This is a fantastic document and will be a wonderful aid for us as we develop our lessons!
In terms of "what Bible Skills” get taught in the Bible Games Workshop, I would add that different congregations have different realities and different goals. In our small church, our emphasis is on engaging with the story and its meaning for our lives today. Memorization and traditional Bible skills (where in the Bible, when was it written, historical context, etc) are not a focus with our younger children, although general Bible literacy is a goal with our older children.
One of the Bible skills we emphasize is for our older students to be able to engage in critical thinking in regards to interpretation of biblical stories, and know that the meaning of a story is not the same for every person, or even for every time in a given person’s life.
For us, it isn't an issue if a student can't remember which Book of the Bible a story is found in. We'd rather they remember it to the best of their ability and have some sense of what God is saying to them through the story that can affect their life.
One of the beauties of the Workshop Rotation Model is that it can be adjusted to suit the goals, resources and theologies of the various congregations using it. By using games (and art, drama, etc.) as teaching tools, our children are retaining more information and enjoying it more at the same time.
Many thanks to all of you who have spent years developing the concept of workshop rotation! Our execution may not always be what you have envisioned, but it has allowed us to revitalize our Sunday school and enhance the experience for both leaders and students.
