
By Ann Hammond McCamy
In the seventeenth century, when the Puritans began settling our Eastern shore, Sunday was a cherished day of rest from hard work. These early Americans looked forward to spending an entire day in church, sitting on rough, backless benches in poorly heated meeting rooms. People today have much more than just work and church clamoring for their attention. Clubs, music lessons, sports, and an endless stream of media entertainment push more important matters into the background. How can the church get people’s attention when everyone is so busy? A simple answer is to go where they are! Here are some ideas for promoting your Vacation Bible School and other church events in the community.
Does your town hold a Memorial Day parade or other parade in spring or early summer? If so, organize a group from your congregation to march. Wear your Lambert Walking in SON Light T-shirts, and carry a placard or banner announcing the name and location of your congregation. Consider singing as you march (try to be placed far from any marching bands in the line-up). Have a few members of your group toss wrapped candy to spectators. See if you can obtain permission to hand out Lambert postcards or door hangers announcing your VBS along the parade route. If not, perhaps you can have a few non-marching members wearing matching t-shirts work the crowd as politicians do. Your presence at the parade will raise awareness of your presence in the community.
If your community has a festival, street fair, or community day event, rent a booth or table and be part of it! Attract people to your booth with an inexpensive festival freebie: cotton candy, snow cones, bottled water, popcorn, Lambert Bible trading cards, or face-painting. If you can invest a bit more, also print your message on flying disks, ball and paddle toys, ball-point pens, or other appealing gifts. While people are visiting your booth, share your VBS schedule and be sure to mention any other upcoming events your congregation has planned. One congregation has a drawing for a free Bible each year at its community day booth. The Bible give-away spreads God’s Word, sometimes with amazing results. A teen Bible winner and her entire family were baptized!
Finally, don’t overlook the old-fashioned, low-tech ways of bringing people in. Go door-to-door with a short and simple invitation to attend your VBS. Lambert door hangers are perfect for this. Hand them to those who answer the door, and hang them on the doorknob if no one is home. For a twist on the tradition of Christmas caroling, go serenading on an early summer evening. Sing traditional hymns and give out door hangers to anyone who comes out to listen. Mail out postcards to anyone who has attended your VBS in the past. Let your kids call their friends and fill your car or van to its capacity.
The Director Planning Guide that comes with your Lambert VBS kit has more exciting ideas for promoting your VBS. Hundreds of today’s church members first heard the gospel message at a Vacation Bible School. Start now to be sure your congregation is noticed in the community!
In the seventeenth century, when the Puritans began settling our Eastern shore, Sunday was a cherished day of rest from hard work. These early Americans looked forward to spending an entire day in church, sitting on rough, backless benches in poorly heated meeting rooms. People today have much more than just work and church clamoring for their attention. Clubs, music lessons, sports, and an endless stream of media entertainment push more important matters into the background. How can the church get people’s attention when everyone is so busy? A simple answer is to go where they are! Here are some ideas for promoting your Vacation Bible School and other church events in the community.
Does your town hold a Memorial Day parade or other parade in spring or early summer? If so, organize a group from your congregation to march. Wear your Lambert Walking in SON Light T-shirts, and carry a placard or banner announcing the name and location of your congregation. Consider singing as you march (try to be placed far from any marching bands in the line-up). Have a few members of your group toss wrapped candy to spectators. See if you can obtain permission to hand out Lambert postcards or door hangers announcing your VBS along the parade route. If not, perhaps you can have a few non-marching members wearing matching t-shirts work the crowd as politicians do. Your presence at the parade will raise awareness of your presence in the community.
If your community has a festival, street fair, or community day event, rent a booth or table and be part of it! Attract people to your booth with an inexpensive festival freebie: cotton candy, snow cones, bottled water, popcorn, Lambert Bible trading cards, or face-painting. If you can invest a bit more, also print your message on flying disks, ball and paddle toys, ball-point pens, or other appealing gifts. While people are visiting your booth, share your VBS schedule and be sure to mention any other upcoming events your congregation has planned. One congregation has a drawing for a free Bible each year at its community day booth. The Bible give-away spreads God’s Word, sometimes with amazing results. A teen Bible winner and her entire family were baptized!
Finally, don’t overlook the old-fashioned, low-tech ways of bringing people in. Go door-to-door with a short and simple invitation to attend your VBS. Lambert door hangers are perfect for this. Hand them to those who answer the door, and hang them on the doorknob if no one is home. For a twist on the tradition of Christmas caroling, go serenading on an early summer evening. Sing traditional hymns and give out door hangers to anyone who comes out to listen. Mail out postcards to anyone who has attended your VBS in the past. Let your kids call their friends and fill your car or van to its capacity.
The Director Planning Guide that comes with your Lambert VBS kit has more exciting ideas for promoting your VBS. Hundreds of today’s church members first heard the gospel message at a Vacation Bible School. Start now to be sure your congregation is noticed in the community!
Promoting Your Vacation Bible School: Working with the Local Press
By Ann Hammond McCamy
If you want to use your VBS to reach out to your community, there will have to be lots of promotion to ensure that visitors come to hear God’s message. There are two ways to get your message out through the media: publicity and advertising. What’s the difference? Publicity is free. Advertising costs money. Both are effective, but since publicity is free, it’s a good place to start.
To get publicity, you will need to send press releases to your local paper. Look at community notices they already publish to get a sense of the length and tone they usually accept. In a small community paper, there may be only one or two editors. To work with a large city paper where there are dozens of employees, you may need to cultivate a working relationship with someone in the newsroom, and send your releases directly to that person.
In the Director Planning Guide of your Lambert VBS kit, there is a sample press release you can edit to suit your needs. Add a contact number for your publicity person so if newspaper personnel have questions, they can reach you. Also add a phone number for the church building or for your VBS director in the body of the article so potential visitors can call if they have questions. If your congregation has prepared something especially newsworthy for VBS, be sure to include that in your release, also. A press release is journalism, not creative writing, so stick to items usually covered in journalistic articles: who, what, when, and where. The shorter and simpler your article, the greater the chance it will be published exactly as you submit it. If you are working with a small community newspaper, consider submitting a high-quality photo with your press release. Have several of your congregation’s children pose as they preview the materials and activities, and snap photos that show everyone’s face clearly. Include a caption that includes each child’s name. Hometown editors know that photos of kids sell papers, as parents buy extra copies!
If there are no small community newspapers in your area, getting publicity may be a little harder. You probably will not get a “hit” in the Boston Globe or the New York Times. But there is a little trick that may help you obtain publicity in slightly smaller newspapers. Contact an advertising salesperson and purchase an advertisement or a series of ads. Once you have established a relationship with an ad person, send a copy of every press release to that person as well as to the newsroom.
To get radio and television announcements, edit your press release down to the minimum information: congregation name and location, date and time. This shortened form is called a public service announcement, or PSA. Be sure your PSA includes a phone number to call for more information.
Keep in mind a few final tips: Assign one or two people to handle your press contacts, and be sure they coordinate their efforts to avoid duplications. Send your press releases out via mail or email about two weeks before you want them to appear. Send notices to all community papers and radio and TV stations in your area. Remember that the local press is not obligated to run your announcements. If you want to guarantee your material gets printed, purchase an advertisement. Finally, try to find out how visitors heard about your VBS. If they saw it in the local media, you will know your efforts were worthwhile!
If you want to use your VBS to reach out to your community, there will have to be lots of promotion to ensure that visitors come to hear God’s message. There are two ways to get your message out through the media: publicity and advertising. What’s the difference? Publicity is free. Advertising costs money. Both are effective, but since publicity is free, it’s a good place to start.
To get publicity, you will need to send press releases to your local paper. Look at community notices they already publish to get a sense of the length and tone they usually accept. In a small community paper, there may be only one or two editors. To work with a large city paper where there are dozens of employees, you may need to cultivate a working relationship with someone in the newsroom, and send your releases directly to that person.
In the Director Planning Guide of your Lambert VBS kit, there is a sample press release you can edit to suit your needs. Add a contact number for your publicity person so if newspaper personnel have questions, they can reach you. Also add a phone number for the church building or for your VBS director in the body of the article so potential visitors can call if they have questions. If your congregation has prepared something especially newsworthy for VBS, be sure to include that in your release, also. A press release is journalism, not creative writing, so stick to items usually covered in journalistic articles: who, what, when, and where. The shorter and simpler your article, the greater the chance it will be published exactly as you submit it. If you are working with a small community newspaper, consider submitting a high-quality photo with your press release. Have several of your congregation’s children pose as they preview the materials and activities, and snap photos that show everyone’s face clearly. Include a caption that includes each child’s name. Hometown editors know that photos of kids sell papers, as parents buy extra copies!
If there are no small community newspapers in your area, getting publicity may be a little harder. You probably will not get a “hit” in the Boston Globe or the New York Times. But there is a little trick that may help you obtain publicity in slightly smaller newspapers. Contact an advertising salesperson and purchase an advertisement or a series of ads. Once you have established a relationship with an ad person, send a copy of every press release to that person as well as to the newsroom.
To get radio and television announcements, edit your press release down to the minimum information: congregation name and location, date and time. This shortened form is called a public service announcement, or PSA. Be sure your PSA includes a phone number to call for more information.
Keep in mind a few final tips: Assign one or two people to handle your press contacts, and be sure they coordinate their efforts to avoid duplications. Send your press releases out via mail or email about two weeks before you want them to appear. Send notices to all community papers and radio and TV stations in your area. Remember that the local press is not obligated to run your announcements. If you want to guarantee your material gets printed, purchase an advertisement. Finally, try to find out how visitors heard about your VBS. If they saw it in the local media, you will know your efforts were worthwhile!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEACHER?
By Teddy Copeland
A little boy came home from school one day and announced to his parents that his Sunday school teacher was the grandmother of Jesus. "What makes you think that?" his dad asked. "Because," the young fellow replied, "she talks about Him all the time!"
A love for Jesus – and enthusiasm when talking about Him – definitely is a key ingredient for success in the classroom. Another essential is to use good basic material that you can trust to be faithful to God's Word. (With Lambert products, that's a given.) But there are three other essentials as well, all found in a passage in the Old Testament.
In Ezra 7:10 we read: "For Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statues and judgments." Ezra would have made a good employee for Campbell's Soup because he was great at condensing things. In this passage he condenses the principal components of a good teacher.
First of all, we see that a good teacher studies the law of the Lord. A good illustration of this comes from the physical world in the way our bodies draw in and release air. Our exhaling is in proportion to our inhaling. So it is with Bible study. We must fill up our reservoir with God's truth before we can release it to others. Our need for and dependence upon God's Word should be like that of an infant, constantly requiring and demanding nourishment (1 Peter 2:2). A converted Indian once described the battle between good and evil that goes on within us. "I have two dogs living in me," he said, "a good dog and a mean dog. They are always fighting. The mean dog wants me to do bad things and the good dog wants me to do good things. Do you know which dog wins? The one I feed the most!" Teachers should "feed their good dogs" with a regular study of God's Word.
Secondly, a teacher not only studies the Word of God, but does it. Before we teach it is so important that our students can see us living God's Word in our lives. It's not a coincidence that in one of our children's favorite activities at school – Show and Tell – the showing comes first. Children learn much more by being shown something than by merely being told! A missionary once spoke to a group of Hindu women. Right in the middle of his message, one of the women got up and walked out of the building. Soon, however, she returned and listened even more intently than before. "Why did you leave?" the missionary asked her at the end of the service. "I was so interested in the wonderful things that you were saying that I went to ask the woman who washes clothes at your house if you live like you teach. She said you do, so I came back to hear more!"
Thirdly, after studying God's Word and putting it into action, one is ready to teach. Ezra himself followed this formula and, as a result of his teaching, there was a great reformation in the lives of the Israelites. One of the great factors in Ezra's teaching, I believe, was the love he had for his people. 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that without love, nothing worthwhile can be accomplished. Here is a version of that famous chapter, adapted for teachers.
If I have read all the books that men have written about teaching, but have not a love for teaching, I am only making a loud sound. And if I have a magna jector and understand the use of all visual aids and if I have all energy as to make a new poster every week, but have not a love for teaching, I am not a teacher.
If I use all that I have and give all my time to decorating my classroom, but have not a love for teaching, my students have profited nothing. When I was a child, I spoke and understood and thought like a child. When I became a teacher, I put away childish things, but I did not forget what it was like to be a child. And now abideth the teacher's knowledge, the teacher's aids, and the teacher's love; the greatest of these is the teacher's love.
A little boy came home from school one day and announced to his parents that his Sunday school teacher was the grandmother of Jesus. "What makes you think that?" his dad asked. "Because," the young fellow replied, "she talks about Him all the time!"
A love for Jesus – and enthusiasm when talking about Him – definitely is a key ingredient for success in the classroom. Another essential is to use good basic material that you can trust to be faithful to God's Word. (With Lambert products, that's a given.) But there are three other essentials as well, all found in a passage in the Old Testament.
In Ezra 7:10 we read: "For Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statues and judgments." Ezra would have made a good employee for Campbell's Soup because he was great at condensing things. In this passage he condenses the principal components of a good teacher.
First of all, we see that a good teacher studies the law of the Lord. A good illustration of this comes from the physical world in the way our bodies draw in and release air. Our exhaling is in proportion to our inhaling. So it is with Bible study. We must fill up our reservoir with God's truth before we can release it to others. Our need for and dependence upon God's Word should be like that of an infant, constantly requiring and demanding nourishment (1 Peter 2:2). A converted Indian once described the battle between good and evil that goes on within us. "I have two dogs living in me," he said, "a good dog and a mean dog. They are always fighting. The mean dog wants me to do bad things and the good dog wants me to do good things. Do you know which dog wins? The one I feed the most!" Teachers should "feed their good dogs" with a regular study of God's Word.
Secondly, a teacher not only studies the Word of God, but does it. Before we teach it is so important that our students can see us living God's Word in our lives. It's not a coincidence that in one of our children's favorite activities at school – Show and Tell – the showing comes first. Children learn much more by being shown something than by merely being told! A missionary once spoke to a group of Hindu women. Right in the middle of his message, one of the women got up and walked out of the building. Soon, however, she returned and listened even more intently than before. "Why did you leave?" the missionary asked her at the end of the service. "I was so interested in the wonderful things that you were saying that I went to ask the woman who washes clothes at your house if you live like you teach. She said you do, so I came back to hear more!"
Thirdly, after studying God's Word and putting it into action, one is ready to teach. Ezra himself followed this formula and, as a result of his teaching, there was a great reformation in the lives of the Israelites. One of the great factors in Ezra's teaching, I believe, was the love he had for his people. 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that without love, nothing worthwhile can be accomplished. Here is a version of that famous chapter, adapted for teachers.
If I have read all the books that men have written about teaching, but have not a love for teaching, I am only making a loud sound. And if I have a magna jector and understand the use of all visual aids and if I have all energy as to make a new poster every week, but have not a love for teaching, I am not a teacher.
If I use all that I have and give all my time to decorating my classroom, but have not a love for teaching, my students have profited nothing. When I was a child, I spoke and understood and thought like a child. When I became a teacher, I put away childish things, but I did not forget what it was like to be a child. And now abideth the teacher's knowledge, the teacher's aids, and the teacher's love; the greatest of these is the teacher's love.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
“NANATOES”
by Maxine Knoll
“Nanatoes”?! What does “Nanatoes” have to do with teaching children the Bible? Is there something we’ve missed? When one of my granddaughters was about three years old she came for a short visit. While she was visiting, we did some of the usual things that a Nana does when grandchildren come and visit. Housework is forgotten and Nana takes a trip into a small child’s world of excitement and adventure. On this trip we had our usual tea party and then something a little extra…we painted toenails! Imagine the mess with polish everywhere and the giggles when toes are painted all different colors! It was soon time for my little one to go home and things were put away and one would think forgotten. Not the case! When it came time for her bath and bedtime, her mother started removing the polish from her toes. “No, Mama, you can’t do that! Those are my “Nanatoes”! We had made memories in our short visit, and it was exciting enough for her to want keep the memories alive.
In Proverbs 22:6, we are told to “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” This puts a great responsibility on us as parents and as teachers to do our very best to pass on the wisdom of the Bible to our students. If you are at all familiar with Lambert materials, you know that there is a vast wealth of information and material at your fingertips. One can take Lambert material and aptly teach from it as it is written, or if you have the time you can add your own touch. Teach your material in such a way for it to be exciting enough to keep the memories of your class alive.
There have been many instances where our teaching situation has been such that our classroom may consist of several different ages and learning levels. It is extremely easy to take the material Lambert offers and adjust it to different levels. I have taken pictures from the lesson and made picture pages for the little ones who can’t read. I have taken pictures and made board games and question games for the older students. I have written songs to go along with the lessons and illustrated these songs with the pictures from the lesson material. I use these methods as tools to liven the memories of my class.
Moses told the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 6:7, “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” We parents, grandparents, and teachers need to teach our children when they are young. We need to teach them how to give of their time and money. We need to teach them respect and patience and obedience. Our teachings should be a basis for memories that will become stronger as they grow older.
We need to be good examples and learn from the greatest teacher of all, Jesus Christ. We need to learn from the faith of Noah, and Abraham, and Hannah, and Naomi, and Lois and Eunice, just to name a few. We need to take every opportunity available to us to better our teaching abilities. Advantage should be taken of scriptural material that is available to us to use in conjunction with our Bible. We should never forget that we are training children to be future Christians. The time we take to be better teachers will help keep our classes exciting and interesting enough to keep the memories alive!
“Nanatoes”?! What does “Nanatoes” have to do with teaching children the Bible? Is there something we’ve missed? When one of my granddaughters was about three years old she came for a short visit. While she was visiting, we did some of the usual things that a Nana does when grandchildren come and visit. Housework is forgotten and Nana takes a trip into a small child’s world of excitement and adventure. On this trip we had our usual tea party and then something a little extra…we painted toenails! Imagine the mess with polish everywhere and the giggles when toes are painted all different colors! It was soon time for my little one to go home and things were put away and one would think forgotten. Not the case! When it came time for her bath and bedtime, her mother started removing the polish from her toes. “No, Mama, you can’t do that! Those are my “Nanatoes”! We had made memories in our short visit, and it was exciting enough for her to want keep the memories alive.
In Proverbs 22:6, we are told to “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” This puts a great responsibility on us as parents and as teachers to do our very best to pass on the wisdom of the Bible to our students. If you are at all familiar with Lambert materials, you know that there is a vast wealth of information and material at your fingertips. One can take Lambert material and aptly teach from it as it is written, or if you have the time you can add your own touch. Teach your material in such a way for it to be exciting enough to keep the memories of your class alive.
There have been many instances where our teaching situation has been such that our classroom may consist of several different ages and learning levels. It is extremely easy to take the material Lambert offers and adjust it to different levels. I have taken pictures from the lesson and made picture pages for the little ones who can’t read. I have taken pictures and made board games and question games for the older students. I have written songs to go along with the lessons and illustrated these songs with the pictures from the lesson material. I use these methods as tools to liven the memories of my class.
Moses told the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 6:7, “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” We parents, grandparents, and teachers need to teach our children when they are young. We need to teach them how to give of their time and money. We need to teach them respect and patience and obedience. Our teachings should be a basis for memories that will become stronger as they grow older.
We need to be good examples and learn from the greatest teacher of all, Jesus Christ. We need to learn from the faith of Noah, and Abraham, and Hannah, and Naomi, and Lois and Eunice, just to name a few. We need to take every opportunity available to us to better our teaching abilities. Advantage should be taken of scriptural material that is available to us to use in conjunction with our Bible. We should never forget that we are training children to be future Christians. The time we take to be better teachers will help keep our classes exciting and interesting enough to keep the memories alive!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
SOWING SEEDS IN YOUNG HEARTS
by Sherry Kughn
As a Bible teacher of children, youths, or women, I have used Lambert Book House materials for many years. The curriculum has always been biblically sound, understandable, and interesting. I have many memories of teaching, and it is not surprising that children always provide the best memories.
Once, I taught the story of Ruth and Boaz to a class of only one. Not to be discouraged, I threw myself into the lesson. We talked about Boaz, Ruth, Naomi, and baby Obed. The student, a seven-year-old girl named Pam, listened intently. I tested her afterwards by asking a few questions. I just knew she would answer every question correctly.
“Now, who did we study about today?” I asked. She looked up at me innocently, smiled, and said, “Ruth and Bozo.” I could not help but laugh, and little Pam laughed right along with me, never knowing why I thought her comment was funny.
Another time, I was teaching Bible class in a rather primitive building at youth camp when a snake wiggled across the floor between the students and me and disappeared into a crack in the floor. That was the loudest teaching experience I ever had. I screamed even louder than the senior girls.
I have taught students of all relations—strangers, kin, my own children, and the children of friends. Once, a little girl’s mother appreciated all that her daughter was learning in Bible class. She sent me a gift by way of the child. The five-year-old handed me a navel orange and pointed to the navel. “Ook,” she said, “it has a beh-yee button on it.” Of course, I gave her a hug, more for the precious comment that for the orange itself.
I have always considered the hearts of children to be a mission field. If we can teach children to apply Bible lessons, like those found in the curriculum of Lambert Book House, we can sow seeds of God’s Word in their hearts.
Throughout the years, I have appreciated the flexibility of Lambert Book House materials. Each lesson contains a basic, sound Bible lesson, and each contains enough supplemental material to tailor to each class’s needs. I have also appreciated the ease of use of the materials. As a teacher, I have always set aside two hours of preparation time during the week leading up to the teaching experience. Unless I had a special project, such as a drama production or an art assignment, two hours has always been ample time to prepare each lesson.
During this quarter, I am serving as a substitute teacher. Nothing pleases me more than to walk down the hallway and hear my own grandchildren or the grandchildren of friends quote a Bible verse or sing a Bible song. These children and their interest in God’s Word are my “flowers” from the seeds I have planted for many years.
As a Bible teacher of children, youths, or women, I have used Lambert Book House materials for many years. The curriculum has always been biblically sound, understandable, and interesting. I have many memories of teaching, and it is not surprising that children always provide the best memories.
Once, I taught the story of Ruth and Boaz to a class of only one. Not to be discouraged, I threw myself into the lesson. We talked about Boaz, Ruth, Naomi, and baby Obed. The student, a seven-year-old girl named Pam, listened intently. I tested her afterwards by asking a few questions. I just knew she would answer every question correctly.
“Now, who did we study about today?” I asked. She looked up at me innocently, smiled, and said, “Ruth and Bozo.” I could not help but laugh, and little Pam laughed right along with me, never knowing why I thought her comment was funny.
Another time, I was teaching Bible class in a rather primitive building at youth camp when a snake wiggled across the floor between the students and me and disappeared into a crack in the floor. That was the loudest teaching experience I ever had. I screamed even louder than the senior girls.
I have taught students of all relations—strangers, kin, my own children, and the children of friends. Once, a little girl’s mother appreciated all that her daughter was learning in Bible class. She sent me a gift by way of the child. The five-year-old handed me a navel orange and pointed to the navel. “Ook,” she said, “it has a beh-yee button on it.” Of course, I gave her a hug, more for the precious comment that for the orange itself.
I have always considered the hearts of children to be a mission field. If we can teach children to apply Bible lessons, like those found in the curriculum of Lambert Book House, we can sow seeds of God’s Word in their hearts.
Throughout the years, I have appreciated the flexibility of Lambert Book House materials. Each lesson contains a basic, sound Bible lesson, and each contains enough supplemental material to tailor to each class’s needs. I have also appreciated the ease of use of the materials. As a teacher, I have always set aside two hours of preparation time during the week leading up to the teaching experience. Unless I had a special project, such as a drama production or an art assignment, two hours has always been ample time to prepare each lesson.
During this quarter, I am serving as a substitute teacher. Nothing pleases me more than to walk down the hallway and hear my own grandchildren or the grandchildren of friends quote a Bible verse or sing a Bible song. These children and their interest in God’s Word are my “flowers” from the seeds I have planted for many years.
USING THE STORY OF JOB
TEACHING JUNIORS ABOUT LOSS AND SUFFERING
by Kevin Patrick Dillon, M.A.R.
Because Juniors begin to internalize the reality of death and suffering during this period of their lives, teachers should provide them with the biblical principles found in the biblical story of Job to give them proper direction.
In teaching Juniors, I have found that their experiences range from accidentally swallowing a magnetized marble and being x-rayed in the emergency room, to having a parent jailed for drug involvement, to living in difficult financial conditions. Juniors need guidelines to assist them in making solid and wise choices.
The best way to reach Juniors is to become a part of their circle of activity. That means more than just seeing them in the classroom once a week. It means spending time with them. By that, I mean visiting in their homes, taking them shopping, and becoming a role model for them. My junior students have gone with me to decent movies, played with me on playgrounds, and walked with me on nature trails. They have accompanied me on visitations, helped change the marquee in front of our building, and helped with painting and landscaping work. Under my supervision, we have worked on their school projects (such as building model volcanoes or igloos). I have met their relatives and friends, and they still like me–even though I have been honest with them that I do not like their pets!
Reaching Juniors means that you know whether they like pretzels and what their friends at school are doing. It means that they feel comfortable enough with you to share with you a current problem or to ask you a question.
The New Living Bible Lessons Junior 6 Fall Quarter is a block of study entitled “Patience, Prayer, and Proverbs.” The first lesson (Job: God’s Good Servant) equips them with a classic, extreme example of how rough life can be. It shows them how happiness can be found in being faithful to God, even though one does not understand all the elements in the rationale for suffering. It gives them a real biblical hero (of much more practical value than the fantasy super hero we viewed together at the theater) with whom to identify. Use the attendance chart in the accompanying visual packet to gauge their faithfulness, and reward it. Emphasize Hebrews 10:25 and the necessity of regular edification and encouragement in order to help Juniors maintain a faithful life. Let them know that attendance is especially important to help other students in the class develop better coping skills.
The visual aid showing Job’s wealth can jump-start a meaningful discussion when you ask the Junior students what modern concepts of wealth and prosperity might be. Talking about the devastations of Tsunami, Katrina, and 9/11 will help them identify with suffering on a global or national level. Eliciting experiences of severe injury or death in their own families will bring the reality of suffering home for them.
To make the lesson on Job come alive, review the poster showing Job seated in ashes, scraping off his boils with a broken piece of pottery. At just the right moment, open the door to your classroom to reveal a visitor–“Job.” Ask an elder or deacon in your congregation to don a dilapidated terry cloth bathrobe and sandals. Glue torn bits of an ugly brown sponge to stickers. Ahead of time, have “Job” apply the stickers (“boils”) all over his face, arms, and legs. When he enters the room, make sure he moans, groans, and appears generally miserable, but have him assure your class that he still trusts in God–no matter what. He can exit the room at that point, and you can further your discussion about his suffering and loss. Toward the end of the session (after “Job” has removed his “boils”), he can return in a bright new robe with a cheerful and exuberant attitude, thanking God for his new-found wealth and blessings. This impression will not soon fade!
The most important thing to do now is to have the students relate the principles of Job’s faithfulness in suffering in such a way that they can internalize them for practice in a problem they might face. Ask a Junior how he could respond like Job if a flood should sweep away his home or if he should suffer an accident and lose a leg. He will get the point! The story of Job, as taught in New Living Bible Lessons, will aid you in accomplishing this aim.
by Kevin Patrick Dillon, M.A.R.
Because Juniors begin to internalize the reality of death and suffering during this period of their lives, teachers should provide them with the biblical principles found in the biblical story of Job to give them proper direction.
In teaching Juniors, I have found that their experiences range from accidentally swallowing a magnetized marble and being x-rayed in the emergency room, to having a parent jailed for drug involvement, to living in difficult financial conditions. Juniors need guidelines to assist them in making solid and wise choices.
The best way to reach Juniors is to become a part of their circle of activity. That means more than just seeing them in the classroom once a week. It means spending time with them. By that, I mean visiting in their homes, taking them shopping, and becoming a role model for them. My junior students have gone with me to decent movies, played with me on playgrounds, and walked with me on nature trails. They have accompanied me on visitations, helped change the marquee in front of our building, and helped with painting and landscaping work. Under my supervision, we have worked on their school projects (such as building model volcanoes or igloos). I have met their relatives and friends, and they still like me–even though I have been honest with them that I do not like their pets!
Reaching Juniors means that you know whether they like pretzels and what their friends at school are doing. It means that they feel comfortable enough with you to share with you a current problem or to ask you a question.
The New Living Bible Lessons Junior 6 Fall Quarter is a block of study entitled “Patience, Prayer, and Proverbs.” The first lesson (Job: God’s Good Servant) equips them with a classic, extreme example of how rough life can be. It shows them how happiness can be found in being faithful to God, even though one does not understand all the elements in the rationale for suffering. It gives them a real biblical hero (of much more practical value than the fantasy super hero we viewed together at the theater) with whom to identify. Use the attendance chart in the accompanying visual packet to gauge their faithfulness, and reward it. Emphasize Hebrews 10:25 and the necessity of regular edification and encouragement in order to help Juniors maintain a faithful life. Let them know that attendance is especially important to help other students in the class develop better coping skills.
The visual aid showing Job’s wealth can jump-start a meaningful discussion when you ask the Junior students what modern concepts of wealth and prosperity might be. Talking about the devastations of Tsunami, Katrina, and 9/11 will help them identify with suffering on a global or national level. Eliciting experiences of severe injury or death in their own families will bring the reality of suffering home for them.
To make the lesson on Job come alive, review the poster showing Job seated in ashes, scraping off his boils with a broken piece of pottery. At just the right moment, open the door to your classroom to reveal a visitor–“Job.” Ask an elder or deacon in your congregation to don a dilapidated terry cloth bathrobe and sandals. Glue torn bits of an ugly brown sponge to stickers. Ahead of time, have “Job” apply the stickers (“boils”) all over his face, arms, and legs. When he enters the room, make sure he moans, groans, and appears generally miserable, but have him assure your class that he still trusts in God–no matter what. He can exit the room at that point, and you can further your discussion about his suffering and loss. Toward the end of the session (after “Job” has removed his “boils”), he can return in a bright new robe with a cheerful and exuberant attitude, thanking God for his new-found wealth and blessings. This impression will not soon fade!
The most important thing to do now is to have the students relate the principles of Job’s faithfulness in suffering in such a way that they can internalize them for practice in a problem they might face. Ask a Junior how he could respond like Job if a flood should sweep away his home or if he should suffer an accident and lose a leg. He will get the point! The story of Job, as taught in New Living Bible Lessons, will aid you in accomplishing this aim.
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