How can we engage with the Bible creatively?
At that place has been increasing recognition recently, from all sorts of angles, that we are declining effectively to appoint with the Bible as a living, formative come across with God. This is especially so with children and young people, and one of the near challenging contexts to practise this is in all-age services.
A few years ago I contributed some of the ideas on how to use the Bible finer to Chris and John Leach's Grove booklet W194How to Plan and Atomic number 82 All-Age Worship. Here is the section on using the Bible, which includes nine singled-out ways to engage with a reading. They all take a piddling (or a lot!) more time, energy and preparation than simply standing and reading, simply the investment is well worth it.
We have always believed that it is exposure to both the Bible and the work of the Holy Spirit which forms and disciples Christians, just that depends on how the Bible is presented (and of course how the Spirit is allowed to piece of work), particularly in the context of AAW. Hopefully the work of Bible-teaching volition exist going on calendar week by calendar week for children in their groups and for adults through sermons and homegroups, but we have both opportunities and difficulties at all-historic period services. The adjacent section will talk more specifically about teaching, just what about the way we read the Bible?
First, information technology is worth proverb that it might not e'er be appropriate to include the 3 readings plus psalm which the lectionary dictates for each Sunday. We try to follow the Common Worship rule of 2 readings, and try to keep the balance between Old and New Testaments. Readings will demand to be accessible to both youngsters and not-churched visitors, but at the same time we practise want to innovate people to new $.25 of the Bible. A diet of Joseph, Daniel and Noah's Ark every week is unlikely to nourish and nurture discipleship.
Secondly, you need to cull your readers with care. For AAW you specially need those who can read with meaning and bring the passage alive. There are all sorts of helpful hints in How to Read the Bible in Church which is essential reading specially for those who are functioning during AAW. But there are other ways of presenting a Bible passage than only reading it out. Here are a few suggestions.
Dramatize It
The Dramatized Bible has the Good News and New International Versions of the text of all the Bible passages you are likely to need for AAW arranged like a play for different characters, narrators and and then on. Clearly this works better with some passages than others. The department on Levitical rules for holiness from chapter nineteen is a bit limited, but the narrative sections can really be brought live by a few good readers taking the different parts. It is likewise relatively piece of cake to dramatize your ain Bible, perhaps using 1 of the downloadable versions and discussion-processing it into dramatized course.
Tell It
Information technology is possible to be fifty-fifty more creative with the text past getting someone gifted in story-telling simply to present the story without really reading it. We once saw someone ride in on a scooter, stand and tell the Bible story, and and so scoot out again. It had great impact!
Act It
If you are blest with some gifted actors, why not dress them upward and deed the story? If the passage is a narrative it might be usefully acted out, or alternatively a sketch might illustrate the story with a new angle.
Experience It
You might put together a presentation which combines the reading of Scripture with music and images. The actual reading could either be done live, or recorded as role of the presentation. If y'all feel you lack the technical know-how to do this, most school children would exist able to help you, which in turn would aid requite them ownership of the projection.
Watch It
There is a wealth of videos available which tin retell the story. Films such equallyThe Miracle Maker, Prince of Egypt, Jesus of Nazareth then on can exist useful for telling the stories, although watch of course for whatever directors' gloss. Nowadays yous tin can even do this legally by purchasing a video copyright licence, which is similar to the 1 you no doubt have for songs.
Learn Information technology
Learning a text and reciting it by heart tin can be particularly effective, peculiarly when the reading consists of Jesus' educational activity. Ian Paul comments: 'I once learned the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25) and recited information technology in the all-age part of our main service. Everyone was gripped—and those on my left found it especially memorable!' This should not be surprising really; Jesus' teaching was sufficiently engaging for the gospel writers (or their sources) to take memorized it.
Mistake It
Some other technique which works well is to read the story, then read it over again with deliberate 'mistakes', for example, substituting place names in the Bible story for local place names, or names of characters for names of or known to the congregation, or even adding references to contemporary bug or jokes. You lot need to brief the congregation beforehand that you are going to read it twice (so they listen advisedly the first time) and offer prizes (such equally chocolate) for anyone who spots a mistake. Be careful not to make too many mistakes, or it can last also long. This is in fact a variation on a well-known educational activity method.
Hartman It
Bob Hartman has his own singled-out approach to congregational story telling, but it is not difficult to larn for yourself. Repetition and congregational actions make for a memorable and fun way into Bible stories. See his books, including Telling the Bible.
Video It
Nosotros live in an age when things on television or the big screen have a detail say-so—so why not merits it for Bible reading? Video someone reading the passage, either by heart, from hidden prompt cards, or simply from a Bible, in a nearby location, and show it every bit a video in church if you have data projection available. It is a great projection for a small team, though needs some planning ahead, and editing the video for projection is some other task that teenagers in the church volition rising to.
Personally we would desire 'proper' Bible readings as well as all these ideas; a diet of different ways of presenting Scripture is no substitute for actually hearing it from time to fourth dimension, but to band the changes and use creative methods can actually assistance bring the Bible alive.
(First published Feb 28, 2014)
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