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SSTN # 106 - October 20, 2003


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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:


--> Holiday FUN-draiser

1) Secret Santa or Secret Admirer   
2) VBS 2004?
3) Bored In Sunday School?
4) Middle School aged class?

--> Kids Can @ Christmas Time

5) Scuba Bible School materials?
6) Needing Used Materials?
7) Fresh Ideas for Teaching   
8) Christmas Skit?

--> Instant Christmas Plays

9) A Christmas Carol?
10) A Walk Through Bethlehem
11) Teaching boys - skit?
12) Making a harp?


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--> Holiday FUN-draiser

This holiday season earn extra money by selling Sarah Keith's
popular Christmas crafting book, "Chrismon Snowflake Ornaments".   
There is NO financial risk! Learn more on this page:

http://www.christiancrafters.com/fundraiser.html 


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1) Secret Santa or Secret Admirer   

This sounds like a wonderful idea.  I have done something of the reverse
where the adults in the church ministered to the young people.  Either
way, I think some  important things to remember are that everyone involved
should receive some type of communication or small gift from his/her
secret Santa on a regular basis and it is up to the chairperson to decide
how often that is needed.  More than the “assigned” times are encouraged,
but it is important that everyone in the program be acknowledged
frequently.
    Also, young people can get together to make crafts, cookies, cards,
etc. This would teach great teamwork and the results would be lasting
memories.
    Good luck to you!

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2) Bored In Sunday School?

I have a 5 year old that thinks everything we do in Sunday School is
boring. The rest of the kids have fun coloring or whatever else we do.
Have any ideas how to make things fun for him.Its hard because he makes it
so the rest of the kids can't pay attention because he is grumpy I would
like ti win him over somehow HELP

--from SSTN: make sure you read the last SSTN (SSTN # 105 - October 17,
2003). If you missed it, it will be available in the archives within a few
days at: http://christiancrafters.com/archives.html 

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3) VBS 2004?

I know that it is early to talk about VBS 2004 but remember that the early
bird gets the worm. I have just been elected VBS director at our church. I
plan to use a theme similar to the Road Rally theme that many used in
2000. I am interested in your ideas and would like to buy or borrow any
materials that you may still have from the Rally theme.
Jill Durham
Fayetteville, TN

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4) Middle School aged class?

Hi, I have just started teaching a middle school aged
class after many years of teaching younger children.
I would love to hear suggestions for keeping this age
group interested and excited.  My class is very small,
between 2 - 5 students each week.  Any help is
appreciated. 
God Bless,
Holly

--from SSTN: make sure you check the archives:
http://christiancrafters.com/archives.html
as well as the bookstore, Christian education section at:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/bookstore.html 


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KIDS CAN @ CHRISTMAS TIME

An Advent celebration of 31 crafts and recipes. Some of the projects
include: Epiphany Ornaments (a six-sided three dimensional ornament
inspired from the Orient), Ribbon Stars, a Paper Lace Angel, Paper Lace
Luminaries, a Nativity Windsock, a Chrismon Snowflake Butterfly (new
design), an Edible Nativity, Church Window Cookies, and the Jesus in the
Manger cupcake, to name just a few! To learn more, click the link or copy
and paste it to your browser:

http://www.christiancrafters.com/curriculum.html 


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5) Scuba Bible School materials?

Hello,
Our church used "Scuba"- super cool undersea Bible adventure- by Group
this past summer.  We have all of the materials and would like to send
them to a new home.  Please let me know if you are interested.
We also have miscellaneous curriculum for Kindergarten-Second graders.
Thank you so much,
Pam

--from SSTN: please make sure this is allowable under their copyright guidelines.

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6) Needing Used Materials?

I would like to respond to the sister who is wondering what to do with her
used S.S. material.  It is under subject  - Used Material.  We would
certainly feel blessed if she could send it to us.  We are a brand new
Home Mission work located in Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada.  At present,
due to a lack of funds, we are using whatever material we can get our
hands on and making the necessary adjustments to suit our needs.  We have
approx. 15 children in our S.S. ages - ranging from 4-14 and approx. 8
adults.

If you are able to help us out - Please forward the material to -
Mrs. Carol Sisco
P. O. Box 3334,
860 Windsor Back Rd.,
Windsor, Nova Scotia B0N2T0, Canada

Thank you Kathy for your thoughtfulness and willingness to reach out to
others.

God Bless you,
Carol Sisco
Pastor's wife of the Sounds of Pentecost church.

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7) Fresh Ideas for Teaching   

My church is very small and my sister and I teach a group of 6-10 kids
aged 8-14, boys and girls mixed.  They faithfully attend church and we try
to give cookies/drink for perfect attendance at the end of the month.  Of
course they ALL get the goodies but we like to stress good attendence.

They also can be quite rowdy as the come from homes with little to no
discipline.  We are slowly learning how to deal with this problem and I
wanted to thank everyone with the suggestions from prior postings.

One thing we started to do was let the kids choose a name each Sunday for
the next week's lesson and whoever's name is chosen gets to "teach" the
lesson and craft (we assist).  This past week, our youngest (8 year old
boy) chose John 3:16 and we built a chain out of construction paper links
to represent our unending faith.  On each link each child wrote what they
felt they were blessed with.  We had a chain about 15 feet long and we
could have kept going.

At the end of Sunday School, the kids like to go in front of the
congregation and tell them what they lesson they learned, why and show
their crafts.  This chain was fun and each child got to tell of one of
their blessings.  Our church is only about 15-25 members, including the
children.

I am new to teaching Sunday School/church and it is a learning time for me
too.  But they are wonderful and it is so much fun!

Any new ideas are especially welcome!  Angie from WV, I read some of yours
and they are great!

Melissa Hall
Parsons Chapel
Elkview, WV

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8) Christmas Skit?

I am looking for a short Christmas Skit that I found last year.  It takes
place in a Christmas Tree lot and told the story of the Christmas Tree.
Has anyone heard of this play, or knows of any other play for small
children 3-7 yrs old that adults could help with the speaking parts.  If
so please e-mail me at js.joyline@monarch.net


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Instant Christmas Plays

The following easy-to-produce, instant Christmas Plays are available
in our Bookstore - Games & Skits section:

The Mouse's Tale,
Operation Baby King,
The Not-So-Silent Night,
Live From Bethlehem,
Wee Three Kings, and
The Fumbly Bumbly Angels.

AND, when you spend $25 or more in the BOOKSTORE shipping is FREE!
For product descriptions, go to this page:

http://www.christiancrafters.com/bookstore_games.html 

Please remember, by purchasing items from ChristianCrafters.Com,
you help to keep SSTN and the website alive! Tell your friends, won't you?

Thank you!
Your webservant,
Sarah Keith <><


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9) A Christmas Carol?

I was wondering if anybody has used the children's Christmas musical "A
Christmas Carol" by Pam Andrews.  If so, could you share any ideas about
decorating, etc?  My church doesn't have much of a budget for extras.  I
really can't afford to purchase the director's "helps".  Or, if you have
supplies left over from last year, perhaps I could borrow or purchase from
you?  You may e-mail me directly at Cwkslkhmk@aol.com or e-mail to SSTN.

Thanks,
Sherri Klees
PS-Sarah, your ministry is quite a blessing.  I look forward to all of my
e-mails from you.

--from SSTN: thank you, Sherri, for saying so. Please remember me in your
prayers. Please pray for my health, wisdom to know God's will, and the
resources to continue. Also, please share what you learn about decorating
with the whole network.
ysic, sarah keith <><

   
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10) A Walk Through Bethlehem

For anyone looking for a different approach to a Christmas program, I'd
like to suggest you try Cathy Bodell's "A Walk Through Bethlehem".  I used
it last year with children and teen actors and it was such a positive
experience that we plan to do it again this year. "A Walk Through
Bethlehem" works, folks.
Zoe Doyle, Thompsonville (IL) Church of God

--from SSTN: you can find this program in the skits section at:
http://www.ChristianCrafters.Com 

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11) Teaching boys - skit?

first , I would like to express my thanks to all for your help with
teaching boys, all your ideas were a great blessing, thanks for the
christian love you showed by sharing..

I am looking for nice skit for christmas for my boys class 5 of them ages
10--11..(knowing that i am a mother of four boys...)
Rima
**thank you Sarah for this wonderful website...may the Lord bless you..

--from SSTN: you are welcome! ysic, sarah.

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12) Making a harp like David's for little ones?

My class has ages 3 1/2 to almost 9 in it. We are doing a unit on David. I
would like to hear if anyone has a good suggestion of how to make some
kind of harp. The teacher's book says rubber bands over small shoe/tissue
boxes, but I hoped to find something better.

Valerie Heim

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