RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

It's a proven fact that the least effective way to teach and communicate is through monologue.

If you want kids to really get into the lesson, then you've got to go beyond lecturing and make it an experience.

Here's an example.  You can tell the kids that Moses lead the Israelites through the Red Sea.

or

You can make it a learning experience that the kids will never forget.

For this to happen, you need to immerse the kids into the story.  Here's how.

Get a large, blue tarp.

Lay it flat on the ground.

Have 3-4 volunteers pick up the tarp on the two sides.  Leave the middle of the tarp on the ground.  It will be the bottom of the Red Sea.

Have some watery, ocean sounds playing through the speakers. 

Have the kids walk through the middle of the blue tarp.  As they are walking through the Red Sea, have some more volunteers spray the kids with a mist from a water bottle.

The volunteers holding up the four corners of the tarp can also shake the tarp to make the water come alive.

Here is a simple diagram of the props.
After the kids have walked through the Red Sea, have them get into small groups and discuss thiese questions:

• How do you think the Israelites felt walking through the Red Sea?

• How do you think you would have felt walking through the real Red Sea?

• How did God show the Israelites that He was with them?

• How does God show you that He is with you in tough or scary times? 

When you do things like this, it will help your lesson come alive.  You can do this with any Bible story.  All you need to do is sit down with 3-4 people and start brainstorming.  You will be amazed at the creative ideas you'll come up with. 

One last thought - don't feel like you have to come up with expensive experiences. You can use simple items that cost very little.  And many times people on your team will have an object you need to use. 

Our goal should be creating learning experiences that kids love being a part of and then using that experience to talk and debrief on what they saw, felt and experienced.  This is the diving board that moves kids into discussing deeper Bible truths based not just on the experience, but on what God's Word says as well.  Get both working together and you'll create a dynamic spiritual growth opportunity for children. 

Your turn.  What are some other simple, but cool, interactive object lessons you have used that worked well?  Share with us in the comment section below.

Did you know that if you did the following things this past weekend the kids have already forgotten 90% of what you taught?

You didn't let them talk.
Kids learn best not by being lectured to, but by talking, asking questions and interacting.  If you did all the talking, they've forgotten most of what you said. 

You didn't use any pictures.
Half of the brain is dedicated to visual function.  65% of kids are visual learners.  A picture truly is worth a thousand words.

You tried to teach too many things. 
You tried to cram too much information in their head.  If you tried to teach them five truths instead of one key truth, they probably don't remember any of them.  Less is more. 

You didn't use repetition.
If you only said it one time, they've forgotten it.  If you repeated it 6 or more times, their retention rate went up to 90%.  Repetition truly is the key to learning.

You didn't hit all learning styles.
You had kids with lots of different learning styles in the room.  If you only tapped into one or two, you missed many of the kids.

You didn't honor their attention span.
If you talked over 5 minutes without switching to something else, they zoned out.  Honor their attention span and you will keep it.

You didn't use an object they will see this week.
If you didn't use something they will see this week as an example or object lesson, you missed a great opportunity to remind them of what you taught.  The one way street sign they will see many times this week could have been a reminder that Jesus is the one way to heaven.

You didn't show them how to apply it to their life and challenge them to live it out.
If you didn't teach beyond the facts and show them how to apply it to their life this week, you shortchanged them.  Information without application doesn't lead to life change.

You didn't engage all their senses.
If you only engaged their ears and eyes, you missed other key senses that help move truth into long-term memory.  Touch, smell and taste help kids remember.

You didn't engage their emotions.
Emotion is a glue of learning.  If you didn't create experiences that help them feel the tension of the truth, then you missed a golden opportunity.

So...what's the answer?  Simply incorporate the things you missed and watch kids remember what you teach them for a lifetime.