WOMEN OF FAITH
memory verse for this unit
“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” (John 11:27, NIV*)
objectives of this unit
This unit will help the children:• Trust in God despite the problems they may suffer, and to teach them that trust in the Lord allows them to share their testimony with others• Discover that those of us who are Christians have a responsibility to help others grow spiritually• Share the message of salvation with their friends and family through a method of evangelism.
the reason we teach this unit
Please allow adequate time as you prepare for each of your sessions. Nazarene Discipleship International (NDI) desires these children's discipleship lessons to both engage the teacher in personal discipleship as well as to be children's disciple makers. Your pre-adolescents and early adolescents will get to learn about the lives of three women: Martha, Priscilla and Lydia; and they will see the example of faith and service these women were in spreading the gospel during the first years of the early church.
In the “Evangelism and the Teaching of Children” section of New Testament Evangelism Today, we learn some characteristics the concerned teacher should look for in the pre-adolescents and early adolescents.
Of what factors should the evangelistic teacher be aware?
Pre-adolescents and early adolescents are responsive to God. More people are won to Christ in this department than in any other age-group in the church. They are loyal to the groups to which they belong. The teacher should seek to bind the child to Christ as the Leader of the Church. Their loyalty to teachers and the pastor can help them make right choices. Their unusual loyalty makes the Christian pre-adolescents and early adolescents natural evangelists. They are eager for their friends to join their group, love their Christ, and belong to their church.
Family relationships are also important. Pre-adolescents and early adolescents love family outings and vacations. Their loyalty may cause them to carry a real burden for the unsaved members of their families. They will pray for them, urge them to attend church, and in some cases plead with them to become Christians.
During the pre-adolescence and early adolescence years the teacher and the church have prime opportunities to win their families. It is imperative that our pre-adolescents and early adolescents be saved. They need a genuine experience with Christ before they are fully launched into the teen-age world.
What are some of the pre-adolescents early adolescents' learning aptitudes?
While scripture memorization may begin much earlier, it probably reaches its maximum value during these years. Music is a vital educational tool for preadolescents. They love to sing. Writing songs and poems and creative art projects also help them learn. Discussion, oral reports, field trips, and creative dramatics are effective. Maps, geography, and history are meaningful to the older preadolescents. Adventure stories and missionary stories are also good teaching tools.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™