Sunday School Suggestions

[Zenas]

Hi, this is my first post here at the PB so let me start by introducing myself.

My name is Andrew. I am 22 years old and I am studying to be an attorney. I also am a deacon in the ARP and I teach Sunday School to middle school to high school aged children, which is where this topic stems from.

I'm looking for suggestions from other teachers as to how to conduct my Sunday School class. I would like to improve it and attempt to grab the kid's attention more. The subject material is not the problem, it's given to me by the session, but I was wondering if anyone had any pointers on how to conduct class. My favorite topic is apologetics and I always find some way to include something apologetics related into my lesson even if I don't intend to, but the kids don't seem interested at all in this or much of anything else. I'm unsure if it's me and the way I go about things, or simply because they are kids and don't care about theology anyway. I have a feeling it's a mixture of both and I would like to attempt to iron out my end of the equation as much as I, being a man, can.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[larryjf]

One of the things that i do is start off with a fun game or something that will get the kids active, and get them to think about the topic that i will teach on.

So when i did a lesson on needing the Holy Spirit to help guide our prayers, i started with a game where one kid was blindfolded...they had to make their way through a room that was set up like an obstacle course...they would be guided by their classmates as far as telling them where to go.

Then, when we taught on the subject, they had a better idea of what it meant from that practical application.

I would also say that the age group that you are teaching is generally not that interested in straight-up theology. They are much more interested in their lives. If you can show them how the theology applies to their lives they will show much more interest.

Also, allow the teaching to be discussion-based if possible. Youth many times have questions that they want answered, and they tend to get much more out of it if they are able to actively interact.

hope this helps.

 

[Zenas]

Thanks very much for the suggestions.

I try to conduct it in a discussion-like manner but the discussion is usually a monologue with me being the monologuer unfortunately. I wish they had questions and I end up raising questions myself but they usually don't.

I think one problem is the material we are covering is repetitive. We initially covered A.W. Pink's "The Attributes of God" which I thought was great and they seemed to tolerate. Now we are covering R.C. Sproul's "The Holiness of God". While I personally love the book and any others by the man, I think the kids think it's the same old same old, especially since I heavily emphasized the fact that God's Holiness is encompassing of his other attributes and not singular in itself.

Does anyone have any subjects, topics, or books that are particular to 13-18 year old kids that I might suggest to the Session?

 

[py3ak]

I have a couple of suggestions from the several years I spent teaching children of that age.
1. Let them know you're fond of them (which means you have to be). Obviously you're not going to gush and weep and cry on their necks or anything. But if they can see that you like them, even if you think they're stupid, that helps.
2. Have fun with them.
3. See if you can teach directly from the Bible, and do a narrative portion at least at first. Group readings of books are always boring: and a book on one topic is bound to be about that topic: whereas narrative Scriptures will bring you into contact with a wide range of different topics, in a way that is more engaging to them. The kids I taught still remember that the gourds placed into the pot by an ignorant young man may well have been squirting cucumbers. And I think they probably all identified with someone TRYING to be helpful, but really making a mess of things.

 

[Zenas]

1. I am very fond of them. I'm good friends with most of their families and I dearly want them to learn. They do act stupid sometimes but then, so do I.

2. I'm not exactly the fun factory when it comes to teaching. I approach things very academically, which is a turn off to them and I don't know how to fix.

3. I welcome trying this. I will purport Scripture first, and then use references from the books to back up my points. This seems to be a better approach than the other way around. The other way around has always seemed to me to be putting the cart before the horse so to speak.

Thanks for your help!

 

[larryjf]

Sometimes in youth groups we can be very light on discipline, fearing that we will lose some of the youth because they won't want to come anymore. We must ensure that there is discipline...in my experience a couple of youth may leave, but many more will come in. I am not suggesting that you don't have discipline...i just don't know, so i thought that i would bring it up.

I would suggest Paul Washer's 6 part series...it did wonders for my YG...
YouTube - Shocking Youth Message Stuns Hearers - Paul Washer 1 of 6
YouTube - Shocking Youth Message Stuns Hearers - Paul Washer 2 of 6
YouTube - Shocking Youth Message Stuns Hearers - Paul Washer 3 of 6
YouTube - Shocking Youth Message Stuns Hearers - Paul Washer 4 of 6
YouTube - Shocking Youth Message Stuns Hearers - Paul Washer 5 of 6
YouTube - Shocking Youth Message Stuns Hearers - Paul Washer 6 of 6

 

[Anton Bruckner]

Hi, this is my first post here at the PB so let me start by introducing myself.

My name is Andrew. I am 22 years old and I am studying to be an attorney. I also am a deacon in the ARP and I teach Sunday School to middle school to high school aged children, which is where this topic stems from.

.

so young, so dedicated. we need to cast that demon out of you

Keep up the good work, and don't fall off course.

 

[Zenas]

Words fail me at this point. Thank you for pointing me to that series.