Build Community, Discover Truth, Live Differently
God is using you to mature the next generation of His people for Christ! Together, we are committed to magnify God in all that we do as we rely on Him for wisdom and guidance. As we seek to inspire passionate commitment to Christ, His Word, and His Church, we will focus on three components of discipleship:
Build Community
Builds intentional relationships and prepares students to learn God’s Truth from the Bible.
Discover Truth
Students open their Bibles and explore what the passage says in context.
Live Differently
Students are challenged to apply the truth they discover in God’s Word to their daily lives.
Hear from Students
During the Matthew study, classes on four continents participated in a three-week test of the School Program Redesign. Hear what some students shared about their experience!
Note: The Discovery Guide is the name for the questions students complete at home between lessons.
Leadership Lessons from Taiwan
Brenda Chang knows how it feels to struggle through BSF. During her first year as a class member in Taiwan, Brenda was a new Christian with very little Bible knowledge.
“I was still learning English, and I almost gave up because it took so much time to read notes and answer questions. I could understand the question, but I did not have the answer. My Group Leader kept encouraging me to join her group, and I found God’s love through reading those notes.”
Brenda’s personal connection to her Group Leader gave her the courage to remain in BSF, even when she didn’t have all the answers. Today, Brenda serves as an Assistant Children’s Supervisor in her Taiwan class where she offers similar encouragement to leaders and students.
“I learned how God loved me,” she said. “So, I got to be involved in BSF because of God’s love.”
This year, Brenda’s class tested the redesigned School Program curriculum. Below, she shares some of her experiences, and highlights new opportunities for leaders and students to connect.
What were your concerns with testing the new curriculum? How did God surprise you?
We always asked students sit still, zip your mouth, and listen to us. It is the same with the traditional education in Taiwan. But the design of the new curriculum asked us to lead kids to look for truth, ask good questions, and encourage kids to talk and participate more.
Praise God! The new curriculum prepared us for this transition. Leaders followed the instructions and gave encouragement to kids. It is a good start! Kids love to try new things. Class was different than before. We are still learning how to go deeper.
Describe what you mean by “class was different than before.”
Students feel more relaxed. Some students are willing to share their thoughts without fear; it means they trust their CLs and their classmates.
How can we equip CLs better? And how should we pray moving forward?
We still need time to learn how to ask students good questions, how to go deeper, how to be a disciple maker, how to see students’ needs, and how to interact with students. We will continue to let God guide us to be God’s blessing for students.
As we learn from SP redesign test groups and prepare to launch worldwide for People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided, we are encouraged by God’s work. Our goal is to prepare CLs to meet students’ needs at age-appropriate levels with God’s Word. We know this transition will not always be easy, but we trust that God will faithfully prepare the hearts of leaders and students. When we cling to God’s steadfast Word, we can face the challenges ahead with confidence. Together, we will celebrate His wonderful work in students’ lives through your commitment and dedication.
“So that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.”
Philippians 2:15
How can we pray for you and your students?
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I am coming back to BSF 5 years later after a break when I worked with Child Evangelism Fellowship.
I need health to be consistent and the ability for my husband and I to plan our travel around BSF in order not to miss class.
My husband would be a good leader too!
My co-leader and I have used the new Basic Truth format using the matching game with scripture passages. Our students have jumped right in. They liked forming their 2 to 3 person teams. One student commented that she learns better reading and figuring it out. Our students looked up the scripture passages in their Bible and discussed how they answer the BT question. After they had jotted down some key words from the passages, the teams looked to the white board where the passages were posted along with choices to match them to. Kids worked in their teams to decide the answers. Each group got to come up and read a couple of passages and give their answer. In the passage and the matching sentence on the whiteboard, they circled key words or phrases that answered the BT question. They loved coming to the board and sharing their answers like the CL would have done. It was unanimous they prefer the matching game BT session. Thank you to all the people instrumental in working on the school program materials. Praise and thanks to God for His provision and equipping.
Pray that my soul is refreshed in Jesus and that I will find joy in the small tasks of life that are necessary though tedious. I want to serve HIm whole heartedly and with a full heart.
Pray that our students will draw closer to God and that our small class will grow.
Pray for total dependence on God as we endeavor to enrich students’ heart-centered understanding of the His Word and eagerly accept His purpose in our lives.
Pray that my love for God and His word will increase in my heart as I teach the children entrusted to me. May my comments be gospel centered as I God use me to disciple the children.
Pray for heart for the children and their parents will study God’s word with the children at home
For those of us who very much like the existing format for teaching/learning, will it still be available going forward?
You will find many components of the existing format throughout the study year such as Discovery, Homiletics, Character Studies, Questions, Discussion, and more. We’re so excited to share the redesigned curriculum with you at the Launch!
Hi! Thanks for praying along with us for God’s will be done – whether we are still online in the fall or have an invitation from a church – may we rest and be content in His best for us. Thank you!
I need someone to help me figure out if I can still get to Arlington TX for the 3 day seminar on the new children’s release. How can I see the steps of the 3 day curriculum and how to book travel and get all the other relevant information. I first responded no, but now have changed my mind based on the 4,21,2022 training.
Hi, Martin! You can e-mail events@bsfinternational.org to inquire. Excited you are on the team!
I am thankful for the redesign. BSF is a fantastic bible study that allows both students and adults to truly learn what the Bible says. The redesigned student program is looking at the best way to engage students with the Bible. My prayer for me (CS), my ACS and CLs is that we will humbly accept the change and passionately lead the students in building community, discovering truth, and learning to live differently. We get the opportunity to be transformed ourselves and impact the next generation with a biblical worldview. Thank you to BSF HQ for the tireless work and dependence on the Holy Spirit as you lead us through this change.
Please join me and praying for the attendance to increase that more children will learn of the almighty God and invite Him to be Lord over their lives. Also wisdom for me and the CLs to facilitate the redesign successfully.
Please pray for God to give me the wisdom, guidance, and knowledge to teach the students what He wants them to know. May the words I speak be words that come from God.
Pray that God will send leaders that are excited about working with the next generation and are willing to be open and flexible with the changes in the Student Program. As a CS I am excited to be embarking on this new journey.
Please pray that we as Children’s Leaders can get the children comfortable enough to open up and share.
Pray that the children will not hold back for fear of being exposed when they share.
Pray that we as Children’s Leaders, would be discerning and exercise wisdom as we disciple these children for God’s glory.
Pray that God would enable us to be adaptable to the transition. Pray for kids that they should be committed to BSF and become more interactive.
This video and post was so encouraging! I LOVED to see the students and their responses and their maturity! Wow! I am blessed to be beginning this journey with the re-designed program. SOOO EXCITING!
I wish our parents showed more interest in supporting kids do the work sheet.
Only 10 percentage parents are actively involved.
Please pray
And any tips to involve parents will be appreciated
Mary,
We have been successful in the past by having the children ask their parents if they could use dry erase pens to write the Bible verse on their mirrors so they see it everyday. The parent’s job is to erase one word each day and ask the child to say the verse. By the end of the week, parents and children know the verse of that week.
Our Children’s Supervisor also asks parents to discuss lesson on the way home from class, while they are still together. Pick a question and talk about while cooking dinner or doing chores, etc.
How encouraging to see our students in the video. The curriculum was well designed and gave lots of options. Fun to hear their experience with it. Next year will be so much fun! Reminds me of Isaiah 43:19 “ See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.”
Praising God for the next steps and the next generation!
May I be faithful with the children God will entrust to me. That I will lead and serve with Love.
That the çhildren’s heart will be open to God’s word.
Please pray for wisdom placing students in the new levels, still considering parental preferences when siblings are involved.
Cl’s are asking will the children still have the questions like they do now for the children to answer before the group day?
Students will definitely be encouraged to study the passage on their own during the week, using the BSF take-home guide. These will be called Discovery Guides (instead of School Program Questions). 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. Thanks for asking, Linda!
It’s always my joy to teach the kids and I’m delighted when they answer questions correctly and sing with joy. We’ve been having lessons through zoom but soon we’ll start physical classes. Please pray that many children will be able to join the physical classes and that the transition will be smooth.
Having a new thing normally doesn’t come easy-to-use as a CL I am adjusting. This new curriculum helps me to lead and more of the talking is done by the students and the aspect of home activity gets students interact with their Registering Adult in the beginning it was strange to the students but now they carry out the home – activity . We’re all learning,
Please pray for our students to be God honoring in their speech and actions. Pray for their desire to attend BSF and to encourage their moms/grandmas to come each week. Pray for them to have the hunger for God’s word and that they would want to shine for Him in this dark world.
After listening to the students I’m encouraged to be committed to this new or redesigned program. It is our job to train children and help them prepare for God’s kingdom. Being able to voice their thoughts and communicate to others is important
Please pray that God will provide new CLs so that we can open all five levels in our class and that all of our leaders feel well trained in the new curriculum when we begin the year. We are already transitioning to more interactive teaching post-zoom so we are eager for the new resource launch!