Like adults, children have spiritual needs. Memorizing God's Word helps children discover and internalize God's values so they can resist the world's values. Memorizing scripture gives children an "inner storehouse" of help that is always available when they need spiritual guidance and strength.

What are the spiritual needs of children that can be met when they memorize the Word of God? Verses that have been memorized help children:

		know and love God.
		feel sure of God's love for them.
		discover how to become a child of God.
		gain assurance of their salvation..
		find strength for resisting temptation.
		have available the thoughts and ideas they need to worship God.
		find comfort in a difficult situation.
		find help for witnessing.

Bible Memorization is only effective in meeting these needs when children clearly understand what they are memorizing. The Bible Memorization Program for Children Leader's Guide gives teachers and parents clear guidelines for helping children memorize the scripture and understand it, as well. The Bible Memorization Program for Children features:

		A program for parents of 3-year-olds to use in the home.
		Complete memory plans for kindergarten through junior (preteen) age groups. For each age-group, there is a student book listing the verses to learn and giving the child suggestions ways to memorize.
		A "Core Memorization Program" for primaries , middlers ,and juniors (preteens). This highlights 45 important verses the child should memorize "for life."
		Sample lesson plan for a Bible Memorization class.
		Over 85 tested ideas for teaching verses to children.
		Guidelines for knowing when a child "really knows" a verse.

The Bible Memorization Program for Children is flexible. It can be offered in these ways:

As a regular ministry program for children.

As a feature of Sunday School. Challenge children who memorize well to learn additional verses beyond the Verse-a-Month Club verses described in the Sunday School curriculum.

As a project parents can do with their children at home.

The Bible Memorization Program for Children offers several items to recognize achievement. These include Bible Memorization certificates, award seals in four colors, honor bars, ribbons, and a trophy. The Leader's Guide tells when to award each item.

The goal of the Bible Memorization Program for Children is to plant God's Word in the minds and hearts of children. If a child memorized only one verse a month, from age 4 through age 18, the child would learn 180 verses. How many adults can claim to know 180 verses? Make the Bible Memorization Program for Children part of your church's children's ministry program.