Well-Equipped Volunteer: Train & Grow Your Children's Ministry Volunteers

Tip #3 - Teach 1 Thing

My third tip in this series on tips for leading application time is this: Teach One Thing!

I talk about this concept a lot. It is really important for teachers to teach one thing during a lesson. This concept should transfer to application time as well.

It would confuse the students to hear a lesson that focuses clearly on one theme and then to join an application discussion that focuses on something else entirely.

The central theme should be your jumping off point for application time. Do the application questions in the lessons use the central theme?

For example, the main theme of the lesson is ‘God always keeps His promises.’

First, you want to find out if your students heard and understood that main point.

Second, you want to help them see how they can apply it to their lives.

The fact that God always keeps His promises means that He is trustworthy. Talk about that with your students.

Then make it personal by asking, “What does it look like to put your trust in God?”

Teach one thing during application time. Use the central theme of the lesson as a jumping off point for starting a discussion with your students.