Object Lesson: Hearing God thorugh the noise

Here is a great object lesson to talk about listening to God in a busy world. This can be done with the story of Samuel mistaking God's voice for Eli 3 times or keeping God first above all else.

Objects needed: duffel bag, 2 Cell phones, a towel and some popular objects that represent things kid do such as books for school, clothes for fashion, cds for music, video games, basketballs/footballs/softballs for sports.

Lesson:

(Begin with the bag on the ground and all the objects either laying behind you, out and about on stage or hidden behind something.)

You know we live in a busy world today and because we stay so busy it can be kind of hard to stop and listen to what God is trying to tell us. So lets pretend that this cell phone represents God (hold up 1 cell phone) and when it rings that is Him trying to tell us something. Now this phone is on loud so when it rings we should hear it (show a kid or two it is as loud as it goes). We are going to put the phone into the bag which represents our life because obviously we want God to be part of our life but that means we have to spend time with Him. (To really drive home to the point have a towel placed in the bag before hand and wrap the phone in towel as you place it in). But God isn't the only thing in our busy life right? Lets see what are some things you do everyday?

1. What about school? Yes for a big part of the year ya'll go to school for 8 hours a day so lets put some books into the bag to represent school.

2. Oh, and clothes! We all wear clothes of course but some people really love to have the coolest newest clothes so they are always watching what is popular to wear.

3. A lot of us like sports too right. So lets put in some basketballs, and footballs because maybe we are consumed with sports or our favorite sports team and that is all we do and think about constantly because we just love it so much.

4. Then we have music and video games because a lot of people listen to music and play video games.

5. Of course we probably can include some friends in here but it'd be kind of hard to fit a person so lets just pretend.

(by now the bag should be full and barely be able to close)

So I think that we have put just about everything we can into our life, its pretty full so lets close up this bag. (now pull out the other cell phone) So obviously there is a lot in our life but lets see how well we can hear that phone ring. (call the other phone it should be a very faint ring if at all).

We could barely hear that phone right and only when we got really still and quiet could we hear the ring. Now think of our lives and if we let all these things take importance in our lives how hard it will be for us to hear God too. Not that these things are bad, we need to go to school and sports are fun and help us stay healthy and video games are even fun but we can't let them become more important that God and drown Him out.

Story telling

So you are preparing for Sunday morning, or Wednesday night and you want to make sure the story is exciting for the kids. What do you do? Now there are many ways to capture a child's attention as you relay a story from the Bible and how it applies to their lives. There are object lessons, power points, videos, felt boards, and the list goes on. One great way to teach kids is through story telling! This is after all one way that Jesus taught. There are many parables such as the prodigal son, the wise and foolish builder, and the mustard seed are just a few. But I'm not just talking about having them sit and listen.

Instead, step out of the norm and put a new twist on story telling. This could be done by getting some of the kids to help you act out the story. This is a great way to keep the kids interacting and engaged. It also probably makes them feel special. Not only are they getting to help teach the story for the day but they also get put up on stage in front of their friends.

Using children to tell the story also ensures for a lively time. Just this night I had kids up on stage helping me act out the three little pigs. Now yes this is a simple story that preschool kids learn. But even my sixth graders were excited and engaged. Of course having a little girl be the big bad wolf can be fairly entertaining. So can seeing your adult leaders crumble as the house gets blown down too. The point is using kids can produce some funny visuals as you have them act out different events.

So next time your looking to change up how you teach the kids. Try using them to help act out your story. It is a great visual and can keep the kids engaged as they are thrown into the story. No matter what you choose, just don't be afraid to try something new.

Do I really need to be prepared?

Weeks sure are busy aren't they? You have to prepare for all the programs and events. Look ahead to keep the calendar moving. Of course there are weekly meetings as well. Sometimes things are just so busy that part of the ministry gets neglected or not done as much. I think that often times the aspect that is first neglected is preparing beforehand for those weekly activities or events that seem to repeat every year. This is in part because they have been done before. You know the typical order of your children's church service or Sunday School lesson. So is it really all that important for you or a Sunday School teacher, or any other volunteer in your children's ministry to come in prepared? Absolutely, and here are just a few reasons why.

1. Being prepared allows you to connect with the kids before hand.

One of the best times to connect with the kids in your ministry, on a personal level, is by going around and talking to them before your weekly programs. This cannot be done though when you aren't properly prepared for the day. Make sure your prepared before instead of running around looking at your lesson plan or trying to set up a game. Just a few minutes of talking to a child could create a personal relationship, enabling them to listen to the gospel your about to present.

2. Being prepared shows the kids they are important.

Now I know what your thinking, and I've even had another minister tell me, the kids won't know we are winging it. But I must admit, I disagree. Kids can tell when your not prepared or coming up with things on the fly. And it shows them that its not important enough to take time before hand. Not to mention that kids are going to be more likely to bring a friend if your program is exciting and well planned, instead of thrown together at the last minute.

3. Being prepared allows you to connect with your workers.

Yes, before an event or program you should be visiting and connecting with the kids. But also make sure to stop by your volunteers. Let them know how much you appreciate them or just simply get to know them. A volunteer, who is invested in, is much more likely to stay in the long run. Which allows you to train and develop positive, strong leadership.

4. Being prepared allows you to include others.

If you are throwing together a lesson plan, or service order it is a lot harder to include others because everything is last minute. Instead by preparing, you can include other workers in leading a game, craft, music, etc. This helps develop solid workers, and ensures the program will be well ran when your on vacation, or a conference.