Discover Truth
Caleb, now a college student, credits the BSF School Program with teaching him that “my faith is not something you pick up on Sundays and Wednesdays but is an everyday necessity.” As a long-time program participant, Caleb’s Bible knowledge runs deep, and His heart for Christ is evident.
But like many BSF students, Caleb’s academic and social pressures mounted in his teens.
“I hopped out of BSF because I believed school and sports were a more important focus in my life, which is not correct with hindsight being 20/20,” he shared. “I had soccer practice after school and occasionally in the mornings, and by the end of the day, I was so burnt out I fell behind in completing lessons, so I just gave up instead of putting BSF into my routine.”
Caleb’s story is not unique. As BSF students grow, so do their commitments. For Children’s Leaders, our challenge is to reach those students who struggle to balance increasing demands.
In-Depth Bible Study for a New Generation
Through the School Program redesign, we want to expand the class components that resonate best with students. By shifting our teaching methods to become more interactive, students will discover God’s Truth together.
Through the new teaching component, called “Discover Truth,” Children’s Leaders will guide students to examine Scripture for themselves. Then, they will ask questions to encourage discussion and ensure understanding of the main truth in the passage. With smaller, interactive sections to the lesson, students have time to reflect on what they learned, internalizing main truths as class time progresses.
“Students must listen to lectures throughout the school day, so it’s tiring to hear someone talk for so long after you just went through that the whole day,” Caleb shared. “It also gives the students a better chance to connect, which I think is an underrated effect of BSF. Suppose teens are engaged in a more open speaking environment. In that case, you’ll see more connections develop on a deeper level. That makes it more comfortable each week for people to talk and describe their takeaways from the lesson.”
Through Discover Truth, God’s Word will come to life as students actively learn from their leaders and from one another. Our prayer is that BSF students will echo the words of Psalm 119:114, “You are my refuge and my shield, I have put my hope in your Word.”
What will stay the same?
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- Students discover how Scripture impacts their hearts, minds, and lives. Discovering for themselves makes the passage and lesson more personally significant.
- Passages will be selected from the adult study but may be shorter for age-appropriateness, so students can grow in their Bible knowledge and love for God along with BSF adults.
- Homiletics, word study, character study, or the three-question method (Passage Discovery) will be included as an option for Discover Truth in each lesson.
What’s new?
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- Rather than teaching the passage by lecture, the entire class time is the Bible lesson. Teaching and learning are layered, age-appropriate, and adapted for learning styles and context.
- This curriculum will help you create engaging experiences as students interact with the passage together.
- Learning strategies will encourage students to solve problems, think independently, and make connections on their own terms to foster a deeper understanding.
What’s our goal?
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- Students are empowered to discover biblical truths and apply those truths to their own lives.
- Students take ownership of their learning, which increases their motivation and engagement. They can deeply engage in learning activities and are personally invested and committed to understanding what they are learning.
- Fun and engaging learning experiences keep students curious and coming back for more. They are more willing to participate and take risks.
- Students grow to love God’s Word and love studying it. Students who love learning the Bible are motivated to grow spiritually.
Discovery Resource
Want to see what the new Discover Truth component might look like?
This sneak peek is a bridge between what you are doing now and what will be used in the upcoming study. Use it in lieu of Discovery, Homiletics, or Basic Truth for Matthew Lesson 21!
Hear from the Advisory Board
For two years, a panel of educators and professionals have advised the BSF School Program Redesign Team in educational best practices. In addition to serving with excellence in their fields, they are Children’s Supervisors, Assistant Children’s Supervisors, Children’s Leaders, Teaching Leaders, and Area Personnel.
We asked a few to share their perspectives on this redesign process. Hear what some of them have to say!
Jenny Harden
Lead Elementary Counselor (Retired)
Teaching Leader
“Using concrete examples and activities is sound educational practice. Learning that is interactive and engaging assists with memory and internalization of concepts for young children. Then, they have the capacity to apply that learning because they take ownership! I also believe the choices and creative ideas included for each lesson will make it easier and more rewarding for adults to serve as a Children’s Leaders. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a child comprehend a spiritual truth!”
Dr. Ronald Sujithan
Consultant
Children’s Supervisor
“Giving students ownership in their learning is a powerful way to have a lasting, transformative change in their lives. When students take responsibility, they find ways to really understand what is being taught and explore the process of putting the principles into practice. They learn from an early age that putting what they learn from the Word into action leads to positive outcomes in life.”
Kim Pauls
High School Technology Integration Coach
Teaching Leader
“The one doing the digging is the one doing the learning. Instead of students passively receiving what the Children’s Leader has digested, the students are the ones summarizing their learning, making connections, and asking questions to deepen their understanding.”
How have you seen your students discover God’s truth for themselves?
Please note that comments are monitored and approved by BSF staff. If you don’t see your comment immediately, please visit this page again to view your comment along with responses from staff and other BSF members.
I am so excited and looking forward to the changes that are coming with the SP Redesign. I am wondering, with these changes, will our SP students still have their own lessons to complete at home?
Absolutely! One of BSF’s Aims is and will continue to be that students would study and apply the Bible daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. The curriculum will continue to promote consistent time with God through the take-home questions that students have the opportunity to accomplish throughout the week (called a Discovery Guide in the new curriculum).
Can you explain more in-depth about the students only reading a portion of what the adults read?
I’m worried this won’t give them an accurate picture of scripture if they’re only reading a small section.
Thank you!
Thank you for your question, Kelly! It’s a good and important one.
The People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided covers parts of 1 Kings, 2 Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah…it is huge! In short, it picks up at the end of Solomon’s reign and goes through to the Exile.
Some adult lessons will cover 1-3 chapters of Scripture. But some will be a book in one week (such as Amos, Joel, Jonah or Lamentations) or a multi-lesson study of the book of Isaiah. At those times when the length is appropriate for an adult but potentially too much for a child, the student will be focusing on a smaller but appropriate passage. Our goal is that these lessons would be tailored with content to reach your students in their specific development stages.
Each student lesson is written utilizing the adult Aim and passage. Student passages will mirror the adult study. The Main Truth for each lesson will always be based on the passage for that week. At times though, the student passage may be shorter for age-appropriateness for the above reasons. Our goal is your goal: that students can grow in their Bible knowledge and love for God alongside their BSF adult.
Students are always welcome to broaden their study each week to include everything from the adult study as well. If a student is not sufficiently challenged by the Discovery Guide (new Student Questions), you may encourage them to use the next level up instead. High School students may access the adult notes and questions at mybsf.org to supplement their study. We have confidence in you – you know your class the best and as you lead them throughout the course of the year, you will know how to appropriately encourage and challenge each student in age-appropriate ways for God’s glory. Thank you for being a part of this adventure!
Thank you for providing a sample of the new SP. Our D-OLM would like to offer an online SP. Will the new material work in an online format?
Online is here to stay, and BSF is committed to supporting it! We are working on online-specific teaching helps to support this next study as well.
Thank you for posting comments from experienced leaders and even those already practicing this method. I have been in BSF for almost 40 years so have seen lots of changes. When I heard about this one, I thought “Oh no, here we go – “BSF has always assured newcomers that we don’t waste their time with unstructured “coffee klatch” type meetings where everyone just spouts their opinion with no direction. I was fearful that was where “self discovery” was going since there isn’t going to be a lesson. I feel somewhat reassured and encouraged after having a peek at the material.
PLEASE give us more of these lessons for the Matthew study! Thank you.
Our students are all home-schooled, already know each other well and come to BSF because their families want them to be fed the “meat” that BSF has championed. The SP’s redesign’s increased emphasis on “connection” at the expense of opportunities for deeper learning is discouraging. Is there flexibility possible for us in a SP during a Day Women’s class so we can move past the ”games” and spend more time deep-diving into the Word? Thank you!
BSF loves homeschoolers and will continue to champion in-depth Bible studies that support personally knowing God through His Word. Thank you for being a part of this adventure, Anne!
I have some concerns with this shift in curriculum. It is stated above that students will only read a portion of what the adults read. It’s hard to fully grasp scripture if they’re not reading a full Bible passage.
This is akin to cherry picking scripture like you’re in a cafeteria line. All scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.
Also, I am having a hard time seeing how (in the example of Discover Truth) students teaching the lesson via acting it out will help them grasp all the meat of the lesson? The CLs are trained teachers and leaders, and older men and women in the faith. It is our job to help lead those that are younger than us. That is discipleship. What if a student did none of their homework before coming to class, how do they ‘lead’ a lesson?
What if a CL showed up unprepared for the class day? How well can we lead people in His word like that?
I’ve been praying over these changes and will continue to pray for HQ as the seek ways to keep reaching the next generations with the full Word of God.
On behalf of all the children who have been blessed by your investment, thank you for your leadership and ministry within BSF! You are an important part of this ministry, Kelly.
We fully agree that all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable. God transforms lives through the study of His Word!
Here is a bit of context for students sometimes studying shorter passages than the adults: The People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided covers parts of 1 Kings, 2 Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah…it is huge! In short, it picks up at the end of Solomon’s reign and goes through to the Exile.
Some adult lessons will cover 1-3 chapters of Scripture. But some will be a book in one week (such as Amos, Joel, Jonah or Lamentations) or a multi-lesson study of the book of Isaiah. At those times when the length is appropriate for an adult but potentially too much for a child, the student will be focusing on a smaller but appropriate passage. Our goal is that these lessons would be tailored with content to reach your students in their specific development stages.
Each student lesson is written utilizing the adult Aim and passage. Student passages will mirror the adult study. The Main Truth for each lesson will always be based on the passage for that week. At times though, the student passage may be shorter for age-appropriateness for the above reasons. Our goal is your goal: that students can grow in their Bible knowledge and love for God alongside their BSF adult, within the full context of Scripture. The new curriculum allows leaders to invest their prep time IN God’s Word and not trying to figure out ways to make the lesson engaging. We’re on your team!
Students are always welcome to broaden their study each week to include everything from the adult study as well. If a student is not sufficiently challenged by the Discovery Guide (new Student Questions), you may encourage them to use the next level up instead. High School students may access the adult notes and questions at mybsf.org to supplement their study. We have confidence in you – you know your class the best and as you lead them throughout the course of the year, you will know how to appropriately encourage and challenge each student in age-appropriate ways for God’s glory. Thank you for being a part of this adventure!
Agree with the intended improvements to the youth lessons. In fact, I have been migrating to the class scripture study as the principal method of class learning for several years. Both the motivation and the method has been driven by my level 3 students failure to read the entire scripture assigned before attempting to answer the lesson Q’s –they try to short cut time by scanning for answers. As a consequence what they have absorbed before class is minimal and lacks continuity. I ask the Dads to please read the assigned scripture with their child each week, but is seldom done. Too many time demands outside of class leaving no other recourse. Participation is key!
Thank you for your excellent feedback and faithful ministry, Bill!
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The Lord is real and bsf truly a culture for studying GOD’S WORD!.. FULLY AGREE!
We’re so excited to see what God will do as these students Build Community, Discover Truth, and Live Differently!
It seems that the whole world is changed from passive spoon feeding to active participation. The idea is great and for some children or some cultures, this change maybe good.
However, many children are very passive, especially in the Chinese culture. We need to take care of both types of children and take a balance.
Thank you so much for your feedback! Your point is one reason we are so excited about this transition…It empowers the CS and CL to disciple in different ways most effective to their specific class. Student-centered learning is all about providing transformative teaching in a way that is engaging and memorable to the student across learning styles, cultures, and experiences. In your example, certain students may need and respond to teaching in different ways, just like you said. Thank you for illustrating the point of this type of learning: Leaders who know and study their students are better positioned to encourage personal growth in a way that the student understands. This causes the student to feel known, seen, and loved and creates a space for God’s Word to be internalized!
Many Students are able to say Previous Scripture Verses easily.
They are eager to read their bible rather than the CL read for them.
They are asking more and more questions for clarification.
This makes us so excited – thank you for sharing, Teresia!
I would like to try the Homiletics in Padlet, but would like to see this demonstrated. I’m not sure how to move them through the passages, have them type on the screen and interact verbally too. Has anyone used this format? I’d appreciate any help. Thank you 🙏
We put several of these new techniques into our class today and it was one of our most successful classes ever, even with the tough subject matter. As a teacher, I have found the Socratic method helpful in drawing student participation out and I look forward to next year’s new plan. Also, I would love to share Caleb’s video with my students. His advice was invaluable and he is a powerful speaker. Would that be ok?
It’s so exciting to hear your feedback, Leanne! Praise God for His working in your class.
It would be best to share on your device in class rather than distributing electronically. Thank you for asking! Caleb shares a powerful testimony that speaks directly to his fellow students!
Blessings to you as you lead and disciple!
Our EW class is co-locating with EM. We have a L1 boy who comes with Grandpa (strong Christian) and dad (still searching). This little guy is quite squirrelly and, after a long day of school, has a hard time staying focused. His first few weeks were a challenge for the CL and she was worried that we were not reaching him well. A few weeks ago, we drew cartoons of the mustard seed and yeast parables and had great discussion about the attribute from that week – Incomprehensible. As the boy was leaving, he showed his dad the pictures and said, “This mustard seed and yeast shows how God uses random stuff to do amazing things. Isn’t God amazing?” We praise God that he got the point of the lesson and went home with something to show his unbelieving mom. That was a mustard seed moment!
What an encouraging and delight-filled testimony – thank you for sharing, Joyce!
Will the students be studying the Bible at home? Or only in class?
Absolutely! One of BSF’s Aims is and will continue to be that students would study and apply the Bible daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. The curriculum will continue to promote consistent time with God through the take-home questions that students have the opportunity to accomplish throughout the week.