Lesson 5: Gospel presentation, optional activities, and at-home discipleship

Gospel Presentation

Within this study, students will be challenged to examine their personal understanding and response to the gospel. Therefore, it is important for your presentation to be very clear.

GOSPEL CALL

Some lessons will challenge students to respond to the gospel by trusting in Jesus alone for the forgiveness of their sins, depending on Him alone for their salvation. If you have children in your class who have not yet made a profession of faith, but as a result of God’s call on their hearts, would like to, it’s appropriate to recommend that they discuss this with their parents. If the parents are not believers, you may have the privilege of leading the student in this step. (Read Ministering to Children from Non-Christian Homes) Rather than using confusing terminology such as “ask Jesus into your heart,” we suggest using the phrase “trust in Jesus.” This can be explained as “depending completely on the work of Jesus on your behalf.”

EXCLUSIVE LANGUAGE

Your class likely includes unbelievers as well as believers. Be careful not to use inclusive language that communicates to unbelievers that they are Christians. Instead, qualify your statements. For example, instead of saying, “After we die, we will go to heaven to be with Jesus,” say, “Those of us who are trusting in Jesus as our Savior will go to heaven to be with Him when we die.” We do not want to deny true saving faith, but also we don’t want to provide false assurances to those who hear the Word, but do not believe it.

Optional Activities

ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS

If time allows, you can add additional elements either in a small group or large group setting. Each lesson includes several activity suggestions that review and apply the lesson in more creative or interactive ways. These may include activity sheets, simple crafts, games, memory verse activities, book or song suggestions, and more.

See Bible Activities for additional ideas for activities related to memorizing Scripture and the books of the Bible as well as directions for doing Sword Drills.

Extra class time can also be used to incorporate worship time, have pastors or elders visit to share their testimony, write to and pray for missionaries, and more. 

WORSHIP

The goal of worship time is to lead children to experience and express the greatness and worth of God in singing as well as speaking words of thanksgiving and prayer. Choose songs that focus on the majesty and character of God. It’s helpful to include songs that are a regular part of corporate worship so children can become active participants in the worship service. This is also a great time to explain difficult words and phrases from songs and hymns. Check the appendix of the Teacher's Guide of the curriculum you're teaching for related worship songs and hymns.

For more, read "Leading Children in Worship"

At-Home Discipleship

Parents have the primary responsibility of nurturing the faith of their children. They also have the greatest opportunity for teachable moments as situations arise in everyday life that can be used to apply spiritual truths learned in the classroom. Teachers and small group leaders often have opportunities to support and encourage parents in their daily discipleship of their children. One way is to distribute print or e-versions of the Growing in Faith Together (GIFT) Parent Page that accompanies each lesson. [See sample Parent Pages.]

Parents Pages include a lesson summary, memory verse(s), and Scripture references. The page also provides suggested questions parents can use to talk about the lesson with their children at home and an activity or action step that will help students see or practice a truth from the lesson in everyday life.