Children of the Bible for Youth Group Activities
Scripture Readings of Old Testament Young People for Biblical Study
To find inspiring stories of courageous young people who put their faith in God, one need not look any further than the Bible. These readings have exciting and adventurous appeal when presented as the focal point of Christian youth group activities.
Old Testament Stories of Children for Youth Group Activities
There are several interesting accounts in the Old Testament of children or youth who had a special relationship with God:
- Elisha Heals Naaman (2 Kings 5) - This is the story of Naaman, who is the commander of the Syrian army, and who has leprosy. A captured servant girl tending on his wife says for him to go to the prophet in Samaria to be cured by the God of Israel.
- Joseph Explains Dreams (Genesis 37-47) - This is the story of Joseph, who is favored by his father, then sold into slavery in Egypt by his jealous brothers. He grows in power by pleasing the king and is able to help his family in the time of famine.
- Samuel Hears God (1 Samuel 1-3) - This is the story of Samuel. His mother prays to have a son. When he is born she allows him to be raised by the priest Eli to serve God. One night Samuel hears God speak directly to him.
- Baby Moses (Exodus 2:1-10) - This is the story of Moses as a baby. When his mother wants to protect him from the king of Egypt, she puts him in a basket in the Nile River. The king’s daughter finds him and adopts him.
- David and Goliath (1 Samuel 16; 17) - This is the story of the shepherd boy David who God chooses to be king of Israel after Saul. David battles with a giant of the Philistine army, killing the giant hero with his sling.
Suggestions for Children and Youth Group Activities
Scripture readings of children and youth in the Old Testament can provide a focus for many group activities:
- The Bible story is read with the group and an open discussion follows. If the scripture reading is long, a children’s Bible or a book that has condensed versions of the stories can be used. Members can suggest study questions for each story and exchange them between groups.
- The members of the group create a role-playing representation of the story. This could be an improvised role-playing session, a script for a televised version, a play, a monologue or a puppet show for children.
- The members of the group select one of the role-playing activities to develop and perform. The ideas could be performed for each other, an adult audience or a Sunday school class of younger children.
- A musical representation of the story is created. This could involve a song, a rap or music to accompany the role-playing. There could be actions or a video to support the musical representation. A song could also start out as a poetry activity.
- The group members rewrite the story using a modern-day setting, but using the same type of conflict and outcome. This could also be adapted to the role-playing activities.
- Artistic activities could include murals, objects from the story, puppets or costumes.
Depending on the size and abilities of the group, the members can work as one large group or be broken down into smaller groups for these activities.
Even though the settings may be unfamiliar, today’s Christian youth can use discussions and activities to relate to the situations presented in Bible stories.
Truth and Wisdom in Youth Bible Study
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