Today is Wednesday and later today, there will be thousands of adults admonishing children to memorize Scripture, but my question to you is, how important is Scripture memory to you? Are you using the “do as I say, not as I do” mindset or are the “I do it and you should to” mindset?
Children, and others, will follow better when they see what we do, more than just what we tell them to do.
Here’s an object lesson for you to illustrate that. Place signs in the large group room that say no frisbee playing in the room (or ball playing) and sign it with your name. As the children walk in, spin a frisbee on your finger, play catch with someone and just have some fun playing with the frisbee or the ball in the classroom. The children will quickly pick up on the fact that you are breaking the rule you made and call you out on it. You are not practicing what you preach, you are saying do as I say, not as I do. If the rule was important enough to post, then it should be important enough to follow. If Scripture memory is important enough to tell children they should do it, then we should be as well.
So, I ask again, how important is Scripture memory to you?
LOL! Think this is a question not just for our KIDS, but for adults, as well! I agree…modeling the behavior is so important, as well as gently encouraging. We actually had a program in SS where the kids could earn a “coin” (from OT!) each week for:
1. Coming to SS
2. Bringing a friend
3. Memorizing the scripture from the previous week lesson
At the end of each month, they could trade in their coins for a prize from the prize box…small trinkets…nothing expensive
This was moderately successful…the kids who really wanted to memorize did…the rest were hit or miss.
Unfortunately, many adults are also not diligent about committing scripture to memory…would be SO nice to have many adults who could model this behavior for our kids.
I would love to know others thoughts on how to get kids to memorize…thanks for the post, Bill!
I’d like to challenge adults to have their clubbers listen to their verses! The kids in my club, especially Sparkies, love to sign my book. I’m practicing Ephesians 6:18 and John 14:2 for tonight.
Ellen, that is what I have done. The children look forward to seeing what you know and are often harder on you then adults would be! As a commander, having the children listen to my sections also gave me insight to how the leaders were doing handbook time because the clubbers would reflect what their leaders were doing. Very enlightening at times.