Welcome to THE SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER'S NETWORK

**** A service of ChristianCrafters.Com ****

"For where two or three come together in my name,
there am I with them." -- Jesus


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


To reply or to post a new topic:

Please title your message to reflect the content. When replying,
delete ALL TEXT that is NOT PERTINENT to your response.


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


SSTN # 72 - June 13, 2003


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:


--> Fruit of the Spirit - Bingo Game

1) Nativity Costumes?
2) Fruit of the Spirit
3) Great Kingdom Caper?
4) Love is...?
5) Western-Pioneer VBS

--> USA Patriotic Toy

6) Summer SS video series
7) Journey / travel song
8) Lighthouse Decorations?   
9) Nursery Ministry

--> Chrismon Book...50% OFF...TWO WEEKS LEFT

10) Nursery Ministry
11) Class for Special Needs children?
12) Nursery Ministry
13) Nursery Safety   
14) Traveling Songs   


<>< <>< <>< <>< TODAY'S SSTN POSTINGS: <>< <>< <>< <><



--> Fruit of the Spirit - Bingo Game

A fun way for players to learn the Fruit of the Spirit characteristics.
Players score using real fruit candy! FREE SHIPPING!

Learn more here:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/curriculum.html
(you may need to copy and paste this address to your browser)


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


1) Nativity Costumes?

In the Archives I found that someone mentioned there were patterns for
animal costumes.  They referred to McCall's #3940 to make cows, sheep, and
a donkey.  Is this an old pattern?  I cannot locate it.  I have bought all
the current nativity patterns that Simplicity, McCalls & Butterick
currently produce.  Would really like to have some realistic patterns for
camels, cows, sheep and a donkey.  Cindy


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

2) Fruit of the Spirit   

>"I am trying to find a visualized five-part story about the fruit of
>the Spirit."

Don't know if this will help, but I have started a series of lessons on
this topic (just finished my first) and here's the way I divided them up.
It's in 9 parts, but you could combine some~
Love~apple
Joy~pineapple
Peace~watermelon
Patience~orange
Kindness~grapes
Goodness~peach
Faithfulness~pear
Gentleness~banana
Self-control~strawberries

The following seem relatively easy to combine:
Love and Kindness
Gentleness and Self Control
Joy
Peace and Patience
Goodness and Faithfulness

Another idea may be to add more fruit to the fruit salad each day~ so to
speak. You may want to use a continuing story like that of David. Love and
kindness could be represented by the way Jonathon and David were such good
friends. Gentleness and Self-Control could be represented by the way David
had a chance to kill Saul, but cut off a piece of his robe instead. Joy
could be represented in the Psalms David wrote. Peace and patience could
be
represented by the way David played the harp for Saul to calm him down
when
the evil spirits were tormenting him. Goodness and faithfulness could be
represented by the fact that David was a man after God's own heart. He
made
mistakes, but he always came back to the Lord he loved.

Hope this helps! May God bless you as you minister to his precious
children
and as they witness the fruit of the spirit in VBS and in the lives of
those
who teach them!

In His Service,
Angie

--from SSTN: check out our new "Fruit of the Spirit" Bingo game:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/curriculum.html

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

3) Great Kingdom Caper?

Our church is planning VBS this year using the "Great Kingdom Caper"
theme. I need some help with my imagination as to the decorations, etc.
Has anyone used the Great Kingdom Caper series? I am told that it is
supposed to resemble London, ie, Big Ben, detectives, inspectors, the
double decker bus. I will have the 3rd and 4th graders, any help or ideas
would certainly be appreciated.
Thanks,
Brenda


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

4) Love is...?

I am in charge of crafts for our VBS.  The literature has some ideas but I
do not like the craft for one of the nights.  Any suggestions for "Love is
patient, love is kind..."

Any help would be appreciated. 
Thank you, Rhonda

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

5) Western-Pioneer VBS

> Does anyone have ANY decorating ideas for a Western/Pioneer
>theme? Thank you for any suggestions!

We did a western theme.  We also used the "chuckwagon" idea.  We took one
of our 6' tables , hooked 3 arches on it and covered it with a tie-dyed
sheet (our mission project was to Jamaica that year so we tie-dyed the
sheet to tie Jamaica with the Western them)  We used cardboard to make
side
boards and wheels and just taped them to the sides of the table and to the
legs.  When it is all put together - you can't tell it is just a bunch of
cardboard.

Cactii - if you use the foam house insulation (about 2 inches thick).  If
someone in your church is good with a jig saw - cut it into cactus shapes.
Use 2 different colors of green spraypaint to paint it and it looks pretty
real.  An occasional silk flower stuck on with pipecleaners or a toothpick
- you have a flowering cactus.  You can prop them up, or stick them in
buckets of sand.

A lot of our rooms had campfires - a circle of rocks, a few logs or sticks
that you might be able to gather, and yellow and red celophane to look
like
flames.

We used big pieces of cardboard and painted a couple buildings from a
"Western" town.

And finally - the teachers decorated their classrooms with play tents and
sleeping bags or blankets.

Hope this helps
Barbara

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


--> USA Patriotic Toy

Kids will learn the answers to eight basic USA citizenship questions such
as, "Why did the Pilgrims come to America?"; What is the US Constitution?,
and "What does the First Amendment guarantee?". A great activity for July
4th! Kids can make it and take it home! Print out as many patterns as you
need for a onetime fee of only $3.00.

Find the USA Patriotic Catcher at:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/curriculum.html
(you may need to copy and paste the address to your browser)


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


6) Summer SS video series

(from SSTN#67)   
We too have low numbers in the summer due to summer vacations, so we use
the VeggieTales series.  For activities we use colouring sheets, activity
sheets, game ideas  from the following sites.
http://www.ultimateveggie.com/coloring/index.html,
http://www.bigideafun.com/, http://www.dltk-bible.com/veggie/index.htm.
http://www.bigideafoundation.org/family_activities/index.html.  We show
the video, do an activity and a colouring sheet/craft.  Hope that
helps!!!!

Sylvia in Nova Scotia


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

7) Journey / travel song

> I am doing a summer program called 'Taking a Journey with Jesus'.
> Any ideas for a song that would go along with this?

Dear Jenni,

One hymn instantly sprang to mind when I heard of your request: "One more
step along the world I go" by Sydney Carter.  You can find the lyrics and
a
short melody of this on www.oremus.org/hymnal/o/o797.html.

I hope this is of some help to you.
God Bless
Annmarie.


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

8) Lighthouse Decorations?

Does anyone have any great decorating ideas for the lighthouse VBS this
summer? Thanks! Jeannine, MN

--from SSTN: check the archives too:
http://christiancrafters.com/archives.html

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

9) Nursery Ministry

I have been asked by my Pastor to head up the Nursery Ministry in our
church and get it going.  To come up with ideas, get it organized ect.
But, this is the first time I

Diane,
First thing you need to do is pray for God's direction for your
ministry.  I am in charge of 0-4 years so I can only give you advice
for this age group.  Our church is fairly large and we have many
children.  I have 60 kids under 5 (with 9 pregnant Mommies due this
summer!), 45 kids in K-3rd, 40 in 4th - 6th, and who knows how many
high school.  I've learned that you cannot do this alone.  One a
physical level I would suggest the following:

A. Identify who you are ministering to: ages, individual persons, how
many.  Break down your classes.  This may take a few tries to get it
right.  Let parents know ahead of time that there will be some
shuffling until its the right mix.

B. Find three people totally dedicated to the ministry to help you.
The four of you should plan your moves on  paper.  Figure out who is
gifted in what area and let them run with it.

C. Figure out what your Sunday schedule will look like: worship (yes,
even for babies - remember we're teaching them how to love God...this
is NOT baby-sitting), crafts, snack, teaching, and free play.  We use
one teacher for four classes and she rotates during the morning.
Example: 11:00 - 11:15 for 2's, 11:15 - 11:30 for 3's, 11:30 - 11:45
for 4's.  Our worship person ( a guy who can play guitar and sing) is
also on the rotation and precedes the teacher.  He even sings worship
songs to the babies (very softly).  The reason we did this was that
it was much easier to schedule one teacher than four different
teachers on the same day.  The lesson/craft can be modified according
to their ages.  Very simple for the 2's and  more advanced as they
get older, using the same lesson.

D. After you know who you are ministering to then decide on you
curriculum, crafts and finding your teachers/helpers.  I keep a 3/1
ratio in Nursery, 5/1 ratio for the other classes.

E. Research and get a security system in place for picking up kids,
do's and don'ts for helpers, what parents can expect.  Make a
handbook: one for parents about your ministry and one for the
helpers.  We use the Guardian/STOP program.  You have to have a
system in place.

Nothing is more precious to a family than their kids.  If you make
them a priority then the word gets around that your children's
ministry "ROCKS" and folks will tell their friends.  I've seen this
with my own eyes.  It's challenging and fun and our children deserve
our best.  We are investing in their future walk with Christ, so make
your decisions count!

Stephanie


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


--> Chrismon Book...50% OFF -- TWO WEEKS LEFT

Get "Chrismon Snowflake Ornaments" at HALF off the regular price!
This item will not be reduced this low again this year! A great resource
for "Christmas in July" functions, as well as for the 2003 holiday season!

Sale runs from June 7 - June 30, 2003. Follow this link to learn more:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/curriculum.html
(you may need to copy and paste the address to your browser)


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

10) Nursery Ministry

I have found that the best way to approach nursery is to treat it as the
ministry it is and not babysitting. To realize that we can utilize that
opportunity to teach the babies that God made them, or pray over them for
their futures as we change them or rock them or whatever. If space permits
it is easier to have birth to crawling, then walkers to 2 or 3 . The
things
that i have seen bear fruit are praising and dancing with them . I love
baby
praise video by kenneth copland ministries, charisma life has a nursery
"curriculum", I contact paper all the story pictures , big pictures
,colorful are the best. I would start the morning with our wake up hands
and
feet dance , then sit in circle with little gideon bibles and sing the
bible
is gods book, i love it so, with hand motions , then dance to baby praise.
then free time , then story time. of course bathroom and snack if long
service . This of course is with a small amount of babies and more walkers
than crawlers. With the babies mostly we do singing and praying and
reading
and playing with them.
Teachers are hard to come by. Don't  overuse them. I run  the teachers no
more than 4 weeks at a time , if workers are different each week then i
still dont like putting them in for to many services per month. It is good
to have someone  that knows cpr , if you call your public health
department
you can find out child to adult raitos for your state and if any other
things are required by law. Maybe go into a good daycare and check it out
to
get ideas on furniture and setup. Hope this helps . Jenny Mallin

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

11) Class for Special Needs children?

This site is an absolute God-send (literally!!)

I'm looking for information/suggestions on setting up a class for children
with special needs. We have four in our congregation, and I would really
like to make
church an enjoyable experience for these kids ... and give their parents a
break! We meet in a large room in our local recreation centre, but may
have access to
another smaller room for this class. This is a big step for us, so any and
every idea will be gratefully received.

Pat Pollard
Perth, Western Australia.

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

12) Nursery Ministry

Get your church folks involved in helping.  (Don't try to do it all by
yourself!)    Suggest having a "shower" for the nursery if you need basic
supplies (toys, crib sheets, assorted sizes of diapers, handi wipes,
etc.).  If you make the needs known, people are more likely to be
interested and participate.   Get your pastor to support the nursery
ministry from the pulpit.  When they see that the pastor thinks it's
important, it seems to mean more.   Hope this helps.  Many blessings to
you and your nursery ministry!

N. F. in Georgia

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

13) Nursery Safety   

In response to Jenni M. about nursery safety - our church is a very large
one and we have specific guidelines for workers who work in our nursery.
One of the first things we do is when a person expresses an interest in
volunteering in any of our children's ministries, including nursery, they
must fill out a volunteer form with name, address, phone, etc. then must
consent to having a background check run on them. This may seem harsh, but
with today's society like it is, we have a responsibility to protect our
children! We have a sign-in form that parents use when they bring their
children to us. On the form are boxes for check marks next to each child's
name, such as "special instructions", "can eat small snacks", and "diaper
changed". In the actual nursery, it is EXPECTED as an efficient nursery
worker to change each child's diaper during the service. The worker checks
each child's box when a diaper is changed. My question is this…..if you DO
NOT change diapers in the nursery, isn't that a form of abuse also?? If a
child has a bowel movement in the nursery, and you have a "no diaper
changing" policy, you're in trouble! I urge you to talk with your
superintendent to stop operating out of fear. The Bible says, "God has not
given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and a sound mind." (2
Timothy 1:7)  God expects us to take good care of our little ones and in
my opinion, efficient diaper changing is part of that. We also have the
"two workers" rule in our nursery. That seems to work very well. God
bless!  Debby C., Dry Ridge, KY

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

14) Traveling Songs   

Hello, this is in response to the posting about traveling themed songs.
While I am sure there are many other songs you could use, the only ones
that come to my mind right off hand are: "I Walk By Faith" and "Every Move
I Make" both of which would be great traveling themed songs. You can find
the lyrics to either by going to any search engine and typing "I Walk By
Faith" lyrics or "Every Move I Make" lyrics. I got many results with the
lyrics on them this way.
Hope this helps
Sarah in California


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


--> Is SSTN helping you?

If you are finding SSTN helpful to your ministry, then please help to
support it. Just one dollar per month will help to pay my expenses.

To help keep SSTN going and to learn more, go to this webpage:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/ministry_support.html

Or, mail your US check or US money order to:

Sarah Keith <><
ChristianCrafters.Com
438 East Ilex Drive
Lake Park, FL 33403
USA

(In the memo section of your check write: "SSTN Subscription".
Please include your email address.)

Your webservant,
Sarah Keith <><

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

--Copyright 2002 S.A. Keith--All Rights Reserved. ----
Please read the complete copyright information at ChristianCrafters.Com.
You will find the link at the bottom of the homepage.

SSTN Posting Guidelines:  
http://christiancrafters.com/SSTN_guidelines.html

Publication in any medium, commercial or noncommercial, is strictly
prohibited without prior written permission. SSTN has contributors from
all over the world who share their ideas. If you reprint any of the ideas
from SSTN or ChristianCrafters.Com in any medium (websites, magazines,
newsletters, etc.), you must contact the submitter, and
ChristianCrafters.Com for reprint permissions. Any materials used must
also include the submitter's name and where the ideas were gleaned from.
The opinions expressed in the SSTN e-Newsletter are not necessarily
endorsed by ChristianCrafters.Com. SSTN reserves the right to edit and or
exclude information from the SSTN e-Newsletter.

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

SUBSCRIBE--UNSUBSCRIBE - and Change of Address directions:

--To SUBSCRIBE or to add a new email address to the SSTN e-Newsletter:
Go to the 'Sunday School Network' page at: 
http://www.ChristianCrafters.Com/page3.html
If you are subscribing your friends, make sure you have their permission.

-- To UNSUBSCRIBE, see below:

Return to the Archives List