While some teaching methods are better than others, the Bible teacher is responsible for teaching the Bible in a way that engages their students and provides a way in which students can learn easily. Occasionally, the students will learn and not even realize they are learning, i.e, interesting bulletin boards, highlighting special facts about a biblical character, telling a Bible story that becomes 'real' to the student, etc.
Offering out-of-the-ordinary, yet still biblical, art projects sometimes will stay with the child a little longer than a worksheet. While I, personally, use worksheets infrequently, if ever, there are some Bible teachers who are convinced that writing answers week after week show that the child is learning. Mixing up the worksheets with an art project once in a while also works!
Here is an example of an art project that introduces the topic, "Be Not Weary In Well Doing," where students not only learn the Bible lessons about people who are doing good to others around them, but where the students themselves find good things to help their own neighbors or, perhaps, the elderly in their congregation.
The activity is called "Helping Hands."
Materials needed: 9" x 12" white index or construction paper, markers, crayons, pencils, scissors.
- Hand out white paper to students.
- The students trace one of their hands with a pencil.
- Student draws a design on their paper-hand (see picture for ideas).
- Student cuts out their own paper-hand.
- On the back of the hand, write "Be not weary in well-doing..." and "Galatians 6:9."
- Display the hands as a wreath on the wall or on the classroom door.
- Write "Galatians 6:9" in the middle of the wreath.
- Shine Your Light For Others! (Mt. 5:16)
- Dorcas, A Life of Good Deeds (Acts 9:36-42)
- The Good Samaritan Shows Compassion (Luke 10:30-37)
- Love Your Enemies! (Luke 6:35)