encourage them to come face to face with God; ways that will change their lives, and the lives of the people around them.

We’d like to encourage you to try them out. And if you have other ideas, put them on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you.

Hilary HagueTeam Leader, Children and Families Ministry.

This means that engaging with the Bible needs to be a process that is relational and life changing. We want to help people understand what it means to be part of God’s plan, which stretches from the beginning of time, through the Bible and down the years to us today. We want to encourage them to form a relationship with God and reflect on what he has to say to them about their lives and the joys and challenges and difficulties they are facing. We want to help them explore what it means to live out their part in God’s story – to speak God’s truth even when their voices shake.

And this is particularly important for our children. This edition of WAY2GO looks at some practical ways we can help children engage with the Bible; ways that will

Welcome to the WAY2GO magazine. It’s full of ideas for people who work with children in their churches and local communities. Pull it out and pass it around.

God was new to sixteen year old Nathaniel and the Bible was even newer. So when he was asked to paint the wall of the local dairy to stop people using it for graffiti, he decided to paint something he had been learning about – something God had been saying to him. He painted:

Speak the truth even if your voice shakes.

God spoke to Nathaniel and Nathaniel heard what he said and was challenged to live it out.

This is the way God works. We can see it when we read the Bible. The Bible is full of stories of God interacting with people like Nathaniel and shaping them and developing them.

Issue 50

Try one of these paint activities with your children. Read the Bible passage slowly, or put on some music, and ask your children to think about God while they paint. When they have finished, spend some time looking at the paintings. Ask your children to share what they were thinking about while they painted, then pray together.

PAINT TOGETHER

Colour Painting • Get the largest zip lock bag

you can find. • Choose 2 or 3 different colours

of paint and put a spoonful of each inside the bag.

• Fasten the top and tape the bag to the window to let the light shine through.

• Move the paint round with your fingers.

Mark Yacconelli says “The stories of Scripture are windows into the nature of God and humanity and our relationships to one another. They are stories that help us repent, heal, learn, grow and stretch towards God’s love and wholeness…It (Scripture) helps us name our experience and points us to deeper ways in which we can experience God’s love and compassion for humanity.”1

Take a look at these key principles and use them when you open the Bible with your children.

Understanding – Teach your children what is in the Bible and help them to handle it confidently. Show them how to find their way around it. Make sure they understand it and the context in which it is set.

Curiosity –Inspire your children to be fully

involved in discovering the truth

in the Bible for themselves. Use

open ended questions to help them

discover the meaning and power of

the text and support them as they

develop the ability to think and

wonder about God. Ask questions

like “What does this story show us

about God?” “Why do you

think this story is in the

Bible?” Reflection – Encourage the children to see themselves as part of God’s big story. Help them reflect and draw their own conclusions. Ask questions like

“Who else feels like me in the Bible?” “What did God say to them?” “What shall I do now?” Reassure them in their hard times, affirm their contributions and guide them towards good understanding.

Bubble Wrap Painting • Paint a picture on bubble wrap.• Press it onto a piece of paper to make a print.

Foam Painting• Put some shaving foam in a paper cup and add food colouring. Make several colours. • Take everyone outside. Give them paintbrushes and let them use the

shaving foam to paint on windows. • Simply hose everything down when you have finished.

Transparent Paint• Mix together paint, PVA glue and dishwashing liquid to make a

transparent mixture.• Paint it straight onto a window. (If you would rather not paint on your

windows simply tape pieces of overhead transparency to the window first.)

• The sun will shine through the paint and look like stained glass.• When the paint is dry simply peel it off.

1 Contemplative Youth ministry by Mark Yacconelli, Zondervan/Youth Specialties, 2006.

Reflection – Encourage the children to see themselves as part of God’s big story. Help them reflect and draw their own conclusions. Ask questions like “Who else feels like me in the Bible?” “What did God say to them?” “What shall I do now?” Reassure them in their hard times, affirm their contributions and guide them towards good understanding.

Relationship -

The relationship you have with your

children will impact them and the

way you feel about your own Bible

will affect the way they feel about

theirs. Bring your Bible out and

role model the way you use it.

Let the children see the way

God speaks through it to

change and shape your life.

The attitude of adults is

crucial to developing

a positive attitude to the

Bible in children.

Sacred Space – Make space for children to spend time with God and to respond to him. Allow quiet times for children to hear from God. Use the Bible in prayer and worship and pray that God will use the Bible to speak his living words into their lives.

Our children are the church of today but they are also the church of tomorrow. Discover how to inspire this generation to take God’s church forward into the future.

Whether you are new to children’s ministry or an experienced leader interested in our Senior Leadership Track, this conference will have something for you.

INVERCARGILL 9 MAY 2015 WELLINGTON 23 MAY 2015 AUCKLAND 6 JUNE 2015More information online www.sunz.org.nz

TOP TIPS on Discovering the Bible with Children is full of practical advice and inspirational stories to help you open up the Bible with your children.

We are giving it away to the first 2 people to ring us up on freephone 0508 423 836.and mention this magazine.

If you miss out, you can buy it for $9.99.

Children talk about the Bible.Find out what some of the children we know think about the Bible.Watch online at www.sunz.org.nz

Maybe you could ask some of your children the same questions and find out what they think.

Scripture Union wants to work with your church to create opportunities for children and young people to discover and follow Jesus, grow as leaders, and influence the world. Contact us and let us know how we can help you.

Scripture Union in New Zealand – PO Box 760, Wellington 6140way2go@sunz.org.nz – 0508 423 836 – www.sunz.org.nz