5 Simple Bible Literacy Tips for Children Skip to next element

5 Simple Bible Literacy Tips for Children

CTA - Christ to All /Oct. 15, 2018
The back of a child shown as he sits in class

By Alison Zeller

Last month, we started a series of blogs focused on Bible literacy. Throughout the series, we are defining Bible literacy in this way:

“Bible literacy is knowing the content of the Bible, the redemptive story of God, and the future hope he has promised to those who believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Even more than knowing it, is understanding it well enough to live it out and USE it in life.”

Today, let’s focus on Bible literacy in kids. How can we teach them the Bible, help them understand it, and encourage them to use it in their daily lives?

A great way to get started is with an incentive program. This will help kids get familiar with the Bible in a fun way. Once they see that reading the Bible is a fun adventure, they’ll want to do it more and more. Try these simple ideas:

  • Encourage kids to learn the books of the Bible. Use songs and other memory tools on Sundays and during midweek classes. When they can recite all of the books, give them a special dog tag necklace (New Testament and Old Testament) from CTA.
  • Send home a simple Bible worksheet. For example, send home 1 Corinthians 13 and have the children highlight the word love. When they bring it back, they get a small prize.
  • Start a chart in your kids’ ministry area. Each time a child volunteers to read from the Bible, he or she gets to put up a sticker.
  • Kids can memorize verses, but we also want them to be able to use God’s Word. So, encourage kids (and parents) to use Bible verses in times of trouble and joy. Ask that they tell you about these instances by writing a sentence or two about how the Bible verse helped them. And, doing so earns them a small prize!
  • Encourage kids to journal as they use the Bible and apply God’s truth in their lives. At the beginning of the year, give them a personalized notebook. When they’ve finished the notebook, ask that they share one thing they’ve written with the class. This activity gets a larger prize. Invite the student out to ice cream with your kids’ minister or have your pastor bring the student’s favorite treat to class the next week.

Of course, all of these tips require the children to have Bibles. Make sure that each child has his or her own Bible at home - not just Mom’s or Dad’s Bible. If some children don’t have a Bible, ask a generous donor from your congregation to cover the cost - and to start praying for God’s Word to be planted in the child’s heart.

How does your children’s ministry program encourage Bible literacy in kids?