Things You’ll Need:
Wheels
An axle
Wood or other workable material
Power tools
Reins
Step 1
You’ll need a cockpit (the place where the rider stands), wheels, a way to propel your chariot and a way to connect your chariot to your propulsion system. A team of horses can propel your chariot like in the ancient days, or you can have friends take the reins and pull you along.
Step 2
You can build your cockpit from wood or use a pre-existing structure, like an old trash barrel. Consider whether you want a big, intimidating chariot or a sleek, fast one. Make up a rough blueprint so you have something to guide you as you build your vehicle.
Step 3
Build the cockpit if you’ve decided to go that route. Select a thick piece of wood for the bottom and ring it on three sides with a waist-height guardrail. Be sure your base and guard are connected tightly. Bolt the pieces together and use brackets as well to ensure your chariot stays together under stress.
Step 4
Bolt an axle to the bottom of your chariot and add the wheels. The wheels should be large; at least a foot in diameter. Spin the wheels a few times to make sure they move freely without coming loose. You’ll also want to add a stand that keeps the chariot upright when not in use. This could just be a thick beam that extends from your chariot at a 45-degree angle.
Step 5
Take your chariot on a shakedown cruise. Attach some reins to whatever will be pulling your chariot along. Be sure that your chariot gives you a solid ride. The chariot should feel like a part of you, and you shouldn’t have to do a lot of work to stay inside and steer. Mobility is also key for a chariot. If you’re not getting the response you want, try attaching smaller wheels.
Marketing Chasing Chariots to Prospective Students
Ideas:
1) Measuring Stick/Ruler Idea
With the Chariot display a congregation can also create a measuring stick. Each line on the measuring stick could list a different chapter of the book. I am thinking about ideas that play off the theme of Christian growth. Statements or questions that could be used with the display could be, “How tall are you spiritually?” “Are you growing in Christ?” or a spiritual measuring stick.
2) Collage of Modern Day Chariots
This activity could be used as an exercise in the Bible Study to stimulate participation and discussion. The teacher and students can bring a few magazines to a class. The teacher will divide the class into small groups. Each group will create a collage of how they view modern day chariots. Poster board, glue and scissors need to be supplied. The participants are given approximately 15-20 minutes to complete the collage. Each group will share their design with the class.
3) Role Play
As an activity to introduce the topic of spiritual maturity or growth, role play could be used. The teacher will ask some students to act like spiritual infants, others to act like spiritual adolescents and others like spiritual adults. Afterwards, have a discussion about why they attribute the actions and characteristics that did to each category. This might be a good way to see how the participants view spiritual growth.
4) Letter to Self
At the beginning of the class each person will be given a sheet of paper and an envelope. The participants will be asked to write a letter to themselves about how they would like to grow spiritually. The letter can talk about their spiritual challenges and what they would like to get out of the class. The participants will seal their letter. The teacher will collect them (but is not allowed to read them). The letters will be distributed back to the participants at the closing session of the class. The letters could also be mailed a month after the class ends.
Preparing To Build A Class:
1. Have a flyer in the church bulletin with a place for people to sign up and place their order for the book.
2. Write an article for church newsletter.
3. Write an article for the church Website.
4. Send e-mails to prospective students.
5. Come to class and introduce the idea for the Bible study.
6. Send announcement of class to the religious section of the newspaper at least 3 weeks in advance. If a group built a chariot you could send a photo of the people building the chariot.
7. Encourage everyone to bring Bible to class as well as Chasing Chariots.
8. Print in bulletin, weekly email, and on Website the Bible selections for next week.
9. Design nametags or table placements in the shape of a chariot so that everyone can identify everyone else in a class discussion.
10. Select some music that seems appropriate to play as people enter the classroom.
11. Provide coffee, tea, water, creamers and sugar for students.
12. Select someone to take pictures of all participants during discussions, entering or leaving and post on bulletin board weekly with captions.
Do you have more ideas for creating interest with students? Let us know with your comments below.
