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Bible work methods with children and young people

If you have listened to a speech, a story, devotion or a sermon before, you will know yourself that only a part of the contents can be retained. If you read the following statistics you will realise that it is important to present the thoughts, bible work and discussions as interestingly and creatively as possible.

• 10% is remembered when listening. That is really very little.

• 30-40% is remembered through listening with visual aids. That is a lot better.

• 70-80% is remembered through listening, seeing and doing. That is the best option.

Seeing, hearing and doing is the most successful way to bring over biblical themes, but it is obviously time consuming. A member of the group listens to a story. If you accompany the story with a few objects, pictures etc. a lot more is remembered, than if you just present the story verbally. If the listener can take part in replaying the story, crafts and activities etc. most of the subject matter will be retained.

This could have the motto: „challenging children means encouraging.“

Try to take the children into the heart of the story.

• What do the pictures represent?

• Give small bits of food for thought (what is that/what is he doing etc.)

• Encourage imagining the story; how would you react if you were him?

• Introduce experiences. For this reason, you will need a joyful and varied presentation.

• Through practical tasks, the group is encouraged to consider.

I have listed a few possibilities here which can be methodically used. Everything is presented from simple telling (oh, well!) to active experiences and joining in (super!). The choice is yours depending upon the time you have available, your “willingness” to prepare everything and the type of group.

1. Telling the biblical stories

2. Devotion: short reflective words to conclude.

   What does the text say to me.

   What does the text say to the group?

3. Let the text be read

   Let everyone bring their own bible. Then they can write their own notes on the pages. Do not make them read in turn, but let them read voluntarily. Option: read out roles and the text becomes more vivid.

4. Look for a golden verse and give reasons

   Let the children look for their own verse which they find good. Which verse speaks to them? There is no pressure. Why is the text interesting? Let them explain in their own words.

5. Biblical reflection according to the "Bibellesebund" bookmark

   1. Pray, 2. Read 3. Think 4. Look up 5. Write out a golden verse 6. Pray

6. Ask these questions: that encourages thinking

   What, where, who, how, how many, when …

7. Marking the verses

   ! That is important to me

   ? I do not understand that

   ; This enlightened me

   : I have to be corrected here

8. Colourful bible

   - mark everything relating to God in the bible in blue

   - mark everything relating to people in red

   - mark everything relating to the devil in black

   - further colours: green (growth in belief)

   - yellow (forgiveness, promises)

9. PPTEK Keyword

   Person, Place, Time, Event, Key statement

   Which people are involved?

   Where does the story take place?

   At what time?

   What happens?

   What does the story / bible passage tell us?

10. Game: Bible up

    Everyone holds their bible up in the air. Next: who can a certain passage of the bible the quickest?

11. Bible up with keyword

    (One word appears in the next verse again, you must listen to what the other person reads to find the word.)

12. Collecting headlines

    a) For the church newsletter/community pages

    b) For the magazine

    c) For the daily newspaper / daily news show

13. Bible work with question marks

    Everyone pulls out a question and answers it

14. Wall board

    Scene segments: separate the elements into scenes similar to a photo story or comic

15. Soundtrack game or report (especially suitable: the lost son)

16. Drawing a slide show

17. Thread/wool pictures on a flannel background

18. Text puzzle

19. A torn sheet: Only half of the text is available, the rest of the page must be completed

20. Find the mistake

21. Picture observation (looking, thinking, find a statement, meaning, ...)

22. Bible work as a group competition

    a) Artist - creation

    b) Lawyer – for and against

    c) Deep psychology – character and people

    d) Actor - sketch of the story

    e) Journalist – find sharp headlines and write articles

    f) Sound engineer - Musical, soundtrack game

23. You own translation into the present language

24. Write a new translation from different translations

25. Concluding option

    Can be used for unknown stories, which everyone is allowed to finish in their own way.

    What might have been the result/continuation of the story?

26. Advertising team

    A verse as an advert (graphic/acoustic)

27. Newspaper report

    As a poem, technical report, short story, advertisement, reader’s letter

28. Biblical words and their associations, for example:

    G = Gift

    R = Repent

    A = Almighty

    C = Choice

    E = Exempt

29. Speech motets

30. Comparisons with daily objects

    (See collection of devotions), or comparison of a butterfly and a caterpillar (=rebirth)

31. Draw pictures or posters which present the stories.

32. Scroll television

    (Like 31, but a scroll is painted with different pictures and lit up from behind in a type of television (cardboard box)

    each picture is rolled on. Each child can paint a scene, if they are stuck together, a film can be shown on the scroll)

33. Scenes of round cards with a scene clipping.

    By rotating the cardboard, the next scene appears.

34. Write some speech bubbles and stick people and lay them on a board

35. Present the story as a pantomime.

36. Show pictures or foils with an overhead projector.

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