Teen Bible classes tend to revolve around lessons and discussions. Very few Bible teachers for teens consider adding activities to the mix. It’s unfortunate, because many teens want to revisit some of the things they enjoyed when they were younger. Activities can pique the interest of all but the most jaded teen.
There is an activity you can do that could help you learn more about the worlds of your students and where their hearts are. This activity can take some time, but with encouragement and perhaps an incentive or two, it can give you some important information on how best to reach your Bible students.
Ask them to each prepare a special “Day in the Life” project. The project should not be just about their daily activities, although of course that will be included. What you want them to show you is where they see God working in their world, where they struggle being who God wants them to be, where they are questioning what they are learning about God and the world in the Bible.
The format can be up to them. Some may choose to piece together multiple Instagram stories. Others may make a video. Still others may create a photo essay. If possible, encourage them to make their presentations visual- partially because you can sometimes learn more from the images they choose than the words they use and partially because it will be more engaging to their fellow students.
For this activity to work well, you need to make it safe for them to be vulnerable. By merely sharing their projects, they will become emotionally closer if they are honest. Leave it up to the student as to whether he or she wants to share the presentation just with the class or with a larger audience. In many cases, the entire church may learn and grow from seeing the world through the eyes of the young people in your congregation.
Be prepared for at least one student to reveal something raw and emotionally or spiritually traumatic. Think about how you will handle the situation before it occurs. Over reacting can discourage other students from being honest. Of course serious issues need to be addressed, but it should be done with love and kindness as well as truth.
Because this is such a time consuming project, you may want to have incentives for those who complete it. What those incentives are will depend upon your students. Asking them what would encourage them to complete the project may help you choose the best incentive. And don’t forget to be careful of the timing of the assignment. School breaks are often best, since they will have more free time.
Encouraging students to share their hearts will help them become emotionally closer to each other and you. It can also give you important information about the types of Bible lessons and discussions that might be the most helpful to them spiritually. It’s worth taking the extra time and effort to plan and promote the project.