There are some things in the Bible that are not necessarily difficult to understand theologically speaking, but are rather complex for children and teens to even begin to picture in their minds. Then there are other sets of information that you may pull from periodically and it would be great to have everything organized, graphically pleasing and easy to grab when needed. And sometimes those two sets of information overlap.
One of our favorite, affordable resources are pamphlets published by Rose Publishing. At only a couple of dollars each from some retailers, these glossy pamphlets are made to last and are large enough for smaller classes to see them well. I love the ones on the Tabernacle and Temple. The descriptions in the Bible are complex and confusing to children and teens who have no idea what many of the things mentioned look like or are used for. Not only do the pamphlets provide illustrations, but they simplify explanations of the various items and how they were used. There is all sorts of great information in the pamphlets that can be shared with students depending upon the lesson, the maturity of your Bible students and their interests.
When I teach older children, I like to do things involving the various Jewish feasts and how they point to Jesus and there’s a pamphlet about the feasts. They also have useful pamphlets on prophecies fulfilled by Jesus and a vocabulary – 100 Words Every Christian Should Know – pamphlet with definitions. (Note a few of the words are more liturgical than words used in the Bible, but it still gives teachers a good starting point.)
You can find these pamphlets in your favorite Christian bookstore or online from emailers that sell Christian books as well as the Rose Publishing website. Not every outlet carries every pamphlet, so the Rose website is the place with a complete listing. I don’t have them all and probably don’t need or want some of them, but for the topics I’ve chosen, they’ve been more than worth the money I paid for them.