November 10, 2016 WBB Primary, WBB Junior High, WBB Intermediate, WBB Scripture, REL Asset - Activity, REL Catechetical - K–6, REL Catechetical - Jr High, REL Topic - Scripture
By: Allie Johnston
This year, from November 13-19 the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops encourages participation in National Bible Week. This year's theme is, "The Bible: A Book of Mercy," which builds on this year's Jubilee Year of Mercy, which comes to a close on November 20.
Also referred to as Sacred Scripture or Scripture, the Bible is God’s Word, written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Bible has two parts: the Old Testament, which tells the story of God’s relationship with the people of Israel, and the New Testament, which is the story of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and his followers. The Bible is comprised of 73 books, which are divided into chapters, which are divided into verses.
Teaching Children to Read the Bible
Reading Scripture is an integral part of any religious education program. To teach children how to read the Bible, use these five simple steps!
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First, locate the book. Students should use their Bible’s table of contents to figure out the name of the book if it’s abbreviated.
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Second, find the page. This information will also be found in the table of contents.
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Students should then turn to the appropriate page, where they will be able to find the chapter.
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Finally, find the verse.
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The last step is to begin to read! Once students know the basics of how to read the Bible, they’ll be able to utilize these skills to search digital versions of the Bible, which can sometimes be found online.
A Scripture Quest Activity for Students
When students have mastered the five steps above, engage them with a Bible activity based on the theme of this year’s National Bible Week: mercy! After reviewing the steps for finding and reading Scripture passages, assign this fun bible activity for intermediate and junior high school students to test your students’ skills. The Mercy Scripture Quest Activity will challenge students to find, read, and cite passages from their Bibles related to the virtue of mercy. Mercy is the caring for the needs of people's minds, hearts, and lives. It means to share in God's forgiveness and love.
All you need to plan and implement this Bible activity for the students in your religious education program is a Bible and copies of the Mercy Scripture Quest Activity. You may want to pair groups of students to complete this Bible worksheet together.