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SSTN # 26 - March 27, 2006
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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:
God Help Me - Movie For Teens
1) How to teach unchurched kids?
2) Stations of the Cross
3) Adventure Decor Ideas
4) Resurrection rocks
5) Beware of these books
FLORIDA Home With Detached Studio
6) Interactive / non-interactive Bible song?
7) VBS Follow-up
8) VBS Follow up
9) Ark Idea Thank you
10) Cross Wall Art?
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God Help Me - Movie For Teens
A man's friends try to convince the girl of his dreams that God has chosen
them to be together. Trudy (Shelley Findley) is the girl of Ryan's (Tom
Miner) dreams. Only catch is Trudy is waiting for God to reveal Mr. Right
to her and Ryan is not exactly what she had in mind. When Ryan and his
buddies discover this they devise a plan behind Ryan's back to convince
Trudy that God has chosen her to be with Ryan. What happens when you play
God with someone's life? Find out as you watch this off the wall comedy
about dating and relationships for teens and adults.
Find it in the Bookstore section by typing, "God Help Me DVD" into the
search box at:
http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/bookstore.html
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1) How to teach unchurched kids?
Hi everyone:
I'm teaching a K-3 class, the size of which varies from one to 8 children,
aged 4 to 7. We have one little guy coming with his Grandma (Yay!) who
has never even HEARD of God. All the other children are babbling away
about Daniel and the Lion's Den, or David and Goliath, and this fellow has
never heard even ONE of these stories. He's never heard of Jesus.
Doesn't know about the crucifixion or anything.
I've only been in the church myself since 2001. And my daughter came to
Christ in 2004. (I'm a single mom.) But there is something different
about starting to incorporate God into our lives each day and telling your
child different stories than to be entrusted with the privelege and
responsibility of teaching a child everything he'll know about God, in 3/4
hour once a week.
How does one go about teaching about God from the ground, so to speak?
Last week I had 2 children, the child in question and another who usually
attends Catholic services. I talked to them about magic tricks, how
amazing they are to see, which ones are our favourites, but how they're
all actually tricks and not real, and then talked about miracles, how they
are real, and told the story of Shadrach, Mesach and Abednego to
illustrate it. I then talked for a moment about how Jesus does a miracle
and erases our sins so we can go to Heaven (the last bit I talked in a
very introductory way. I didn't talk about the crucifixion or anything
yet - just introduced the idea).
Sisters (and brothers if we have any here), please share any thoughts you
have. I am struck with the need to come up with curriculum that doesn't
assume that a) the children come from a Christian home and b) they will
attend regularly. Certainly all of our churches want to evangelize. What
will we teach when they get here? What seeds can we plant that if this
child never comes again to Sunday School, he's had enough truth to take
away with him? My whole outlook on teaching has changed in the last 2
weeks. I need to teach like it's life and death, each week - not that
it's not fun and not that it's not wondrous - but really, really pay
attention to teaching them how to be saved (that hasn't even been
mentioned in the first I don't know how many lessons in our curriculum),
that Jesus loves them, that He's always with them, etc.
Sorry for a long letter. Thanks very much. Love Hollie
--from SSTN: great questions and insight! I believe strongly that
everytime I teach or write a lesson that I should incorporate a kernal of
gospel message:
"We all sin. We cannot save ourselves. God sent his Son to save us so we
can live with him for eternity. We need to trust him to be our Savior and
Forever Friend."
It is important to keep in mind that there is so much more to the gospel
(good news) message than that. It is a life and death issue, but we are to
be faithful to our calling and the Holy Spirit will do the rest.
Keep on seeking and learning!
SIC,
Sarah Keith <><
SundaySchoolNetwork.com
P.S. we have quite a few "brothers" in SSTN. ;o)
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2) Stations of the Cross
Roberta West was looking for some information on Stations of the Cross.
Our parish is using Pflaum Gospel Weeklies for our teaching curriculum, on
their website, www.pflaum.com you will find under catholic culture on the
family page some good information on the Stations of the Cross. Also
www.catholicmom.com/catholic-kids.htm has some great ideas too.
Edie
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3) Adventure Decor Ideas
Our Bible Camp's theme this summer is Adventure Quest (sort of Indiana
Jones-ish ). As a cabin leader for Jr and Senior Girls I am supposed to
decorate my cabin appropriate to the theme -
Beyond Compasses, telescopes, and treasure chests, does anyone have any
ideas? I'd like to start hunting the thrift stores now.
I have good amount of wall space, the ceiling is very high but the beams
and ceiling with in about 4 feet from the edge of the bunks are accessible
, and there are 3' light boxes on one wall which things can be hung from.
Thanks for any input,
Linda in Edmonds
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4) Resurrection rocks
--from SSTN: we received quite a few of the same replies, so we'll post
just one:
Materials Needed:
1 cup flour
1 cup used coffee grinds
1/2 cup salt
1/4 cup sand
1 cup water
Instructions:
Mix all dry ingredients together. Slowly add the water to make a stiff
dough; you might end up using only half the water - add it slowly or your
dough will be too runny!!
Knead on a floured surface until fairly smooth. Break the dough into
desired rock sizes. Hide toys and surprises in the center of a ball of
dough. Set in a safe place until totally dry. At least 3 - 4 days.
Once it is dry, the dough will look and feel like a rock. You can
carefully break open the home-made rocks with a hammer to reveal the
hidden treasures inside.
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FLORIDA Home With Detached Studio,
Florida Real Estate. Home For Sale.
Looking to move? Invest? Or need a vacation home in south Florida?
New on the market, check it out at:
http://www.creativeimaginations.net/home.html
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5) Beware of these books
"Conversations With God" and
"Conversations With God, For Teens" - by Neil D. Walsch.
Parents and Christian schools need to be aware of this.
The author purports to answer various questions from kids using the "voice
of God". However, the "answers" that he gives are not Bible-based and go
against the very infallible word of God. For instance (paraphrased), when
a girl asks the question "Why am I a lesbian?" his answer is that she was
born that way because of genetics (just as you were born right-handed,
with blue eyes, etc.). Then the author, supposedly as God would answer her
question, tells her to "celebrate" her differences.
Another girl poses the question "I am living with my boyfriend. My parents
say that I should marry him because I am living in sin. Should I marry
him?" The author's reply ....."Who are you sinning against? Not me (God),
because you have done nothing wrong."
Another question asks about God's forgiveness of sin. The author's reply
(as God's response).....I do not forgive anyone because there is nothing
to forgive. There is no such thing as right or wrong. People have chosen
to judge one another and this is wrong, because my rule is "judge not,
lest ye be judged".
And the list goes on.
Not only are these books the false doctrine of devils, but in some
instances quote (in error) the Word of God. These books (and others like
it) are being sold to school children (The Scholastic Book Club).We need
to be aware of what is being fed to our children.
Our children are under attack, so pray - be sober and vigilant about
teaching your kids the Word of God, and guarding their exposure to worldly
media because, "...our adversary, the devil, roams about as a roaring lion
seeking whom he may devour "(1 Peter 5:8). (Lions usually hunt for the
slowest, and weakest and YOUNGEST of its prey.)
Should you doubt this information please look at the books yourself.
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6) Interactive / non-interactive Bible song?
If anyone has an interactive/non-interactive bible song dealing with
prayer please e-mail me.
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7) VBS Follow-up
You can send letters and visit in the home. Nancy
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8) VBS Follow up
We have had success with our VBS follow up by going out within a week
and visiting those families that are prospects. You might even try taking
pictures of the individual classes crafts, music, and worship rally and
then have the teachers of the different age groups invite the families of
the children in their class to come to a scrapbooking party where the
children can make a scrapbook of the activities they did at VBS. This way
you can have time with the parents from your particular class and the
children have an activity that they can take home with their pictures and
the fun they had. Don't forget to send out postcards or flyers every so
often inviting them to an activity/ fellowship for the childs age group.
Don't give up keep in contact at least once a month if not more.
Blessings,
Sheryl
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9) Ark Idea Thank you
Is it possible to get a 'thank you' note to Anita for reply to a post I
had about Noah's ark crafts?
She went above and beyond helpfulness by providing me with some excellent
resources! I am so appreciative and I really want her to know that I do
not take it lightly that she went to all that trouble to help me! If at
all possible, can you please pass my thankfulness on to her?
Thank you so much! Kathy Cook
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10) Cross Wall Art?
Sarah,
I have been attempting to e-mail Lynette Tillner about her Cross Wall Art
posting on SSTN. I would like more info as to what the kids did to
decorate each colored cross. I tried her e-mail link twice and received
my e-mail back as fatal error. Do you have a way to ask her? I noticed
you have an aol account and have been on my buddy list, maybe I will catch
you on line. God bless you and your ministry through SSTN.
Karen Roberts
Krobert147@aol.com
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