• beyond merely telling them what to do to solving the problem together
• beyond merely stopping the misbehavior to helping them become who they should be
• beyond merely dealing with symptoms to getting to the core of the issue
• beyond merely confronting the individual to protecting him/her and others from harm (physical, social, psychological, emotional, etc.)

To get beyond, you must have the right focus, purpose, and pursuit in disciplining:

Dignity must be guarded by avoiding tactics that ridicule, demean, or put them down.

Involvement in establishing rules and consequences must be sought to bring a greater sense of ownership.

Spirit of God must be at work to provide motivation and enablement to do good.

Character development must be essential so they become who they should “be” in Christ, not just “do” the right things.

Intrinsic Motivation must be the long-range objective, not mere outward conformity.

Peer Relationships must be protected by dealing with most issues privately as social acceptance and belonging are important.

Learning must be the goal requiring a conducive environment and an instructive purpose in disciplining.

Importance of the individual must be stressed which can eliminate much attention-getting behavior.

Needs must be met which requires discerning the core issues as needs usually motivate behavior.

Expectations must be communicated leaving them without excuse in bearing responsibility for their choices.

Learn more in the Handbook on the Basics of Classroom Discipline.

NOT the BLAs that come from a boring, dull class with a teacher stuck in a rut where students passively sit and listen or find other inappropriate ways of keeping awake or amusing themselves.

BUT, the BLAs that are experienced in an active, enthusiastic class learning from God’s Word in ways that get students involved  — Bible Learning Activities.

Why Use BLAs (Bible Learning Activities)

1. Because of the way God created people to learn through their senses
    
2. Because people learn best and retain more when actively involved in the learning process

While all ages would benefit from this kind of instruction, children particularly need lessons that allow them to do something, to explore and discover.

How to Use BLAs (Bible Learning Activities)
 
- Always having a purpose for the activities you use.

- Use a variety of activities.

- Give students choices when possible.

- Turn some of the planning of activities over to students if appropriate.

- Use guided conversation with students as they do the activities.

- Don’t limit Bible Learning Activities to acquiring knowledge but also use them in practicing life application.

What Kind of BLAs to Use

You will now find a resource in the MinTools.com store called Bible Learning Activities for Children.  This resources provides a one page handout on each of the following types of of activities:

Books
Crafts
Dramatic Play
Games
Manipulatives (blocks, puzzles, other)
Media
Music
Pictures

Depending on how they are used, these activities can enable students to research in order to gain new knowledge or to have what has already been learned reinforced.

Each handout looks at why this activity is good to use, how to choose specific means within that method, what you need to remember when using it, and how to expand its use.

That is what I did when I was asked about planning a mid-week children’s program.

Basic questions that need to be asked are:

1)  What is your purpose?

Notice I asked what your purpose “is” not what it should be.  Be honest because your actions and attitudes will eventually betray or underscore what “is.”

If your purpose is no greater than having something to do with the children while adults are meeting, you will find little motivation to put much into a mid-week program.  When babysitting or crowd control become objectives, even though it might not be communicated that way, it is easy to take an “anything will do” approach.

If, however, your purpose is truly to utilize all the opportunities you have to reach children for Jesus and to help disciple them to love and follow the Lord, you will be energized to make it the best you can with the resources you have.

Of course, the second “if” above is more in line with what your purpose should be.  What can you do to work toward a more impacting purpose?

2)  What structure will best accomplish that purpose and fit your situation? 

Structure should be an outgrowth of your purpose and realistically guided by your resources … available teachers/workers, time, facilities, etc.

If you adapt a structure simply because it is a pre-fab plan and easy to use, you might be missing the mark on what God wants to do in and through you.

If you tailor a structure that best meets your needs, you will have more potential of lining up with God’s desires and intent to work in and through you.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t use somebody else’s plan or structure.  Nor does it mean that you must start from scratch and “reinvent the wheel.”  What it does mean is that you will invest much prayer and objective assessment into it.  If a pre-fab program best fits your purpose and resources, then that is what should be used.  Or, perhaps you will need to take an existing program and make some tweaks.  Maybe you will need to develop your own plan but if that is the case, then God will provide the person(s) equipped to do so.

3)  What curriculum will fit the structure?

Often the pre-fab programs mentioned under the second question above come with the curriculum for you to use.  I am listing this as a separate question, however, because too often we let the curriculum determine the structure.

If you let the curriculum determine the structure then you might find yourself frustrated as you try to make something work that doesn’t fit your resources.

If you let the structure determine the curriculum then you should be doing something that works for your situation.

A mid-week program should be a little more fun and fast-moving than a typical Sunday School or Children’s Church program.  Some churches have used Sunday School or Children’s Church curriculum for their mid-week program but if not careful, it can feel too much like school for the kids which they have been in all day prior to going to church on Wednesday evening.

Some churches use curriculum from publishing companies that use a large/small group approach.  You would need less high commitment – preparation teachers and more lower commitment - preparation small group leaders.

Some churches use VBS curriculum, using a lesson per week.  Often these types of curriculum rotate children through a number of learning stations.

The question is: What type of curriculum will best fit your purpose, the structure that grows out of it, and works with your situation?

From there it is a matter of implementation — ordering materials, recruiting teachers and workers, training them, scheduling, organizing, etc.

The Apostle Paul answers that question in his words to Timothy:
“… from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 3:15)

Paul goes on to in the very next verse to provide the ways God’s Word helps us.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

What better source to teach, rebuke, correct, and train children than the Bible.  The words of Scripture carry more authority and power than anything a parent or teacher can communicate.

The question is not “if” children
  can learn the Bible but HOW.

The new PowerPoint presentation, Teaching the Bible to Children, helps you know “how.”   Be sure to check it out because children really can learn the Bible!

1)  Children are precious in Jesus’ sight.  He loves them!  He wants children to be brought to Him.

Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  (Mk. 10:14)

2)  Children need help in learning how to navigate in today’s world … and they have so much of life ahead of them.

Faced with war, terrorism, divorce, crime and other anxieties, many children are feeling

• . . . vulnerable – What if this happens to me?
• . . . frightened – Where can I go to be safe?
• . . . hopeless – Who is going to protect me?
• . . . helpless – There’s nothing I can do to keep it from happening.

They need the touch of Jesus.  They need His help to cope and deal just as we adults do.  Jesus said, “Let the little children come.”

3)  Children are a part of today’s church, not merely the church of tomorrow.

They are just as much a part of the body as adults if they know Jesus as their Savior.  “The kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

As you look at the Greatest Commandments and the Great Commission and  read passages about the church (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4), no one is excluded.  You will not find degrees to which this is to be happening based on age or any other criteria.

4)  Children need a Savior and are at a prime age to trust in Him.

According to a Barna report, “nearly half of all Americans who accept Jesus Christ as their savior do so before reaching the age of 13 (43%), and that two out of three born again Christians (64%) made that commitment to Christ before their 18th birthday.”

Based on these findings, childhood is a critical time to reach people for Jesus.  “Let the little children come!”

Ministry to children is important.  Whether you teach or help in any other capacity, you have a strategic role that goes beyond simply showing up and following a script.  You have a vital purpose.

Here are some resources to help you in your children’s ministry.

What are the practical implications of these four points for you?