Do you know kids who have to handle an item they’re learning about—touch it, stand on top of it, or tear it apart—while other students prefer to listen quietly? That’s not surprising, because kids learn best in different ways. So when kids are learning the most important subject ever, the gospel, does their God-given learning style suddenly disappear?
Nope, I don’t think so. Kids especially need their learning styles engaged when it comes to evangelistic presentations. Thankfully, many creative ways of sharing the gospel have been developed, and RBP VBS has used many—the wordless book method, gospel object lessons, puppetry, and science experiments, to name a few.
To your VBS kids, ideas for sharing the gospel that include most or all learning styles may be a welcome change of pace. Invite kids not only to hear and see, but also to move, touch, and expend energy as they learn the gospel.
Why use such a variety of approaches? If we want the gospel to connect with kids, we’d better use approaches to sharing it that involve their learning styles and that engage them. In this article we’ll focus on a few ideas for sharing the gospel that include most or all learning styles. To your VBS kids, they may be a welcome change of pace. Kids will be invited not only to hear and see, but also to move, touch, and expend energy as they learn the gospel.
Learning Styles on the Go
To begin, you could create a gospel display that invites movement as kids go from one place to another. Display visuals that illustrate gospel truths at different points around the classroom. (You can also set up the visuals on a longer course—down a hall, or even at different points in your church.) Place an appropriate verse and description for each scene next to the picture, and include the salvation poster nearby.
This display will make VBS students curious, and it’ll introduce the gospel to readers and nonreaders alike. But at some stage they’ll also need the points explained, so now the exciting part begins! You can use the display in gospel activities that involve hearing, sight, and movement as students go from one point to another. (Or for more motion fun, they could also hop or skip.) Some students may want to touch the visuals, and that’s OK. At each visual, read the verse and explain the gospel truth. After the last picture, share an invitation for kids to respond.
The visual packet is a great resource for pictures in this display. For Stompers & Chompers, the visuals could be Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (lesson 2 visual 4), the first sin (lesson 3 visual 1), kids looking at a manger scene (lesson 5 visual 3), and the cross and empty tomb (lesson 4 visual 4, right side).
How about including objects that remind kids of gospel points?
Or instead of sticking to paper visuals, how about including objects that remind kids of gospel points? (Examples of objects are leaves and flowers for creation; a muddy shirt as a reminder of sin; a baby blanket for the Incarnation; a simple cross to illustrate Christ’s death; and an empty object like a birdhouse to teach about the empty tomb). Use one of two approaches.
- Set up the course as before, but use the objects as visuals. Lead the students from one item to another as you share the truths of the gospel. Involve your tactile learners by letting kids pass the objects around and handle them.
- Or use the objects in conjunction with the visuals. As the students view the pictures and you explain the gospel points, pass around the objects for students to handle.
Learning Styles Outside
Here’s a different activity you could do to involve all your learners: go outdoors and use objects that God has already provided! Walk with your students and point out creation on display around them. Explain, for example, that dirt on the ground can remind us of sin. When students touch and gather around a tree, teach them about the cross, which the Bible at times calls a tree.
Or on your walk outdoors, you could use a variation on the classic game I Spy. Along the way, say, “I spy . . .” and give clues about different items that can illustrate the gospel (e.g., a beautiful bird for creation, dirt for sin, and a tree for the cross). Let students guess the items, then teach on what they illustrate.
An option that works equally well indoors or outdoors is a gospel scavenger hunt. Hide pictures or objects around a large classroom, your church, or even outside. Tell students what they’re looking for or give them a list. When all the objects are found, explain how each item reminds us of the gospel.
Learning Styles Go Dramatic
If you want to really go all out, what about combining drama stations and objects for a special event on one of your VBS days? For example, actors could dress up for a manger scene to illustrate Christ’s incarnation, and carpenters in your church could design a rough wooden cross. Kids then travel between the stations. This idea takes a high level of preparation and staff involvement, but if it’s feasible for your church, it can be extremely memorable to students.
Develop an effective approach for the students in your VBS. The important thing is to make sure to engage all learning styles when you share the gospel.
These are only a few ideas. As you and your VBS team brainstorm, you’ll develop an effective approach for the students in your VBS. The important thing is to make sure to engage all learning styles when sharing the gospel.
If you sometimes wonder if VBS kids are listening when the gospel is presented, you’re not alone. Adding more “touch points,” i.e., ways the gospel connects with kids and engages their learning styles, can help the Good News get through to them. Displaying visuals or objects that illustrate the gospel, involving movement and touch, and including a clear explanation can be a powerful mix, helping engage all kids. And for kids who have heard the gospel many times, the variety may help the gospel “sink in” at last. You could even leave your display up after VBS so it keeps reminding kids of the gospel, all year long. And above all, pray that God will make the seed of the gospel grow, because He is the One Who ultimately brings about salvation (1 Corinthians 3:6).
