March 4, 2008
I’m Mallorie I’m 14 and I go to a Christian school in Louisiana.We have a Bible class everyday with just girls, and we each have to plan a class period (teaching). I really want to do something good. I was wondering if you had any suggestions or advice, and I would really appreciate it.
I was thinking of doing something about John 3:16.
Please help me!! Thank you very much.
Hi Mallory,
I remember the first time that I spoke at a youth event. I was a teen. I just knew that the sound of my knees knocking was louder than my words.
I’ve learned a lot since then. I get to speak all around the world to teens, moms, women, twentysomethings and more. The following information helps me. I hope this helps you, too.
- Pray. Invite God in from the beginning. He knows the audience even better than you.
- Ask him to help you with the first baby step–which is to come up with a topic or theme. Sounds like you are already there. John 3:16 is a powerful scripture and teaching.
- Read the scripture and all the verses around it.
- Ask the five W’s: Why was it written? Who wrote it? Where were they when they wrote it, and was that important? When did they write it? What was the author saying, and who was he saying it to?
- Then make it practical: In light of all that you just learned, how can this scripture be applied today? What can we learn from it? How does it make a difference in real life?
- Now, you are ready to create an outline.
I use the PIER outline. I write the following letters down and then fill in the information. It’s not polished. It’s pretty rough, but it’s valuable.
- P - What is your point? If they remember nothing else, what is the one thing you want them to take away?
- I - What are your ideas? Every idea supports your main point. Usually two to four ideas are enough for a short presentation.
- E - What examples can I use? Teaching is brought to life with stories and examples and even statistics.
- R - What is the resolution? How do I tie this all up?
- Once you have your skeleton, then write it down in sequence — like you were going to teach it. Don’t write down word for word, because then
- Practice your presentation. Watch the timing. Get comfortable with it so that you aren’t tied to your notes or need it all written out.
- Once you start to teach, have fun with it. Trust God that he knows your audience and their needs.
- Once you are through, critique it, but only to learn how to do it better next time, not to knock yourself down. There’s a learning curve for all of us, and that never stops. It’s fun to see how God can continue to show you new and fun ways to teach or speak.
Lydia says:
I’m sure you’ll do great!!!