WORKING WITH CHILDREN Teaching Sunday School

Transcription

1 WORKING WITH CHILDREN Teaching Sunday School Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version (Anglicised edition) Copyright 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica (formerly International Bible Society). Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. NIV is a registered trademark of Biblica (formerly International Bible Society). UK trademark number Preface Many children in the world today grow up knowing nothing about God or about Jesus Christ or about the gospel. This is especially true in the western world which characterises itself as a post-christian society it neither needs God nor sees the need even to oppose the idea of God because he is seen as irrelevant. In other parts of the world, religious influences remain with Christianity still shaping some people s worldview. But just how biblical are these? These are big issues. But what, you may be wondering, has a little booklet about Sunday School got to do with changes in the influences on people s lives and beliefs? Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 2 The answer is: a lot. Having the opportunity to influence our children and young people with the basic truths of the Bible while they are young can only be a good thing, which God the Holy Spirit can use to change them, change the communities in which they live and prepare them for eternity. This humble booklet therefore focusses on this important part of any church s ministry to younger ones the weekly Sunday School. It s based on a series of Serving Today radio programmes made with the help of Graham and Sally Jones who are both involved in training and encouraging church leaders and their wives in Western Kenya. In particular they have run training seminars for those involved in Sunday School teaching. The first four chapters give an overview of biblical principles and guidelines to help those engaged in a Sunday School ministry as well as those in the general oversight of a church. The last three chapters give practical suggestions for preparing and planning the content of a lesson and running the weekly class. We pray that those engaged in this vital aspect of the church s work will be helped through this publication. The impact that Sunday School teachers have on children will only be fully known in heaven, so we trust that you will be encouraged to continue in this good work which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph.2:10).

2 Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 3 This booklet also accompanies a previous one entitled Working with Children Running Holiday or Weekly Children s Bible Clubs. Andrew Cook March 2014 Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 4 2) Sunday School is one of the ministries of the church Children were involved when the Israelites gathered to hear the word of God at Mount Gerizim (Jos.8:35), and they were also included in rejoicing before God when the people gathered to worship God (Neh.12:43). A good Sunday school will develop the work of the church by helping the children to learn about the things of God. Chapter 1: Biblical Principles of Sunday School 1) There is a divine pattern for relationships: God parents child It s vitally important to remember that God gives the responsibility to parents to teach their children. In the Old Testament, parents were to impress the things of God on their children, they were commanded to talk about them in the home, when they walked along the road, when they lay down and when they got up (Deut.6:7). In the New Testament, Paul writing to the church at Ephesus instructs children to obey your parents in the Lord ; fathers are to bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Eph.6:1-4). So a good Sunday School will support the parents in their responsibility of bringing up their children. Chapter 2: The Purpose of Sunday School 1) Sunday School is to provide Bible teaching The teaching from God s Word provided by the church needs to be appropriate to children. There are different ways to think about this. There is the feeding of God s lambs when Jesus said to Peter Feed my lambs (John 21:15). In Sunday School we re looking after God s flock, the little lambs who need feeding from God s Word. We are also to care for God s little ones: just like a kitchen provides food for the family, so Sunday School provides children with spiritual food from the Bible that is appropriate to their age and stage of

3 Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 5 development. Such food needs to be prepared so that it is easily digested and taken in to their hearts. We want to teach children to follow God s ways and, therefore, they need to learn from the Scriptures when they are young as the Teacher says in Ecclesiastes says: Remember your creator in the days of your youth (Ecc.12:1). Sunday school is a means of teaching children to serve the Lord and of training the next generation in the things of God. Sunday School teachers are like spiritual parents guiding and instructing them in God s Word just as Timothy had learned the Scriptures when he was young from his family. 2) Sunday School is to bring children to faith in Christ Our desire should be to teach children in such a way that brings them to faith and trust in Christ for themselves. Jesus said: your heavenly Father is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. (Matt.18:14, see also Mark 10:13-16). 3) Sunday School prepares children for church life When children come to faith in the Lord Jesus, Sunday School then prepares them in some ways to be part of church life. As we see from the story of Timothy in the New Testament, he learned the Holy Scriptures when he was young (2 Tim 1:5; 3:15) and this brought him to faith. Later, when Paul went to the church in Lystra where Timothy was, people spoke well of him (Acts 16:1-2) Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 6 because he was growing into a keen young Christian. He then became a trainee missionary as Paul took him along on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:3). Eventually Timothy became a church leader and Paul wrote to encourage him to be faithful in his teaching of following the things of God (1 Tim.4:6). Timothy s life is a good example of a growing young person being prepared for church life by being taught as a child this should be another aim in Sunday School. 4) Sunday School relates the Bible to Daily Life We need to think about how to relate the Bible to daily life for children. Training children is an essential process in raising children so we teach them God s ways while they are young (Prov.22:6). This means training them to love God with all their hearts while they are young so that their lives will be lived in submission to God. (Prov.23:12, 15, 17, 19, 26). Sunday School teaching is a way to apply the Word of God appropriately for their stage of growing up. The exhortation to guard our hearts is something the book of Proverbs talks much about: Above all guard your heart, it is the well spring of life. In Sunday School we want to encourage children to love God while they are young.

4 Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 7 Chapter 3: The Qualities of a Sunday School Teacher There are two things that church leaders need to think about when considering who should be involved in Sunday School teaching. Firstly, there is the character of the person and, secondly, the particular role they would have. 1) Character Spiritual growth: A Sunday School teacher must be a believer and should know the Lord Jesus for themselves so that they can teach the children the things of God and be able to share that love with the children. As Joshua said to the people of Israel: As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. (Jos.24:15) A godly example of Christian living: Children will hear the words of eternal life from their teacher and see them lived out by their teachers. Sunday School teachers are living examples of the things they teach the children, and what better type of teacher for children to have! In the Bible, we read about Timothy who had learned the Scriptures from both his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois. He saw saving faith modelled in the lives of these women (2 Tim.1:5; 3:14-15). Paul also says that Timothy is himself to be a model to his church in speech, life, love, purity, faith and in following the ways of God. The church would then follow the ways of God. Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 8 So a Sunday School teachers should a Christian who is living rightly before God. 2) Role A Sunday School teacher must be committed to: - the ministry of teaching children. They need to be there each week, they need to like the children themselves and they must want the children to understand God s word and come to faith in Him. - the children themselves. Teaching children is not for the benefit to the teacher, but its purpose is for children to learn about God; to love and follow the ways of God while they are young. - their fellow teachers. This means speaking supportively about their fellow teachers. If teachers share a class, they should pass on the news week by week about what has done in the Sunday School class and how these things can be followed up. - the church. They and their family should come to the church regularly showing the children they teach that they are following the ways of God. Remember how God spoke to Abraham saying that he [Abraham] will direct his children and his household after him in keeping the way of the Lord by doing what is right (Gen.18:18-

5 Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 9 19). The pattern set for Abraham to do what is right is also good for Sunday School teachers to follow. A Sunday School teacher must be caring towards children. In Sunday School, children are told about God s great love for us and the reason he sent his son Jesus Christ. They are also told how important it is to be loving and caring towards others. It seems obvious that a Sunday School teacher needs to show this in their care and concern for the children and young people they are involved with. When Jesus met the children brought to him by their parents, the disciples wanted to push the children away, but Jesus valued them, blessing and praying for the children (Mark 10:13-16, Luke 18:15-17). A Sunday School teacher must be prepared. Preparation is important for the effectiveness of a lesson. If we ve prepared the Bible story, thought about what we re going to pray for, and if we ve thought about the children we re going to teach, these things can help us to run an effective Sunday School lesson. A Sunday School teacher is someone who has the time, the heart and the commitment to prepare well week by week. Preparing well shows that what is taught is important and that the people we re trying to teach are important. Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 10 A Sunday School teacher must be prayerful. All Christian ministry is God s work and should be brought to Him in prayer. Just as God spoke at the original creation Let light shine out of darkness, it is only the Holy Spirit who can bring the light of the Gospel into the hearts of children and make His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God s glory displayed in the face of Christ (2 Cor 4:6). A teacher therefore should be praying for each child in their Sunday School class. For example, if there are seven or eight children in a class, you could pray for one child each day. If there are 30 children, pray for one child per day throughout a whole month. For bigger classes, for two or three children each day during a month. Job modelled this in his practice of praying for and purifying his children in case they had sinned (Job 1:5). A Sunday School teacher needs to be a prayerful person for the work that God has given them to do. One question that arises out of the above qualities of a Sunday School teacher is whether all these marks should be seen as equally important? The most vital of these is Christian character, that is someone who knows the Lord Jesus for themselves, who can share this with the children and who is setting a godly example. The character will define how well a person does the particular role. So it would be best to think first about Christian character before thinking about the other areas.

6 Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 11 Chapter 4: The Children we Teach A summary of Jesus attitude towards children is the best place to start when considering the children we teach in Sunday School. In simple terms, we can say that Jesus loved the children. In Jesus day and generation children were seen and not heard, but in the gospels we see Jesus concern for children: People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he was indignant. He said to them, Let the little children come to me, do not hinder them for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it and he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. (Mark 10:13-16) Jesus love is evident in his indignation with the disciples who were pushing the children away. Instead he tells them to come to him, taking them in his arms, putting his hands on them, blessing and praying for them so that God would do them much good. If this is the love that Jesus had for the children, it is a love that we need to cultivate as well. We must remember this as we go through the following points about what we need to know about children and how they will behave in the context of a Sunday School lesson. 1) Children are active and restless This is one of their key characteristics, they are growing up, they are investigating things, they like action, they re happy when they are doing things. Therefore sitting and Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 12 listening in a Sunday School class for a long period of uninterrupted time may be difficult for children, especially boys. We have to remember that they are young and they don t sit and listen as long as adults do. But children also like Bible talks, they enjoy stories that move along in an interesting way and we can get them involved in activities and games that help them to understand more about the Bible story. Here are some ideas that help to address some of these keys characteristics of children in a Sunday School lesson: Think about the programme of the whole lesson; make sure there is singing, prayer and a Bible talk. Plan a frequent change of activity: include a memory verse, a quiz, more songs and yet another prayer the children will not then be doing any one thing for a long period of time. When giving the Bible talk make sure you know it well so that you can tell it in an interesting way. Of course, using the Bible is a starting point but avoid reading large sections of Scripture. Try telling some of the story in your own words to make it interesting for the children. During the Bible talk include questions, get the children to repeat key words or phrases, get them to finish parts of sentences or even act out parts of the story. All this will help the children to overcome their natural restlessness.

7 Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 13 2) Children think simply Children struggle to understand theoretical concepts like hope or holiness they will not understand ideas they ve not seen unless they are clearly explained or pictured. Think of ways of explaining God s word in a way a child can understand clearly: Prepare the lesson well. Read through the Bible story and pick out four or five things you know will need to be explained. For example if teaching about holiness and that God is completely holy and pure, one way to do this is to hold up a completely white piece of paper, then taking another sheet of paper which beforehand has been rubbed in the dirt. The dirty piece of paper is a picture of how our hearts are dirty with sin but God is completely holy, pure and clean just like the completely clean piece of paper. Use clear, simple words and thoughts so that children can understand what is explained from God s word. Refer to things they will understand from home, school or everyday situations. For example, things they might come across in their shamba [in Swahili, shamba is a small plot of land used for growing subsistence crops and fruit-bearing trees and often includes the dwelling of the farmer adapted from Wikipedia entry], maybe something on their walk to school, in family life or in the world that they live in. It s always good to Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 14 remember that children are involved in very practical things, so using practical pictures and examples and illustrations can help the children understand. Use pictures and illustrations. If thinking about becoming strong in the faith, use the example of a tree with strong roots that enable it to withstand the winds, to feed well and become fruitful. This can be applied to children by saying that if we are to have strong roots, we need to be firm in God s word in order to live fruitful lives for God. This helps them understand that Christians are to show and have stability. 3) Children want to be liked This is particular true of children, they want their teachers to like them and to think well of them. They want to do what pleases the teacher. When you ask them a question, many of them may put up their hands even if they do not know the answer. This is because they want to be considered as important and be valued. Just as Jesus cared for children so they will also want that from their Sunday School teachers. Here are some helpful pointers to letting children know that they are valued and cared for: Learn each child s name and welcome them by name each week. Keep a register so that you can monitor who is there week by week. By being early and prepared shows that you re ready for the children and

8 Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 15 knowing their names will make them feel welcome and valued. One way to remember their names is to pray for the children by name during the week. Pray for what they have told you - maybe they have got a new goat or they are moving to a new school. This will remind you to ask them about those things on the following Sunday. When teaching the children make sure you smile, look at them and act as though you are speaking directly to each one. Don t just spend all your time with the children that are making a lot of noise but remember to catch the children doing something good and to praise them for that. You can show by your actions that you like them just as Jesus took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. With a smile, by being friendly and welcoming, by praying for the children, this shows something of the care that Jesus had for children and testifies about the care we can have for them. Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 16 Chapter 5: The Bible Talk So far we ve been thinking about the reasons for and the principles that underlie a Sunday School class. We now move to more practical matters; planning and organising the content of a lesson. It s good to have various different items in a Sunday School lesson. Children enjoy singing and it s always good to pray, if there is time then a memory verse can reinforce the lesson and maybe a quiz will help the children to remember what they ve learnt. But the key thing to include in a lesson is of course teaching from the Bible. If this is not part of the lesson, the children are not then receiving any content. So if there isn t time for anything else, at the very least teaching the children from the Bible is the most important element. Teaching from the Bible needs to be done differently depending on the children in any particular class. With younger children, certain parts of the Bible would need to be left out such as the prophecies of the Old Testament or the book of Revelation or the letters of Paul to the churches. However, it is good to give them an idea of the main stories of the Old Testament and the life of Jesus from the Gospels to emphasise why he came and died then rose again. Consider the age of the children being taught and what they can cope with. With young children the aim would be to

9 Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 17 teach them the stories of the Bible and show how the Bible fits together with an emphasis on Jesus. Think about how to organise Sunday School groups. Ideally, depending on the space available and on how many teachers there are, it is good to divide them into groups a group for very young children, another group for slightly older ones and possibly a third group for those who are older still. This enables the teachers to target the lessons according to particular age groups. The ability to sit and listen to the story will be different in each age group. Children under the age of five have a very limited concentration span ten minutes will be enough for a child that age. When they are a bit older ten to fifteen minutes would be suitable, but not more than twenty minutes for any child of primary school age. It is possible for children to sit for a whole hour but it is necessary to ask whether they have actually learned anything. So it s better to keep things short, making them go away, wanting to hear more. They are then more likely to learn and to come back next lesson. A sample lesson based on the story of Jesus going to visit the temple in Jerusalem (Luke 2:40-52) Just as with meal preparation, plates and cutlery are put out, hands are washed, the food is eaten and finally everything is cleared away, so any lesson needs to have a beginning, a middle and an end. Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 18 1) Point of contact (The beginning) Don t go straight into the lesson, but start with something to get the children interested. In this case, ask them if they have ever been lost? Or if they always obey their parents? This helps the children to link where they are in the here and now to the story that is going to be taught. 2) The Story (The middle) It s best to avoid reading straight from the Bible, but instead try retelling the story using simple language, asking questions about things that would make it easier for them to understand. If there are words that they don t grasp, such as temple or festival, this gives the teachers an opportunity for explanation. 3) Message/Application (The end) A Sunday School lesson is not an academic exercise, so it needs to end with an application or message. As children are taught about God s word, they need to be shown what this story is actually trying to teach them. Towards the end of the passage, we re told that Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. (Luke 2:52) It also shows that he always obeyed his parents (2:51). These are the messages, lessons and applications that can be drawn out for the children. Sometimes there may be just one message or point that you want to teach. Finishing the lesson well is important so

10 Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 19 that it doesn t just fizzle out. Think of a closing sentence to end with a bit of a bang! Further pointers for delivering a lesson: It needs to be interesting and engaging for the children. This means looking at them and minimising distractions. If other things are going on in another part of the place where you re meeting, make the children all turn round the other way so they can t see it. Vary the pace of a lesson: get excited, then go really quiet, then very slowly to keep them interested. If possible use a visual aid for them to look at. Draw your own pictures if you don t have pictures to hand. Get the children to act out the story or bring in props from home. For example, in this story, bring along a big bag which could be used as part of the story to show Jesus and his family getting ready for making the journey to Jerusalem. Try not to be too long; think about how old the children are. Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 20 Chapter 6: A Lesson Programme As we ve seen, the Bible story is the most important element of a Sunday School lesson, but it s not the only thing worth including. This chapter outlines what other items can make up a lesson. Preparation This has already been mentioned, but remember that the children in your Sunday School class come from all kinds of different situations. Maybe first thing in the morning they re not ready to listen, so you have to prepare their hearts like preparing the ground for planting a seed. Your own preparation is very important. You need to arrive before the children and have all the things that you need ready and in place. The lesson must be well-prepared as this will help us to teach a good lesson and help the children to realise that this is important. Starting the lesson Begin the lesson by singing one or more songs. This gives time for late-comers to arrive and just join in the Sunday School lesson. Then have a prayer of praise and thanks to God. Then sing another song to just to settle the children before the Bible talk.

11 Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 21 Praying Long prayers are not necessarily more spiritual than short prayers. Remember that when praying in front of or on behalf of children, that they need to understand the prayer if they re going to be able to say Amen. Use language that they can understand. Praying in Sunday School is not the same as praying in the privacy of our own home. Some people feel very strongly that children should be encouraged to pray. If there are children in your Sunday School class who are converted it might be good to encourage them occasionally to take part in the prayer time. It s good to praise God following the pattern of the Lord s Prayer which begins with God who is in heaven. The Psalms are also useful as are other passages in the Bible. Get the children to suggest things to thank God for, maybe taking a letter of the alphabet each week and work your way through from A to Z. For example, think of a characteristic of God to explain to the children then use that in the prayer time with them. Being spontaneous is good as prayer shouldn t become something rigid and regimented. A prayer time can also be an opportunity to teach children and therefore it shouldn t be treated as just for our own private communication with the Lord. Those who lead therefore need to prepare for that time well. Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 22 Singing Singing has several benefits apart from the fact that the children enjoy it. Singing helps to reinforce the Sunday School teaching that s just been done or it can serve to lead into the Sunday School teaching, preparing the children s hearts. Songs develop the children s understanding of God which means that songs need to be selected that they will understand. If using songs that are mainly sung by adults, some words will need to be explained, otherwise they re not going to know what they re singing about. Ask the children questions by reading a verse with them and talk about it briefly before they sing it. They will then have a better and deeper understanding of what they re actually singing. To teach or introduce new songs will depend on what equipment is available. With a blackboard or a hymn book the words can be in front of the children and can be learned one verse at a time. A danger to avoid is that of going over and over it to the point that it becomes tedious. It s best to keep it short by learning one verse at a time and coming back to it the following week to learn the next verse. It s also important to choose songs before the lesson instead of arriving at the lesson and thinking What can we sing? This ensures that the songs fit in with the lesson and the story.

12 Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 23 Occasionally, ask the pastor if the Sunday School can sing one of their songs during the main meeting of the church. Chapter 7: Memory Verses and Quizzes Memory verses are a good tool for teaching the Bible to children and as with singing, children enjoy learning verses from the Bible. This is because they have extremely good memories and their brains are like sponges, soaking things up. It s really good for them to get direct quotes from the Bible into their brains while they are young as they will probably remember them for the rest of their lives. How to teach a memory verse The obvious way is for the teacher to say it or to write it on a board and then the children repeat it. To make it a bit more interesting you could vary it by getting the boys to say it, then the girls to say it or they could shout it really loud, then say it very quietly or have one child to say it on their own. A memory verse can be written out on a board then the teacher removes one word at a time and the children keep repeating it until all the words have been rubbed off and the board is blank. To avoid this taking too long more than one word can be removed at a time. Another way to teach a memory verse to children is to write individual words on bits of card and scatter them Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 24 around either the building or the area where you are. If there are enough children to make up two teams, you would need a duplicate set of cards and they can have a race to find all the words to make up their memory verse which they can then put together and say it out loud. These are different ways to make learning memory verses a bit more interesting. Quizzes After teaching the Bible lesson, it s sometimes good to have a fun time with questions. To make it a proper quiz divide children into two teams and ask each team a question based on what you ve been teaching and include questions that are based on the Bible talk. For a quiz to work well the questions need to be worded in a way that demand a proper answer. The basic rule for quiz questions is to avoid one that can be answered with Yes or No. For example, in the story of Jesus going to visit the temple in Jerusalem (see chapter 5) asking Did Jesus get lost in the temple? is not a good question because the answer is yes. Instead use the five question words: what, where, when, why and how to make good quiz questions. If you decide to score a quiz, it s important it is properly organised, because children are generally very competitive. Scoring needs to be very public so that the children can see that everything is being done fairly. It s also a good opportunity for them to learn in a good way that losing is not the end of the world, that it s not a matter of life and

13 Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 25 death. Decide beforehand on what the rules are going to be. If there are two teams and one of them gets a wrong answer, does the other team get a bonus point? How many attempts do you allow each team to have before accepting an answer? Such things need to be decided in advance as it really must be as fair as possible. Overall, the children need to learn that the purpose of the quiz is to reinforce the lesson rather than getting the most points. Sample quiz questions based on Jesus visit to the temple when he was aged 12 (Luke 2:40-52) This is for two teams with ten questions for each side, which means thinking up two sets of questions, one for team number one, and two for team number two. Question 1 Team 1: Where did Jesus family go each year? Team 2: Why did they go there? Question 2 Team 1: How old was Jesus in the story we read? Team 2: Why did Jesus parents set off for home without him? Question 3 Team 1: How long did they travel without him? Team 2: After how many days did they find him? Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 26 Question 4 Team 1: Where was Jesus? Team 2: What was he doing? Question 5 Team 1: Why were people amazed at him? Team 2: What did his mother say to him? Question 6 Team 1: How do you think Jesus felt? Team 2: How do you think Jesus parents felt? Question 7 Team 1: What did Jesus say to them? Team 2: Why didn t they understand? Question 8 Team 1: Where did they go next? Team 2: How did Jesus behave? Question 9 Team 1: How did Jesus grow? Team 2: Who did he find favour with? Question 10 Team 1: Say today s memory verse Team 2: What is the reference for that memory verse?

14 Working with Children Teaching Sunday School Page 27 Appendix: Sample lesson outline Welcome the children to Sunday School tell them what they re going to be doing in the lesson Opening song Prayer Song All the above will help prepare the ground or soil of their hearts for the: Bible talk Memory verse to reinforce the Bible talk Quiz with questions linked to the talk This book is supplied by Grace Baptist Mission and other titles are available in format at the address below: Grace Baptist Mission 12 Abbey Close Abingdon OXON, UK-OX14 3JD