How to Teach Children The Bible STUDENT BOOK A

Transcription

1 FEED my LAMBS How to Teach Children The Bible STUDENT BOOK A

2 FEED MY LAMBS STUDY BOOK (A) CONTENTS Page Introduction to the Course... A-2 Lessons 1A The Christian Teacher s Greatest Aim... A-3 1B Why Children Need Bible Teaching... A-8 2A How Children Become Christ s Disciples (Part 1)... A-19 2B How Children Become Christ s Disciples (Part 2)... A-29 3A Understanding Children (Part 1)... A-37 3B Understanding Children (Part 2)... A-43 4A The Four Steps of a Bible Lesson... A-56 4B How to Prepare a Bible Lesson... A-61 5A Teaching Aids (Part 1)... A-71 5B Teaching Aids (Part 2)... A-86 6A The Introduction (Part 1)... A-95 6B The Introduction (Part 2) : Practical Work... A-103 7A The Bible Story (Part 1)... A-109 7B The Bible Story (Part 2) : Practical Work... A-121 8A The Story Review (Part 1)... A-125 8B The Story Review (Part 2) : Practical Work... A-132 9A The Application (Part 1)... A-140 9B The Application (Part 2) : Practical Work... A A Group Management... A B Relationships of the Christian Teacher... A A How to Plan and Run a Children s Camp... A B Further Projects (optional)... A A Review for the Final Exam... A B Your Commitment... A-187 Assessment Sheets Support Page for the Assessment Sheets... A-189 Assessment Sheets 1 to 4 on the Presentation of the Four Teaching Steps... A-190 Index of Teaching Aids... A-194 A-1

3 INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE This is a training course on how to teach Bible stories effectively to 4-12 year old children in Sunday Schools, Bible Clubs, or even as parents in the home. There are two students books A Study Book containing the Home Studies and a Resource Book containing all the supplementary material that will be required, including suggested follow-up projects for future development. The pages of these two students books are numbered as A-1, A-2 and B-1, B-2 etc. respectively. These two books must always be kept together, both for home study and also in each weekly group meeting. The Group Leader, with the use of the Group Leader s Guide, will meet weekly with the students to go over the Lessons. The New International Version of the Bible has been used throughout and it is advisable that students use this version. If not, they must be responsible for making any adjustments necessary. The first three weeks of the course introduce the theory and biblical basis of children s ministry, but the bulk of the Home Studies (weeks 4 to 9) teach step-by-step how to prepare and teach a Bible Lesson so that the children can become good disciples of Jesus. At each stage, the trainee teacher covers the theory and preparation at home by means of these Studies and observes and practices teaching skills in the weekly group meeting. These weekly group meetings form an essential part of this course, because practical skills can be acquired only by practice. If possible the course leader should have real experience of telling Bible stories to children, and should give maximum opportunity to the students to try out new skills in the group. It is important that this course be taught in close cooperation with the local church pastor. Pastors should recommend students to do the course and should afterwards give them opportunities to teach in the church s Sunday School or Children s Bible Club. The course takes approximately 12 weeks. Once the student has completed the course successfully, it is up to each church or minister if they wish to present him/her with a PASS certificate and accredit this in their church study program. A-2 SEAN Internacional

4 LESSON 1A The Christian Teacher s Greatest Aim The Christian Teacher s Greatest Aim 1. Welcome to this Training Course for those engaged, or wishing to be engaged, in teaching the Bible to children, whether in a Christian club, in Sunday School, in the home, or anywhere else. In this first Study we are going to consider what should be the GREATEST aim of such a teacher. Unless we are sure of this aim from the outset we will have little chance of finally hitting our target, as in this diagram! First, please consider the two excellent aims listed below: A. To use the best skills and educational techniques to teach children to become capable, successful and good citizens. B. To use the Bible to teach children to become disciples of Jesus Christ. Which of the above would you say would be the aim of the average, dedicated, secular teacher, A or B? 2. Of course, to be successful, the Christian teacher will also have to acquire the excellent skills and educational techniques used by many good secular teachers and will also do all he or she can to prepare children to become good citizens. Indeed, this course will help you to achieve these objectives as well. However, these things alone will not enable you to achieve the GREATEST aim of a Christian teacher, which the Lord Jesus commanded in his great commission in Matthew 28: Here he says: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,... teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. According to Jesus, what must be our greatest aim as we teach our children the Bible, the one which distinguishes our task from that of the purely secular teacher. It is to teach them to be Christ s d. Hopefully, this course will also allow you to achieve this supreme aim. 3. Many people think that Jesus great commission in Matthew 28 only refers to teaching adults, but that is not the case. From what age had Timothy been taught the Bible according to Paul s words to him in 2 Timothy 3:15? From 1. A. 2. disciples 3. infancy Feed My Lambs A-3

5 Lesson 1A 4. The Lord Jesus loved little children (Matthew 19:14). Indeed, just before his great commission in Matthew 28 to teach and make disciples of all nations, he had also given two commands to Peter. Feed my lambs (John 21:15) Feed my sheep (John 21:17) Yes, just as important as teaching adults is the task of teaching our children, Jesus lambs, to become his disciples. Of the two commands above, which came first to feed the lambs or to feed the sheep? To feed the 5. As a Christian teacher, you have one of the most important jobs for Jesus: that is to teach Christ s lambs. To do this you don t have to travel to a far country or to learn another language. God has given you the opportunity to do this right here in your Sunday School, children s club or home! What is the greatest aim of the Christian teacher? a. To teach children to be Christ s disciples. b. To entertain the children. c. To teach children as many new things as possible. 6. However, this is no easy task. In fact, we can t do it by ourselves. It is the work of the Holy Spirit first to bring the children to faith in Jesus and then to build them up in that faith. In all our ministry among children we must depend on God s help. We praise him that he uses even us, unworthy servants, in this great work of making: a. Our own disciples. b. The disciples of some great modern leader. c. Christ s disciples. 7. Jesus words in Matthew 28:19-20 also show us HOW we can make disciples. Look back at 1A.2. Which of the following were the exact words of Jesus on that occasion? a....teaching them everything I have commanded you. b....teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. 8. In view of this, which of the following is most important if the children are to become true disciples of Christ? a. Just knowledge. b. Just practice. c. Both knowledge and practice. 4. lambs 5. a. 6. c. 7. b. 8. c. A-4 SEAN Internacional

6 The Christian Teacher s Greatest Aim 9. For this difficult task we not only have the help of the Holy Spirit, we also have just the right textbook the Bible. The Bible has the power to change people s lives. Look again at 2 Timothy 3:15 and fill in the blanks below:...from a) you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for b). 10. The first step for any child to become Christ s disciple is for them to say Jesus is MY Savior and truly mean it. It was through knowledge of the Holy Scriptures (the Bible) that the child Timothy was brought to this saving faith in Jesus. But this was only the first step. After that, it took many years to build this child up to be a mature disciple of Jesus. For example, in 2 Timothy 3:16, there are four ways mentioned that are useful for building up a disciple. What are they? a) b) c) d) in righteousness. 11. Therefore, it is important that the children not only gain knowledge from God s word, but also act on it. According to the same passage in 2 Timothy 3:15-17, the children should first of all be brought to salvation. Then they need teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. From which book will they gain all these things? The 12. Now it is a great pity that so often in teaching the Bible to our children there is more stress put on knowledge than practice. By concentrating on getting the children to memorize facts, names, verses and stories it is judged sufficient if they can give the correct answers. But which of the following is the better measure of any disciple of Christ? a. He remembers 90% of what he has learned in the Bible lesson. b. He acts on 90% of what he has learned in the Bible lesson. 13. Turn to the story Jesus told about the wise man and the foolish man in Matthew 7: a) Which of these men heard Jesus teaching? a. The wise man. b. The foolish man. c. Both of them. Continued 9. a) infancy b) salvation 10. a) teaching b) rebuking c) correcting d) training 11. The Bible (the Holy Scriptures) 12. b. 13. a) c. Feed My Lambs A-5

7 Lesson 1A 13. Continued b) Which man also acted on Jesus teaching? a. The wise man. b. The foolish man. c. Both of them. 14. So, to achieve our greatest aim as Christian teachers to teach the children to be Christ s disciples we need to give them not only knowledge, but also to teach them how to put this knowledge into in their lives. 15. Samuel is a Sunday School teacher. Once he taught the children this Bible verse, Be kind to one another. What is the best way to tell if the children have learned this lesson well? a. The children can recite the verse, Be kind to one another. b. The children say that we should be kind to one another. c. The children are kind to one another. 16. Miriam, Ada and Andy are all good teachers, but which of them is doing the most important thing? a. Miriam says : I prepare the lesson carefully. b. Ada says: I help the children to put the Bible into practice. c. Andy says: I use good visual aids when teaching. 17. As a Christian teacher, you will have a profound influence on the children. But remember that it takes many years to prepare a disciple for Christ. Probably you won t achieve this on your own; other people, especially the children s parents, will play their part. But the important thing is for you to play the part that God has entrusted to you. With your help a child will climb one step towards mature discipleship and it may be someone else who helps him on to the next step. What is our greatest aim as Christian teachers? 13. b) a. 14. practice 15. c. 16. b. 17. To teach children to be Christ s disciples A-6 SEAN Internacional