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SSTN - Number 163
March 8, 2001

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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:

1) Clashing with a teacher/friend?
2) Encouraging special needs children
3) Easter Skit? / Feel Like Quitting
4) Cain & Abel, any ideas?
5) Faith Necklaces?
6) Christian bulletin board?
7) Youth Sunday Songs \ Signing Suggestions
8) Thank You for replies to feels like quitting!
9) Heiffer Project idea
10) Disciples Song?
11) To the lady who wants to quit.
12) A blessing I'd like to share

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1) Clashing with a teacher/friend?

I love this newsletter. There is always so much helpful information. I
need help. Our church just started a new curriculum (about 1 month ago)
it requires teams to teach one Sunday a month. There are 3 of us on a
team. I thought that working with a good friend of mine would be fun.
Unfortunately we have clashed since day one. I am seriously considering
leaving the ministry because of the undercurrent - our Pastor is currently
having surgery so I can't take it to him. Do any of you have any
suggestions? Thanks a lot and God Bless.


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2) Encouraging special needs children

God has blessed us with a special needs program at our church where we
provide a buddy for each special child - an adult that will be close by
to the child all during the class and assist with everything that child
needs- EVERY week! The loving consistency for them is so important. We
ask our "buddies" to pray for the child and family and for ways they can
reach out to the whole family. You know that if you are seeing trouble
in the classroom for 1-2 hours or so, that the same behavior is probably
being exhibited at home as well. We need to love these families enough
to give them a break on Sunday morning by loving on their specially
designed kids that God gave them. They really can learn about God through
our love for them. By ministering to these kids one on one, God has
truly blessed both child, families and buddies! You can email me if you
want to converse some more - teamhil@juno.com
Marcia Hill Austin, TX

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3) Easter Skit? / Feel Like Quitting

I teach 4th,5th, & 6th graders and I'm looking for a fairly short Easter
skit that my children could do in regular church. I look forward to
getting this site.

In response to the people who "feel like quitting", I've been there too
after almost 20 years. But then I'm brought back to reality by the
thought that maybe I'm doing something with these kids that terrifies
Satan and he puts doubts in my mind. PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!
Karen from Canton, Ohio

--from SSTN: I've just recently placed a few Easter Skits into the
Christian Skits section of the site: www.ChristianCrafters.Com In Him,
Sarah Keith-Your Moderator

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4) Cain & Abel, any ideas?

Hi, Since I found SSTN, it has been very valuable. I need a craft project
for Primary students, on Cain & Abel, any ideas? We are preparing for
bible class for our adults and I have been given the task to come up w/ an
interesting format/topic for our children.
(H-e-l-p) It will be a weeknight class and children age 5-13.
Charlotta - Pocomoke City,MD

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5) Faith Necklaces?

I was reading the question about how to color macaroni and would like to
know what "Faith Necklaces" are and the story that goes with them.
Thank you - Vickie - Evergreen Baptist, Lawtey, FL

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Do you wanna KIDZOO-SHUFFLE? Play a fun game of strategy and skill, for
children ages 5 and up. Kids will develop eye-hand coordination, category
placement, and depth perception skills while playing. For more info, go
to: www.todaysfitnessforkids.com
Click on "Products" when you get there!

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6) Christian bulletin board?

Would you please help me get information on doing a christian bulletin
board.It would be greatly appreciated if you help me find new ideas for my
church bulletin.I have tried to find stuff to go into but have not been to
sucessful!!!God bless you and thanks for your help.

--from SSTN: Make sure you check the Archives List and type 'bulletin
board' into the search box. There have recently been some ideas and other
websites shared on this topic. I would encourage EVERYONE to use the
Archives...they are a GOLDMINE of ideas. ;o))

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7) Youth Sunday Songs \ Signing Suggestions

Hi my name is Sherri Simons and I have two daughters that do expressive
American Sign Language to Christian songs. What a blessing this ministry
is! I highly recommend "Carmen" for quite a few of his songs--Shout to
the Lord, Let the fire fall, Our God is an awesome God, etc.. He is a
very upbeat artist and the songs are perfect for signing. We've also used
Natalie Grant's--Waiting for a prayer, Clay Crosse's--The Blood will never
lose its power, etc. Hope this helps. . . In His Love, Sherri

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8) Thank You for replies to feels like quitting!

Sarah, I would like to thank you for your fantastic newsletter. I has
been
a wonderful source of information. I believe it is the best resource I
have ever found for fresh ideas for my Sunday School classes. Also, I
would like to thank all the wonderful and concerned friends who responded
to my problems with my class. I am "Feel like Quitting." God has opened
so many doors through the great responses. One thought that really made
me think was that if I quit teaching these children, Satan was winning.
Thank you, Sarah for providing us a place to vent, be creative and help
each other do God's will. I know you will continue to receive God's
blessings. Holly

--thank you, Holly...that is high praise! When I've thought about quitting
I think about how much I would miss this exchange..and how wonderful it is
to learn from everyone... Because of Jesus, Sarah K.


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* PRAISE-AMATIONS! (TM) is a fun and unique way for children to praise the
LORD. Click on 'Curriculum' from the home page of
www.ChristianCrafters.Com
for a FREE pattern and more info...

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9) Heiffer Project idea

Just want you to know that I took the Heiffer Project
However we heard from one who is very excited. They
minister in New Guinea. They said chickens are
precious and eggs are very hard to get.

IN OUR CHURCH, THE SUNDAY SCHOOL PARTICIPATE IN THE
HEIFFER PROJECT. EACH YEAR THE KIDS PICK AN ANIMAL
THEY WISH TO SAVE FOR. ONE YEAR WE CALLED OUR THEME
"HENNIES FOR PENNIES". THE KIDS WERE INSTRUCTED TO
BRING ALL THE STRAY PENNIES THEY COULD FIND LYING
AROUND. BEFORE MUSIC ON SUNDAY MORNING, WE ASKED IF
THE KIDS HAD ANY PENNIES. THEY BROUGHT THEIR PENNIES
UP AND PUT THEM IN A CAN WITH A CHICKEN DRAWN ON IT.
THE KIDS LOVED IT AND AT THE END OF OUR SCHOOL TERM
(SEPTEMBER TO JUNE) WE HAD QUITE A BIT SAVED. AS THE
YEAR PROGRESSED WE ALSO MADE A BOARD AND AS ENOUGH
MONEY FOR A CHICK WAS SAVED WE POSTED A CONSTRUCTION
PAPER CHICK ON IT SO THE KIDS COULD SEE HOW MUCH THEIR
PENNIES COUNTED. GOOD LUCK.
Gina Kenney. Evan UCC-Boonville, MO


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10) Disciples Song?

Does anyone know of a song that teaches the 12 disciples to children. I'm
looking for something with a catchy familiar tune. I teach 3rd graders.
Thanks.

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11) To the lady who wants to quit.

Do not grow weary in well doing for in due season you shall reap if you
faint not..............what I have done in my classroom with the children
that want the attention by being disruptive is I try to use that energy
that they have from being disruptive into using it for God. I use them as
helpers and I tell the whole class that they are the helpers for that day.
Now I have rules for the helpers and that means that they must be kind
and obedient to others and to the teacher or else they lose the privilege
of being a helper. Lots of kids love to help in class. Especially the
ones who want the attention. But they must understand they must follow
the rules of being a helper also. I have tried this and these kids have
changed!!!!

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12) A blessing I'd like to share

Dear Sarah and all who 'tune' into the SSTN,

Firstly, I'd like to thank all of you who replied with such terrific ideas
for a cooking session - we had a wonderful time and it was a great
success,
praise the Lord!

Secondly, though, I'd like to share with you how God has blessed myself
and
the Sunday School that we run here in the UK. Our establishment is on a
Sunday but outside of Church time. We meet in the morning then the
service
is after lunch. This is so that my colleagues and I have a chance to join
in with the whole fellowship time (we are relatively young ourselves,
between 16 and 25yrs old, and therefore need 'feeding' also!) Another
reason for this is to encourage kids that God's special day isn't simply a
church service or a Sunday School session - it's the whole day. Our
services are normally always family services anyway so it encourages the
kids to come along in the afternoon.

Because of this, at first, there were very few kids who attended that were
not linked to the church via family connections, and those that did were
few in number. At one point there ware more leaders than kids! But we
prayed and prayed and God blessed us with so many more kids that we were
amazed!

Not only that but the kids were from unchurched backgrounds! Some live in
single parent households from relationship breakdowns, some from a family
where one parent is in custody! So you see, God answered our prayers for
more kids by giving us those who needed special shepherding and guidance.
It also gives us the opportunity to invite the parents to the afternoon
service when the kids have a special participation in it- and some do
attend! God not only gave us the opportunity to feed his young 'lambs',
but older 'lambs' as well! The kids from the top group (the one I teach)
are mostly between 11 and 15 yrs old, and although we haven't had much
success in getting any of the kids to come to the afternoon services on a
regular basis, we have special youth services in the evening for some of
the post-16 people who attend church but are too old for Sunday School.
It
is on these special Sunday events that we encourage my group to attend,
and
it has been quite successful! It is one thing to learn about God's word,
it is another to join in with a fellowship of believers to worship.
Praise
the Lord!

We pray that the things the kids learn from their time at Sunday School
and
the Youth Service will be beneficial to their home-life also.

I feel so amazingly blessed that I had to share this with you, especially
because it seems like such a miracle that God can use us even at our age!
But, more importantly, this is for those who are going through rough times
at the moment. So I would like to encourage all of you out there who are
experiencing trying times to keep 'walking the walk' even though times are
rough and Satan throws countless spanners in the works. God will truly
bless you and reward your efforts in twice as many ways as there were
spanners!! He certainly did and still does for us! I am reminded of that
passage in 2 Corinthians 4, which really helped me in darker times:

"Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not
lose
heart..." (v1)
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this
all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on
every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted,
but
not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." (vv 7-9)
"Therefore we do not lose heart...inwardly we are being renewed day by
day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal
glory that outweighs them all." (vv 16-17)

God bless you all, and keep you safe as JC ambassadors to the young of
this
world! Love in Christ, Miriam, UK =o)


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