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Here are a few simple rules of thumb when
presenting a Gospel magic trick, object lesson, story or whatever you find
yourself doing. If you use these
guidelines, I promise you, your lessons will become more effective and you
will be come more organized in preparing yourself to teach.
1.
Research your lesson and study. You may need to make it more personal than what you read from
a book or lesson manual. Keep in mind that it needs to flow with the rest
of the theme for the day.
2.
Make sure that your props, objects, transparencies, overhead
projector, VCR, puppets, costumes or any other method that is to be used
are ready, in place and in good working condition. There is nothing more
embarrassing then getting ready to teach a part of your lesson and you find
yourself in a difficult situation because your teaching material isnt in
place or is broken.
3.
Always be prepared by knowing your
lesson ahead of time so you know exactly how to present it. Have the main points of the lesson
memorized so you can make it personal.
Ive heard it said over and over: If you dont have something
planned, the children will. Allow
yourself ample time to get to know every part of your lesson.
4.
Be excited when you teach and
instruct the boys and girls. I
wouldnt want to be a Christian if you dont look like you want to be
one. Smile! Be exuberant and bold to proclaim Gods
Word. I only get to see these
children for a few hours a week. I
want them to know me as the most exciting person they know who loves Jesus.
5.
Practice your lesson. You dont need to be distracted by
accidentally dropping props or not knowing how to hold something so it can
best be seen. Stand in front of a
mirror if you need to see if you look natural. Analyze how the objects are to used and make sure that
everyone will be able to see it and understand. You may need to record yourself on video or audio so you can
make adjustments to the words you use or which words or phrases to over
emphasize. Give these children your
best!
6.
Have a place to keep your props
before youre ready to present it.
You want to have an element of surprise. This can happen if no props are seen before they are
presented. This will also help
curious hands from ruining your lesson.
7.
Have a place to put your items after
the lesson is over with. Behind the
puppet stage or under a covered table or perhaps its something you can
give away after youve taught the lesson.
Wherever it goes, just make sure that its out of the way for the
rest of the lesson so it doesnt become a distraction. Youre also not going to want children
getting their hands on things that you need to keep nice.
8.
Try to use volunteers as much as
possible when teaching. This will
give others a chance to participate in the lesson. It will also create an attention-getter
for those whose peers are part of the lesson. If your lesson doesnt need volunteers, then try to get the
entire crowd involved by repeating phrases after you or mimicking actions
that are relevant to the lesson.
9.
Keep it visual. There are so many statistics that are
out there on how much more effective people learn and remember when they
hear and see something demonstrated.
If you find yourself creating your own lessons (and I encourage you
to do so), you are going to need to keep your lesson visual. Your class will pay attention and it
will keep you creative. Dont be
scared to use large objects, puppets, costumed characters, Illusions,
cartoons, overhead transparencies, etc.
Let your mind go wild!
10.
Always practice what you preach. How can you get up in front of any group
of people and teach God's Word when you're not living it yourself? If you are living God's Word, you will
become a living breathing testimony.
You will know that what you are teaching is the truth. This is what will keep you excited!
11.
When using fire, flash or
pyrotechnics, always be sure that you are in a well-ventilated area. Be sure that you have made every safety
precaution such as: having a fire extinguisher available, keeping a safe
distance from the audience or class and always warn children's audiences
that this is not something that they would be able to do at home.
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