Making Bible Study Memorable
by Karen McDonald Smith
 If you have ever been in
a Bible study or church school class and realized that your mind
wandered at points throughout the session, you are not alone.
Most of us have experienced an attention lapse at one time or
another, even when the topic was of particular interest. You
may recall that the leader made some good points, but the next
day you call a friend to refresh your memory because the specifics
of the discussion and information elude you.
All Intelligences Employed
One of the greatest challenges in leading a Bible study is
to engage the participants in learning that develops a deeper
understanding of faith. In recent years, educators have explored
a number of theories about adult learning. Howard Gardner at
Harvard University developed one of the most helpful. Gardner
contends that people of all ages learn and understand through
multiple intelligences, involving a variety of activities and
methods. Although additional intelligences have been proposed
recently, seven are generally accepted: interpersonal, intrapersonal,
verbal/linguistic, visual/spatial, body/kinesthetic, logical/
mathematical, and musical/ rhythmic.
In her book, 7 Ways of Teaching the Bible to Adults: Using
Our Multiple Intelligences to Build Faith (Nashville: Abingdon,
2000), Barbara Bruce applies these educational methods to learning
about God and living faith. By incorporating multiple intelligences
into leading Bible study, we come to know God more fully through
our God-given senses.
Esther's Feast has numerous suggestions for learning through
multiple intelligences (see Suggestions for Leaders at the end
of each lesson). The following suggestions may be incorporated
into any lesson to engage participants in additional explorations
of the lessons.
Karen McDonald Smith is a church musician and Christian
educator and has served churches in Pennsylvania, California,
Alaska, Virginia and Kentucky. A graduate of Louisville Presbyterian
Theological Seminary, she most recently served as the associate
for the Presbyterian Book & Resource Center in Louisville,
Kentucky.
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