ALBUQUERQUE (BP) — With schools closing around the country, Krista Peterson, the Baptist Convention of New Mexico’s associate director of children’s leadership development, has created a list of ideas for home discipleship.
Below are Peterson’s 15 ideas for taking advantage of this opportunity and time to disciple kids while they’re home.
— Challenge kids to read the book of Luke, together or individually. Here is a challenge from last year with age-appropriate segments of Luke divided out. www.bcnm.com/nm-kids-reading-gods-word
— Have your kids choose a Bible story and put together a dramatic re-enactment of it. Record it and post on social media for others to see.
— Write and decorate cards to thank those who are part of your child’s development.
— Play board games together or provide kids with a file folder and encourage them to make up their own board game.
— Challenge your kids to memorize Bible verses or passages (like Psalm 23). Award prizes for accomplishments.
— Start a Bible verse challenge. Have your kids create motions for a verse. Record your kids saying the verse and making the motions, send it to another family, and ask them to do the same and keep passing it on.
— Do random acts of kindness like super-secret spies like baking cookies and leaving them on doorsteps without anyone seeing you.
— Make a “blessings” board and write down everything you’re thankful for that God has provided for us.
— Start a “generations” book and call grandparents and other family members and ask them how they came to know Christ as their Savior. Write down the stories in a book to keep the legacy of how God has been working in your family.
— Study a biblical map of Jesus’ journeys or Paul’s travels and find the Bible stories that relate to the locations.
— Try to reduce screen time, but a Google search can help you find Bible story videos. Watch the video and then compare it to what’s actually in the Bible. Make a chart of differences.
— Take miscellaneous items from around the house and have each member of your household create a sculpture or art project based on their favorite Bible verse. Post on social media allowing others to vote for their favorite.
— Put the first letter of the books of the Bible on paper. Put one letter per paper. Spread the papers out in a room and have the kids jump on the letter as you say the books of the Bible. Make it a game by timing it and seeing if they can do it faster each time. Use one testament at a time for younger kids.
— Make rock art with simple encouraging messages such as “God Loves You” or “Be Joyful.” Paint the rocks, and once dry, walk around your neighborhood and leave them in places where people might see them.
— Write out parts of a Bible story on paper and cut into strips. Hide the strips. Have children search for them and then ask kids to put the strips in the correct order.
— Serve others. One of my Facebook friends is offering to take her kids to shop for older adults that don’t need to be out. What can your family do for someone else during this time?
— Decorate a giveaway box with encouraging Bible verses, clean out rooms and find things you can put in it to give to others in need.