Tips for Those Who Teach Teens

One of the great joys of my life is the privilege to speak to young people.  Recently I was listening to one of our youth workers at the Temple Baptist Church as he taught the Word of God to teenagers.  He was doing a great job and the Lord used him.  He is not a preacher, but he is a fine Christian and a faithful teacher.

As he spoke, I jotted down several things that the Lord has taught me through the years about  teaching young people.  The most important thing is: teach the Bible!  Not stories.  Not your ideas.  Not hot topics.  The Bible.

Do not try to be a youth teacher.  Be a Bible teacher, and God will use you to reach youth.

The second is: never stop being a student.  The best teachers want to be taught themselves. We can all do a better job, and we should.  Here are a few tips that have helped me:

•   Mark your passages – don’t lose the young people while you are looking for your text.
•   Give people time to find the Scripture passage.
•   Ask them to mark their Bibles and write down key ideas.
•   Be yourself – use a conversational tone.
•   Use illustrations they understand – The key is variety: stories, object lessons, etc.
•   Encourage participation when appropriate – have others read, answer questions, etc.
•   Never embarrass a student.
•   Maintain eye contact – don’t read your notes.
•   Major on beliefs and behaviors – teach doctrine but make application.
•   Don’t ramble – make your point and move on.
•   Use appropriate humor but never try to be funny. (If you have to try, it isn’t funny!)
•   Don’t talk down to young people – how you address them, tone, etc.
•   Leave students with ONE great truth – challenge them to do something with it.
•   Never try to act or talk like one of the teenagers.
•   Be brief and be a good steward of the time you are given.
•   Always speak with enthusiasm.
•   Move around a little as you speak.
•   Avoid religious jargon – define Bible terms.
•   Don’t call attention to time constraints, distractions, etc.
•   Speak from your heart but be careful not to talk too much about yourself.

If you would like to listen to a lecture I gave recently on “A New Beginning for Teen Sunday School” go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbcgDfZMVSo&feature=share&list=PL4ED4192997DED13C.

May God use you as you continue to reach and teach Teens For Christ.