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SSTN # 21 - March 8, 2006
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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:
1) Games and Ideas? 2) S -E - X and the Book of Esther 3) Venting and Listening 4) Rise and Shine song? 5) Moose and Owl Ideas?
Easy Make N' Take Downloads For EASTER...get ready now!
6) Special Needs Sunday School 7) Teaching Communion 8) St. Patrick's Day...LUCKY 9) Venting and Listening 10) Kids Under Construction
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1) Games & Ideas?
I am a sunday school teacher in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. I need ideas, games and activities that are bible related to motivate the sunday scholars. Any one willing to help to contact me at: fkhuyah@yahoo.co.uk
Looking forward to your assistance. Sister Freda
--from SSTN: Hi Sister Freda: The site is full of ideas and games at: http://www.SundaySchoolNetwork.com However, you are more likely to get specific help when you have a topic or Bible reference in mind. ysic, sarah keith
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2) S -E - X and the Book of Esther
> The children had question about who a vi rgin is and the teachers > explained that a virg-in is a woman/ man who does not know a man/woman, > who has not shared a bed with a man/woman.
As a protective parent and a children's teacher, I can say that you never know for sure what a child knows when they step into your classroom. Also, we should always make the content of our lessons available and appropriate for the youngest children in our classrooms.
On that note, the word virg in is not necessary to teach the lesson of Esther. It is Biblical, but there are parts of the Bible right for small ones, and some that should wait until they mature. If you choose to use that word, I would explain that a virgin is an unmarried woman, someone who has never been married before. The older children, or those whose parents or peers have explained the process of sharing a bed with another, will understand--and the younger children, or those still more innocent than their peers, should be satisfied. Any other questions I would refer to parents (Can we talk about that afterwards with Mom/Dad?) and move on with the lesson. Unless it is a class dedicated to teaching purity to young ladies and men of appropriate age, you have covered the bases with that discussion.
It's a shame the parents took out their anger on you. Don't be discouraged. God bless!
Anne
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3) Venting and Listening
To: Wanda (Venting and Listening) praise the Lord, my heart goes out to you because I was in the same position you were in at one point in my life. My pastor did however talk with me and listen; but I must say, after you've apologized to the indivdual and asked for forgiveness, that's all that's necessary for you to say. People have a tendency to hold things over our heads for wrong doing, and not willing to forgive and forget. The Lord has forgiven you so move on. Continue to pray for the person and people in your church and (please go to church as well as Sunday School) it will be a blessing and they will see that Jesus is your help and your strength. "God is not the author of confusion, but of Peace." As far as the Sunday School none support, please talk to the Sunday School Superintendant and request a meeting of the staff so these issues can be aired out and talked about openly, that God gets the glory. I'm praying for you and your situation with your church in Jesus Name.
YSIC Dorothy :-)
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4) Rise and Shine song?
I have been looking for lyrics to a song that wentlike this:
Rise and shine and give God the glory, glory Rise and shine and give God the glory, glory
But I can't remember what else went with this Thanks
--from SSTN: this is the "Arky, Arky" song. It continues with these words, "Rise and shine and give God the glory, glory, children of the Lord." I can't reprint the rest of the words without copyright consent. But you can find it on "Kids' Praise: Sunday School Songs". Type the title into the bookstore search box to locate it at:
Help! I need to come up with a bunch of ideas for our new curriculum--it's main characters are a moose and an owl. I need craft and game ideas, and anything else anyone knows of having to do with owls and moose. How about a moose song??????????? Thanks for all the great ideas and assistance this site provided. I checked the archives and could not find anything I needed.
June H.
--from SSTN: I'd begin with asking myself, "What are the stereotyped characteristics of these animals?" For instance, an owl is known for it's wisdom, then connect wisdom with your Scripture. For example, "...In whom (Jesus) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians 2:3
Likewise, a Moose is a "great", big animal. Matching Scripture: "How 'great' is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" 1 John 3:1.
You get the idea. ;o)
ysic, sarah keith <><
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6) Special Needs Sunday School
We are in our third year with special needs adults. The material is pricey and we stopped using it quickly. Now our results are better, we found that if we use 'motion' songs and the material for the 4th and 5th grade, we get interest. We also include this class once a month in our Wednesday Youth Group with activities and devotionals that they can integrate into. We are even included them in our landscaping day with four Habitat for Humanity Homes. They have had parts in our storytelling, Ken comes once a week and waters our flower beds, we call him our landscape coordinator and David comes on Fridays and reshelves the books in our children's library -- we call him our children's librarian. So we try to do both things, integrate them into normal activies and give them responsibilities in the church. This seems to be more meanful to them than when we had everything they did separate from others in the church. Their unusual singing in the service is just like angels to me and I am proud that we took up this ministry. Good luck. If you want some morale support, sldevall@earthlink.net, Sandra Devall
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7) Teaching Communion
I teach Chiildren's Church, age 3 to 10 and annually do a lesson on Communion. Any ideas on how to teach small children this powerful message? I have served them food (unleaved bread, grapes, lamb, grape juice and nuts), dressed them in tunics, and washed their feet as I told the story of the Last Supper. Any fresh ideas out there. Some of the same ones will have had this lesson three years in a row and I hate to keep doing the same thing over and over. Thanks for your suggestions. Melba
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8) St. Patrick's Day...LUCKY
Hello all. I just wanted to share an idea with you. I have ages 1-8 in the childrens ministry at my church. We did this activity last night and the kids loved it.
for each child you will need
one foam shamrock ( I bought my at A.C. Moore) about 10" x 6" in size glitter shamrock stickers
On the front of the large shamrock write with a black marker "I AM LUCKY"
L-Loved U-Unconditionally by Christ our King, Yeah! ( I put this part on the back)
I gave a brief description of St.
Patrick's Day and the shamrock and then led into what a shamrock can symbolize in church....
The Holy Trinity: The
Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit...... The The LUCKY part.
I also shared that we can remember when we see a
shamrock that we are LUCKY because God loves us no matter what.
The kids then decorated their shamrock with stickers. Very age appropriate for this group. We then made a bulletin board in the fellowship hall....FEEL LUCKY? as the title and hung our shamrocks on the board...each child was
instructed if asked what it means, to share what they learned.
Hope you can find a way to use this in March. God's Blessings Carla from Ebenezer Lutheran, Catawba, NC
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9) Venting and Listening
I've been a teacher of children's ministries for many years and one thing I learned is that you will never please everybody or get along with everyone, even in church. You mentioned that "I get tired of no support, joy". You must learn that your mainstream of support comes through Jesus, everyone else will fail you at some point. Jesus- He will guide you and direct you and give you the wisdom you need. Satan is out to destroy you and he know exactly how to do it, but you must decide today that it was Jesus that placed you in that teaching position, that you always have room to grow, that you must forgive and not let it build inside of you until you are no longer going to church or teaching those precious children about Jesus. Always remember that Pastors are not perfect and as much as satan attacks you - he attacks you pastor even more. I'm a Pastors daughter and there have been many a trials I've encountered as a teacher/leader and still encounter while and believe it or not many a time my father didn't stand by me or least as that is what I thought at the time, honestly bless his heart sometimes he caused the situation to get worse. Until Jesus showed me that it is Him that I need to count on, that it is Him that will stand up for me (and usually not the way I think He should, you know with His sword a blazing). It is Him that I had to show my heart was pure and true and Jesus that I have to answer to for all my doings. Satan wants to destroy you, your ministry, and your church - God has given you the power to defeat him and sometimes it seem that it isn't always easy and once you've conquered this victory there will be someone else that you will feel strife from, and then someone else, and then someone else. I remember driving to church one Wednesday evening before VBS and fighting with my husband and I said forget it I'm not strong enough to do this anymore, I'll just sit back and do nothing so Satan will leave me alone and then I got my mind off myself and on Jesus and all He went through for us and I began to cry and ask God to forgive me and praise God will saw soul's saved at Bible School. Please seek Jesus to give you the wisdom to heal you and your fellow brother or sister in Christ's relationship, so you may unite together. Remember "Joy" is Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last. You will be in my prayers.
Much love and encouragement. Jenny
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10) Kids Under Construction
Dear Melanie,
Kids Under Construction (KUC) is our theme for our outreach children’s ministry. I too loved that song as a kid and we found it after a long search. It’s only available on cassette. “Kids Under Construction” Listening cassette. We think we ordered it on the Gaither’s website. I’ll check with our music leader. I have Gaither’s 1-800 number on the cassette if that will help. E-mail me at jjrglenn@cableone.net and I’ll give you other ideas that we use for our ministry. Maybe we could even talk by phone! We gained a lot of ideas from the VBS kit used as one of last years theme, “Kids Under Construction”. (Standard publishing, I think) The CD from Standard is awesome…transparencies already typed up, etc. They had cute things to purchase and even a “Darrell the Barrell” puppet and costume for an adult to wear. We bought construction orange fencing and use it to block off our puppet stage to keep little eyes from seeing behind the puppet stage and puppeteers. Several men in our church made us construction signs that are yellow and black and say “Kids under Construction” ministry of…. We have orange cones to mark our spot in the park so the kids know where to come. We wear construction workers vests and hats so that parents know we are with Kids Under Construction ministry.
Rhonda, KUC puppet leader in Oklahoma
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