By Rev. Doug Forbes
It is important to vary our teaching methods as often as possible to keep our classes fresh and exciting. One way to achieve this objective is with a Patchwork Mural. Patchwork Murals are fun to make, and they are great team building activities too.
To make a Patchwork Mural you need: Bibles and Bible concordances, a camera, copier or construction paper, pencils and colored markers, crayons and tape.
Ask your students to use their Bibles and concordances to find a favorite Bible story they would like to illustrate with a mural. Allow time for each child to share his or her favorite story. Decide together which Bible story the class will illustrate and draw a rough sketch on the board. Push two large tables together and lay 25 pieces of white copier or construction paper on the table, side by side, in five rows of five, making a rectangle.
Help the children sketch out the mural on all 25 sheets with pencils. Next, have each student creatively color in one or more sections with markers and/or crayons. Check to make sure that each section matches up and tape the completed mural on the wall.
Take a photo of the mural with your young people and give each child a copy to remind them of their special project. You may wish to invite parents and guardians or even your whole congregation in to view your beautiful work of art.