The Triune God is a God of order.
An important part of that order is how the Triune God designed the brain to mature bit by bit from birth until approximately age 30. The last portion of the brain to mature is the Frontal Lobe (“It organizes responses to complex problems, plans steps to an objective, searches memory for relevant experience, adapts strategies to accommodate new data, guides behavior with verbal skills and houses working memory. Its orbitofrontal circuit manages emotional impulses in socially appropriate ways for productive behaviors including empathy, altruism, interpretation of facial expressions.” The Brainwaves Center).
If we want children to grasp the truths of the Bible we must teach according to
how the Triune God designed children’s brains to learn.
As I prepare my Sunday morning lesson for the 7-year old’s have I considered how the brain has developed to this point? Will I make the effort required to present Sunday’s truth in a way seven-year-old Olivia can grasp it?
In the past we could make the excuse we “don’t know.” That doesn’t work anymore because today we do know how the brain functions.
God has granted that we know children learn differently than adults.
If we truly want to disciple children, we must be sensitive to how God created them to learn.
Children are concrete thinkers – they require substance (sight, sound, touch, smell, and emotions) to learn. Children need to experience a concept for them to understand it.
“Those who guide the theological development of children
need to know that children can learn the technical
verbal symbols of theology and use all of the proper terms
and still not be able to apply or define those terms to everyday life.”
A Theology for Children, William L. Hendricks, pg. 37
When we present an abstract concept, e.g. trust, the child’s brain does not fully understand what that word means. However, when you create a situation which requires a child to trust he gains an intuitive concrete understanding.
Object lessons are very abstract! Children enjoy them; however they do not provide the “experience” the child needs to glean an intuitive understanding. For a full explanation of Object Lessons click here
Sunday Plus – A Vision of Children’s Ministry encourages the use of Reality Learning; which assists children in taking the abstract truth of the day and gleaning an intuitive concrete understanding of that truth, by experiencing the truth. Go to the Reality Learning post for a full explanation of this tool. There are also training materials you can access if you want to train your team.
Tag Team:Coming soon an explanation of how Primary Disciplers and Disciplers work together through each stage of a child’s life, so the child develops a sense he is an important part of the Family of God. Primary Disciplers (anyone responsible for the primary care of a child – spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, and relational) and Disciplers (adult church members who make a nine month commitment to walk through life with 5 children. Click on Disciplers for complete explanation).
Vision Brick 1: EXCELLENCE
Vision Brick 2: WHAT CHILDREN NEED
Vision Brick 3: EVERY ADULT COMMITTED
