I still remember the posters from my elementary school classrooms. In fact, when I have to write cursive, the cursive letters on the banner that spanned the chalkboard (yes, chalk) in my third grade classroom still appear in my mind’s eye to this day. Visual aids make sessions more memorable and connect well with people whose learning style is primarily visual instead of auditory or aural.
Each age level of Explore the Bible offers a series of posters for each quarter that serve as teaching tools to help drive home the Scripture’s message. I have asked members of our team for samples from the upcoming winter quarter on Matthew. The screenshots below do not do justice to the full size and definition of the posters, but can give you an idea of their content. Each Leader Pack for each age level includes several posters along with several other leader helps. Check out this poster from the Students line of Explore the Bible to see if it helps you grasp just how long people waited for the Messiah’s arrival. Of course, the “your life so far” line may fall a little short of your age, but that is because this poster is meant for teenagers!
Notice that this poster is not merely decorative, but is a teaching tool. Imagine students encountering it in a small group setting and coming to see what it looks like historically to wait on God. Imagine them resolving to wait on the Lord a little longer in their own lives as a result. To them, the car is an ancient relic and the founding of the United States was unfathomable eons ago, but the years since their beginnings are nothing compared to the centuries generations of believers waited for the Messiah and His herald John the Baptist to arrive. This poster proves that to scale in a way that words alone likely could not.
Now, take a look at this poster from the Kids line of Explore the Bible. As little ones imagine the events of the Gospel of Matthew unfolding in their minds’ eyes, this poster will ensure that they do so with a degree of archaeological accuracy. It also proves that the locales described in the Bible are actual places which helps reinforce their trust in the Bible.
This poster was adapted from the Holman New Testament Commentary and is included in the Explore the Bible: Adults winter quarter. It is easy for someone who is new to church and the Bible to lose track of the chronology of events. Placing Jesus’ teachings in their proper chronological order and understanding their overarching context is important. This poster helps new believers and seasoned Bible scholars alike keep a proper perspective on where a given discourse of Jesus’ took place in His collective teachings.
The way you use your Leader Pack posters depends on your meeting space, the number of people in your group, the time people have before and after your session to view posters, and whether you have purchased a digital or print copy of the posters. At my church, we purchase the printed posters. For larger groups, we place them at the common area leading into the space in which the group meets so that people can see the posters up close before and after the session. Smaller groups who meet in smaller spaces tape a different poster for each session on the board immediately behind the leader and refer to it as the session unfolds. Digital copies can be printed with copies for each member of a group, but this works only if the image is printed in such a way that the text is legible. Many Leader Pack purchasers who use the digital versions of the posters will use their in-class projectors or televisions to share them in at dimensions that are larger than the printed versions!
You can place an order for winter Leader Pack items here.
If you need anything, give us a call at 1-800-458-2772.
God bless you and your ministry!
In Christ,
Jesse Campbell
I would still like to see the adult posters be less graphic and have bigger print on detail. In the example above I see no learning value in the classic art displayed. I’d be interested to know why the adjult design is significantly different than the young adults’ or children’s. The detail in the adult poster above is not readable unless you are standing right at the poster, which our people typically do not have time to do. I wonder how many adult leaders actually use the bulk of the posters. The maps are typically good.
Thank you for the feedback, Beth. We will definitely take it into account as we continue to work on the Leader Pack.