Scripture is a fundamental part of Christianity. In children’s ministry, verse memorization is often encouraged or rewarded so that the word of God can be hidden away in the hearts of children. When our church launched a special needs ministry a few years ago, I wondered how we could incorporate scripture into our lessons while making it understandable for those with Intellectual Disabilities and limited speech. Our ministry tried several different activities that used scriptures, and encouraged the children to do and learn what they were able.
Here are five ways to embed scriptures in your special-needs ministry:
1. Trace the verse.
Print out a scripture in gray ink. Children can trace the verse with a marker or highlighter. This is a simple activity that reinforces scripture for those who are able to write.
2. Recite the verse while incorporating movement.
You can use sign language or made-up gestures to add movement to the words you say with the verse. The movement may help some remember the verse better as auditory input alone may not be enough. Gestures and sign language added to verses may provide a way for those with limited speech to participate as well.
Another movement activity is to write out each word of the verse on its own piece of construction paper. Tape the papers to the floor around the room and allow the children to move from paper to paper. Everyone in the room can recite the verse as the child jumps, walks, or runs from word to word. Because there may be multiple children participating, this gives a chance for everyone to hear the verse several times and learn through repetition.
3. Unscramble the Bible verse.
Using simple construction paper, write out the verse. Cut the verse apart by each word or chunks of words. Scramble up the verse, and let the children put it in order. To make it easier, you may have an example put together as a model for the children.
4. Match up the Bible verse.
You can create a Bible verse match up activity by making two copies of the printed verse. One copy is the foundational page while the second copy is cut apart and matched to the first. A laminator and Velcro can make this match up activity more durable. While it may take some time, finding pictures to go along with the words in the verse will help to increase understanding and make the activity more appealing.
5. Shorten what is memorized.
It may be too difficult for some to remember an entire verse. Perhaps, some may do better at learning a concept of the lesson such as “God loves me.” Another option may be to remember one word in the verse. A child may be charged with the task of remembering one key word in the verse to recite back next week while a teacher puts the word in the context. “Nothing is impossible with ___.”
Each special-needs ministry is distinctive, because it’s filled with wonderfully unique individuals. Some of these methods may be better suited than others for your ministry. Do not be afraid to try one of them and test the waters. I pray you can pour the scriptures into the lives of those in your ministry, so they can have the word of God inside of them.
Evana is a wife and mother of two children. Since becoming a parent, Evana has spent many hours driving to specialty appointments, praying beside a hospital bed, and learning about her children’s diagnoses. Evana is also a pediatric speech-language pathologist and serves children with autism, feeding disorders, and other developmental delays. You can connect with Evana on Twitter, Facebook, and her blog, A Special Purposed Life. You can also read more about her family’s story in her book, Badges of Motherhood: One Mother’s Story about Family, Down syndrome, Hospitals, and Faith.
