http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDlNqVqCUwY?rel=0

Sometimes we try our best and then wonder if children actually retain what we have taught them.  I thought you might enjoy watching this video of children sharing what they have learned.  I don’t know about you, but these children certainly encourage me to keep teaching!

Although we may sometimes view the Bible as a collection of stories it is actually one story.  It is God’s Story.  It is about how he has revealed himself to mankind throughout history.

Thank you to the Memorial Road Church of Christ in Edmond, Oklahoma, USA for allowing me to post this video on www.missionbibleclass.org

Thank you to the children on the video who are willing to share The Story!

Many teachers are making plans to tell the resurrection story on Easter Sunday.  Whether at Easter or any other time here are some ideas that will help you share what is the most important event in the Bible.

“For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.”
Romans 6:9, NIV

1. Learn about the Burial and Resurrection of Jesus so you will understand the story and feel comfortable sharing it with a child.
2. Gather your family together for quality time  and learn about the Burial and Resurrection in this Family Bible Time lesson
3. Download and view a slideshow and pictures from http://www.freebibleimages.org/photos/jesus-alive/
4. Sing songs together from the church hymnal about the resurrection.  Search for songs on YouTube:
   • Low in the Grave He Lay
   • Christ the Lord is Risen Today
   • Rabboni!
   • He Lives
   • Lord I Lift Your Name on High
5. Visit a mature older Christian and ask them to share why the Resurrection is important to them.
6. Black out the windows of your classroom to make it dark like the tomb.  Quietly tell the story of the resurrection by the light of a candle or by torch/flashlight
7. Place a dark cloth over a small table to form a “tomb”. Ask someone to be the body inside. Place a cardboard rock at the entrance. Let the children see the body inside and then put the stone in place. “The body” crawls out the back and the children remove the stone to see an empty tomb. Young ones love this obvious re-enactment.
8. Choose words related to the resurrection story and tape them onto stones.  Before class begins hide the stones so that children can hunt for them.  As the children collect the stone discuss the meaning of the words.  Here are some words you might use:
   • Death
   • Burial
   • Resurrection
   • Cross
   • Tomb
   • Forgiveness
9. After telling about the Resurrection guide a child in praying thanks to God.
10. Read a book about Easter.
11. Use these instructions for The Story of the Cross to learn a simple way to tell the story using one sheet of paper.
12. Responsive Drawing:  Guide older children in reading today’s scripture references.  Then have them draw about what they have read.  Use a blank piece of paper or print this worksheet: The Burial and Resurrection of Jesus_Drawing Response
13. Responsive Writing:  Guide older children in reading today’s scripture references.  Then have them draw about what they have read.  Use a blank piece of paper or print this worksheet: The Burial and Resurrection of Jesus_Writing Response
14. Ask younger children to draw the story of the resurrection.
15. Make use of plastic eggs on sale at Easter time.  Use these instructions for “Resurrection Eggs” to re-tell the story of the resurrection.
16. Make a tomb craft from a paper plate.  Cut a paper plate in half, paint if desired, and then staple the top rims together.  To make the body of Christ cut a simple body shape from cardboard, wrap with one layer of toilet paper and dampen with water from a spray bottle, repeat layers and let dry.  The stone is just crumpled brown paper.  In one class we had the children each make a tomb and then put the body inside.  During the week I moved the stones and removed the bodies.  The next week we were going to be studying about the resurrection.  When the children arrived that day they immediately went to the tombs they had made and were shocked to find the body missing.  I let them search and conjecture for awhile before leading into the story of how the women came to the tomb to find Jesus’ body missing.  The children could totally relate to how the women must have felt.  At the end of class I returned the “bodies” so that the children could take the craft home and recreate the event for their families.
17. Write the individual words of Romans 6:9  on a whiteboard or chalkboard.  Say the verse together. Erase one word or phrase and say the verse again. Say it over and over, eliminating one word or phrase each time.  Soon, the children will have it memorised.
18. Write the individual words of Romans 6:9 on pieces of paper and then mix them up.  Children can unscramble the verse  and practice repeating it to memorise it.
19. Print and use a colouring page or puzzle from one of these online resources.
    • Colouring page and puzzle worksheets (Resurrection) at   https://calvarycurriculum.com/pdf/Curriculum/Original/Curriculum/CURR238.PDF
    • Colouring page and puzzle worksheets (Peter and John visiting the tomb) at http://calvarycurriculum.com/pdf/Curriculum/Original/Curriculum/CURR239.PDF
    • Colouring page at http://www.sermons4kids.com/easter-sunday-colorpg.htm
    • Colouring page at http://www.christiananswers.net/kids/clrpg015.html
20. Cook bread rolls that share the story of the resurrection: Cooking craft: Short youtube video on how to make Resurrection Rolls to tell the story- from CullensABCs at http://youtu.be/louAYkJPETQ
21. Make a mobile using these instructions at http://www.sundayschoolcrafts.net/jesus-rose-from-the-dead-moblie.php
22. Make a miniature garden using instructions at http://www.sundayschoolcrafts.net/garden-with-tomb.php
23. Make a salt dough tomb using instructions from one of these online resources:
    • http://www.sundayschoolcrafts.net/easter-tomb-salt-dough.php
    • http://nolongerconforming.blogspot.co.nz/2010/04/empty-tomb-craft.html
24.  Try out some of the ideas on the Pinterest Board: Life of Christ (late ministry)
25. More puzzles and worksheets to print:
    • Worksheets and Puzzles: A printable (Easter) booklet containing a number of puzzles at http://sundayschoolresources.co.uk/activities.php
    • A children’s sermon and activities at https://sermons4kids.com/surprise.html
    • Wordsearch puzzle (1) from http://www.christiananswers.net/kids/wrdsrch6.html
    • Wordsearch puzzle (2) from http://www.christiananswers.net/kids/wordsearch-resurrection.html

I spent this week preparing for my Bible class that was scheduled for today.  The class was for infants and toddlers and we were going to learn about the Birth of Jesus.  I studied the Scripture and prepared the classroom.  

We would start with a welcome time and then I would show them all sorts of animal families.  We would look at toy ducks, cows and puppies and talk about Mummy, Daddy and Babies.  Then I would tell the story of Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus.  I even prepared a little craft with Jesus in a manger.  We would end the class by giving cuddles to baby dolls and rocking them to sleep.  Everything was ready.

I knew I would not have many students but today…only one child showed up.

Only one child.  People who are used to having lots of children in Bible Class might have questioned whether it is worth teaching if only one child turned up for class.  For many of us who are with small churches this situation might happen quite often.  

In the years that I have been a Bible Class Teacher there is one important thing that I have realised.  I have realised that I am not here to TEACH A CLASS.  A class is impersonal.  A class is just a group of children.  No, my calling is not to simply “teach a class”.  My honour and privilege is to SHARE CHRIST WITH EACH CHILD.  I will share Christ whether I have one student or ten.

What’s the difference between teaching a class and sharing Christ?

• If I’m teaching a class then I am disappointed that only one child attends.  If I am sharing Christ then I see it as an opportunity to spend one-on-one time getting to know the heart of that child so that I can build a better relationship with him or her.
• If I’m teaching a class then one child is not worth my effort.  If I’m sharing Christ then it is my pleasure to do whatever it takes to help that child get to know my precious friend, Jesus.
• If I’m teaching a class then one child is not worth my time.  If I’m sharing Christ then it is not “my” time at all.  God has granted me golden moments to affect a life for an eternity and I do not want to waste any of those moments pining for some false version of his will that I have created for myself.
• If I’m teaching a class then one child would be a waste of a good lesson.  If I am sharing Christ then I know that my attitude IS the lesson.  I want the child to know that I have a personal relationship with God and so can they.  Even when I am all alone I talk to God and he gives me his full attention.  If God can give me his full attention then I can give mine to one child.
• If I’m teaching a class then I think God needs large numbers to do his work.  If I am sharing Christ then it is because I believe in the all-sufficiency of Christ.  God has plans for this child beyond anything I can imagine.    

So back to today’s Bible Class for infants and toddlers.  Just one little child but I tried my best to share Christ with him.  We held our bibles and turned the pages.  He found the sticker inside the bible’s cover that has a picture of Jesus.  We sang about the bible.   And then, when his mother and I least expected it…he said in a clear voice and with a proud smile on his face, “BIBLE”.

So I got to experience a small step in a journey of a lifetime.  Today, I had only one student.  Today, I shared Christ with a child.

Today in Bible Class we studied about the Great Commission and the Ascension of Jesus.

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (NIV)

I stressed four important words in the commission: Go, disciple, baptise and teach.

I asked how we could “make disciples” and I got the best possible response.  A little girl said, “Well, I think we could just tell someone a story about Jesus and then they will want to follow him.  Then they can tell someone else and they will want to follow him.  And then they can tell…”  This went on for a little while until someone else interrupted with, “If our whole class goes out today and tells someone then I think everyone in the world will be a disciple in about an hour!”

I want their faith!

Here is the class activity we did to help us learn about telling the world about Jesus.

Supplies:

• A plate with enough edge that it can hold liquid.
• A spoon
• A small bowl or saucer
• Eye dropper (if you have one, I didn’t)
• Toothpicks
• Milk
• Cooking Oil
• Dish-washing liquid

Instructions:

1. Pour a few drops of the dish-washing liquid into a small bowl and soak the ends of toothpicks in it.  Set aside.
2. Pour enough milk into the plate so the bottom of the plate is covered and there is a thin layer of milk.
3. Pour oil over the milk.  You don’t need as much oil as milk but you’ll need enough for it to eventually form a very thin layer over the milk (Don’t stress over the amounts).  Stir with the spoon then set the spoon to the side.
4. Now, spend a few minutes watching the milk and oil separate and form oil clusters.  
   1. While this is happening talk about how this looks like the world and all its people.  People like to live together in families and towns and countries.  The plate looks like a map of the world.
   2. Then talk about what it would be like if no one in the world followed Christ.
   3. Now, add drops of food colouring to represent Christians and talk about how Christians live in the world among people who do not follow Christ.  (If I had used a little eye dropper my “drops” would not have spread so much and this would have worked better.  Small droplets will make the best effects.)  What if Christians only stayed in one place and never told people about Jesus.
5. Now for the fun part!  Ask the children what they think the world would look like if Christians were to follow the Great Commission and go out into the world to tell other people about Jesus.  Then let the children take turns lightly touching the soap end of a toothpick to one of the drops of food colouring.  Amazingly, the food colouring shoots out across the milk and oil and makes amazing colours.
6. Continue doing this until the white plate is full of colours.  All the while you and the children are doing this talk about how telling people about Jesus changes the world.

I really think you will love this idea!  Here are some photos (click to enlarge):

I’ve seen and used quite a few very elaborate visual aids and presentations in the 35+ years I have been teaching Children’s Bible Classes.

I’ve used…

• black lights for glowing pictures of The Fiery Furnace
• live actors (including a baby) to teach about Abraham, Sara and little Isaac and
• helium balloons to depict the Ascension of Jesus.

Once I even convinced a wonderful man at church that he should construct an amazing “feat of engineering” whereby a young man was lowered, on a stretcher, down through an air vent in the ceiling, into the church auditorium to teach the story about the Man Lowered Through the Roof.  That was just awesome (thanks, Steve!).

Even though these times were memorable for the children and great fun for me and others involved they could certainly not be done every time I teach.  That would be both exhausting and expensive.

Jesus used amazing miracles but what did he do day in and day out as he taught people?  It seems to me that he made use of situations and teaching tools on hand.  Once it was lilies in a field.  Another time a coin in the mouth of a fish.  In John chapter 8:6 Jesus even wrote on the ground using his finger.

Very simple.  Very effective.

Recently, Samer (Sam) Samlertaree, a student at the South Pacific Bible College offered to help add to this website.  Sam had seen some simple line drawings and thought he could create some more to depict Bible stories in a way teachers might find useful.  The drawings could be used for flip charts or included in Power Point presentations.

Knowing Sam was a great student of the Bible I challenged him to tackle some stories that teachers sometimes can’t find visual aids for.  Drawing what the Bible says is much more difficult than it appears and I challenge you to give it a try.  At first glance this picture here seems simple.  But have a closer look.  In a simple drawing Sam has captured the essence of 1 Samuel 8:4-9 by showing the people’s desperation for a king and Samuel’s confusion at their request.  Sam has proved that a simple visual aid can say it all.

Kids love simple drawings!   I’m no artist but that has never stopped me from using stick figures to teach a lesson.  Once I have set aside my self-pride and make attempts I find that children encourage and even want to help me give it a go.  And simple drawings inspire children to listen to the story and draw their own pictures.

Click the links to view the Bible story pages where you can view and/or download the pictures Sam has drawn.  (The pictures appear in the lower sections of each Bible story page so be sure and scroll down once you are there.)

Achan’s Sin Joshua 7-8:1

Saul Becomes Israel’s 1st King (1 Samuel 8-10) 

Jehoshaphat and the People Pray 2 Chronicles 20:1-30