4 Traits of a Quality Bible School Program

I love Bible school. Even though the family is the greatest influence on a child’s Bible education, I believe a great Bible school program can go a long way in building the faith of that child. After all, Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” If a child grows up hearing the word of God through great Bible classes, his faith will grow. What does this mean for the local church? As I stated earlier, it means that the church should stress the importance of strong, faithful families, but, living in the fallen world that we do, it also means that at times a child will not have the benefit of a faithful family. Many children do not have fathers who “train them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Many children do not have mothers who are “opening their mouths with wisdom and looking well to the ways of their household.”

The church can fill in the gaps that some families leave. It is important, then, that the church look at these children as a mission field. More often than should be the case, what a child knows about the Bible is only what the Bible school program is teaching. The Bible school program should be of utmost importance, and it would benefit a congregation to ask, “What does a good Bible school program look like?”

Here are four traits to consider when evaluating your Bible school program:

1. A Bible school program needs to be Bible-based. You would think that would be obvious. The point of Bible school should be learning about… the Bible.
2. A Bible school program needs to be thorough. Our children need to learn more in Bible class than Noah’s Ark and Joseph’s coat of many colors. I know I’m exaggerating, but very often big gaps are left in a child’s Bible education. Congregations should choose a curriculum that will take the child through the entire Bible. Even a 1^st- and 2nd-grade class can be taught that Haggai and Malachi were prophets who prophesied to the Jews who returned from Babylonian captivity. They need to know that the Jews were discouraged and that these prophets encouraged them to keep on rebuilding the temple and restoring worship in Jerusalem.
3. The journey through the Bible should be chronological. Nothing can be more confusing to a child than to be taught in Sunday morning class about Jesus being born, then be taught in their Wednesday night class about the Israelites crossing of the Red Sea. Staying with a chronological, linear approach will help ensure that the children will understand how the Bible fits together.
4. There should be some thought given to the psychological development of children. I mean this: In early elementary ages, a child just needs the information (Bible facts). We should just build his Bible knowledge. In the middle school ages, a child is able to think more abstractly. He can learn those same Bible lessons and learn why events took place and why people behaved in certain ways. Then in high school, the focus should be how to tell others about this.

These four points may seem simple, but when evaluating a Bible school program, it is best to start the evaluation with broad, but simply stated areas. I hope these four traits give you something to consider when trying to have a quality Bible school program.

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AUTHOR: Leah Faughn