Tip #98: Watch your language
November 20, 2007 – 1:27 pm
We live in a culture where students are used to seeing words that they can’t define, and they don’t really care that they don’t know them. This is true in school and it’s true as they listen to your teaching and read Scripture.
How can we help students grasp important meaning they don’t know they’re missing? Two important, but fairly simple, education tools. First, never assume your students know what a word means. Express the word’s meaning in multiple ways in the context of your message. Take the time to teach them what an important word from the Bible means in their own world so that it can be applied. If you assume “since they can pronounce it, they know what it means” you will be sorely disappointed.
Second, reinforce the meaning of important words and concepts with visuals, and by asking feedback questions. By simply asking “What does righteousness mean?” you can help a student understand what they are reading and learn to apply it to their own context.
This tip is based on a submission by Adam McLane. To share a youth ministry tip of your own, click here.
