If you want to get their attention and keep it, you need to provide young people with what they need and want …
renewal,
relationship,
realness,
reasons,
and as we will consider in this post,
— relevance.
Teens need to believe that what they’re learning has pragmatic value. They want to know what difference it will make to them. If they don’t see the relevance, they will have little motivation to learn and to ultimately believe.
Questions to Ask about the Relevance of Your Bible Lessons to Young People’s Lives
- They live in the here and now. How does the lesson relate to their lives now?
- They are governed by circumstances and often by emotions. How does the lesson address what’s currently happening or how they feel?
- They are driven by a need for significance and acceptance? How does the lesson give them perspective they need?
How Make Teaching Relevant
Get their attention with relevant illustrations or activities that pull them in to want to learn more. Help them discover the implications and application of truth to their everyday lives.
Teachers must put adequate time into preparing these parts of the lesson. They should plan ways of helping students come to their own conclusions about the relevancy of the truths rather than merely telling them how the truth relates to them. It builds ownership which tends to translate into a greater likelihood that they will apply the truth to their lives. If running short on time, be careful not to skip these parts of the lesson. For teens, these are some of the most important elements.