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If there's a weakness in many Scripture memory programs, it's that they're so scattershot. Young people are urged to memorize verses—but why? Connected to what? With what accountability?

Rosemary Cooley, CE director at First Baptist Church, Greenwood, Indiana, created a focused memory program to reinforce the pastor's series on "Keys to the Kingdom." Each message from January to Easter highlighted a strategic Scripture such as Matthew 6:24, Hebrews 12:1-2, 1 John 3:20, or Ephesians 2:8-9.

Cooley displayed the verses (in Today's English Version) on key-shaped posters. Any child or teenager who memorized a verse could recite it to hearers stationed after church in the narthex and the children's library area. If successful, the young person's name was placed on a construction paper link that went up on the wall to start forming a keychain for that verse. Cooley had underlined in red an abbreviated portion for younger children to memorize.

Also, a kids' bulletin insert each week reproduced the verse, along with Pastor Ron Kerr's sermon outline and a pencil activity to speed memory along.

The results?

Some of the verses wound up with keychains as long as 29 links, representing preschoolers to seventh-graders. Out of a Sunday school of 225 students, 16 conquered all the verses—for which they received special awards. Twenty others mastered at least some of the Scriptures and received lesser awards.

"This was an exciting quarter in our church life and proved to be successful," says Pastor Kerr. "Not only did the children and youth do the memory work, but with all the other aids, they had some understanding of the verses' meaning."

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