Devices - here to stay

 

In today’s fast paced, device driven world, it is increasingly difficult to teach Children’s Church—especially if you are an older person trying to keep up with the influences in children’s lives. To my dismay, I find that some of the children I teach do not have robust social skills. It is difficult to encourage them to participate in discussions or answer questions. Or is it me? I certainly must ponder that question. In the past, I have sometimes used online YouTube animated clips to tell a Bible story, and the children certainly pay attention, but are then unable to answer any questions about what they have just watched. So potentially, their attention span is decreasing. I decided that I would not buy into the worldly ‘device’ war and stopped using the clips to teach. Instead, I went the old-fashioned ‘object lesson’ way. They certainly enjoy that, but again it is exceedingly difficult to get them to participate in the following discussion. I base crafts and games on the same lesson to try and help it sink in.

I have also found that none of the children (anything from 4 – 10 children currently on any given Sunday, ages 6-12 years) appear to be reading the Bible or praying. Families are so busy these days it is just one more thing for them to do. Maybe their parents or caregivers don’t get devotional time either. It makes me sad that we can be too busy for the most important thing in our day.

I have given parents some ideas on how to make God a part of the rhythm of their day as a family. I am also challenging the children to read their Bibles and pray regularly as a competition, using the good old-fashioned star charts. We will see what happens!

My next step is investigating a Bible app for children, checking it is Biblically accurate and recommending it to parents who allow their children ‘device time’. Although I am not keen to add to the problems of device use, if it gets the children engaged in the Word, I need to try anything I can. God’s got this!

If you are finding it hard to fit devotional time into your day, then you are too busy. Why not make an appointment with God, put it in your diary. Maybe get up half an hour early to read the Word and pray with your spouse? Maybe make a point of discussing a Bible story and praying with your children at bedtime. Although it can be hard to see when you are in the midst of the pressure and stress of everyday life, spending time with God is the best use of your time.