{"id":1076,"date":"2016-05-04T14:10:45","date_gmt":"2016-05-04T20:10:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wwv.group.com\/childrens-ministry\/?p=1076"},"modified":"2016-05-04T14:10:35","modified_gmt":"2016-05-04T20:10:35","slug":"mundane-to-deeper-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wwv.group.com\/childrens-ministry\/blog\/sunday-school\/mundane-to-deeper-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Take Kids Out of the Mundane and Into Deeper Learning"},"content":{"rendered":"

Deep waters can be intimidating.\u00a0 I used to live in Okinawa, a couple of minutes away from a beautiful beach. I\u2019m talking the kind of beach with awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping sunrises and sunsets to go with it. Okay, I don\u2019t really remember a sunrise because I\u2019m not a morning person. But you get the picture.\u00a0Gorgeous!\u00a0Some of my fondest memories with my family are there. We experienced amazing swimming in crystal-clear waters.\u00a0Shallow water is safe for most people, so we would always be warned to stay there in the safe zone.\u00a0I was terrified of sharks and jellyfish, so staying in the \u201csafe zone\u201d was never a problem for me.\u00a0One of my younger sisters didn\u2019t even let the waves touch her and would scream comically if one even got close. It was kind of cute, but she totally missed out on the waves. And my dad, he was completely fearless, going so deep you could only see his head bobbing in the waves.<\/p>\n

This makes me think of\u00a0teaching kids God\u2019s Word. I like to ask myself, am I just keeping kids in the safe zone? Or am I encouraging kids to go deeper and experience\u00a0life transformation?\u00a0Am I giving them\u00a0the kind of learning experiences that stick around for a lifetime, or\u00a0just a class-time? Here are seven ways to take kids beyond the safe zone\u2014where we can either dip our toes or dive in to\u00a0encourage deeper learning and life transformation in kids.<\/p>\n

7 deeper learning zones:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The Serving Zone.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Service is addicting. When we teach kids how to serve and help them experience the joys of serving others, it brings purpose to their lives. Service helps kids understand that no matter how old they are or what their home life is like, they can make a difference. Teaching them how to look for opportunities to love others is a gift. No matter how small the act of service is, it can make a HUGE difference in the world around them.\u00a0The bonus is that when they fall more in love with Jesus and serving, they are way more likely to be an active member who serves in a church as an adult. What a legacy to leave!<\/li>\n
  2. The Simplicity Zone.<\/strong>\u00a0Give kids simple Bible points they can remember. We can be tempted to give kids as much information as we can possibly fit in the time allotment we have.\u00a0Most of us have probably been a part of classrooms in our schools or churches growing up where the \u201cfire hydrant\u201d approach was\u00a0used to deliver information. Group\u2019s brand-new Sunday school curriculum <\/a>DIG IN helps streamline your teaching efforts, applying the same\u00a0foundational Bible truth in every part of\u00a0your lesson. Talk about maximizing each moment!<\/li>\n
  3. The Relational Zone.<\/strong>\u00a0Give kids ways to build relationships with their peers and their teachers (YOU!). Building relationships is one of the main reasons adults seek out a church home, and that is no different for kids. I love seeing the conversations kids have about different components in the lessons through pair-shares and other relational activities<\/a> as they go deeper in their relationships.<\/li>\n
  4. The Connection Zone.<\/strong>\u00a0Give kids a chance to make the connections between the lesson and real-life application.\u00a0Scenario:\u00a0Take two students and tell one of them what you want him or her to do to apply the Bible point for the week. Next, take the other student through various activities and discussions and let him or her discover how to apply the Bible point in real life. Which way do you think is actually going to help kids remember and apply that point, dictation or discovery?<\/a> DIG IN has so many ways for kids to make connections between the activities they do and the lessons they learn to real life.<\/li>\n
  5. The Flexibility Zone.<\/strong>\u00a0One of my favorite sayings is, \u201cBlessed are the flexible for they won\u2019t be bent out of shape.\u201d Being flexible, focusing on the students, and being relational instead of having tunnel vision for all the details that go into the lesson is such a gift to your students. Being able to change out a lesson each week as you discover what works and doesn\u2019t for the unique needs of your class and students is priceless. I love this component of DIG IN<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  6. The Responsibility Zone.<\/strong>\u00a0Give kids the responsibility of applying the lesson and taking ownership. If you are consistent with following up with the students God has entrusted to you, they will be thinking about it more during the week.\u00a0They will come back super-excited to tell you what they did, and kids will be coming into our classrooms excited to share how they applied the Bible that week. Can teaching get any more meaningful and fun than that?<\/li>\n
  7. The Love Zone.<\/strong>\u00a0Give kids your time and love. Clanging gongs, clashing cymbals, and straight-up noise\u2026that\u2019s what we sound like when we teach without love. However, if we don\u2019t remember\u00a0to show kids love in a tangible way, regardless of how hard our week has been or how difficult a particular student is acting, then we don\u2019t stand a chance of getting the message across in the most effective way.\u00a0So let\u2019s take each opportunity to share the love of the ultimate Gift Giver\u2014Jesus.\u00a0This is the greatest gift of all.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    So, which teacher are you going to be?\u00a0Will you choose to stay in the safe zone or lead children through life-transforming experiences?\u00a0Not only is DIG IN great for equipping teachers, but DIG IN<\/a> was created so kids can grow deeper\u00a0in their faith and relationship with Jesus.<\/p>\n

    Ephesians 1:18 says, \u201cI pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called\u2014his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.\u201d I believe that we have the opportunity to live out that hope and help others see it, too, as we influence an entire generation. We have a glorious inheritance waiting for us! The future looks bright out in the deep!\u00a0I think I want to do more than dip my toe in the shallow water. What a joy it is to help lead children to do the same.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Deep waters can be intimidating.\u00a0 I used to live in Okinawa, a couple of minutes away from a beautiful beach. I\u2019m talking the kind of beach with awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping sunrises and sunsets to go with it. Okay, I don\u2019t really remember a sunrise because I\u2019m not a morning person. But you get the picture.\u00a0Gorgeous!\u00a0Some of my fondest memories with my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":1101,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sunday-school"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Take Kids Out of the Mundane and Into Deeper Learning - Group Children's Ministry<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Deep waters can be intimidating.\u00a0 I used to live in Okinawa, a couple of minutes away from a beautiful beach. 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