There’s a lot of talk these days about how to involve men in the church – and about how to keep our kids there. I also hear lots of people saying that boys have their own unique learning style in the classroom – and that’s very true. I work with our church’s elementary-aged youth group, and with only one girl, it’s a wiggly, noisy bunch.
With that in mind, I set about praying for a way to make scripture interactive for these boys, and the answer I got involved armor, weapons, and knights.
After praying through this idea, we settled on Ephesians 6:10-18. I purchased this book and studied how to adapt these plans to make our own armor. We held a fundraiser, collected Duct tape and volunteers, and advertised the class.
The plan was simple: each week for six weeks we’d study a different piece of the armor mentioned in this passage. We’d examine it in Roman context, define and discuss the trait connected to that piece of armor, and read through the passage together. We talked about a related Bible story and then shared about how to live out this trait.
I challenged the kids to memorize this lengthy passage on their own time, and I sent home discussion questions, too. We worked hard to understand the scripture before breaking out and building armor. Each night we built the piece of armor we’d studied. The volunteers who helped us were crucial, as this was a tricky process, but it was fun, too.
When the six weeks were over, the kids met early one Sunday morning to put on their full suits of armor for the first time. We reviewed the traits we’d studied and what a knighting ceremony looked like.
Then it got real. We marched out the doors and headed for the sanctuary of our church, where our pastor awaited us.
The kids marched up front, where they took the vows of a knight based on scripture and real knightly characteristics. Each one was called forward and dubbed a ‘knight of the Book.’
We celebrated afterwards with a reception in the fellowship hall, and the kids proudly showed off their armor. They worked hard to meet the requirements of the knights, and I’m sure that they learned something in the process. I pray that the scripture they studied continues to make an impact as they grow.
Now … what to study next??
