Asking — and prayerfully answering — the right questions can take your children’s ministry vision to greater heights!

I am truly blessed to get to know quite a few great people online through Twitter, Google+, Facebook — and here at the blog! A couple months back, two of those people (whom I will introduce you to in a minute) asked me a few questions that really got me thinking about my children’s ministry vision.

I felt God calling me to give the questions some serious prayer and thought. Solidifying answers to the right questions can certainly add power to your children’s ministry vision!

I should probably note that the questions were not necessarily about children’s ministry. Some of them were not even directly asked me — but you know how the Spirit of God works…. If nothing else, He directly asked me.

Two encouragers…

Let me introduce you to Jason Wiser and Roy Montero. Now, neither one of these men is “in children’s ministry,” per se, but they are both very supportive. And the questions they asked… well, we’ll get to that in just a minute now, too.

Jason

Jason first introduced himself to me with the idea that Vacation Bible School materials are also great for teaching adults who are totally new to the faith about God’s Word. I thought that was a neat idea.

Since then, Jason has proved to be a very knowledgable, caring Christian. His purpose online is helping Christians get online, effectively. I think in the process, God often uses him to help Christians be Christians effectively, too!

Roy

Now, Roy is the self-proclaimed “Speed Relationship Guy.” In other words, he believes in building relationships at the speed of sound — the sound of our voices as we talk to each other, that is! He loves Google hangouts, which is exactly where I got to know Roy a bit — and I must admit he is quite gifted at asking productive questions and sharing interesting and relevant information.

Roy’s dream is to connect God’s people together with others who complement their God-given missions. He is working on a people search engine. He is the one who added structure to the question, “Who am I?”

And five questions

So, here are the questions. This is my children’s ministry take on the questions that Jason and Roy inspired me to answer. Pray about them, think on them, write down your answers… and watch your children’s ministry vision be empowered!

What is your dream?

What would you like to see your life accomplish? Think big!

What is God’s calling for your life?

Really give this the prayerful thought it deserves.

How is your children’s ministry helping you fulfill that calling?

Are you on the right track?

Who are you?






This question has several smaller parts, but all the parts make up the whole.

Write these things down in your own words:

• your gender
• your rough age (i.e. “fifty-something”)
• your marital status
• a little something about your children (or the fact that you do not have children)
• a little something about your pets, if you have any
• where you are from
• where you now live
• what you do

Who is your ideal contact?

Not that we always know who the Lord may send our way. But consider: What is your children’s ministry vision? What are your own strengths and weaknesses? Your ideal contact would share your vision and complement your character.

Of course, once you know, the next step is to pray for God to connect you with each person He wants you to meet and to give you discernment to know when you do — because you will!

Roy reminded me about this quote from Oscar Wilde:

Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.

Like I did, you may already basically know your answers to these questions, but there is something about putting it into specific words and writing it down that really gives your life and children’s ministry vision power! I encourage you to give it a try, and let us know in the comments when you do!

Soar high! Aim for the beauty beyond the stars! Hasten Home!

Would you like to see what I came up with? I used it on my Google+ profile.

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Empower the children! Whether your name is familiar in Christian circles worldwide – or just in your little, out-of-the-way town — the secret is the same.

Our loving Heavenly Father has promised us a pretty awesome gift: spiritual wisdom in all things. Spending time with Him in His Word and in prayer can never be replaced by simply listening to another person’s understanding of the Bible.

Even a very spiritual person is still human.

Depend on God

Don’t misunderstand me. I believe it is very edifying to discuss God’s Word with other believers; it is very helpful to be challenged and instructed by the pastor’s messages; but the final word must always be God’s.

We get that through personal Bible study and prayer. We must be faithful “Bereans” and see for ourselves whether “those things” are really so (Acts 17:11).

This dependence on God has powerful results.

“Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” (1 Corinthians 3:18,19)

And

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)

Choosing sides

At Corinth, the Christians were choosing sides, as it were: “one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos….” (1 Corinthians 3:4)

Paul was asking, Who is Paul? and, Who is Apollos? We are just ministers to bring you the gospel.

It is the same in children’s ministry.

One plants the seed, another waters, but it is God who giveth the increase.

Who did it?

And what difference does it make who plants the seed? Or who waters? What if Martin Luther or Doug Batchelor or Billy Graham does? What if Teacher Ken, or Ms. Sheila, or Brother Bob, or Sister Connie does?

It is God that giveth the increase nevertheless.

“No great reformer or teacher, not Luther, Melancthon, Wesley, or Whitefield, could of himself have gained access to hearts, or have accomplished the results that these men achieved. But God spoke through them.” (Gospel Workers, pg. 34)

We are all workers together with Him, whether our name is familiar in Christian circles worldwide – or just in our little out-of-the-way town. He has our name written down. He gave you your work to do, and He gave me mine. And we are workers together with Him.

Now here is the cool part.

“Therefore let no man glory in men….”

Because, after all, if any man has any true success in evangelism – Vacation Bible School or otherwise – it was God who empowered him.

“Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours.”

The same God who speaks to His well-known servants speaks to His lesser-known servants, as well.

And the same God who speaks to His more “mature” servants (the “sheep”) speaks to His newer servants (the “lambs”), as well.

Whether it is the wisdom of “Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours.”

Oh, and lest you forget…

“Ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.”

He will keep you. He will guide you. He will empower you. And he will do the same for every willing child in your Vacation Bible School, too.

Pass it on – this is good news!

Make sure the children know that your relationship with God is very special – but that they can have the same special relationship with God, too!

God will empower you to be a powerful light to the children within your reach. And he will empower them to pass that light right along to others!

The secret to empowering the children at Vacation Bible School is making sure to share the “secret” to your power with them.

Praise the Lord, through His Holy Spirit, “all things are yours”! Pass it on!

~ YOUR TURN: How do you share the “secret of your power” with the children at VBS — or in any other place where the Lord puts you in touch with a child’s life? Tell us in the comments! ~

….
Image credit: “Martin Luther” by Lucas Cranach via Wikipedia.

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In our Vacation Bible Schools, we are simply under-teachers. Jesus is the Master Teacher. He empowers us so that we can empower the children.

Who is the teacher at your Vacation Bible School? Who is the VBS leader? Who is the ultimate director? Who is in charge of your Vacation Bible School?

I hope at some point you said, “God is!” Really, we are simply under-teachers and He is the Master Teacher. He empowers us so that we can empower the children.

In 1 Corinthians 3, there is an interesting verse. It ends like this: “For all things are yours.” Have you heard that one?

All things in context

Like almost anything, it can be slightly misleading when you take it out of context. If someone told you that “all” was yours, you would naturally consider the context of the situation before assuming what “all” meant.

For example, imagine you were the last one in the kitchen after dinner and, standing by the remaining pie in the dish, someone said to you, “It’s all yours!” You would assume they meant the pie, right?

You would not claim they had just given you the whole kitchen… or the house… or the whole property.

But what if you were standing atop a hill in the midst of your father’s lovely 200-acre farmland and with a sweeping motion of his strong arm, your aging father said to you, “It’s all yours!” You would not assume he meant the pie then, would you!

Of course not! You would know he meant the farm. And you would do well to humbly accept it.

All things from God

It is no different when reading and understanding God’s Word.

When we read “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,” what do we think? Do we assume that He has just given us free reign to do whatever we please? Or that if I just call on His strength, I become some sort of bionic superwoman? “Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!”

Of course not. Paul is talking about the peace God gives him even in trial. He is talking about the Father’s power to keep us, where His hand has led us.

But it seems that is the same sort of mistake many make in interpreting 1 Corinthians 3:21.

“For all things are yours.” Really? Cool! You mean I can do whatever I want now with this awesome world You made, Father? (After all, the next verse does say “the world” is mine. As a matter of fact it names off several apostles – Paul, Apollos, Cephas – so really God has given me power over my brethren, too, right?)

Whoa, there! Hold up a minute! We need a little more context here.

If we read this verse in context of the entire chapter (and even the two previous chapters), especially the several verses just before it, we see that the Lord has promised to give us all wisdom in spiritual things.

That is a pretty awesome promise, by the way.

Consider a couple more verses.

“Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” 1Corinthians 1:30

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.” 2 Peter 1:3

He wants each one of us – and that definitely includes the children in your Vacation Bible School – to know Him personally in a very special way. Through that experience, we will be empowered to shine as lights in a dark world! (Stay tuned for a post specifically about the Holy Spirit coming soon!)

The gift is ours, but we must receive it

History tells us that that there have been times (and even churches) in which the searching of the Bible was discouraged – even forbidden. People were told they could not understand God’s Holy Word.

Forget Vacation Bible School; if you wanted to so much as read a page of the Bible, you had better do so secretly, and even then be prepared to give your life for the privilege.

Most did not even try.

Of course, some did, and history bears the names of many humble, yet bold, empowered men: Martin Luther, John Huss, John Wycliffe… and so many more, both named and un-named in the books of our day, yet faithfully recorded in the books of Heaven.

Today, especially in the United States, the Bible is very freely available. Sure it has its opponents, but nobody forbids you to read. Virtually anybody can get a Bible if they want it bad enough; some are even handed out free. (Bible Senders is one online ministry I recently learned about. They seem to be most active on Facebook.)

Yet how many still believe that they cannot understand the precious truths in the Bible? How many rely on pastors, teachers, husbands, friends… anybody but God Himself, for the interpretation?

Yet, where does our power come from?

The real secret to power is a dependence upon God for all things. We must appreciate His awesome gift. We must accept it. We must depend on it.

That is the vital truth that we must teach the children. This is how we – and they – will be empowered.

Check back next week as we talk more about empowering the children at Vacation Bible School. This is where it gets really exciting!

~ YOUR TURN: What are some ways that we take God’s Word for granted? What things could we do in our own lives that could also empower the children in our Vacation Bible Schools? Let’s talk about it in the comments! ~

….
Image credit: “The Sermon on the Mount” by Carl Heinrich Bloch via Wikipedia.

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When choosing your Vacation Bible School crafts, think, “Variety!”

In today’s video Vacation Bible School tip (at the bottom of the post), I share 4 criteria to keep in mind as you plan your Vacation Bible School crafts. In a few short words, “think: variety!”

You can read the following summary or click here to go straight to the video.

The first step to setting up your Vacation Bible School crafts plan is, of course, choosing which crafts you want to do with the children. As you decide, you will want to consider four areas: Cost, Difficulty, Familiarity, and Durability.


Let’s take a closer look into each area.

Cost

First of all, you want to balance things that are less expensive with items that cost a bit more. Less expensive items might include, for example: recyclables, things out of people’s attics, and things you find in nature. Some of the more expensive items might be lumber that has to be purchased, specialty craft items, et cetera.

Difficulty

The second thing to consider as you choose your Vacation Bible School crafts is just how hard you expect it to be for the children to complete each particular project.

Some of your Vacation Bible School crafts should be fairly easy for the children to do. They should have just a few basic steps and be easily completed in one day at VBS.

On the other hand, some of your VBS crafts should present a challenge to the children. You will want to include at least one or two projects that require several steps and more than one day to complete. The children will get a lot out of the process of persevering to complete a slightly more difficult craft, too.

Familiarity





This criteria overlaps the previous one (Difficulty) a bit because the more difficult projects will often involve less familiar tasks. Nevertheless, Familiarity is an important criteria to consider on its own as well.

The majority of children who come to Vacation Bible School will already have several basic skills. They probably already know how to color and paint and cut using scissors, for example. Some of your Vacation Bible School crafts should rely pretty heavily on these basic skills.

It will be something the children can feel very comfortable with.

However, you will also want to take the opportunity to teach the children something new at Vacation Bible School. It can be great fun and a neat bonding time to learn a new skill together.

While there will be exceptions, many children will not know how to hammer nails into wood… or sand… or paint with a paintbrush… or sew some basic stitches. Not to mention, often those that do know how can really benefit from the extra practice.

Incorporating a few of these less familiar skills into your Vacation Bible School crafts can really give the children something to look forward to each year — and to remember for years to come!

Durability

The final criteria for choosing Vacation Bible School crafts is Durability. Consider how long the craft itself — the finished product — is going to last.

It is good to have some very simple crafts that will be easy for the children to do again at home, using items they probably already have around their house. They will be quick to finish, but the finished craft will not be expected to last very long either.

The main point of these little crafts is to have fun doing it. For example, a straw rocket only uses a few cents worth of materials and is not hard to build. It gives the children a whole lot of fun playing for an afternoon or two, but there is a pretty good chance it won’t survive too far past that.

Then you will want to have some durable Vacation Bible School crafts, too. At least some of your crafts should be suitable for a special gift to a loved one, or for a nice keepsake that has a very good chance of being around for years to come.

As a bit of a side note, any Vacation Bible School curriculum from Hasten Home does come complete with craft ideas to fill all ten days of VBS, so you don’t have to do any extra planning — unless you want to, that is! I have also been collecting some neat Vacation Bible School craft ideas over on my boards on Pinterest. You can check them out here.

To sum it all up again, as you choose Vacation Bible School crafts for your VBS, simply think, “Variety!”

Now, here’s the video!

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The mommies said, “Do NOT go near the roaring lion!”

Hello, children! Have you ever been watching a movie or TV and seen the proud, roaring lion in the fancy circle at the beginning? If not, that is okay. I will show him to you in a minute. But I have a story to tell you about that guy.

That roaring lion worked for a movie company. Most people call the company “MGM.” The roaring lion is what they use to make people remember them, and it does a pretty good job!

Really, the MGM roaring lion has been a lot of lions. They take turns. When one lion gets old or can’t do his job anymore, a new lion gets to do it.

One time, when I was a child, I was visiting my Aunt Gwen. She lived kind of close to the big city called “Reno” in Nevada. But her home was further out in the country, where it was usually pretty quiet.

This time, there was a different sound in the air. It was the sound of a roaring lion. His roar sounded kind of like a very deep, “Huff, huff, huff.” Have you ever heard that sound?

Well, Aunt Gwen had a special surprise for everybody. “Would you like to go see the MGM lion?”

Would you like to go see the MGM lion? We said, “Yes!”

So a bunch of us walked over to her neighbor’s house. We had some grown mommies and grandmas. And we had some children. Some of us were a little older — I think I was close to ten, but I do not remember for sure. And some of us were still little.

The mommies made sure to tell all of us children, “Do NOT go close to the lion. We will stand back and look at him.”

The big lion was in a cage, but we still needed to stay back. Have you ever seen a big lion in a zoo? It was kind of like that — except this time, he was the only animal, and he was in somebody’s backyard!

Unfortunately, sometimes little children do not obey. My little cousin wanted to touch the big, furry lion. He stepped close to the cage. The mommies yelled, “No!”

Right away, the big lion stepped quickly towards my little cousin! Guess what? My little cousin jumped back, crying! Wouldn’t you?

The big lion was in a cage so he could not reach my little cousin anymore. My little cousin was safe. But that was scary!

The Bible tells us of another roaring lion. That roaring lion does not remind us about the MGM movie company. It reminds us of our enemy, Satan.

And that roaring lion is not in a cage. He is wandering all over the earth, like a wild lion.

The Bible says, “Your adversary [that means, your enemy] the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” That is in 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 8.

It is like Satan wants to eat us up. He will not really eat us up. But he will try to get us to do bad things.

He is sneaky, like a cat that scoots very close to the ground and tiptoes oh so quietly until he is close enough to JUMP on the little mouse.

Satan is not nice. If he tries to whisper in your mind that you should do something that God said not to do… Don’t listen! Just like my little cousin should not have gone close to the big lion, we should never go close to Satan!

God will help us. Let’s ask Him!

Dear Father in Heaven,

Please help us to know when that mean Satan is trying to sneak up on us to trick us. Keep us safe from him. Please help us to do good. We love you! Thank you for taking care of us.

In Jesus name,
Amen.

I told you I would show you that roaring lion from the MGM movie company. Here he is:

God loves you, child!

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Should children’s ministry segregate families?

Last Sabbath, I was enjoying a conversation with my friend Linda about children’s ministry. She had been thinking about Vacation Bible School and considering some other ways her fairly small church could effectively reach out to the children in the community. In the course of our conversation, a very important topic came up: the tendency of many activities — children’s ministry included — to segregate families.

Being a mother of four children myself, this issue has come up for me more times than I can remember over the last couple decades. I strongly believe it is an issue we must deal with, so I am going to do my best to share my views with you; then I hope you will take a moment to comment at the end of the post.

Why segregate families in children’s ministry

First of all, let’s look at some of the reasons why many people feel families should be segregated in children’s ministry. We must first acknowledge that the title itself sounds a bit exclusive: children’s ministry. Ministry to children. It seems to exclude adults and perhaps even older teens right off the bat.

Many parents and children’s ministry workers feel like it should.

The single biggest argument I have heard in favor of segregating families is that there are classes geared specifically for various age-groups at church. Which is usually true.

In age-specific classes, we have the advantage of being able to laser-target our teaching methods to most effectively reach a large group of children with a most important message.

Another argument is that some parents tend to over-dictate their child. You have heard the term “helicopter parenting“? I personally feel it is an over-used term, but it is true that some parents have a hard time allowing their children the opportunity to have a voice or will of their own; others cannot stand to ever let their child temporarily fail and so limit them incredibly. (There are some siblings — especially older ones — that fall into these traps, as well.)

But… and this is very important: just because a class says it is for so-and-so or such-and-such-age does not always make it the best choice for a child.

Why not segregate families in children’s ministry

There are many conservative Christians who strongly believe that the existence of children’s ministry is destroying the church. Obviously, I am not one of them.

I do, however, believe that the church’s ways of conducting children’s ministry probably does have a lot to do with the low level of spirituality we see among Christians in general. There are many variables involved in that, but let’s look at the reasons against segregating families into age groups.

I would have to say the single largest argument against splitting up families for church activities is the fact that God gave children their parents as special guardians of their well-being. That includes physically, mentally — and spiritually.

When you habitually separate a guardian from their special trust, you are asking for trouble.

The other argument is in regards to siblings. Have you ever noticed how a family who has a healthy attitude towards each other wants to be together? They enjoy each other’s company and have learned to strengthen and encourage each other.

I know a lot of people disagree with me on the importance of this close bond, but I stand firm on my beliefs. God made families to work as a unit.

Many times, the benefits of a child having the companionship of their sibling will far outweigh the benefits of having each sibling in their own age-specific class.

What about Vacation Bible School?

Even Hasten Home’s Vacation Bible School materials have specific activities and worksheets created for the various age-groups in Vacation Bible School. So you know I obviously believe there is an advantage to having age-specific divisions at VBS.

The question that needs to be answered is, How strict should these age divisions be?

Vacation Bible School has one primary goal: to lead the children to Jesus. Period.

All of our decisions must prayerfully aim for that goal.

Here is how I deal with the age-divisions at Vacation Bible School:

• First of all, I do implement them. We have three classes: Junior, Primary, and Kindies. In a very small VBS, you might only have two: Primary-Junior and Kindies.
• Secondly, we suggest that the children will probably most enjoy the classes geared for their age group, but…

• If siblings think they would prefer to be together in one class, we let them try. Whether the older joins the younger or vice-versa will have to be decided on a case-by-case basis. It does not really matter a whole lot. We also let them know that if they change their mind later, that is okay, too.

  The children will learn best when they are comfortable. Often once they have spent a little time at Vacation Bible School, they meet some of the other children and make some new friends. They may see the things their age-group is doing and think it sounds more fun than being in the sibling’s class — but it should really be their personal decision, made with the aid of the parents, if possible.

• Finally, we encourage parents to stay! Many choose not to. They think of Vacation Bible School as not only spiritual food for their children, but as a break for themselves. And that’s okay.

  But other parents want to be involved in the teaching of their children. They need to know that what is being taught in word and in deed at Vacation Bible School lines up with the values of the home.

If possible, give the parents that choose to stay some job. The same goes for an older sibling in a young classroom. Enlist their helping hands. Many are very happy to be involved in this way.

Sure, we may encounter the occasional “helicopter parent” or “helicopter sibling.” But the Lord will give us grace to deal with that as it arises. Just be cautious that you do not interfere in a healthy situation that simply differs from your own ideas on parenting.

Should children’s ministry segregate families?

Children’s ministry should be a complement to parents’ work at home for the salvation of their children. Parents are the first guardians and guides. At Vacation Bible School, we must stand ready to adjust for their choices regarding what the best ways are to fulfill that role.

We are encouragers. Our first job is leading the children to Jesus. And strengthening family ties through Vacation Bible School will only hasten the goal!

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As you plan your VBS, plan to include these 7 Vacation Bible School activities!

As you plan your Vacation Bible School, you’re certain to have lots of great ideas that you would like to do with the children. But there is only so much time in the day at VBS! In this video Vacation Bible School tip (at the bottom of the post), I will share with you seven Vacation Bible School activities that you’ll want to be sure to include in your VBS.

I will explain a little about the reasoning behind each one in the video, as well.

In case you are taking notes, here are the seven Vacation Bible School activities, plus some links to related posts:

Bible Stories

In the Bible stories, the children will learn some important events that happened in Bible times and/or lessons that God’s Word teaches us.

• Teaching children Bible lessons–at their own pace
• Vacation Bible School ideas: Happy/Sad sticks

Bible Study Worksheets

A generous selection of reproducible Vacation Bible School worksheets comes with every Vacation Bible School curriculum set from Hasten Home!

• Making the Best Use of Activity Sheets in Vacation Bible School
• Teaching children Bible–giving Bible studies

Prayer

Prayers before, during, and after VBS are all vital.

• On fire for Vacation Bible School!

Singing

In opening and closing assembly, in class-time, during memory verse review… weave in plenty of singing!

• (Video tip to come!)

Crafts

Cut and paste or build with wood, but be sure to work in some crafts!

• Preparing a low-budget shopping list for Vacation Bible School crafts supplies

Outdoor Game Time

Run and breathe deep with the children. Everyone will benefit.

• 3 Mistakes to avoid in your VBS outdoor games time

Memory Verse Drill

The last is certainly not the least! Arm the children with the Word of God.

• 16 ways to link joy with the children’s Bible memory verses
• 7 Tips for teaching young children memory verses

And now the video: “Vacation Bible School tips: 7 Vacation Bible School activities you’ll want to include in your VBS”….

Want even more ideas? Check out our collection of some of Hasten Home’s best Vacation Bible School tips!

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Have you ever considered that an empty peanut butter jar has a lot in common with life and salvation?

“I definitely do not like washing peanut butter jars! Mom, do we really have to wash this peanut butter jar?”

Of course, she already knew the answer. “Yes, daughter, the peanut butter jar needs to be washed.”

Peanut butter washcloths?

Rosemary continued to scrub, but it seemed like her washcloth might as well have been made of peanut butter itself for all the good it was doing.

“It seems like the harder I scrub, the dirtier the jar gets!” And she repeated her former statement for emphasis: “I definitely do not like washing peanut butter jars.”

“Rosemary, let me show you a trick,” Mother said as she scooted up beside Rosemary at the sink.

“There is a secret to washing peanut butter jars. Want to know what it is?”

“Sure.” What else could Rosemary say? Mom was going to show her anyway, she was sure.

Water

“Watch this.” Mom swished and swished — and the peanut butter jar was actually coming clean. “The secret is water.”

“Oh, great secret,” thought Rosemary, although she had to admit Mom had her curiosity aroused.

Mom noticed the look on Rosemary’s face.

“Really,” she said. “Watch. When I push hard with the washcloth, the peanut butter just smears all around. The harder I push, the less progress I make. But… if I use a gentle touch, like this…” Mom lightened her touch. “Then the water can actually get in there — and check it out! The jar is coming clean!”

“Aaaah, I get it,” Rosemary grinned. “Water.” She had to laugh. It seemed too simple.

Is “scrub hard enough” the answer?

Have you ever considered that life and salvation are kind of like the peanut butter jar? Sometimes when we lead the children to Jesus, we look at their poor, messy lives in a bit of despair. We feel like if we just “scrub hard enough,” we will begin to see some results.

But what is really the result of haphazard, rough scrubbing on a child’s life? Not much. Irritation, perhaps. Certainly not the results we are after.

Lighten up!

But if we lighten up our touch and leave room for the Water of Life to do its beautiful work….

That’s the secret! A very light touch on our part actually leaves room for the miracle to happen! Lives are changed. The mess of a child’s past sins are washed away.

Pretty soon, the Holy Spirit has worked such wonders in his life that even the old label is gone. The child is left a pure, clear glass, perfectly fit for holding new things — like water.

And in all he does, the light of Heaven shines gloriously through him.

Perhaps one day soon, he will even be the one to pass on some of that water….

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Those written words may mean little to a young child’s mind… but hearing and saying Bible memory verses is powerful at any age!

Today, I would like to share some of my favorite first Bible memory verses for children with you. These are all quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.

If you are very diligent, you could probably teach your young child a verse a week. Then this list would last a year.

Review is critical, though. Without it, the children will forget fairly quickly. With it, their Bible memory verses will become very much a part of their lives. You can find some suggestions in last week’s post, 7 Tips for teaching young children memory verses.

And before I forget… Just in case you want even more ideas, you can check out a couple other pages I came across on the web:

• 15 Bible verses for children to memorize, and
• 30 Easy Bible verses

Okay, let’s get to the list!

52 first Bible memory verses for children

I will divide these up into categories. Of course there is some overlap, but hopefully you will find the divisions helpful.

Many of the suggestions here are just a part of a verse, but they each contain a whole thought. I have starred (*) the references that are an entire verse. You can always go back later and learn the rest of the shortened verses with your child if you want.

Simplified version of the Ten Commandments — aka “The Ten Promises”

1. *Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2. Exodus 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
3. Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain.
4. *Exodus 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Exodus 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother.
6. *Exodus 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.
7. *Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. *Exodus 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.
9. Exodus 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness.
10. Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not covet.

 

Bible memory verses for children to claim God’s promises

11. Jeremiah 31:3 Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love.
12. Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee.
    Note: If you want to work on a challenge, this is one awesome verse to start with! *Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
13. Psalm 86:7 I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.
14. Galatians 4:28 Now we… are the children of promise.
15. *Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
16. Matthew 28:20 Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
17. *Psalm 56:3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
18. *Psalm 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
19. *Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

 

Bible memory verses for children to obey

(Of course, commands are promises, too!)

20. Colossians 3:9 Lie not one to another.
21. *Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children.
22. *Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
23. *John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
24. Hebrews 13:5 Be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee.
25. Psalm 86:11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth.
26. John 2:5 Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
27. Luke 10:27 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God.
    Note: This is another one that makes a great first long Bible memory verse. Add some hand motions and it is not too bad! *Luke 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28. *Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
29. *1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice evermore.
30. *1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
31. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks.

 

Bible memory verses for children to praise God with

32. Psalm 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
33. *Psalm 150:6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
34. *Psalm 118:23 This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
    (“Marvellous.” That’s one of those fun words. )
35. *Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
36. *Psalm 100:1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
37. *Psalm 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

 

Bible memory verses about some of the children’s favorite Bible characters

38. Esther: Esther 2:20 Esther did the commandment of Mordecai.
39. Daniel and the lion’s den: Daniel 6:10 Daniel… kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed.
40. David and Goliath: 1 Samuel 17:45 Then said David… I come to thee in the name of the LORD.
    (Or if you’re feeling ambitious, *1 Samuel 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.)
41. Baby Moses: Exodus 2:10 And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
42. Jesus and the children: Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children… to come unto me.
43. Noah and the ark: Genesis 6:9 Noah walked with God.
44. Paul and Silas in prison: Acts 16:25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God.
45. John the Baptist: Mark 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach.
46. Jesus raises the little girl: Mark 5:41 Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
47. The boy Samuel: 1 Samuel 3:9 Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth.

 

One thing we should help the children keep in mind is that the purpose of the whole Bible is to help us learn more about God, but these last few are obviously…

Bible memory verses for children to learn about God

48. *Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
49. Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image.
50. Psalm 145:9 The LORD is good to all.
51. *John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
52. *Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
53. John 16:27 The Father himself loveth you.

 

And the clincher…

54. 1 John 4:8 God is love.

Okay, so that was 54 first Bible memory verses for children. Guess I better stop for now–I just love memorizing God’s Word!

~YOUR TURN: I understand there are over 31 thousand verses in the King James Bible… so it is very possible I have left out one that you would put high on the list for teaching little ones! Scroll down and tell us your favorite(s) in the comments!~

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Teaching young children memory verses is an important part of introducing the children to the Bible and the loving God it represents.

Teaching young children memory verses is very rewarding for both us and them!

I firmly believe that it is never too early for a child to benefit from God’s Word. From the time they are babies, we can read to our children. Little ones just learning to speak will pick up words that they hear spoken often or emphatically. We often notice the word they picked up from someone’s unguarded angry moment–but they will also pick up joyful exclamations.

One of my 3-year-old’s (and my) favorites is “Praise the Lord!” In Sabbath School, when the older children are repeating their memory verses, we have often encouraged the tiny children to say “Jesus”. Beautiful name.

But as soon as the children are starting to string words together in sentences, we may start more directly teaching the children memory verses. This is an important part of introducing the children to the Bible and the loving God it represents.

7 tips for teaching young children memory verses

Here are 7 tips that I have found helpful for teaching young children memory verses, whether it is my own children or those at VBS or Sabbath School. Come to think of it, most of these tips work great for older children and adults, as well!

1. Use music.

Simple songs really make things stick. Even Moses set the requirements of God to music for the Israelites to sing as they journeyed. And how many times have you heard a two- or three-year-old perfectly repeating some annoying jingle from a TV or radio commercial?

They can do it. We simply need to be intentional about keeping the right “food” available for their young minds.

Make up your own memory verse songs, if you’d like. Or try some from Restoration International, Thy Word Creations, Young Disciple Ministries, or Scripture Songs.

2. Be repetitious.

Tell or sing the children memory verses over and over–and over again. Read it from the Bible, sing it while you work, talk about it while you play. Drill it. Over and over and over.

3. Start out small.

Even young children–or we might even say, especially young children–are very capable of learning longer memory verses. By starting out small, though, they have relatively quick success. Success leads to courage to try more. (Not to mention, short memory verses are easier for us to start teaching, too.)

Additionally, teaching very young children shorter memory verses generally means teaching them easy-to-understand memory verses. We will get more into that later.

4. Keep it positive.

There is not much worse we can do for our children’s learning process than to get grumpy or forceful about it. Do your best to always associate joy with the children’s memory verses.

5. Focus on God.

Similarly, always keep the real purpose in view. Christine Kabush, a Christian home schooling mom, suggested Luke 10:27 as a great verse to start with. She says, “We try to do memorization by an order that builds [the children's] relationship with God. This has always seemed the best place for us.”

6. Help the children understand.

First, it helps to choose memory verses that will not be too terribly difficult for the children to understand. (I’ll be sharing some of those on the Hasten Home blog very shortly.) But then…

Ask questions. Reword things. Mention the children’s memory verses when they fit in their days (hmmm… that’s back to Number 2…). Here are a few examples:

• Joey shows you the scab forming on his knee. You say, “Praise the Lord! Your owie is healing up so nicely. ‘I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made!’ God made us so wonderfully, didn’t He!”
• While memorizing Matthew 28:20 “Lo, I am with you alway,” ask “Who is ‘I’? Who is ‘you’?” Of course, the child’s answers would be “God” or “Jesus”, and “me!”
• Continuing the above example of Matthew 28:20, you could then reword the memory verse: “Yes, Jesus is always with you!”
7. Pray for the children.

The secret of power in the children’s memory verses is the same as the secret of power in any Christian’s life: the Holy Spirit. Pray that God will fill the children’s hearts with His Spirit. Pray that He will empower His Word to work mightily. He delights to answer our prayers for the children!

~YOUR TURN: What would you add? Have you used some of these tips with success? Tell us about it in the comments below!~

Appreciate this post? Find more here: Vacation Bible School Materials & more | Hasten Home - Restoring Virtue & Excellence in Vacation Bible School.
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