If our mid-week Bible clubs are going to be a platform for discipling children toward God’s purposes, design, and mission for them as members of His Church, then we need to use methods and materials that will open the door for that to happen.
Methods and Materials that will Help a Mid-Week Bible Teacher Reach Goals to Disciple
Since discipleship is built on relationships, it’s important to build relational opportunities into the entire session, including what happens before and after. That could include:
- meet and greet children as they arrive
- guided conversation as the group engages in various activities
- large group to small group times to allow for a more intimate discussion
- ratio of adults to children that allows for a small enough span of influence to engage individually and in small groups
With an objective of discipling children toward love for God and others, it’s important to plan for interaction with God and fellow members. That could include:
for time with God –
- prayer times
- interaction with God’s Word that’s creative and engaging
- pointing to God in all we do, including fun activities
- Scripture memory embedded in games, arts & crafts, etc.
for time with each other:
- sharing times that lead to praying for one another and determining if there are practical ways of showing care for one another
- group discussion about Bible truths
- group activities/projects that are fun but with a purpose (don’t want this time to remind them of school, yet want them to learn and grow)
- setting up the classroom so the seating arrangement best accommodates interaction
Since discipleship begins with children accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior, we need to incorporate the Gospel presentation into the sessions. Even more, we need to be ready for one-on-one conversations.
- have enough workers to be able to talk one-on-one with visitors and regular attenders who may not be saved
- have Bibles and outreach materials on hand for those still undecided to take home with them
As suggested in a previous point, we should guard against making outreach only the teacher’s responsibility. The mid-week Bible club presents a good setting for discipling those who do already know the Lord to reach out to those who don’t.
- provide materials that make it easier for kids to share Jesus with other kids
- incorporate unique ways of children to share their testimony