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SSTN # 16 - February 7, 2003
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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:
--> Egg-shaped Easter Story Cards
1) Leaders in Training
2) Twin Adoption
3) Equipping Teachers
4) Preschool graduation?
--> W.W.J.S.? Gospel Catchers
5) Diverse Ages & Involving Others
6) Lessons about the disciples?
7) Black History month and the Bible?
8) Prayer Ideas?
--> The Armor of God Playing Cube
9) Disruptive children saga
10) Superintendent needing help!?
11) Banner for 3rd/4th grade?
12) Salvation...help?
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Egg-shaped Easter Story Cards
Ten Egg-shaped cards that tell the Easter Story - When the cards
are cut, colored and assembled, players can play Easter Egg Scramble and
learn the Easter Story! Reproducible so your whole class can make a set!
In the Curriculum section:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/curriculum.html
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1) Leaders in Training
>Is anyone aware of resources to train teenagers to be leaders in
>children's ministry? >>
Good morning. We have quite a few youth that help as assistants. They
have to go through a workshop (about 1 or 2 hours) with our Superintendent
and then they are assigned a teacher. I find that youth (as well as
myself) do not learn from books, but from actually doing. Of course they
are not put in charge of the class until the Superintendent feels they are
ready. I started as a youth myself and now have been teaching for about
26 years and love it. Helpful hint: Don't put more than one youth in the
same classroom. They tend to talk to each other and are no help at all.
God bless,
Joni
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2) Twin Adoption
I do a lot of scrapbooking and photo albums. I would suggest that a
scrapbook for the twins on such an important occasion be done in
duplicate... one for each twin. When they are older, it will be important
for them to each have their own family keepsakes. I suggest this even in
families without twins but with several siblings. Whenever you have a
special family portrait taken or when extra special occasions happen, get
enough copies that each kid will have his own when he grows up and starts
his own family. Sadly, after parents pass on, grown kids end up fighting
over family portraits when there is only one.
Sally in Wichita
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3) Equipping Teachers
> I am looking for information that I
>could use to run a seminar or do a workshop with the techers in order to
>better equip them to teach the children.
Our Church has used Evangelical Training Association over the past two
years and I can't begin to explain the increase in our staff in knowledge,
dedication, and growth. We have studied the following courses: Growing
towards Spiritual Maturity, Understanding People, Beyond Reasonable Doubt
and Biblical Beliefs. These courses helped us to restructure the Christian
Education foundation on our church school. I highly recommend this to any
Christian Educator Administrator. Here is the link that you may see for
yourself: http://www.etaworld.org/
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4) Preschool graduation?
I am starting to plan our annual preschool graduation for our 4 year old
class. The kids walk down the isle and up onto the stage. We usually do
3 or 4 songs and give awards. I need some fresh ideas for some preschool
songs. We have about 9 kids.
Thanks, Emma
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W.W.J.S.? Gospel Catchers
There's something much worse than cooties...it's called sin! Now kids can
make Gospel Catchers rather than Cootie Catchers! A fun and innovative way
for kids to learn to share their faith with their friends! Includes 4
Gospel Catcher patterns to make: the Colors of Christ (Gospel Colors), the
Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, and the Promises of God. Follow this
link to learn more:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/curriculum.html
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5) Diverse Ages & Involving Others
A transition time in a church is a good time to involve Sunday School kids
in the 'working' part of the church. Designate them with a sash, nametag,
collar, something special for only them, and let them help gather the
offering on Sunday morning (or maybe one Sunday a month). Let them give
out bulletins at the door, or just be greeters. They can escort the senior
members to their seats. All of these 'privileges' will be talked about by
the kids and stimulate interest in the other kids not attending. Can your
small Sunday School group prepare something to share with an adult class?
Recite some easy verses or sing a quick song. Travel each Sunday morning
(or one Sunday a month) to a different class for a 5 min, 10 min session
(whatever you think is a good length of time, approved by the teacher of
the class you want to visit, of course) Then, as you begin your SS hour,
you can p! ractice first, then travel to the class, then perform, return
to your class, and prepare for the next week. If you can tie into the
lesson being taught by the class you are visiting, it will be a great way
to teach the kids what other people do during the SS hour. Another
special activity: let the children make a birthday hat. They have a
special place to keep the hat and every Sunday that a senior adult has a
birthday, they put on their hats, march to that Sunday School room
(sometimes with tamborines) and sing Happy Birthday to that person, then
return to their room. The seniors love to interact with the youth and they
talk about it for weeks! Good Luck. Jane Carpenter - Calvary Baptist
Church, Monroe, N. C.
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6) Lessons about the disciples?
I teach 5th and 6th grade Sunday School Class and would love to introduce
each of the 12 disciples and about each of their lives. Could you please
suggest material or literature that would help me? Thanks Shirley
--from SSTN: for those responding, please include product codes (ISBN) for
the Bookstore. Thank you, Sarah Keith
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7) Black History month and the Bible?
I am interested in displaying a mural with blacks in the bible, for Black
History month. Can anyone help me seach for blacks in the bible or
provide me with some websites. Blessings
--from SSTN: See these Scripture references: Song of Songs 1:5-6; Acts
8:26-39 (the Ethiopian eunuch); and I don't remember this reference, or
where I've learned this, but Moses' wife was known as a woman of "dark"
skin color. Your webservant, Sarah <><
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8) Prayer Ideas?
I will be teaching a unit on prayer, focusing on the Lord's Prayer, to 2nd
and 3rd graders. Any favorite books, activities, etc. that you would
recommend? Thanks so much!
Susan in VA
--from SSTN: one thing I like to do with memorization is to have the kids
do hand/body motions to go with the words. Allow them to create them. ;o)
ysic, sarah
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The Armor of God Playing Cube
Kids can make it and take it home. A great memory tool!
Only $3.00 to print out as many as you need! Go to the following
webpage to get the free lesson and to learn more:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/game_armor.html
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9) Disruptive children saga
Hi al. Some comments on disruptive kids:
So often Sunday School is boring - remember when kids are used to playing
computer games, etc. If a teacher drones on - there is nothing worse. Make
things exciting no matter what you are teaching - change the tone of your
voice, move around, don't use the same style of teaching every week, e.g.
one week story telling, next flannel graph, next puppets, next colouring
in and a game relevant to the passage being taught. Often the children who
are disruptive are looking for attention - lack it at home, before the
problem arises get the child occupied, give him a special job to do - let
him know you are relying on him. Possibly he has a learning disability and
disrupts things to avoid any one seeing it. Keep him close to you. Maybe
the stuff that's being taught is either too advanced or too young. I
downloaded a PDF file on what children can do at specific ages, can send
it to anyone who needs it!
I will tell you a little story that happened in my life: One Sunday
morning after church, I saw my friend crying and asked her what was the
matter, she said that her Sunday School class was so disruptive, talked
constantly and didn't listen, she felt she was being ineffective. Never
having taught SS I volunteered my services to teach for a term in her
place. No child should ever reduce a teacher to tears. I started taking
the class the following week and have been teaching ever since.
Fortunately for me, the children were 10 and 11, I had heard at this stage
of development, they hate to be embarassed. We had a discussion about
their previous behaviour, I told them that should they be disobedient in
my class I would do the following. Take them to the door of the church,
Stop and wait there, when the congregation were looking at them, I would
take them to their parents or caregiver and let them sit there for the
rest of the service. I never had the problem for disobedient chi!
ldren. I fully intended to carry this out had the need arisen but it never
did. I loved them and then loved me.
Pray much for disruptive children, contact them in the week, send them
little notes, make them your brother or sister in Christ, disciple them in
love, you will eventually reap what you sow!!!!!
God bless - don't give up I'm praying for you - Love Theresa in sunny
South Africa
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10) Superintendent needing help!?
Hi all
My husband has been appointed as Superintendent of our Sunday School, he
is receiving alot of flak from our Church because they say he is not doing
his job, but no one can tell him what he is supposed to do. He needs to
encourage teachers. He is the communication between the leadership and SS.
What else? Training in the States is of course out of the question (we
live in South Africa). If you could put us in touch with one of your
superintendents that has done some form of training - maybe they could
give us some info. Email me direct - Theresa.gray@sasol.com
Blessing to you all
Theresa in South Africa
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11) Banner for 3rd/4th grade?
I have a class of 3rd and 4th graders and many of them love drawing. We
do a lot of crafts but I would like to make something permanent to hang in
the classroom. I've thought of a banner, perhaps something to do with the
church year. I'd like them to be able to use their drawing abilities.
--from SSTN: I have found by drawing something on an 8.5" x 11" paper and
copying onto overhead transparency then projecting it onto a larger
surface and tracing it is easier. You might have the kids draw their own
designs, then project them onto large banners. ysic, sarah <><
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12) Salvation...help?
I teach the K-2nd grade Sunday School and Awana class at the church I
attend. Three Sundays ago I led two little girls to Christ. One of which
was my own. We started our lesson out under the table, just because they
like being under there. No one responded to the invitation while under the
table, but when we went back up to the table to make our own Wordless
Books to share with family and friends one of the little girls told me she
was ready to pray, she wanted to become a Christian. She prayed in her own
words and when she was finished I told her how happy I was for her and
that the angels in heaven were singing. She ran down to the nursery to
tell her mom. What a wonderful morning it was! However, a few days later I
spoke with her mom and she said that her daughter was not ready to accept
Jesus into her heart. I explained to her that I did not use that
terminology but that I spoke of accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior and
that I used the Wordless Book in the Children's Ministry Bible I have. Her
mom said she would speak to her daughter again. That Sunday morning at the
beginning of class I was asking for prayer request and praises. Several
things were mentioned and then I said let's pray for those who are not
Christians. This same little girl who, the week before, had just become a
Christian said, "I'm not a Christian, my mommy talked me out of it." My
heart sank to my feet. A few minutes later I excused myself from class
momentarily, and I cried. The next Sunday she said the same thing. My
heart is just broken. For the past two Sundays she has not listened in
class. She whistles and turns around backwards in her chair, she disrupts
others and literally completely tunes out everthing I say when I'm
teaching. I'm afraid that maybe she thinks I lied to her about being a
Christian and she won't listen to the Bible lessons that are being taught
in class. What do I do?
In Christ,
Karla
--from SSTN: I would definitely sit down with the mother and tell her all
that you've written here. I would also ask her if she did in fact "talk
her daughter out of salvation", and why she thinks her daughter is "not
ready to accept Jesus". The bottom line is if this child truly did accept
Jesus "into her heart", he will continue to work in her life regardless of
her mom. May God give you wisdom to know what to do. ysic, sarah <><
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