Free Large Group Lesson - Jonathan and the Philistines

I've just uploaded a PDF of a large group lesson I wrote about Jonathan and the Philistines from 1 Sam. 14.  I originally wrote it for our summer 2010 family production, Heroes In the House, but I've adapted it so that I think it will work in any context.  All you need is a storyteller, a couple of boxes to stand on and a sword. 


We also ordered glow-in-the-dark bracelets with the phrase "Take the risk.  Be a hero." on it for all the kids.  If you don't want to or can't do that, just hold up a "Take the risk.  Be a hero." sign during that part of the lesson when you have kids repeat the phrase.

Also, the letters CG stands for Computer Graphics.  These are just the graphics we put up with a projector and screen. 

I've now taught this lesson three times and it's worked well for me with each audience.  Enjoy the script and hope you find it helpful. 

Download Script

Reading the Bible to Teach, Part 3: Experiential Reading

The Word became flesh.  Seriously.  Just imagine that for a minute.  The agent of creation, the Word who was with God and was God, took on skin, and as the Message puts it, "moved into the neighborhood."

God is the ultimate creative communicator!  If we want to bring the Bible to life for kids, our biggest job will be putting flesh on God's word and moving it into their neighborhood.

How do you that?  In my last post, I said you start by reading the Bible devotionally, that you do business with God first before using the Bible as a part of your "job."  But once you've taken the time to let God speak to you personally through the Scripture, it's time to read it again through the eyes of a reporter. 

When you read the Bible experientially, you're looking for details - details that will put flesh on the word and make it easy to move it into a kid's neighborhood, their everyday world.   As you read the Bible experientially place yourself as a character in the story.  Imagine what it really would have been like to be there.  Look for details that the Bible explicitly mentions, but also ones that could be inferred

1.      Start with the five senses.  

Sight:  Read through the story you're teaching and make a list of the visual details the Bible describes.  Goliath noticed that David was a pretty boy - ruddy and handsome.  Saul was plunged into darkness on the road to Damascus.  Lydia sold purple cloth. 

Sounds:  Listen to the rooster crowing, Jesus crying out in a loud voice, the temple curtain ripping in two. 

Smell:  Think of the spicy aroma of Jacob’s stew, the stench of sweaty soldiers on a battlefield or the smell of perfume poured on Jesus’ feet.     

Taste:  Imagine the bittersweet juice of the fruit in the garden and the earthy taste of bread at the last supper. 

Touch:  What did it feel like for Thomas to touch Jesus’ scars?  Or the five smooth stones in David’s hands?

2.  Move on to kinesthetic senses.  Imagine how Peter physically felt running to the tomb – heart pounding, breath gasping, his side hurting.

3. Finish with emotions.  Was Peter scared running to the tomb?  Excited?  Imagine Adam’s shame when He heard God walking in the garden and David’s joy when the stone found its mark.  Emotions are powerful motivators and humanize stories that can otherwise may seem distant and remote. 

Once you’ve finished this list, you should now have plenty of flesh to put on the word.  Just think about how much easier it will be to help kids experience the reality of story with these details in your back pocket. 

When you take this list back to your boxed curriculum or go to write a lesson from scratch, you don’t have to include all of the details you’ve recorded, just the ones that you think will be the most effective for bringing the word to life in their imaginations.  Take a cue from novelists who talk about capturing the “telling detail,” describing one or two key details that paint an entire scene in their audience’s mind. 

On a side note, if you’re not telling a straight up story, for instance you’re teaching on the famous love passage from 1 Cor. 13, you’ll have to find other ways to bring out the details and make the word flesh (describe a clanging symbol and a resounding gong) and we’ll look at examples of how to do that well in future posts. 

In the mean, have fun mining the details and experiencing the word of God coming to life in your own awesome imagination. 

What are some of your favorite details from the Bible?

Reading the Bible to Teach, Part 2: Devotional Reading

In my last post I said that to really bring the Bible to life for kids, it’s helpful to take three passes at  reading the Bible text.

1. Read it devotionally.

2. Read it experientially.

3. Read it logically.

Today we’re going to look at reading it devotionally. 

When I was about 18 months old, my parents found out the hard way that I’m allergic to bees - big time.  We're talking emergency room allergic.  Fortunately, I wasn’t stung again until I was seven, but this time I reacted even worse.  I swelled up like a marshmallow and nearly died.

So I’ve spent decades living with a healthy fear of bees.  But not anymore. 

Two years ago, I discovered that you can actually get anti-venom shots for bee allergies.  Week after week I went in to get jabbed with needles that burned like fire.   But slowly the effect diminished.

I was growing immune because of contant, steady exposure.    

That’s a good thing. 

What’s not so good is that I’ve seen the same principle at work in my spiritual life.  Maybe you have too.

If we're not careful, constant, steady exposure to the word of God can immunize us to the sting of its power.  Remember the Pharisees?  Jesus said to them, "You diligently study the Scriptures, but the Scriptures should lead you to me!"

When I was young in my faith, the word of God was like fire in my veins. It burned me.  It stung me.  It completely undid me.  And God used it to draw me near to His love and grace and transform my soul.

But the more familiar I became with the Bible, the less of an effect it had on me – especially because a lot of my time in Scripture was spent preparing for lessons.  It was work.   An academic exercise.  Before I knew it, the word began to lose its sting. 

In this case, familiarity didn’t breed contempt, it bred indifference.  The word grew stale and cold as I became a world-class Pharisee myself.  We love to bag on these guys, don’t we?  And yet so many of us fall into the same trap and become religious professionals instead of grateful lovers of God.

If you really want to bring the Bible to life for kids, the first thing you have to do is let God bring the Bible to life in you.  Read the Bible with the humility of the tax collector who approached God by saying, “God have mercy on me, a sinner.”  Ask God what He’s saying to YOU, not so you can teach it, but so you can live it. 

This is the first and most important step to preparing to become a Bible Story Ninja! 

What are the best resources and practices you've discovered to help you in your devotional reading?

Reading the Bible for Teaching, Part 1

Okay, so we all think it’s pretty good idea to actually read the Bible before we teach it, right?  So, what are we are looking for when we read it?  I’d like to suggest that one of the best ways you can bring the Bible to life for kids is take three passes at the text and take lots of notes along the way.

1.  Pass One – Read it devotionally.  The first time through, you’re just a follower of Jesus spending time with the Master.  Listen, worship and enjoy.

 

2.  Pass Two – Read it experientially.  This second time through, put yourself as a character into the story.  Remember, this stuff really happened, and it happened to real people.  Look for sensory detail and emotions.  Which of the five senses does the Bible writer appeal to?  If not explicitly, what can you infer?  For example, Matthew doesn’t tell us what the food tasted like at the Last Supper but we can imagine it, right?  Are there details about the weather, time of day or season?  How did the characters feel physically (remember sleepy Eutychus?) and what emotions drove them?

3.  Pass Three – Read it logically.  Think of your audience and how this Bible text specifically applies to them. I lean into some great teaching from Andy Stanley for this part.  What does a fifth grade boy need to know from this passage?  Why does he need to know it?  What should he do as a result of it?  Why should he do it?  What will happen if doesn’t? 

Imagine going back to your curriculum (or blank page if you’re writing this from scratch) with these kind of notes.  You would be primed for some serious Bible Story Ninja action!  That means engaging kids with the Bible and teaching for transformation.  I don’t know about you, but I definitely want to be in on that!

This post is the first of four, and in the next three I’ll go into detail about how to make the most of each pass through Scripture.  In the mean time, you can go ahead and put some of this into practice when planning your next lesson. 

What Scripture reading strategies have helped you when prepping for a lesson?

Bringing the Bible to Life for Kids

Okay, so technically we can’t bring the Bible to life.  It’s already alive.  As Hebrews 4:12 tells us, it’s “living and active and sharper than a double-edged sword.”  So, bringing the Bible to life?  Done.  God handled that part.  Presenting it in a way that unleashes its living, active, blow-your-mind-and-turn-your-life-upside-down power?  That’s a different story.  That’s where you come in. 

When we use the phrase “bringing the Bible to life,” what we really mean is communicating the Bible in such a dynamic way that our audience can experience the life it already contains.  As a storyteller this means getting out the Bible’s way and letting it do its thing. 

This is where you start earning your ninja skills.   

It all starts with you reading the text.  If you truly want to become a Jedi master storyteller, put down your curriculum and pick up your Bible.

So, Jason, you’re telling me the number one place to start when you want to present the Bible in an engaging way is to actually read the Bible? 

Um, yeah.  Look, I know it’s not rocket science, but I had to say it.  I’m ashamed to tell you the number of times in the past I’ve taught a curriculum without actually cracking open my Bible.  But that’s in the past.  That’s before I set out to become a Bible Story Ninja.  Now that the spiritual nunchucks are out, it’s game on!

Kids need for us, deserve for us, to take time to live in the passage we’re teaching.  We can’t deliver a powerful, life-changing lesson without going back to the source.  All of the technique and presentation skills we’ll talk about over the coming weeks won’t do you much good without reading the passage for yourself.

 I don’t care how well you know it.  Read it again.  Read it with fresh eyes.  Invite God into the process.  Trust me, He has something to say to both you and the kids. 

So, make a commitment each time you teach that you’ll start the process by experiencing what you’re going to be communicating first hand.  Read the Bible. 

In my next post we’ll look at the process I use for how to really dig into Scripture to present it to kids in a way that will rock their world . . . and yours.

Distilling the Truth

Our church went through a season several years ago where we tried to do coordinated curriculum - the same stories and same Bible truths across the board for all ages. I know some people who love this, but we were never able to make it work. Probably a lot of the difficulty came from the fact that we didn't really have the staff to be writing original curriculum, and coordinated curriculum (at least done right) takes a ton of work.

A Great Question
But the best part of the whole experiment is a question that came up in a curriculum planning meeting with my team. We had the Bible truth and the story that we were supposed to translate into the kid world. One of my teammates asked, "How are we going to dumb this down for preschool?"

That question really fired me up. When did we get in the business of dumbing things down? My teammate's comment kick-started a fantastic conversation about how exactly we approach teaching the Bible to kids.

Dumbing Down?
The phrase "dumbing down" implies that kids aren't bright enough to comprehend the basic truths of Scripture. Yet, most of us who love and spend a lot of time with kids know that's not the case. Actually most of the big truths of the Bible are really simple. My five year old gets it.

Love your neighbor as yourself. Pretty simple, right? The deep part is actually doing it. You can spend your whole life living that out.

Diluting?
I've heard other people refer to "watering down" kids' teaching. Again, I think this is a totally mistaken way of thinking. Watering something down means you dilute it. It loses it's essence. My wife waters down our two year old's fruit juice all the time. Tastes blah to me. Watered down kids' teaching is the same.

Distilling?
No, I think what I'm getting at it is that the best kids' teaching is a matter of distilling the truth. That's what Bible story ninjas do.

When you distill something, you boil it down to it's essence. Actually a substance that has been distilled is in its most potent form. When distilling, you've cooked away everything that is not the main thing.

In churches that distill their kids' teaching, they creatively communicate the heart of what the Bible says to kids. No fluff allowed. Fun yes, but no fluff. Every word of the lesson counts and pushes kids to connect with the very words of God. Kids clearly hear from God in a relevant way and know what to do about what He just said.

The whole thing reminds me of a woman I used to know in the church who always complained that her adult Bible study didn't go deep enough. "What does that even mean?" I wondered. Ironically, a few years later she ended up leaving her husband for another guy. Maybe the deep stuff is more about actually doing what the Bible says.

Kids can do that. They CAN get the deep stuff. Deep doesn't mean complicated. The Pharisees made it complicated but never went deep.

Distilled teaching inspires kids to sacrificially live out their faith in ways that even us "mature" adults aren't doing. That's the kind of teaching that can and does change the world.

Entrances

They say you never get another chance to make a first impression. Nowhere is this more true than when you step onto a stage in front of an audience. And if that audience is full of kids, you’d better get it right because their precious attention span is too valuable to lose because you botched an entrance.

For staff or volunteers on stage in a CM environment entrances are a big deal. They can either set the tone or break the flow of the Large Group program. The entrance should always match the energy level of the program. If you’re trying to create a big, fun moment, explode onto the stage with a bundle of energy. If you’re transitioning out of a video clip, you may want to quietly slip onto stage as the clip is winding down so that you don’t distract the kids from the video. Here are a few tips to help make a perfect entrance on a CM stage.

1. Almost never enter from the audience. It looks sloppy, like you just don’t care. The only exception to this rule is a preplanned entrance by actors planted in the audience or several dancers rushing the stage to create excitement. Unless you have a great reason for it, avoid entering from the audience at all costs. That’s why people invented backstage doors. Even if you don't have a backstage, enter the stage from the side or in the least intrusive way possible.

2. Whether it’s just one person or multiple peeps, everyone needs to know exactly where they’re going, how they’re going to get there & what else will be happening on the stage. Like planes approaching an airport everyone needs a clear flight plan to avoid crashing.

3. Not only do you need to know where you’re going, you need to know when to go. Don’t blow a powerful moment by coming out too early or create dead space by entering too late.

4. If multiple people are entering, they should enter in a consistent way. There’s nothing that looks worse than one bubbly leader running onto stage while her partner wanders out casually like she just woke up.

5. Think about what is right before you in the service and what you’ll be doing once you get on stage. What energy level would be the most appropriate here?

6. Whatever you do, just be intentional & make sure you’re entering to create an effect on the kids.

As with every aspect of the Large Group program, be prepared and think it through before you do it.

Remember that the best entrances won’t be memorable because they will blend seamlessly with the rest of the program. Good luck!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

How To Use Personal Stories to Connect with Kids

Whether you’re teaching a creative large group program or leading a small group, personal stories can be one of the most effective tools you can use to connect with the kids you lead. It’s amazing how a simple story can reel in kids who would otherwise be bouncing off the walls. Kids love stories. Some of their favorite stories are about the childhood adventures of adults just like you.

The great thing about this tool is that we all have a lifetime of stories. Here are a few ways you can use them this week to capture kids’ attention.

1. Ice breakers. Personal stories make a great way to start a lesson. When teaching on God rescuing lost people, I opened with a story about a time I got separated from my mom in a K-Mart. I started by asking the question, “Who’s ever been lost?” I had them from the first sentence.

2. Application. Stories about how you learned a lesson and applied it to your life help kids see a practical example of how the Bible truth you’re teaching might play out in their own lives. After you tell your story, connect the dots by saying, “Okay, that might not ever happen to you, but you might deal with something like that. Think about how God could help you in that kind of situation.”

3. Consequences. By telling kids about the times you made the wrong choice, you can help them to see the potential consequences of not doing life God’s way. Kids are shocked and awed by stories of the times you acted selfishly and got burned by your own sin.

Now that you know how you can use your stories, consider these guidelines when busting them out this weekend with your kids.

1. Make sure it’s relevant. Just because it’s a great story doesn’t mean it will help you teach kids God’s truth. Only use stories that actually tie in to what you’re trying to communicate. Otherwise, you’re just filling time.

2. Use common sense. The story about the time you broke your brother’s bike is probably a better choice than the story about the college spring break trip where you ended up in jail. Make sure your stories are age-appropriate. Save stories with mature themes for PG-13 audiences. When in doubt, leave it out.

3. Take advantage of friends, families and photo albums. Think you don’t have any stories to use for that lesson on generosity? Ask those who knew you when you were younger or check out old pictures to help jog your memory. Try journaling too. The more stories I write down, the more I remember.

4. Tell other people’s stories. Stories about your own kids or other kids you know can be just as effective if you don’t have one about you that fits the situation. Just make sure you’re not embarrassing any kids in the room (including your own) by telling their stories without permission. Stories that are no big deal to you could be mortifying to a seven year-old.

Whatever you’re talking about this week, use your experiences to impact the lives of the kids God sends your way. Who knows, maybe some day they’ll be telling stories of their own about an amazing leader who told them a story that changed their life.

Are You Willing to Put In the Time?

Sixteen years ago I walked in to teach my first morning in children’s church with a shopping bag full of props.  I was ministering part-time in a small, rural church outside of Indianapolis, but it might as well have been opening night on Broadway.  I thought I was going to wet my pants.  I had never taught kids before – ever.  I had read Lord of the Flies, though.  I knew this thing could turn bad really fast.

A couple of weeks ago, I taught over fifteen hundred people at our summer family experience.  When I stepped out on stage, I felt fully alive.  I was rehearsed, prepared and best of all, prayed up.  I was confident in the lesson, but even more confident in my God.  God had something to say that night, and it felt absolutely unstoppable.  I was just along for the ride.

So what changed over the last couple of decades teaching kids and families?  Was it the experience?  Am I just that much more spiritual?  No.  Even though I have gained a ton of experience, and I hope I am at least little more spiritually mature than I was all those years ago, something else happened.

What’s changed is that over time, through great teachers, through studying communication techniques and just trying a lot of stuff out, I’ve learned a set of skills that allow me to captivate kids’ attention while I bring the Bible to life.  Make no mistake about it.  It’s purely the Holy Spirit who does the life-change.  And I give Him all credit for any skills I’ve learned. 

But they can be learned.  Even by you. 

You don’t have to be born as a brilliant communicator.  You don’t have to be the life of the party.  You can learn to be a confident, competent teacher of the most incredible material on the planet, the very word of God. 

Like anything, though, to be really good at this, to become a Bible Story Ninja, it takes a lot of work.  So, today, ask yourself if you’re committed to putting in the time to master this stuff.  Because if you are, there’s no limit to what God can do through you. 

I’m writing this blog to help people like me and you - novices, veterans and anyone in between - take their teaching to the next level to learn to capture kids’ imaginations with the earth-shaking awesomeness of the Bible.  No matter where you are in your journey as a teacher, you’ve never arrived. 

But do you care enough to do something about it?  If so, I invite you to keep checking in over the following weeks and join me for the ride.   

The Bible Story Ninja Who Changed My Life

The first Bible Story Ninja I ever met was a woman named Mrs. Kiefer.  Mrs. Kiefer wore horn-rimmed glasses and pill box hats.  Every month or so she would come to our public elementary school and tell us a story.  We loved Mrs. Kiefer because she got us out of class.  But more than that, we loved her because she mesmerized us.

The entire elementary school gathered to hear her speak.  She would set down her little tote bag on a table in the front of the biggest room in the school and begin to weave her spell. 

Usually the stories would begin with a kid just like one of us, a kid with a problem.  Sometimes the kid would do the right thing.  Other times, not so much.  Either way, somehow the kid’s story would lead to a Bible story. 

By the time she got to the application, she would have us eating out of the palm of her hand.

She didn’t have a stage.  She didn’t have special lighting.  She didn’t have sound effects.  She didn’t even have a microphone.  She just had a love for God, a love for kids and crazy skills like you wouldn’t believe. 

See, she was a Bible Story Ninja, a master storyteller who knew how to bring the Bible to life in a way that kids couldn’t resist. 

Eventually, some atheist dad made a big deal about separating church and state, and the school kicked her out.  But it was too late.  Too many of us had already been infected by Mrs. Kiefer’s dangerously contagious stories.

And some of us would spend the rest of our lives training to become just like her. 

What I love about Mrs. Kiefer is that with so little at her disposal she wove such captivating tales.  You could have dropped this woman into any Children’s Ministry on the planet and I’m convinced she would have been just as effective. 

Thinking about Mrs. Kiefer reminds me that any of us with enough passion for God’s word and God’s kids can become Bible Story Ninjas.  The skills can be taught.  The drive to learn them?  

That’s up to you.