Spot the problem with this session:
Opening game – dodgeball
Song – Father Abraham
Bible story – feeding the 5000
Quiz – recognising different kinds of fish
Prayer – for good weather for the church picnic
Craft – making paper windmills
We all want children to enjoy a session, and most of them would enjoy this one. A lively game, an action song, a great story, a competitive quiz, prayer for a sunny day, and a fun craft that moves in the wind. Cool!
BUT...
How many of these tie in with the Bible story? A fish quiz maybe, especially if you add some loaves as well. And perhaps the church picnic.
But if we apply the rule of thumb to this Bible story (see yesterday’s blog post on starting with passage), then we know the main idea is about Jesus. How many of these activities help the children understand and remember what this miracle shows about who Jesus is, and then apply this to their own lives? None of them.
Yes, we want children to have fun - but the key is to focus the fun. As far as possible, every activity should be focused on the Bible passage, helping children get to know the story or passage, understand the concepts behind it, and apply it to their own lives. So here’s an alternative:
Opening game – relay race collecting word cards, which the children then put together to discover a memory verse that supports the theme
Song – anything about Jesus (rather than Abraham!)
Bible story – feeding the 5000 (thinking about how to tell the story to focus on who Jesus is – not how generous the boy was in sharing his packed lunch)
Quiz – based on the Bible story, and maybe other recent stories that point to who Jesus is
Prayer – thanking Jesus for who He is, and that no problem is too great for Him
Craft – a collage of the story that the children can then use to explain it to their parents
And if you’re using published material, you apply the same principles. The first priority in selecting activities is choosing the ones that will focus the fun where it needs to be – on the truths God is showing us from His Word.
Alison Mitchell is a Senior Editor at The Good Book Company, where she has worked on a range of products including Bible-reading notes for children and families, and the Christianity Explored range of resources. She is the best-selling author of The Christmas Promise and the award-winning Jesus and the Lions' Den.
