Daily Christian Volunteer Challenges Week 4

Volunteering to minister to kids, teens and their families can be especially challenging in this COVID world. Here are some challenges we posted on social media this week to give you some tips, ideas and encouragement.

Monday: What will your Bible students remember from your classes? You can’t entirely control their memories, but you can do things to make the concepts and commands God wants them to know more memorable. Our website is full of free activity ideas to make Bible lessons interactive, meaningful, fun and memorable and we’re always adding new ideas. Or search our blog for posts on memory. It’s worth your time and effort to make Bible class memorable.

Tuesday: If you are teaching the Bible to older kids and teens, many of them are already extremely interested in having romantic relationships. The world is teaching them all sorts of unhealthy and ungodly things about romantic relationships. Their parents may not be teaching them much about what God wants for them in a romantic relationship at home. Your Bible class may be the only place anyone ever teaches them what God wants them to know about this important aspect of their lives. Make sure someone teaches them how to have those godly, healthy relationships.

Wednesday: Does your church do ministry in the community? Do you know any missionaries? Often they will have projects like these that older kids and teens can do. Cutting, sewing on buttons, painting…these service projects are helpful to the ministry that needs them. They don’t help the young people serving by completing them as much unless they understand the purpose of the objects and meet the people who desperately need them. Connect your students with the purpose and people of your service experience if you want your Bible students to really grow from the experience.

Thursday: Did you know smells are a strong trigger for memory? Finding ways to add smells to your Bible classes can make your lessons more memorable. Specific objects can have a similar impact – like the rainbow and God’s promise to Noah. Giving students the same connections repeatedly over time will make those memory triggers even stronger. Even as an adult, if they smell that smell or see that object, they will think of the scripture or biblical concept.

Friday:  Do your Bible students believe someone is less than them? That is the seed of all of the ugly, hateful isms in our world. Part of the solution is being constantly reminded that God loves everyone equally. It doesn’t mean we don’t try to convince people to turn away from their sins. It means we try harder because we love them so much, the idea of them not being in Heaven breaks our hearts. Another part of loving everyone equally is empathy. Unfortunately, we tend to teach sympathy instead of empathy…which makes those people less than again. Help your Bible students find commonalities with people they believe are very different from them. Help them see the struggles and the victories people have. Teach them to view people as individuals not groups. Find ways for them to spend lots of time with kids who aren’t just like them…but actually are in many ways. Then your students will really begin to understand how to “Love like Jesus.”

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