Top Tips for Teaching a Memory Verse
‘Memory Verses are included in the belief that the Bible has the power, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to change lives.’
(Beginning with God Teacher’s Manual, CEP)
We know the importance of teaching children scripture. We can recite verses learned at Kid’s Church all our adult lives. Can I get a John 3:16? Here’s some tips on teaching a Memory Verse and fun ways to present them.
- Be prepared and use variety
- Make it fun and not a test
- Be enthusiastic
- Use correct grammar, punctuation, upper and lower case letters
- Use repetition but make it fun
- Retain control by answering children who have remained seated and raised their hand
- Use a Bible so children can associate the Memory Verse with the Bible
Teaching Memory Verses
- Use a method of teaching that gets the words of the Bible verse in front of the children.
- Ask the children to read it aloud several times, explaining any hard words.
- Explain the meaning of the verse and how it relates to the Bible story and the children’s lives
- Remove or cover up some of the words and repeat the whole verse.
- Remove more words and repeat aloud, until all the words are removed.
Repetition Tips
- Girls vs boys
- Saying it fast and saying it slow
- Saying it loudly and saying it softly
- Choosing children to say it using fun criteria ‘Everyone who had toast for breakfast this morning stand up and say the Memory Verse.’
- Use a game e.g. Musical Chairs. Tape coloured paper to chairs (one colour per chair). Play musical chairs, but when children sit down the leader calls a colour. Everyone sitting in a chair with that colour must stand and recite the memory verse.
Ways to Teach a Memory Verse
Washing Line: Attach words of the Memory Verse to clothing and divide into two washing baskets. Two teams race to peg the washing to rope lines (can be held by leaders). Unscramble the words on the washing and recite the verse.
Jigsaw Puzzle: Write out the words on cardboard then cut it up into jigsaw pieces. The children have to complete the jigsaw to reveal the Memory Verse.
Balloon Burst: Write the words of the Memory Verse on small pieces of paper, roll them up tight and put inside 6 to 8 balloons. Teams race to burst balloons and hold up the words. Unscramble and recite verse.
Memory Verse Hunt: Hide the words of the Memory Verse around the room and ask the children to hunt for them. Bring the words to the front, unscramble and recite. This method can be used to match your theme or lesson plan, anything from dinosaur bones to gold coins.
Use a Character: A leader dresses up as a character from the story, or a character that fits into the theme of the lessons, and asks for the children’s help to find and unscramble the Memory Verse. A Postie, an archaeologist or a shepherd.
Fishing: Write each word of the Memory Verse onto a cardboard fish. Attach a paper clip to the mouth of the fish. Give each child a turn at using a fishing rod with a magnet on the end of the line instead of a hook to ‘catch’ a word. Everyone will want a turn, so make sure you allot enough time, or revisit at the end of the lesson.
Codes: Write the Memory Verse out in code and ask the children to break the code to find out what the Memory Verse is. Substitute numbers for letters, pictures for words, or use invisible ink (I’ve used candle wax and a paint wash).
Games and Relays: Set up a relay where children recover a word when they reach the end. Or they must dress up and run to retrieve a word then return and hand over the costume to the next child. Send them on a quest for a word using an obstacle course. In summer add water!
Action Memory Verses: The children recite the verse while moving their bodies.
- Hopscotch (a word or two in each square)
- Foot prints (a word written on each foot print the children follow)
- Words with actions (point to the sky for the word God, make a heart shape for the word heart)
- Games (egg and spoon but child recites the verse as they walk)
Coming up with a new way of teaching a Memory Verse, and preparing it, can be a challenge. That’s why I always include a fun way of teaching the Memory Verse with every lesson I write. Memory Verses reinforce your lesson. They demonstrate how the Bible relates to kid’s lives today and when done right build positive relationships between leaders and children.
If you make Memory Verses fun for the kids in your Kid’s Ministry you’ll be remembered as an awesome leader, but more importantly, God’s word will be remembered and applied whenever they need it!