Important Reasons We Teach Children Different than Adults
Games / GameLife 1-2-3
- Games are like a “universal language” every child enjoys playing games! (Not every child enjoys arts, crafts, music, or sports. Through a sister-ministry, “Kids Games,” experiential games have proven a fruitful tool for teaching the Bible in over 100 countries).
- Games become a powerful “draw” that will bring children back week after week. Also, because of the game’s “fun factor” children and their parents both invite friend’s and neighbor’s children to the weekly training sessions.
- Important Note: If you are unable to do the game experience “Play 1 Game” you can simply StoryTeach the game experience (while not as powerful the children will still be able to understand the concrete game example. Pray for creativity for a similar indoor game or game with fewer people). Then simply go through the rest of the training session. See and use StoryLife 1-2-3 when it would be impossible to play games.
Stories / StoryLife 1-2-3
- Children (and adults) love stories! Stories are easy for children to memorize and retell.
- Same Bible Discovery format in Three Thirds format with High Expectations and Specific Accountability.
- Biblical, Simple, Memorable, and Highly Reproducible (Accurate parallel of a biblical truth).
Gospel
- Children are trained each week to share the Gospel with family and friends.
- The Gospel is shared and practiced each week in the training session. Children love repetition. As soon as you can allow children to help in the training.
- Each week there will be new boys and girls that have never heard the Gospel that is why the Gospel needs to be shared every week.
- Also, we are training the children to become evangelists and we want them to hear and practice sharing the Gospel each week so it becomes a natural part of their life.
- We use “Creation to Christ Hand Motions” as this is a simple way for children to share the truth of the Gospel and it requires “no resources” (no paper, no writing tool, no need to spell words while writing) so the children will always have this tool with them to share the Gospel.
- Hand Motions can easily be shared one-on-one or in large groups from 50 to 500!
Lord’s Prayer
- Children are trained each week to pray as taught by Jesus.
- The Lord’s prayer is used every week to teach principles about prayer and children are encouraged to pray along those principles taught by Jesus, important not just reciting words, but learning principles of prayer.
Memory Verse
- Children are trained each week to memorize a Scripture verse.
- The verse is a reminder of the truth of the passage and God has promised in Isaiah 55:11 “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
Worship Song
- Children love singing praises to Jesus.
- We encourage the leaders to allow the children to choose their favorite worship songs as this causes children to consider what worship song is their personal favorite.
One Main Truth of the passage is emphasized
- Children are trained to personally discover God’s One Main Truth from a narrative passage.
- Rather than have an open-ended discussion on any part of a passage, children are encouraged to personally discover the choice and result of the biblical narrative.
- One Main Truth of the passage is emphasized and the memory verse reinforces this One Main Truth.
- The “One Main Truth” is discovered in three learning styles:
- Experience God’s Truth
(by playing 1 Game experience) - Discover God’s Truth
(by seeing 2 Bible discoveries) - Obey God’s Truth
(by applying 3 Life connections)
Challenge
- Church, we need to stop simple moralistic behavior modification, “be nice to your brother/sister and be quiet when dad and mom are talking.”
- Church, we need to stop entertaining children and youth and start “Training Champions for Eternity!”
Leadership Training Opportunities for the Marginalized
- No extra work for existing leaders, simply add new leaders from those often marginalized and under utilized: youth, females and males.
- “Leaders lead or they leave!” This principle applies to children and youth. If the church does not provide leadership opportunities for their children and youth these souls will be drawn into the world.
- GameLife is a:
- Non-Threatening (the ministry is fun and many want to join the leadership team).
- Entry-Level (the ministry is easy so almost everyone can help in some way).
- Leadership-Experience (the ministry can be led by one individual, but the best way to lead the ministry is to recruit many to have a role on the leadership team).