QUESTION: “Is the teaching of children a gift we receive from God, or is it an ability we need to develop?”
ANSWER: “It is both. It is God Who calls us and guides us into this ministry (Ephesians 4: 11, 12), and it is God Who gives us the ability for it. However it is our responsibility to study, train and prepare ourselves for this ministry-and to “stir up” the gift we have received.” (2 Timothy 1:6)
Teaching is an art, like playing a musical instrument, which needs to be learned and developed, and we who are called to teach must learn how to master that art. Like any other art, teaching is governed by a number of principles and it is our responsibility, with God’s help and guidance, to know these principles and put them into practice.
One of the most important of those principles is the PRINCIPLE OF CONCENTRATION.
However, it is probably the most neglected of all the principles. If you neglect it or disobey it, I believe that your teaching of the children could suffer. The more you try to teach at any one time, the less you will teach. It is better to teach one truth and teach it well. It is difficult, even impossible, for you, as a teacher, to teach a number of truths in a 15-minute lesson based on a Bible passage or story. You can say or state several truths; but saying and stating are not the same as teaching. Also it is equally difficult, and equally impossible, for children to understand a number of truths all being “taught” at the same time; and this is especially true of many children today who have little or no acquaintance with such truths.
It is obvious, therefore, that what you can teach in one relatively short Bible lesson is limited. Therefore, if you want your teaching to be effective, you should concentrate your teaching on one specific truth, and teach it and apply it thoroughly to all the children in your group.
First of all, you need to study, carefully and prayerfully, the Bible passage on which your lesson or story is based and ask yourself “What is the most important fact or truth which God wants us to understand from this passage?” and “What is the central truth of this passage?” You want the children to understand that truth; therefore, your lesson will be based on it. You will, of course, mention and include other truths if they help you teach this one central truth, but you are not trying to teach these other truths. However, there may be teachers who, with the best intent and purpose, still try to teach 3, 4, 5, or even 6, truths in a Bible lesson. Their zeal is good, their motives and goals are good, but I believe that their teaching could be much more effective, if they based it on the PRINCIPLE OF CONCENTRATION, and taught one truth really well.
*This is an extract from Mini Mag by Sam Doherty. Sam, who introduced the work of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) in Ireland and later served as Regional Director in Europe, shares his insights on 75 years of ministry in this publication. You can sign up to receive it by email here.
