Calvary Chapel's First thru Fourth grade kids are ready for Introductory expositional teaching. Teaching in these age groups should balance between intermediate exposition of Scripture, and storytelling. Depending on the teachers vibrancy for Storytelling, it will often be a chore for even 3rd and 4th graders to sit through Expositional teaching. Often Visuals work best for these age groups. The teachers Study time and study habits should always be consistent because, as a rule of thumb, "in order to teach Sunday School, the teacher must know TEN TIMES the material that he/she can teach." - Chuck Smith.

Exposition
a. A setting forth of meaning or intent.
b. A statement of rhetorical discourse intended to give information about or an explanation of difficult material.
c. The art or technique of composing such discources.

Students are ready for exposure to Bible Doctrines. These doctrines have in fact been taught to our children, but have never been introduced as such, they include the Doctrines of:

God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Man, Salvation- Including Repentance, Faith, Regeneration, Justification, Adoption, Sanctification, Prayer; Church, Scriptures, Angels, Satan, Last things- Includes the Second Coming, the Resurrection, the Judgment, the Destiny of the Wicked, the Reward of the Righteous... etc.

All of our teaching should, however, be done systematically- i.e. Chapter and Verse, and thereby approaching each of these doctrines contextually, or in the sequence they occur, as opposed to teaching "Topically". These doctrines can seem dry or laborious if taught topically, additionally students will not be benefiting from the "Whole Counsel of God," (Acts 20:27).

See Nehemiah 8:8,

So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading. (Ne. 8:8).

And Acts 8:30-35,

So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. The place in the Scripture which he read was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth." So the eunuch answered Philip and said, "I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?" Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. (Acts 8:30-35)

And Acts 17:2-3,

Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ." (Acts 17:2-3)

And Acts 28:23,

So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. (Acts 28:23)

LESSON PLANNING
There are different study methods and techniques that will assist you in teaching the "Whole Counsel of God." Highlights of these lesson planning helps include:

Introduction to the Inductive Bible Study Method

As well as Story/lesson delivery techniques, including:

Pointers for Storytelling
Using Drama in Your Story

A prepared Sunday School Teacher in this age group should know the balance between reading methodically through a text and finding the Storytelling and visual aids to meet the interest of the age/grade and maturity level of the class. The best points to emphasize are obviously the ones that the Holy Spirit has put excitement or fervor on your heart, and application points should be how these truths affect your life and possibly how they can affect the lives of your students. Given the proper study time, and knowing the direction your story will be taking, will give you exciting lesson plans. Never just read to them, but emphasize the applications of your text through the various visual aids and storytelling techniques found on pages 36 & 37 of your Children's Ministry Manual. Important! Stay the course! Don't be discouraged! Plod along, and for the sake of the kids...

Due to our desire for steadfastness to continue in the Word "line upon line, precept upon precept" some of your teaching will inevitably seem dry with the lists and genealogies etc., but STICK WITH IT! Be Ye Faithful!! Instead of an intense word study on each multi-syllable name found in the text, a whole group or list of names can be gone over in seconds, with an explanation of what these guys did at the end of the list. (Thereby skipping the list completely and moving on to where the storyline starts flowing once again.)

RESOURCES
The following is another list of possible resources to help you prepare for your class.

* Halley's Bible Handbook - Halley
*New Testament Survey - Gromacki
* The Bible Knowledge Commentary - Walvoord & Zuck
* Talk through the Bible - Wilkerson
* With the Word - Wiersbe
* What the Bible is All About - Mears
* Any of the "Be" Series Commentaries - Wiersbe
* Any of the Thru the Bible Commentary Series - J. Vernon McGee
* Pastor John Millers Tape Series on any book of the Bible
* Calvary Chapel Support Curriculum
* Abeka's Flash-A-Card Series - Visual Aids

Again, putting in a few hours a week is a must for success in your Sunday School Class. This can be easily done in one half hour per day.