A reader asked me to suggest materials to teach a Bible class for middle school girls. Really.
I have four children. All boys. I understand boys. Middle school girls are well outside of my expertise. However, this much I know:
Bible class teachers for children get extra stars in their crowns. Middle school teachers get the most.
I’ve taught one middle school class in my life. One. Not one quarter or semester. One. And never again. (I still awaken with nightmares from that dread hour.)
Teens, adults, toddlers — I’m good. Anything but middle school.
So this is what I suggested. And the floor is open for you, dear readers, to do better. My correspondent would be thrilled to have any suggestions you might have — and I’m sure they’ll be better than mine.
You might think about the history of the Restoration Movement taught as a series of stories. For example, you could pull the Autobiography of Barton W. Stone off the internet for free, read it together, and then discuss it. It would be a remarkable study. http://www.christianebooks.com/pdf_files/bartonstonebiographyofeldba00ston.pdf or https://archive.org/details/biographyofeldba00ston
There’s also a novel based on the life of Raccoon John Smith, which is at the middle school level, very enjoyable read, and fun to discuss chapter by chapter. http://www.amazon.com/Racoon-John-Smith-Louis-Cochran/dp/B000MMC7FW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1411699283&sr=8-2&keywords=racoon+john+smith
There are other 19th Century biographies of the Campbells and Walter Scott, easy reads, honest, and very revealing about what they really taught. Because the books are biographies, the doctrine goes down easily and the kids will learn something about their spiritual forbears. Memoirs of Alexander Campbell: http://www.ccs-hk.org/DM/BiblDict/Alexander%20Campbell/Campbell/Campbell_Mem_A1.PDF
For background, read Leroy Garrett’s History of the Stone-Campbell Movement or Christians Only by James Deforest Murch. (This is for the teacher.)
Just an idea.
So, readers, any ideas for my courageous correspondent who dares to stand before a room of Church of Christ middle school girls to teach?
I feel that Jay’s advice was very good. Every person is unique. Each girl will become a good woman if God allows. Each boy will become a good man if God allows. But likes vary, and preferences are NOT the same for every girl or every boy. Some love to read. I did. And I read many books while I was growing up and later, textbooks or reference volumes for classes in college. But others do NOT like to read. That’s only one of the many differences that makes us EACH unique. Jay recommends books written to be enjoyed by youths for the class, and weightier works for the teacher. Good advice. But some young people do not like to read, so other teaching aids are more appropriate for those particular students. Stories are always good. If the class doesn’t read, the stories can be told by the teacher, and some good will come from what was taught.