"For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." -- Jesus
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SSTN # 43 - May 24, 2006
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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:
Look Inside: "His Name Shall Be Called..."
1) Changing Children's Church 2) Changing Children's Church 3) Youth Group 4) Father's Day
Psalm 23 Keepsake Activity
5) Changing Children's Church 6) Changing Children's Church 7) Friends' Day? 8) Key Bible Stories? 9) Offering Help
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Look Inside: "His Name Shall Be Called..."
Click on the following link, or copy and paste it to your browser, to take a look inside one of our a hands-on Bible lesson series entitled, "His Name Shall Be Called..." :
People tend not to adapt to well to church. Prayer about it, and if God has given you this vision go for it. Will Children Church be during Adult Worship service? If you have to pack up and set up each and every time, I suggest getting a plastic storage cart on wheels where you can house items that you need and can easily transport them around. Another idea is to gradually change, do try to change everything at once. You may start with the curriculum for now.
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2) Changing Children's Church
This is in response to the new Children's Church superintendent. I have lead the Children's Churches at our church for 2 years. Yes, it was difficult to start a new program and get everyone to see my vision. However, I decided that in order to do my best I had to do it my way. I have to do things in away that are comfortable for me. There are enough challenges with staffing and planning programs without worrying about how others would do things.
As people began to see that there was a well planned, organized program. Our Children's Church began to thrive. It takes time for some people to embrace change. Now many of the parents like to stay because they enjoy Children's Church and in turn I have all the help I need.
Don't get discouraged. As long as your doing this for the Lord and for the children, it will be great!
Kara Ceres, CA
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3) Youth Group
Hi. I just finished my 4 year term as the youth leader for our 6-8 graders. Some of the kids' favorite things to do revolved around service to others. Examples: a. Make Christmas Cookies for those who cannot get out during the holidays. This was so easy. We asked for parents to make a dozen or 2 shaped Christmas cookies and for each of them to bring in their favorite decoration. We provided cake frosting and made a couple of different colors. We also asked for various packages of holiday cookies so that when we put the plates together we could toss on some different styles of cookies to make them look more festive. We set the kids loose with a table full of cookies and decorations and frosting and let them decorate. We mapped out a route to where the cookies were going and then filled the plates (paper plates with a snowman on them) nicely, covered them with festive plastic wrap and put a label on them that we made on the computer that said Merry Christmas from the UMC Middle School Youth Group! Then we had the kids fan out in the community with an adult driver and deliver the cookies to their doors. The people were so thrilled to see the kids and to receive the cookies, and the kids were just elated to do something nice for them. It is a favorite!
b. Trick-or-treating for the food pantry. Get a pick up truck that can slowly follow the kids around town. Pick a three block area of a neighborhood and have the kids go to the door and trick or treat for canned goods or other non-perishables for your local food bank. The kids were hesitant at the first house, not knowing what to say, but people were so willing to give that it soon became easy to do for them. People actually tried to fill the bags, rather than give just one or two items and soon the pickup truck bed was full of food. They could really see how their efforts had paid off. People were actually thanking them for their service when they left their doors. This can be any time of year really, not just Halloween and adults should always supervise from the road.
I always felt it was important not to just play games or do Bible study, but to actually perform acts of service. We are called to care for other human beings and it's important to get kids comfortable doing that early on, especially at the age when they have so many other activities that draw their attention. They also loved having a lock-in at the church overnight as well as game nights with board games, and a great hike and bon-fire as we talked about God's creation and being able to see God all around us.
God's Peace to you as you take on this amazing ministry. Teens often feel displaced in a church and it's important to lift them up. They are the future of the church! Blessings, Beth, NY
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4) Father's Day?
Our Childrens' Department (ages 4-10) sang a beautiful song for Mother's Day. We are in need of something to do or sing for Father's Day. Perhaps a skit, appropriate song for the agegroup, etc. Thanks,
Patty
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Psalm 23 Keepsake Activity
Learn more in the "Easy Make N' Take Downloads" section at:
In regards to changing children's church: If you feel like the members of your congregation are not warming up to your ideas, maybe this is not the right time to make so many changes. God often gives us exciting visions for the future, but often it takes time and patience for them to start becoming realities. Let the Holy Spirit be your guide and try not to get ahead of the other people involved.
God bless, Misti
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6) Changing Children's Church
Last summer, we began a Children's Church program at our church. We started with three "trials" (one during each summer month), and then I asked the consistory for permission to develop the program into one Sunday per month. We are currently selecting lessons from Young Children and Worship by Sonya Stewart and Jerome Berryman. We've simplified the program into singing time to gather the kids, story/lesson told to two groups while kids sit in a big circle (which makes even the 20-25 preschoolers speechless), fellowship time (snack of crackers & water), then activity/response time (playdoh, coloring page, drawing paper, crossword puzzles where kids need to look up the Bible passage for answers). The lesson book has patterns in the back for wooden figures needed for many lessons, so my grandpa has volunteered to make them (at no cost to the church), rather than the program purchasing them. This leaves minimal cost, as you need to purchase felt, etc. for some lessons.
We also have the problem of space used for both Children's Church and Sunday School. I purchased a small plastic basket from Walmart for each story's supplies, and labelled it with the lesson #, story title, and Bible passage. The wooden figures, felt pieces, coloring sheets, etc. all go in one basket, rather than small baskets for each story (as is suggested in the manual). The Sunday School teachers have been pretty understanding, as long as we try to clean up quickly afterwards. I eventually hope to have a shelf made in the classroom for these supplies, but they are currently easy enough to store in my office.
Feel free to email with questions to christian_ed_director@centurytel.net (Jade)
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7) Friends' Day?
Hi! I just became the new Sunday school Superintendent at our church and I don't know what I'm supposed to do. We are a small church without a lot of extra funds available. A lot of our promotional material is either very old or missing components. I've been looking in the archives and not having much luck. Could someone share some ideas on what their church has done in the past for Friends Day? I love all the ideas everyone shares and I'm looking forward to having something to share also. Thanks! Marsha Carpenter
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8) Key Bible Stories?
I am looking for a list of key Bible stories in the Old & New Testament with where to find them in the Bible for parents to use with their children that have not grown up in the church and are not familiar with the Bible. A while back I found one on the internet but can not find it now. Can anyone help? Thanks! My email is lannett@fellowshipreformed.org
--from SSTN: get your hands on a Children's Bible Story book, they will list the major (and possibly some minor) Old and New Testament Bible stories. An excellent one I recommend is by Tommie DePaola and is listed on the main page of our bookstore at: http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/bookstore.html You can even take a look inside of it before purchasing. Your webservant, Sarah Keith <><
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9) Offering Help
Shawna , I can look for alot of things that you might need and be more than happy to. I taught for 32 years children church until---- God Bless you . MooMaw momneverstop@yahoo.com
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