Sunday School Teacher's Newsletter, Great Ideas for Children's Ministry!





September 1, 2015 -- Issue #28





In today's newsletter: 1) Feast of Trumpets "Rosh Hashanah" 2) Psalm 23 Lessons? 3) Parable of the Sower 4) Are You a Transformer? 5) Disciplining in Sunday School?






1) Feasts of Trumpets "Rosh Hashanah" Lesson Focus: God Calls Us To Repent. Read Leviticus 23:23-25 from a child-friendly Bible. Trumpets were blown, calling people to wake up spiritually and repent of their sins. Today, God calls us to repent and receive Christ’s atonement, so we are ready for the final trumpet blast. The Feast of Trumpets is the first of the fall Feasts of the Lord. It occurs on the first day of the seventh month, during our September* or October months. Although the Bible doesn’t say this, traditionally it’s believed this day celebrates the creation of the world, and specifically when God created humankind on the sixth day. The Feast of Trumpets marks the beginning of the civil or national year for Israel. In our time, it is known as Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. However, today’s celebration has little if any comparison to the celebration instructed in Scripture. The Feast of Trumpets, like the Sabbath, is considered a Holy Day for rest and worship. It is celebrated by blowing a trumpet made from a ram’s horn called a shofar (pronounced show-far). It is believed that a ram’s horn is used to recall the ram that was sacrificed by Abraham in place of his son Isaac. The month leading up to the Feast of Trumpets is to be a time of repentance. God’s people are to consider their sins, turn from them, “repent,” and prepare their hearts for the Feast of Trumpets and the nine days that follow. Together these ten days are referred to as the Days of Awe and lead up to the tenth day, the most holy of all days in Israel, the Day of Atonement. This entire forty days, the month leading up to, plus the ten Days of Awe, are to be a time of repentance. (Learn more about the Feasts of the Lord.) *Rosh Hashanah 2015 begins at sundown of Sunday, September 13 and ends in the evening of Tuesday, September 15.



2) Psalm 23 Lessons? Do you have lessons focused on Psalm 23? Thanks, Nyla --from SSTN: We sure do, Nyla. Check out our Psalm 23 Lessons: http://sundayschoolnetwork.com/lesson_23Psalm.html and http://sundayschoolnetwork.com/game_Psalm23_race.html Also, you can find a goldmine of ideas, by topic or keyword, using the Search Box at the bottom of this newsletter or from our home page: http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com Give it a try!



3) The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23). Enrichment Idea: Live the Story Tell the children they will be farmers in today's Bible story. Have the children put on “farmer clothes,” real or pretend, such as hats, boots, and overalls. Then give them seeds, real or pretend, and then go search for the different kinds of soil/paths on your church property that are mentioned in the story—smooth footpath, rocky path, thorny path, and good soil. As you read Matthew 13:3-8 have children throw down their seeds on each path. If possible, plant the seeds in good soil, so that during the course of your study children can watch the progress of the plants as they take root and grow. Read more about the Parables of Jesus and sample a lesson.



4) Are You A Transformer? And I'm not talking toys! Focus: Explaining the words Conformed and Transformed from Romans 12:2. Read Romans 12:2, And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Ask children if they know what it means to be conformed and transformed? As you explain the word, conformed, repeat the verse, ". . . be not conformed . . . ," which means we are not to be shaped by the world around us. (Begin pressing the clay, making it "conform" to the pressure of your hands.) We can be negatively conformed—changed by the world in the wrong ways—sometimes by the friends we choose, the shows we watch, or by what we listen to or read. In fact, if we don't stay close to Jesus, then it is likely that we'll be conformed or shaped by the world in the wrong ways. Continue to Transformed for Christ.



5) Disciplining in Sunday School? I wonder if I could ask advice regarding managing misbehaviors in a class of 6 children, ages 7-10yrs. Some Christian sites suggest giving the misbehaving child an activity to do and not highlighting the behavior as it could become a point of contention for the child and lead to them to not wanting to be there. Also it has been suggested that we need to remind ourselves as SS teachers that we are not disciplinarians. I accept this but wonder is there not a place to work on the misbehavior perhaps some consequences. I appreciate any advice you may have. Thanks Carole --from SSTN: we welcome everyone's ideas on this, and look forward to reading them! There are also some great ideas that have been shared; you can use the search tool at the bottom of this newsletter, or from our home page, to search them out. The root word of discipline is disciple, and that is what we are doing when we teach children. In my humble opinion, we not only owe it to the behaving children, but also to the disobedient child, to address misbehavior in our classrooms. There are many positive techniques that can be used. One that I have found successful is the use of Bible Bucks. As children listen, answer questions, and respond appropriately to expectations expressed before class, they are given the $, which can then be used at a later date to "buy" dollar-store-type-trinkets from our "store." Check out our *Bible Bucks* link. Another great resource to encourage proper discipline can be found at Whole Brain Teaching. In addition, if the misbehavior is extreme, you should lovingly discuss the issue with the child's parent(s). May God grant you wisdom. Your webservant, Sarah Keith <>< P.S. search terms to look up using our search tool, below: incentives, Bible Bucks, rewards, good behavior, disciplining, etc.


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