A 13-session resource, designed for use with groups of children aged 7 to 11. It contains a resource book (£7.99) and a CD (£12.00). Each session is designed to run for approximately one hour
Big Ministries are known for their ‘Big Day Out’ events and the way they celebrate God across the country. The Big Academy is a new resource that looks to bring some of that excitement into exploring the Bible and answering some big questions children may have about God.
The opening session enables the children to have a lot of fun ‘enrolling’ into the academy by creating special agent names, ID badges and undertaking special agent training tasks. The children loved negotiating their way through a ‘laser course’ (made along a corridor with red wool), using QR codes to find words to make up a Bible reference and having a phone call from another leader posing as a top secret agent. During this session fingerprints were also taken, secret codes and messages exchanged and an observation task completed the activities. Part of the introduction week is spent making each child a ‘top secret special agent pack’ to give them something to keep things in over the next 12 weeks. The packs could be expensive to put together but can still be done on a tighter budget.
As the weeks roll on, the theme of each session is introduced by way of a ‘big question’, which the children should be able to answer by the end of the hour together. The session is well laid out, giving time for an introduction, game, noise, story, activity worksheet, a discussion and a response.
Did you use the CD?
Alongside the printed material is a 13-track CD which introduces a theme song each week to play or sing to within the session. The children in my group aren’t singing types but really enjoyed using the CD as backing music to the sessions.
Although you will need to equip yourself for the craft and other elements each week the resource is good value for 13 weeks’ of material. The CD offers quality songs which can be used in other settings, and again offers good value for money at £12.
Overall, the children loved the sessions from this resource and as a leader it is an exciting, easy-to-use and fresh way to introduce the Bible to children.
An excellent resource that really impacted my ministry
What about the theology of The Big Academy?
The Bible story for each session is presented in different ways; using ‘trigger word’ responses, monologues or story scripts. Each story remains true to the original Bible teaching whatever the style through which the story is presented. This resource should leave each child with teaching they can keep with them without having to ‘unlearn’ anything later. The idea that the resource allows the children to discover the Bible story for themselves, ask questions and look up Bible references helps to keep the teaching soundly within biblical principles.
The worksheet provided with each session is useful for getting discussion started and each session has a time set aside for each child to respond if they want to. The use of an interactive story follows up the biblical truth behind each session in an appropriate and inspirational way.
Main strength :
This resource is ultimately user-friendly for a leader; clear in its layout and direction. Sessions are pitched at an accessible level for children, and the variety included helps children to engage.
Main weakness :
The initial secret agent theme that is introduced so heavily in the opening session seems to fade away a bit as the weeks go on. In a group made up mainly of boys I found I had to come up with ways to reintroduce the secret agent ideas in order to maintain their levels of anticipation for each session.
What the children said
‘I like the stories because they teach me about what happened in Bible times and I like being allowed to make lots of noise at story time.’ Dylan (aged 6)
‘I love the secret agent theme and the music on the CD. Track 1 makes us feel like real secret agents when we use it to start each week.’ Elliot (aged 9)
