On the Way for 3-9s
£9.99 (Approx)
2.8Get the resource >
Overview
What does it say on the tin?
Do you want to encourage children to read the Bible? Do you want children to realise that the Bible is God’s guide for them, relevant, exciting, dynamic! TnT ministries have developed ‘On The Way’ to meet your needs, the needs of your church and most importantly the needs of the children you teach. You will be On The Way with these seven steps to success.
- Reproducible…
- Multi-age…
- Comprehensive…
- Enjoyable…
- Biblical…
- Teacher Friendly…
- Trustworthy…
It doesn’t matter if you are in a church, community hall or sports complex. On The Way is flexible enough to suit a wide variety of situations. It doesn’t matter how many children you have. You can have six or twenty-six. You just photocopy the activity pages – there are no extra magazines to buy. It doesn’t matter if your children come from a churched or un-churched background. The On The Way series teaches God’s word simply and effectively.
Churches around the world from America to France, Spain to Korea, Hong Kong to Australia have discovered the strength of this Sunday school syllabus. It is biblical, undated, multi-age, chronological and informative. Leaders and students are learning together the world over with the On The Way series – a unique and first-class curriculum.
What do you get?
Leader’s resource book with photocopiable resources for sessions. Available from www.christianfocus.com.
Who is it for?
Ages 3-9 years, boys and girls. Alternative books for ages 9-11 and 11-14 years available too. Small groups.
Review
-
What is the overall quality of material presentation?
Good. Glossy A4 cover. Activities and instructions clearly laid out with relevant subheadings.
How clear are its aims and outcomes?
Aims are clearly outlined at the beginning of each series (there are three in this book) and at the beginning of each session (there are 13 sessions overall). Comprehensive aim outlines throughout this resource.
How accessible are the leader's notes?
Very accessible. Each lesson has Bible study notes to enable teachers to understand the passage, suggestions for visual aids and an activity for children to age home.
Who could lead it?
Any adult who is passionate about facilitating children in learning about God and the Bible (and any other extra small group leaders needed too).
How helpful are the participants' resources?
Relevant to the session and appropriate for ages ranges too. Each session has 3 activities to photocopy, each allocated to different age group: 3-5 years, 5-7 years and 7 - 9 years old.
How good is any digital material?
N/A
How much prep will I have to do?
Minimal planning. Instructions for planning are laid out at the beginning and included at the beginning of each session. As these sessions are for Sunday Schools, proper preparation should take around 2-3 hours (one evening).
Is there website support? Links?
N/A
-
How well does it encourage interaction with the group?
Interaction is between leader and children for the ‘visual aids' part and interaction between children for activities.
How well does it cater for a variety of both learning and delivery styles?
Specific emphasis on learning through visual aids and listening to the leader as they tell the stories from the Old Testament and New Testament.
How adaptable is it to my situation?
This series is intended for use in Sunday Schools so typically a session would last from 30 minutes - 1 hour. They can be done in a very small area but more facilitators may be needed to support with activities depending on group size. There are a range of activities for the different ages, and sessions are best suited for churched children. Preparation time is minimal and easy to prepare.
How well does it encourage people to work together in applying the material?
Minimally in the activity sections, however this is more in depth for the older ages' activities i.e. 7-9 year olds.
-
How much of the material is Bible-based?
The beginning of the sessions are the most focused on the Bible where the leader tells a story and uses visual aids to help the children learn. The activity after this is then relevant to the Bible story/teaching.
How well is the biblical material presented and used?
Leaders choose how to present material, whether that be reading it aloud, using visual aids, or getting the children involved in telling the story.
How well does it apply biblical material to everyday life?
Leaders are encouraged to relate the Bible story to children's lives. For example, when talking about creation, children are asked first to consider other things in their lives which have a beginning, before then drawing on the idea that the world had a beginning and was made by a Creator.
Is there a particular theological perspective?
No, it is open. But there is a statement at the beginning of the resource which outlines the perspective of the Bible taken in the creation of this book, ‘We believe that the Bible is God's word to mankind, and that it contains everything we need to know in order to be reconciled with God and live in a way that is pleasing to him. Therefore, we believe it is vital to teach children accurately from the Bible, being careful to teach each passage's true meaning in an appropriate way for children, rather than selecting a ‘children's message' from a Biblical passage.'
-
How well does it inspire people towards whole-life discipleship?
Indirectly by teaching about people in the Bible who trusted God and sought his advice in all they did, for example Abram and Jacob.
How well does it encourage and enable people to grow in their faith?
Appropriately for the age group. Children are taught principles of Christianity in depth, and encouraged to trust God based on his faithfulness to key characters in the Old Testament.
How well does it stretch faith and vision of God and his purposes?
Very well. In this series, children are taken through the lives of people who had to rely on God, even when the promises they had been given didn't seem to be coming true. Children learn that God is often looking at a much bigger picture than we may be as people, and that by persevering in trusting Him, all things succeed. There are a couple of sessions dedicated to learning about God keeping his promises specifically.
How well does it connect with real life issues?
Some references of asking children questions relevant for their own lives, for example ‘how can we make right decisions?' However, mostly children are asked to interpret answers to the texts.
-
How well does it encourage personal evangelism?
Mildly and indirectly by referencing people in the Bible who talked about God to others.
How well does it encourage local or network-based community involvement?
Not a huge focus.
How well does it connect with global issues?
Not a huge focus.
How well does it encourage global mission?
Not a huge focus.