Newsletter 25
Newsletter 25.
Contents.
Teaching tip 13. Teaching Memory verses.
Fundamental Beliefs 6. The Person and work of the Holy Spirit.
Redefining Children's Ministry in the 21st. Century. By Becky Fischer.
10 Myths about children.
"When you find a spark of grace in a young heart, kneel down and blow it into a flame." Charles H. Spurgeon.
Welcome to my latest Newsletter as I reach the 'minor milestone' of 25 editions. I hope you find something here to enhance your ministry. In particular, check out my tips on teaching Memory verses - I don't know why I didn't do something like this before, as the teaching of God's Word to children has always been close to my heart.
I sent my first Newsletter out to Children's ministers in April 2002. If someone had asked me at that time, how much more material I had left to share, I would probably have said "about enough for two more Newsletters." Indeed, if I had been asked the same question at any time during the intervening 2+ years, my reply would have been exactly the same. Luke 6.38 ("Give, and it will be given to you") has certainly proved true in this case. The more ideas I have given out, the more fresh ideas for sharing I seem to get! Often (for example) an old object lesson that I haven't used for many years and I had completely forgotten about will suddenly 'pop' into my mind. Thus, a number of people benefit. I start using it again myself, and I pass the lesson on to others.
I don't know how long I will continue to send out these Newsletters, but my intention is to keep going as long as I have material that I consider worthwhile sharing.
About a year ago, one of my subscribers offered to host my Newsletters on his web site. I immediately saw the benefit of this, as it would both make the various lessons and teaching tips available to a larger number of people, and remove the need for recipients to either indefinitely store the Newsletters on their computers or, as I know many of you do, to print them out. Also, it would mean that when I got a request for past Newsletters (I have had about thirty of these in the last month alone), I could just refer the person to the appropriate web site, rather than indulge in the time-consuming exercise of 'swamping' their computers by forwarding 20+ (and growing) long emails!
Unfortunately, due to other commitments, the person who made this generous offer hasn't had time to implement it. Although it is still a possibility, as time passes, it is beginning to look less likely of becoming a reality. Therefore, I was wondering if any of my other subscribers had a web site that they would be willing to host my Newsletters on? Please let me know if you can help me in this way?
Yours in Christ,
Maurice Sweetsur
Teaching tip 13. - Teaching Memory Verses.
If someone were to ask me what was my main purpose in teaching my children’s ‘Bible’ classes, I would probably say that it was to impart God’s Word into their lives.
The importance of memorising scripture is highlighted by the fact that almost every Christian has experienced times when the Holy Spirit calls to mind some scripture or truth at a moment when it is needed, for example in their own conversion experience or personal life, or in counselling or witnessing. Thus, if we can get relevant scripture verses into the minds, and then (by memorising) into the hearts of the children, the Holy Spirit will be able to recall truths and verses to them when they are most needed.
Most of the children I teach, I have for about 30 lessons, over a 1year period. During this time, I will attempt to teach them 5 or 6 relevant memory verses.
Here are some useful tips for effectively teaching memory verses.
Good planning. Many teachers plan a lesson, and then ask themselves “What is a good memory verse to go with this lesson?” I do things the other way round. I decide well beforehand which memory verses I want to teach my class, and then build the rest of my lessons around these. I allow plenty of time (e.g. 10 to 15 mins.) for teaching each verse.
Choose the right Bible translation. If possible, look up your verse in a number of modern Bible translations, and then decide which one is best to teach. Some teachers still prefer to use the Authorised Version (King James). However, if you do decide to use this, I would suggest that at least you change the ‘Old English’ words such as ‘thee’, ‘thou’, ‘thine’, etc. into their modern equivalents.
Explain the verse. Don’t assume that the children will understand exactly what the verse means. It may be plain enough to you, but you will need to explain it to your class.
Vary your teaching methods. There are numerous ‘fun’ ways for teaching memory verses, and I have listed a number of them below. To keep my teaching interesting, I never use the same method twice with any one group of children.
Repetition is the ‘key’ to success. Whichever methods you choose to use, always leave enough time for your class to repeat the verse about 7 or 8 times. By repeatedly saying the verse, it should really get down into their spirits. You can make this part more interesting by getting different ‘groups’ within the class to repeat the verse in turn, e.g. boys, girls, those with blue eyes, brown eyes, older sisters, younger brothers, coloured socks, etc. etc. (Some children are actually better at remembering a verse if you get them to repeat it as fast as they can. Give it a try, if only for the sake of variety!). I will then encourage the children to write the verse down while it is still fresh to them, and then offer incentives of small prizes to those who can repeat it to me the following week.
Ways of teaching Memory verses.
There are many ways to teach Scripture (Memory verses) to children, but I have found that the more "fun" you make it, the more likely they are to really take it in.
1. Diminishing words.
In my experience, the most effective method I have come across is to use "Diminishing words." This is very simple and easy to prepare, but children really enjoy it because they think that they are fooling "teacher."
Write out your memory verse about 6 or 7 times on pieces of cardboard (or paper). However, each time you write, gradually make the words smaller. The words on your last card should be as small as you can possibly write them.
Show your first card (Biggest words) to your group, and have them say the verse. Then simply work your way through to the last card - children repeating the words each time. As you get to the smaller words, start to compliment the group on their eyesight. Act amazed when they manage to "read" your last card. Then say "I think you are trying to fool me. I don't believe you can really read this last card. I think you have memorised the verse. I think you can repeat the verse without any card at all" - And they will!
2. ‘Repeater’.
If you have a ventriloquist’s dummy or a glove puppet, use that to help teach the memory verse. Have the verse written out for the children to see, and then explain to them that your puppet is going to say the verse – a few words at a time – and they have to repeat everything he says. You can have a lot of fun with this method by getting the puppet to ‘say’ totally irrelevant things, e.g. jokes, personal comments, etc. as he gradually works his way through the verse, always remembering to bring ‘him’ back to where he digressed. Then get the puppet to say the verse, but pausing in the wrong places. Finally, get the puppet to say the verse the right way, with the children still ‘repeating’ of course.
3. Guess the letter.
This is another popular method, but it does take a little longer than most other ways. Write out your verse by putting “blanks” for letters e.g.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Luke 19.10.
The idea is for the children to guess the correct letters that make up this verse. As they do so, fill in the blanks.
There are two ways of using this method.
Competing teams (e.g. boys v. girls). One person from each team guesses a letter in turn. If team 1, for example, guesses ‘n’, and there are three n’s, they get three points. If team 2 guesses ‘e’, and there are six e’s, they get six points etc. The team with the most points when the verse is complete is the winner.
The class compete against ‘teacher’. Explain that if they guess a letter and it is not in the verse, you get a tick. If you get (say) four ticks before the verse is completed, you win.
4.Elimination methods.
Show the verse in full, and then gradually eliminate the words until they have all gone. Test the children after each step to see if they can still say the verse. There are a number of different ways you could do this.
a. Write the words out on a number of different cards (e.g. 1 or 2 words per card), Get a line of children to hold them up for all to see, and then simply remove the cards 1, 2, or 3 at a time – depending on the length of the verse.
b. The same as above, but write the words out on inflated balloons. Get volunteers to gradually ‘pop’ the balloons with a pin. (This is a popular method!).
c. Write the complete verse out on a large piece of cardboard. Then get volunteers to gradually tear pieces off it, until it has nearly all gone. By the time this is complete, the children should have said the verse the targeted 7 or 8 times.
5. Invisible writing.
Write the verse with a white crayon on white cardboard or paper. Get volunteers to gradually paint over the cardboard with red food colouring. The words will then ‘magically’ appear as the food colouring adheres to the crayon. This is a good way to teach verses concerning the blood of Jesus.
6. Puzzle methods.
1. Balloon race. Take two pieces of paper, and write out your verse on each one. Cut each paper into small pieces, with two or three words on each. Put each set of papers into two uninflated balloons. Choose two teams. One member of each team has to race to the other end of the room, blow up their balloon, tie it, burst it, retrieve the pieces of paper, and get the other members of the team to help to arrange the verse in the correct way. For larger classes you could, of course, have more teams.
2. Flannelboard Jigsaw. Write your words on any interesting shape, back with winceyette, or other suitable adhering material, and cut into about 8 or 9 pieces. Place the pieces in random order on your board, and get two or three children to come out and rearrange the jigsaw correctly. Shapes you could use are a question mark, a Bible shape for any verse relating to the Bible, or a telephone for Jeremiah 33.3.
3. Rearrangement. Write out your verse on about ten pieces of cardboard. Have a line of children hold up the cards in random order. Other children will then try to rearrange the cards in the correct order, and in the shortest possible time. (n.b. you could then conclude by slowly removing the cards as in Elimination method a, shown above).
4. Picture puzzles. Draw a series of pictures, each representing a word. Get the children to try and guess – you may have to give some ‘hints’ – what each picture stands for, until the verse is complete.
5. Mirror image. Write the verse backwards, so that you could only read it properly by looking at it through a mirror. (Ensure that the individual letters are written 'the wrong way round'). Get the children to try and read the verse. In my experience, most children do not have any trouble doing this.
6. Code method. Write out the verse in code form, by either changing the letters to numbers (e.g. a=1, b=2 etc.) or, for older children, to symbols. Don’t forget to show the children the code. Alternatively, you could not show the code, but change only the vowels (e.g. a=1, e=2 etc.).
7. Extra letters. Write out the verse, but add (say) two extra letters between the words. Leave no gaps. Here is an example:-
ThegxsonkbofswmanqkcamerptoooseekzjandfrtouwsavexrthegglostaaLukejy19.hh10.
8. Jumbled letters. Jumble up the letters of each word. Example:-
het sno fo mna acme ot eeks dna ot aves het tlos. Lkeu 19.10.
Revising Memory verses.
I always consider it a good idea to revise your Memory verses a week later in order to see how effective your teaching has been. Here are four ways that I do this.
1. As I mentioned above, I offer small prizes for those children who can say the verse to me the following week. I get them to repeat the verse in front of all the class. This way all the children are hearing the verse again a few more times.
2. Mistakes. Read out the verse, and make a number of deliberate mistakes. See if the children can spot them all.
e.g. The brother of God arrived to find and shave the poor. Matthew Chapter ninty verse eleven. (Luke 19.10. - Mistakes underlined).
3. Puppet fun. I bring along my 'Dummy' George, who tells the children that he wants to learn the Memory verse. I get a child to repeat it to George, but then he gets it wrong. e.g. "Out towels dried for us while we were still swimmers." (Romans 5.8). A second child repeats the verse, but George still gets it wrong e.g. "McDonald's fried for us while we were still hamburgers." Finally, all the class repeat the verse to George. This time he gets it right!
4. Elimination. Get either individuals or groups to say the verse in turn (i.e. go round in a circle) - one word at a time. No hesitating is allowed. If a child (or group) cannot say the next word, they are eliminated. Once the verse is complete, get them to do it again, only faster!
"The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword."
Hebrews 4. 12.
Fundamental Beliefs 6. - The Person and work of the Holy Spirit.
The doctrine of the Trinity is not an academic theory, but rather a statement of historical facts.
God the Father revealed Himself in Old Testament times, and when the Son (Jesus) came, he spoke of the Father and the Spirit as distinct from Himself. Thus we have the Godhead manifest in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The Person of the Holy Spirit (Who He is).
1. His Personality. The Holy Spirit is a 'He' not an 'it'. He is a Person, not an impersonal influence or power coming from God.
The constituent parts of personality are attributed to the Holy Spirit - Mind (Romans 8. 26,27.), Emotion - He can be grieved (Ephesians 4.30), and Will - spiritual gifts are given to each man as the Spirit wills (1 Corinthians 12.11).
2. His power. Notwithstanding His personality, the Holy Spirit can be regarded as the power of God - a power that can be handled, transferred and stored in much the same way as electricity in a battery. (Luke 8.46, Acts 19.11, 2 Kings 13.21).
3. His Deity. This person is God. He is of one substance, majesty and glory with the Father and the Son. We are instructed to make disciples and baptise them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28.19). i.e. three Persons, but only one name.
Our attitude to the Spirit is our attitude to God. See the account of Peter's dealing with Ananias and Sapphira in Acts, chapter 5. He told Ananias that he had lied to the Holy Spirit (v.3) and then that he had lied to God (v.4) - For the Holy Spirit is God.
The work of the Holy Spirit (What He does).
Because the Holy Spirit is God, He is eternal and has always been active - for example in Creation (Genesis 1.2) and revelation (2 Peter 1.21). However, the Holy Spirit is particularly active in New Testament days, applying and enforcing the work of Christ. The Holy Spirit can be regarded as the 'executive' of the Godhead, in that what God does today, He does largely through the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit's work can be divided into four areas; in relation to Christ, the Christian, the Church and the world.
1. In relation to Christ (Glorification).
Although the Holy Spirit witnessed to Christ through the Old Testament writings (1 Peter 1. 10-12), the glorification (i.e. manifestation) of Christ is His distinctive New Covenant work, impossible before the incarnation.
We are promised that the Holy Spirit will remind us of all that Jesus has said (John 14.26) and that He will bring glory to Christ by taking from Jesus and making it known to us (John 16.12-14). His work then is to reveal Jesus and point us to Him.
The Holy Spirit caused the Bible to be written, and it is He who is also our teacher, opening our hearts and minds to God's Word and making it come alive to us. Contrast this with the man without the Spirit who cannot understand the Word of God (1 Corinthians 2.14).
2. In relation to the Christian (Sanctification).
The indwelling Spirit desires to make us holy (1 Thessalonians 4. 7,8). He not only reveals Christ to us, but forms Christ in us (2 Corinthians 3.18).
It is the Holy Spirit's work both to subdue our flesh and to develop our Christian (Christ-like) character. The Holy Spirit also teaches us how to worship (Philippians 3.3) and to pray (Jude 20).
3. In relation to the Church (Edification).
The New Testament writers dwell on the twin themes of the Church's unity and diversity, both being due to the Holy Spirit.
a. Unity. The Church - the body of Christ - is one, because the Spirit who indwells and breathes life into it is one. The unity of the Church is a reflection of the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4.4-6).
We have to admit that that often there is disunity in the Church. We have not yet become in practice what God's Word says we are. However, whenever the Holy Spirit moves in revival power, the main effect is to bring unity - Christians get their eyes off their differences and focus them instead on Jesus.
b. Diversity. Although the gift of the Holy Spirit Himself is available to all who ask, we do not all have the same gifts of the Spirit, their value being in proportion to their power to benefit and build up others (1 Corinthians 12.7).
4. In relation to the world (Evangelism).
The Holy Spirit is always reaching out to the unbelieving world. The work of conversion belongs to the Holy Spirit.
1. He convicts the world of sin (John 16. 8-10).
2. He witnesses to Christ (John 15.26).
3. He effects the new birth (John 3.5).
4. He indwells the new-born Christian (Romans 8.9).
5. He assures him of his sonship (Romans 8. 15,16).
6. He seals him as God's own, guaranteeing his full inheritance (Ephesians 1. 13,14).
These then are the four chief areas of the Holy Spirit's operation in which He concentrates His divine energies. If the Holy Spirit is leading us, these will also be our great concerns.
"Where the Spirit is, He flows forth. If there is no flowing forth, He is not there." William Temple.
n.b. Check out Object lessons 4,13,21 and 30 concerning the Holy Spirit.
Redefining Children's Ministry in the 21st Century
By Becky Fischer
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What we have always called "children's ministry" is being redefined in this century quietly in unparallel ways across the face of the earth. Conventional thinking has limited it to Sunday school quarterlies, cleverly repackaged Bible stories the kids have heard for the hundredth time, a good puppet skit here and there, excellently produced videos with good moral lessons, and some well-produced, lively music. But there is a growing number of children's ministers who stroll down the aisles of the typical Christian bookstores and browse through various publishers' catalogs, and come away saying, "There's got to be something more than this!" I, too, have wondered, Just how many ways can you repackage Noah's Ark, anyway?
At some point we have to ask ourselves: Is what we're doing in children's ministry today really working? It's a legitimate question based on recent findings that tell us as many as 70 percent of the youth raised in our Christian churches are leaving the church at the age of independence and never stepping foot inside our doors again (Barna Research, Real Teens). I dare say their decisions were not made once they reached their teen years, but by the time they were 10, 11 and 12 years old.
After being a children's pastor for many years and now working with kids around the world on a regular basis, I am confident what kids are wanting is not another Bible story they already know by heart, but a supernatural touch from the living God. Kids are hungry for the supernatural! The results are speaking for themselves in churches where the children's ministries are daring to introduce their kids to the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, intercessory prayer, teaching them to flow in the gifts of the Spirit, lay hands on the sick, and more. Kids can't get enough of these things! These have generally been considered "adult activities," but Jesus didn't think so. He said, "These signs will follow those who believe" (Mark 16:15, nkjv), and if a child believes, he qualifies for the supernatural like anyone else.
Recently I hosted a four-day conference for children, parents and children's ministers called "The School of Healing for Kids." We conducted four workshops each morning, teaching children everything we possibly could in such a short time frame about how to heal the sick according to Bible patterns and doctrine. My guest speakers included Lenny LaGuardia from the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, MO, and Tim Carpenter, project manager for KIDS Church from CharismaLife. Lenny leads children's healing teams at IHOP, and Tim has taught children how to heal the sick for years while travelling with Kenneth E. Hagin and the Rhema Singers.
The last night of the conference, we invited the sick to come so the children could lay hands on them and pray for their healing. It was an amazing thing to watch children as young as 7 and 8years old give words of knowledge, such as, "There's somebody here with a crooked spine that needs prayer," and to see two women come forward with scoliosis. As these children then gathered around them and prayed, both ladies claimed they could feel their spines had been straightened. One little girl called out fibro myalgia. I wondered how she even knew how to say the words! But once again, two ladies stepped forward, and one had immediate manifestations of healing when her ever-present pain immediately left. One lady had come believing to be healed of a serious sinus condition, and testified on the last morning that a bleeding ulcer on the inside of her nose that had been there for nine years was totally gone!
While it may be a very new thought to many to train children in such ways of the Lord, I believe the day will come when these types of activities will be mainstream children's ministry. While the world is allowing their kids to be sucked into the supernatural world of Harry Potter, the church has got to sit up and take notice, and begin training our own children with the supernatural ways of the living God! One darling 4-year-old girl at our conference stepped up boldly to the microphone, looked intently at her chubby little hand and declared, "God told me He put power in my hands!"
10 Myths about children.
MYTH #1: Today’s kids have a short attention span.
FALSE. Kids have always had an insatiable desire to learn and experience new things. Today’s kids can absorb amazing amounts of information if it relates to them. They have little interest in sitting and watching someone dispense information that doesn’t connect with their life. But if you make your lessons relevant and interactive, then kids will give you their full attention and teaching becomes easy.
MYTH #2: School teachers make the best children’s ministry teachers.
NOT ALWAYS. Some school teachers make great children’s ministry teachers. Others are weak children’s ministry teachers because they try to impose ineffective, classroom style methods to teaching kids about the Bible.
MYTH #3: Children are the church of tomorrow.
FALSE. Children are part of the church today. People who are not yet saved are the church of tomorrow. Children can be involved now in the work of God. If you train children that their job is to do nothing but sit up straight, don't be surprised if that's all they do when they become adults.
MYTH #4: God will send volunteers to help you.
MOSTLY FALSE. No one in the Bible ever volunteered for Jesus and very few volunteered for God in the Old Testament. If you want quality workers you have to recruit them in much the same way that Jesus recruited His disciples. God will help you recruit, but He won’t drop volunteers on you. What do Moses, Abraham, Jonah, Peter, Paul, Matthew, and scores of other people in the Bible have in common? God didn't wait for them to volunteer; He recruited them. Some will volunteer, but the most effective and Biblical way to build a team is to recruit good people.
MYTH #5: Kids aren’t mature enough to receive salvation.
TRUE and FALSE. No one is mature enough to receive salvation. That’s why God offers salvation through His grace by faith. Salvation is a free gift that Jesus paid for in advance. The pre-requisite for salvation is not maturity but the humility to receive God’s provision for you (Matthew 18:3,4).
MYTH #6: VBS is the best way to reach new kids.
NOT ALWAYS. Vacation Bible School works for some churches but not others. A relevant Sunday morning children’s ministry is the best way to consistently reach new kids. Many new VBS kids never return to church. If you really want growth, then make your Sunday morning children's church a world-class event every week.
MYTH #7: You have to grow up to serve God.
FALSE. The Bible tells several stories where kids did cool things for God before they ever grew into adults. Examples are David, Samuel, King Josiah, the servant girl who told Naaman to go see Elisha, and Jesus Himself teaching in the temple at twelve years of age.
MYTH #8: Youth ministry is better than children’s ministry for growing a church.
FALSE. Teenagers will drive on their own to a youth group that meets their needs. Mom and Dad may attend another church. Kids who get excited about a Sunday morning children’s ministry will pressure their parents to bring them to church. Many churches are filled with families who are there because the kids want to be there.
MYTH #9: Small groups are the best way to disciple kids.
NOT NECESSARILY. Abiding in the word of God is what discipleship is all about (John 8:31). The best way to disciple kids is to teach them principles from God’s word. Some churches do this better in large groups and some are more successful in small groups. The important thing to remember is that discipleship is more about the content, and less about the method. Small groups are great for relationship building and prayer, but not always for teaching God's word.
MYTH #10: Children's ministry is costly.
FALSE. According the George Barna's well-researched book, Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions, churches get more return for their money in children's ministry than from any other department. Churches that want the most for their money put it in children's ministry. In the long run, withholding money from children's ministry is more costly than spending the money to do it right.
Source: http://www.kidzblitz.com
Contents.
Teaching tip 13. Teaching Memory verses.
Fundamental Beliefs 6. The Person and work of the Holy Spirit.
Redefining Children's Ministry in the 21st. Century. By Becky Fischer.
10 Myths about children.
"When you find a spark of grace in a young heart, kneel down and blow it into a flame." Charles H. Spurgeon.
Welcome to my latest Newsletter as I reach the 'minor milestone' of 25 editions. I hope you find something here to enhance your ministry. In particular, check out my tips on teaching Memory verses - I don't know why I didn't do something like this before, as the teaching of God's Word to children has always been close to my heart.
I sent my first Newsletter out to Children's ministers in April 2002. If someone had asked me at that time, how much more material I had left to share, I would probably have said "about enough for two more Newsletters." Indeed, if I had been asked the same question at any time during the intervening 2+ years, my reply would have been exactly the same. Luke 6.38 ("Give, and it will be given to you") has certainly proved true in this case. The more ideas I have given out, the more fresh ideas for sharing I seem to get! Often (for example) an old object lesson that I haven't used for many years and I had completely forgotten about will suddenly 'pop' into my mind. Thus, a number of people benefit. I start using it again myself, and I pass the lesson on to others.
I don't know how long I will continue to send out these Newsletters, but my intention is to keep going as long as I have material that I consider worthwhile sharing.
About a year ago, one of my subscribers offered to host my Newsletters on his web site. I immediately saw the benefit of this, as it would both make the various lessons and teaching tips available to a larger number of people, and remove the need for recipients to either indefinitely store the Newsletters on their computers or, as I know many of you do, to print them out. Also, it would mean that when I got a request for past Newsletters (I have had about thirty of these in the last month alone), I could just refer the person to the appropriate web site, rather than indulge in the time-consuming exercise of 'swamping' their computers by forwarding 20+ (and growing) long emails!
Unfortunately, due to other commitments, the person who made this generous offer hasn't had time to implement it. Although it is still a possibility, as time passes, it is beginning to look less likely of becoming a reality. Therefore, I was wondering if any of my other subscribers had a web site that they would be willing to host my Newsletters on? Please let me know if you can help me in this way?
Yours in Christ,
Maurice Sweetsur
Teaching tip 13. - Teaching Memory Verses.
If someone were to ask me what was my main purpose in teaching my children’s ‘Bible’ classes, I would probably say that it was to impart God’s Word into their lives.
The importance of memorising scripture is highlighted by the fact that almost every Christian has experienced times when the Holy Spirit calls to mind some scripture or truth at a moment when it is needed, for example in their own conversion experience or personal life, or in counselling or witnessing. Thus, if we can get relevant scripture verses into the minds, and then (by memorising) into the hearts of the children, the Holy Spirit will be able to recall truths and verses to them when they are most needed.
Most of the children I teach, I have for about 30 lessons, over a 1year period. During this time, I will attempt to teach them 5 or 6 relevant memory verses.
Here are some useful tips for effectively teaching memory verses.
Good planning. Many teachers plan a lesson, and then ask themselves “What is a good memory verse to go with this lesson?” I do things the other way round. I decide well beforehand which memory verses I want to teach my class, and then build the rest of my lessons around these. I allow plenty of time (e.g. 10 to 15 mins.) for teaching each verse.
Choose the right Bible translation. If possible, look up your verse in a number of modern Bible translations, and then decide which one is best to teach. Some teachers still prefer to use the Authorised Version (King James). However, if you do decide to use this, I would suggest that at least you change the ‘Old English’ words such as ‘thee’, ‘thou’, ‘thine’, etc. into their modern equivalents.
Explain the verse. Don’t assume that the children will understand exactly what the verse means. It may be plain enough to you, but you will need to explain it to your class.
Vary your teaching methods. There are numerous ‘fun’ ways for teaching memory verses, and I have listed a number of them below. To keep my teaching interesting, I never use the same method twice with any one group of children.
Repetition is the ‘key’ to success. Whichever methods you choose to use, always leave enough time for your class to repeat the verse about 7 or 8 times. By repeatedly saying the verse, it should really get down into their spirits. You can make this part more interesting by getting different ‘groups’ within the class to repeat the verse in turn, e.g. boys, girls, those with blue eyes, brown eyes, older sisters, younger brothers, coloured socks, etc. etc. (Some children are actually better at remembering a verse if you get them to repeat it as fast as they can. Give it a try, if only for the sake of variety!). I will then encourage the children to write the verse down while it is still fresh to them, and then offer incentives of small prizes to those who can repeat it to me the following week.
Ways of teaching Memory verses.
There are many ways to teach Scripture (Memory verses) to children, but I have found that the more "fun" you make it, the more likely they are to really take it in.
1. Diminishing words.
In my experience, the most effective method I have come across is to use "Diminishing words." This is very simple and easy to prepare, but children really enjoy it because they think that they are fooling "teacher."
Write out your memory verse about 6 or 7 times on pieces of cardboard (or paper). However, each time you write, gradually make the words smaller. The words on your last card should be as small as you can possibly write them.
Show your first card (Biggest words) to your group, and have them say the verse. Then simply work your way through to the last card - children repeating the words each time. As you get to the smaller words, start to compliment the group on their eyesight. Act amazed when they manage to "read" your last card. Then say "I think you are trying to fool me. I don't believe you can really read this last card. I think you have memorised the verse. I think you can repeat the verse without any card at all" - And they will!
2. ‘Repeater’.
If you have a ventriloquist’s dummy or a glove puppet, use that to help teach the memory verse. Have the verse written out for the children to see, and then explain to them that your puppet is going to say the verse – a few words at a time – and they have to repeat everything he says. You can have a lot of fun with this method by getting the puppet to ‘say’ totally irrelevant things, e.g. jokes, personal comments, etc. as he gradually works his way through the verse, always remembering to bring ‘him’ back to where he digressed. Then get the puppet to say the verse, but pausing in the wrong places. Finally, get the puppet to say the verse the right way, with the children still ‘repeating’ of course.
3. Guess the letter.
This is another popular method, but it does take a little longer than most other ways. Write out your verse by putting “blanks” for letters e.g.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Luke 19.10.
The idea is for the children to guess the correct letters that make up this verse. As they do so, fill in the blanks.
There are two ways of using this method.
Competing teams (e.g. boys v. girls). One person from each team guesses a letter in turn. If team 1, for example, guesses ‘n’, and there are three n’s, they get three points. If team 2 guesses ‘e’, and there are six e’s, they get six points etc. The team with the most points when the verse is complete is the winner.
The class compete against ‘teacher’. Explain that if they guess a letter and it is not in the verse, you get a tick. If you get (say) four ticks before the verse is completed, you win.
4.Elimination methods.
Show the verse in full, and then gradually eliminate the words until they have all gone. Test the children after each step to see if they can still say the verse. There are a number of different ways you could do this.
a. Write the words out on a number of different cards (e.g. 1 or 2 words per card), Get a line of children to hold them up for all to see, and then simply remove the cards 1, 2, or 3 at a time – depending on the length of the verse.
b. The same as above, but write the words out on inflated balloons. Get volunteers to gradually ‘pop’ the balloons with a pin. (This is a popular method!).
c. Write the complete verse out on a large piece of cardboard. Then get volunteers to gradually tear pieces off it, until it has nearly all gone. By the time this is complete, the children should have said the verse the targeted 7 or 8 times.
5. Invisible writing.
Write the verse with a white crayon on white cardboard or paper. Get volunteers to gradually paint over the cardboard with red food colouring. The words will then ‘magically’ appear as the food colouring adheres to the crayon. This is a good way to teach verses concerning the blood of Jesus.
6. Puzzle methods.
1. Balloon race. Take two pieces of paper, and write out your verse on each one. Cut each paper into small pieces, with two or three words on each. Put each set of papers into two uninflated balloons. Choose two teams. One member of each team has to race to the other end of the room, blow up their balloon, tie it, burst it, retrieve the pieces of paper, and get the other members of the team to help to arrange the verse in the correct way. For larger classes you could, of course, have more teams.
2. Flannelboard Jigsaw. Write your words on any interesting shape, back with winceyette, or other suitable adhering material, and cut into about 8 or 9 pieces. Place the pieces in random order on your board, and get two or three children to come out and rearrange the jigsaw correctly. Shapes you could use are a question mark, a Bible shape for any verse relating to the Bible, or a telephone for Jeremiah 33.3.
3. Rearrangement. Write out your verse on about ten pieces of cardboard. Have a line of children hold up the cards in random order. Other children will then try to rearrange the cards in the correct order, and in the shortest possible time. (n.b. you could then conclude by slowly removing the cards as in Elimination method a, shown above).
4. Picture puzzles. Draw a series of pictures, each representing a word. Get the children to try and guess – you may have to give some ‘hints’ – what each picture stands for, until the verse is complete.
5. Mirror image. Write the verse backwards, so that you could only read it properly by looking at it through a mirror. (Ensure that the individual letters are written 'the wrong way round'). Get the children to try and read the verse. In my experience, most children do not have any trouble doing this.
6. Code method. Write out the verse in code form, by either changing the letters to numbers (e.g. a=1, b=2 etc.) or, for older children, to symbols. Don’t forget to show the children the code. Alternatively, you could not show the code, but change only the vowels (e.g. a=1, e=2 etc.).
7. Extra letters. Write out the verse, but add (say) two extra letters between the words. Leave no gaps. Here is an example:-
ThegxsonkbofswmanqkcamerptoooseekzjandfrtouwsavexrthegglostaaLukejy19.hh10.
8. Jumbled letters. Jumble up the letters of each word. Example:-
het sno fo mna acme ot eeks dna ot aves het tlos. Lkeu 19.10.
Revising Memory verses.
I always consider it a good idea to revise your Memory verses a week later in order to see how effective your teaching has been. Here are four ways that I do this.
1. As I mentioned above, I offer small prizes for those children who can say the verse to me the following week. I get them to repeat the verse in front of all the class. This way all the children are hearing the verse again a few more times.
2. Mistakes. Read out the verse, and make a number of deliberate mistakes. See if the children can spot them all.
e.g. The brother of God arrived to find and shave the poor. Matthew Chapter ninty verse eleven. (Luke 19.10. - Mistakes underlined).
3. Puppet fun. I bring along my 'Dummy' George, who tells the children that he wants to learn the Memory verse. I get a child to repeat it to George, but then he gets it wrong. e.g. "Out towels dried for us while we were still swimmers." (Romans 5.8). A second child repeats the verse, but George still gets it wrong e.g. "McDonald's fried for us while we were still hamburgers." Finally, all the class repeat the verse to George. This time he gets it right!
4. Elimination. Get either individuals or groups to say the verse in turn (i.e. go round in a circle) - one word at a time. No hesitating is allowed. If a child (or group) cannot say the next word, they are eliminated. Once the verse is complete, get them to do it again, only faster!
"The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword."
Hebrews 4. 12.
Fundamental Beliefs 6. - The Person and work of the Holy Spirit.
The doctrine of the Trinity is not an academic theory, but rather a statement of historical facts.
God the Father revealed Himself in Old Testament times, and when the Son (Jesus) came, he spoke of the Father and the Spirit as distinct from Himself. Thus we have the Godhead manifest in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The Person of the Holy Spirit (Who He is).
1. His Personality. The Holy Spirit is a 'He' not an 'it'. He is a Person, not an impersonal influence or power coming from God.
The constituent parts of personality are attributed to the Holy Spirit - Mind (Romans 8. 26,27.), Emotion - He can be grieved (Ephesians 4.30), and Will - spiritual gifts are given to each man as the Spirit wills (1 Corinthians 12.11).
2. His power. Notwithstanding His personality, the Holy Spirit can be regarded as the power of God - a power that can be handled, transferred and stored in much the same way as electricity in a battery. (Luke 8.46, Acts 19.11, 2 Kings 13.21).
3. His Deity. This person is God. He is of one substance, majesty and glory with the Father and the Son. We are instructed to make disciples and baptise them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28.19). i.e. three Persons, but only one name.
Our attitude to the Spirit is our attitude to God. See the account of Peter's dealing with Ananias and Sapphira in Acts, chapter 5. He told Ananias that he had lied to the Holy Spirit (v.3) and then that he had lied to God (v.4) - For the Holy Spirit is God.
The work of the Holy Spirit (What He does).
Because the Holy Spirit is God, He is eternal and has always been active - for example in Creation (Genesis 1.2) and revelation (2 Peter 1.21). However, the Holy Spirit is particularly active in New Testament days, applying and enforcing the work of Christ. The Holy Spirit can be regarded as the 'executive' of the Godhead, in that what God does today, He does largely through the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit's work can be divided into four areas; in relation to Christ, the Christian, the Church and the world.
1. In relation to Christ (Glorification).
Although the Holy Spirit witnessed to Christ through the Old Testament writings (1 Peter 1. 10-12), the glorification (i.e. manifestation) of Christ is His distinctive New Covenant work, impossible before the incarnation.
We are promised that the Holy Spirit will remind us of all that Jesus has said (John 14.26) and that He will bring glory to Christ by taking from Jesus and making it known to us (John 16.12-14). His work then is to reveal Jesus and point us to Him.
The Holy Spirit caused the Bible to be written, and it is He who is also our teacher, opening our hearts and minds to God's Word and making it come alive to us. Contrast this with the man without the Spirit who cannot understand the Word of God (1 Corinthians 2.14).
2. In relation to the Christian (Sanctification).
The indwelling Spirit desires to make us holy (1 Thessalonians 4. 7,8). He not only reveals Christ to us, but forms Christ in us (2 Corinthians 3.18).
It is the Holy Spirit's work both to subdue our flesh and to develop our Christian (Christ-like) character. The Holy Spirit also teaches us how to worship (Philippians 3.3) and to pray (Jude 20).
3. In relation to the Church (Edification).
The New Testament writers dwell on the twin themes of the Church's unity and diversity, both being due to the Holy Spirit.
a. Unity. The Church - the body of Christ - is one, because the Spirit who indwells and breathes life into it is one. The unity of the Church is a reflection of the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4.4-6).
We have to admit that that often there is disunity in the Church. We have not yet become in practice what God's Word says we are. However, whenever the Holy Spirit moves in revival power, the main effect is to bring unity - Christians get their eyes off their differences and focus them instead on Jesus.
b. Diversity. Although the gift of the Holy Spirit Himself is available to all who ask, we do not all have the same gifts of the Spirit, their value being in proportion to their power to benefit and build up others (1 Corinthians 12.7).
4. In relation to the world (Evangelism).
The Holy Spirit is always reaching out to the unbelieving world. The work of conversion belongs to the Holy Spirit.
1. He convicts the world of sin (John 16. 8-10).
2. He witnesses to Christ (John 15.26).
3. He effects the new birth (John 3.5).
4. He indwells the new-born Christian (Romans 8.9).
5. He assures him of his sonship (Romans 8. 15,16).
6. He seals him as God's own, guaranteeing his full inheritance (Ephesians 1. 13,14).
These then are the four chief areas of the Holy Spirit's operation in which He concentrates His divine energies. If the Holy Spirit is leading us, these will also be our great concerns.
"Where the Spirit is, He flows forth. If there is no flowing forth, He is not there." William Temple.
n.b. Check out Object lessons 4,13,21 and 30 concerning the Holy Spirit.
Redefining Children's Ministry in the 21st Century
By Becky Fischer
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What we have always called "children's ministry" is being redefined in this century quietly in unparallel ways across the face of the earth. Conventional thinking has limited it to Sunday school quarterlies, cleverly repackaged Bible stories the kids have heard for the hundredth time, a good puppet skit here and there, excellently produced videos with good moral lessons, and some well-produced, lively music. But there is a growing number of children's ministers who stroll down the aisles of the typical Christian bookstores and browse through various publishers' catalogs, and come away saying, "There's got to be something more than this!" I, too, have wondered, Just how many ways can you repackage Noah's Ark, anyway?
At some point we have to ask ourselves: Is what we're doing in children's ministry today really working? It's a legitimate question based on recent findings that tell us as many as 70 percent of the youth raised in our Christian churches are leaving the church at the age of independence and never stepping foot inside our doors again (Barna Research, Real Teens). I dare say their decisions were not made once they reached their teen years, but by the time they were 10, 11 and 12 years old.
After being a children's pastor for many years and now working with kids around the world on a regular basis, I am confident what kids are wanting is not another Bible story they already know by heart, but a supernatural touch from the living God. Kids are hungry for the supernatural! The results are speaking for themselves in churches where the children's ministries are daring to introduce their kids to the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, intercessory prayer, teaching them to flow in the gifts of the Spirit, lay hands on the sick, and more. Kids can't get enough of these things! These have generally been considered "adult activities," but Jesus didn't think so. He said, "These signs will follow those who believe" (Mark 16:15, nkjv), and if a child believes, he qualifies for the supernatural like anyone else.
Recently I hosted a four-day conference for children, parents and children's ministers called "The School of Healing for Kids." We conducted four workshops each morning, teaching children everything we possibly could in such a short time frame about how to heal the sick according to Bible patterns and doctrine. My guest speakers included Lenny LaGuardia from the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, MO, and Tim Carpenter, project manager for KIDS Church from CharismaLife. Lenny leads children's healing teams at IHOP, and Tim has taught children how to heal the sick for years while travelling with Kenneth E. Hagin and the Rhema Singers.
The last night of the conference, we invited the sick to come so the children could lay hands on them and pray for their healing. It was an amazing thing to watch children as young as 7 and 8years old give words of knowledge, such as, "There's somebody here with a crooked spine that needs prayer," and to see two women come forward with scoliosis. As these children then gathered around them and prayed, both ladies claimed they could feel their spines had been straightened. One little girl called out fibro myalgia. I wondered how she even knew how to say the words! But once again, two ladies stepped forward, and one had immediate manifestations of healing when her ever-present pain immediately left. One lady had come believing to be healed of a serious sinus condition, and testified on the last morning that a bleeding ulcer on the inside of her nose that had been there for nine years was totally gone!
While it may be a very new thought to many to train children in such ways of the Lord, I believe the day will come when these types of activities will be mainstream children's ministry. While the world is allowing their kids to be sucked into the supernatural world of Harry Potter, the church has got to sit up and take notice, and begin training our own children with the supernatural ways of the living God! One darling 4-year-old girl at our conference stepped up boldly to the microphone, looked intently at her chubby little hand and declared, "God told me He put power in my hands!"
10 Myths about children.
MYTH #1: Today’s kids have a short attention span.
FALSE. Kids have always had an insatiable desire to learn and experience new things. Today’s kids can absorb amazing amounts of information if it relates to them. They have little interest in sitting and watching someone dispense information that doesn’t connect with their life. But if you make your lessons relevant and interactive, then kids will give you their full attention and teaching becomes easy.
MYTH #2: School teachers make the best children’s ministry teachers.
NOT ALWAYS. Some school teachers make great children’s ministry teachers. Others are weak children’s ministry teachers because they try to impose ineffective, classroom style methods to teaching kids about the Bible.
MYTH #3: Children are the church of tomorrow.
FALSE. Children are part of the church today. People who are not yet saved are the church of tomorrow. Children can be involved now in the work of God. If you train children that their job is to do nothing but sit up straight, don't be surprised if that's all they do when they become adults.
MYTH #4: God will send volunteers to help you.
MOSTLY FALSE. No one in the Bible ever volunteered for Jesus and very few volunteered for God in the Old Testament. If you want quality workers you have to recruit them in much the same way that Jesus recruited His disciples. God will help you recruit, but He won’t drop volunteers on you. What do Moses, Abraham, Jonah, Peter, Paul, Matthew, and scores of other people in the Bible have in common? God didn't wait for them to volunteer; He recruited them. Some will volunteer, but the most effective and Biblical way to build a team is to recruit good people.
MYTH #5: Kids aren’t mature enough to receive salvation.
TRUE and FALSE. No one is mature enough to receive salvation. That’s why God offers salvation through His grace by faith. Salvation is a free gift that Jesus paid for in advance. The pre-requisite for salvation is not maturity but the humility to receive God’s provision for you (Matthew 18:3,4).
MYTH #6: VBS is the best way to reach new kids.
NOT ALWAYS. Vacation Bible School works for some churches but not others. A relevant Sunday morning children’s ministry is the best way to consistently reach new kids. Many new VBS kids never return to church. If you really want growth, then make your Sunday morning children's church a world-class event every week.
MYTH #7: You have to grow up to serve God.
FALSE. The Bible tells several stories where kids did cool things for God before they ever grew into adults. Examples are David, Samuel, King Josiah, the servant girl who told Naaman to go see Elisha, and Jesus Himself teaching in the temple at twelve years of age.
MYTH #8: Youth ministry is better than children’s ministry for growing a church.
FALSE. Teenagers will drive on their own to a youth group that meets their needs. Mom and Dad may attend another church. Kids who get excited about a Sunday morning children’s ministry will pressure their parents to bring them to church. Many churches are filled with families who are there because the kids want to be there.
MYTH #9: Small groups are the best way to disciple kids.
NOT NECESSARILY. Abiding in the word of God is what discipleship is all about (John 8:31). The best way to disciple kids is to teach them principles from God’s word. Some churches do this better in large groups and some are more successful in small groups. The important thing to remember is that discipleship is more about the content, and less about the method. Small groups are great for relationship building and prayer, but not always for teaching God's word.
MYTH #10: Children's ministry is costly.
FALSE. According the George Barna's well-researched book, Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions, churches get more return for their money in children's ministry than from any other department. Churches that want the most for their money put it in children's ministry. In the long run, withholding money from children's ministry is more costly than spending the money to do it right.
Source: http://www.kidzblitz.com
posted by Maurice Sweetsur @ 2:06 AM
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