“I found it!”

Yesterday was the first week of a new virtue in Discovery Unlimited. One of my favorite parts of small group was helping the 2nd graders find their new Bible verse. I loved seeing the excitement in their faces when they found the verse and hearing them exclaim, “I found it! Can I read it to you?”

It’s not hard for kids to learn to find verses if you walk them through this process:

1. Find the book listed in the Table of Contents.
2. Identify the page number the book is on.
3. Locate the book in the Bible.
4. Turn to the correct chapter.
5. Scan through the chapter to find the correct verse.

They LOVE it when they find the right verse. It’s a huge accomplishment for them!

Having younger kids look up the same verse every week for a month is extremely helpful. Kids who are just learning to use their Bibles can really benefit from going through these steps repeatedly. Unlike us, they don’t get tired of it or think to themselves, “We’ve already done this before!” Each week they feel a new sense of accomplishment.

The great thing is that each time they successfully find the verse (even if they’ve found it several times before), they are learning how to navigate the Bible and are feeling good about their newly acquired skills.

I encourage you to have the kids in your group open the Bible every week during small group time. If they actually use their Bibles, even for only a minute or two, every time they come to DU, by the end of elementary school, they’ll know their way around.

Bibles are stored in the Galaxy closet if you need them. Help yourself!