The “Wow” Factor
One Sunday during children’s church, I called my husband up to the front of the class. As he was coming, a child yelled out, “He’s about to do something awesome, isn’t he?” With that statement, I knew they identified him with the object lessons and science experiments that we use during children’s ministry. It also let me know that I had to start doing some of them myself to maintain my “cool” status!
Science experiments and object lessons are great ways to “show” children the concepts you are teaching. By using these creative teaching methods, children see and feel what you are teaching, as well hear it. One of my favorite science experiments is the “Power of the Cross”. In this experiment, you have a container filled with water labeled “life” and then you add “sin” (iodine) to turn the water black. As you are talking about different sins (lying, stealing, cheating, etc.), you add drops of the iodine into the water. After adding the iodine, begin to pour bleach from a container with a cross on it into the dark water. As you pour the bleach into the water, talk about the power of forgiveness through Jesus. Begin to swirl the water and watch as the water becomes clear again. This is a powerful message that also produces a huge “wow” factor for the children to see.
If you don’t feel comfortable doing science experiments or object lessons that involve several steps, start with something simple such as the straw through the potato trick. This one is easy but amazes every time. In this experiment, you will push a drinking straw through a potato to demonstrate that what seems impossible is indeed possible. A good Bible story to use with this is David versus Goliath. Show the children the potato and ask them if they think you can push the straw through it. Of course, they will say “no”, but what they don’t realize is that by holding your thumb over the end of the straw, you can easily push the straw all the way through the potato. The surprised look on the children’s faces will be priceless!
Go ahead, take a chance with these object lessons and add a “wow” factor to your children’s ministry!
Contributing Author: Sandy Knowles is the Children’s Pastor at Hackleburg Community Church in Hackleburg, Alabama. Pastor Sandy holds a Bachelor of Theology degree and has been a licensed/ordained minister in the Church of God of Prophecy for over 23 years. Sandy has also served on the International Children’s Ministry Task Force for the Church of God of Prophecy since 2003, and has travelled throughout the United States and internationally in Ukraine, Africa, and England training those who work with children in churches, orphanages, and other agencies in those countries.She has 2 children – daughter Jordan (24) and son Jeremy (19) – and is the proud grandmother of Madison Hope (3), Emily Grace (2), and Chloe Faith (1). She and her husband, Curt, just celebrated their 30th Anniversary on August 11th of this year.