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SSTN # 22 - March 19, 2004


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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:


Experiencing the Passion of Jesus

1) Unsure
2) Clown Communion
3) World Trade Center Quilt

Easter Activity Cards

4) Discipline
5) New Life Story?
6) Code of Behavior

Amazing Miracles of the Bible

7) Costumes for Holy Week
8) Needing Prayer
9) Gently used Sunday School Material


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Experiencing the Passion of Jesus

Who really killed Jesus?
What crime did Jesus commit?
Did it really happen like that?
Why did Jesus suffer and die?
What did the Resurrection accomplish?
How is this story relevant to me?

A study and discussion guide for the movie The Passion of the Christ
presents these questions with detailed lesson plans and leader's guide.
Designed primarily for use in seeker small groups, but is also applicable
for use in believer small groups. For older teens and adults.

Find it in our Bookstore by typing, "Experiencing the Passion of Jesus",
into the search box: 
 http://www.christiancrafters.com/bookstore.html  


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1) Unsure

Hey Everyone,
       My name is Maggie and I was the one who was unsure whether I should
just stop teaching sunday school.  Up until last week I thought it was
just me over-reacting. But last sunday I was helping a fellow teacher
clean up and she said that everything has been dumped on us (me and her)
and especially on me when she is gone.  So now i know that it just wasn't
me over-reacting.  We talked some more and she told me that she is
now superintendent next year when she never said she would.  The
"superintendent" we have now is basically doing nothing compared to the
lady i mentioned above and me.  Thanks for everyone who has wrote
about this.  Currently I've decided to stick the year out, and possibly
help out again next year (i'm going to a community college) after
i learned about what is being planned.  If anyone wants to talk to me
further about this you can contact me a t pinktoes2004@yahoo.com
Thanks!!
Maggie

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2) Clown Communion
 
A friend from my church and I have done the clown communion several times
and for several different situations.  We both dress up in clown costumes,
wigs and makeup and usually start the service with circus music. We dance
around the audience, playing and acting it up to make them laugh. We have
a minister give the communion while we press large nails into each persons
hands as they come up to receive the bread and wine. We make eye contact
with each person as we do this to help convey our emotions to them.
 
The first time we performed this communion was at a Sunday School worker
retreat. We had practiced many times and were very worried how it would be
received. Clowns are not exactly what you would expect at communion! When
we finished there was not a dry eye in the room and you could have heard a
pin drop.
 
We have since joined with the youth group in a clown ministry and
sometimes perform with them at other churches and at VBS. We will be doing
this communion in a few weeks for a women's conference and Sunday service.
I never in my wildest dreams ever thought I would be a clown for God! It
truly has been a blessing for me.
 
If you have any questions feel free to email me at schlechte86@msn.com
Thanks, Cathleen

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3) World Trade Center Quilt

Lois Jarvis of Madison, Wisconsin made this beautiful quilt. It is 89
inches square. Imagine the amount of work and planning that had to go into
this. It is a labor of great love.

This is so incredible! Please take a look. When the quilt comes up, click
on it to enlarge it, and then click again and again -- each time it gets
larger. The larger it becomes the more detail you will see of the faces of
people who died at the World Trade Center.

http://www.gzquilt.com/About_the_Quilt/about_the_quilt.html

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Easter Activity Cards

When the egg-shaped cards are cut, colored and assembled, players can play
Easter Egg Scramble and discover a secret Easter message! Now with two
black and white "cross" and "resurrection" drawings to color! Reproducible
so your whole class can make a set!

Find them in the Curriculum section at: 
 http://www.christiancrafters.com/curriculum.html  


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4) Discipline

  I agree in having some control in sunday school, but in the natural, the
children that we minister to are spending most of their time in a hostle
enviroment.  Public school is not making the grade.  When the children
enter my ss class they know that they are loved.  We are to minister to,
not act as parents.  I don't have games that only one child can win.  In
my class no answer is wrong.  My children have my home phone number and
can call on me at any time.  I am their sister in CHRIST.  I love them and
they love me.  Our preacher said one time- "discipline without love is not
love & love without discipline is not love. "- I agree.   If you try to be
a friend, it can help alot.
Make a visit to the childs home- alot can be explained with just one
visit.  We must follow Jesus' example, HE went to the lost.  At out church
we FAITH evangelisim classes.  We go on visitation, introduce ourselves to
the children and parents.  This is an amazing experience. I have seen
JESUS open doors that no one else could.   To be a sunday school teacher
is a calling. It has to be done because of the love for Jesus and the
child.  Sometimes the only bible anyone ever sees is you. 

Susieq31024@aol.com


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5) New Life Story?

I was wondering if you could suggest a bible story from the new testament
which is about new life in Christ. We have used Paul being converted,
Zaccheus, the blind being able to see. We need a bible story and an
activity. We have been using 1 Cor 5: 17 as the theme for the term.
 
Thanks for your help.
 
God bless
Love Helen
Perth

--from SSTN: the "woman at the well" (John 4:5ff); "Peter's denial (Matt.
26:69ff) and restoration" (John 21:15ff). And check out the crafts and
skits page for "New Life" ideas at:
http://www.ChristianCrafters.Com 


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6) Code of Behavior

In our class of 10-12 year olds we have a "Code of Behaviour" which all
children read and sign. Their parents receive a copy of it, too. It
details all of the areas of respect we show when coming to church:
Respect for God( with deatils of how we show this) , Respect for
Teachers, again details, respect for Church property, respect for
others, respect for myself.
At the end it states: "I understand that if I am having trouble
controlling myself in any of these areas, i will get 2 verbal warnings.
if I still need help  my parent will be called to come and help me
control myself."
We found that it was much more effective to have the parents brought in
to sit with their child, than the child sent/taken out to them. That
way the parents can see that we are serious about what we are trying to
accomplish in class and also how much their child is disrupting the
others. It also works very well with the older children as it is very
"uncool" to have your parent sitting next to you in class!!

Hope this helps someone. I can post a copy of the whole behaviour
contract if anyone would like to see it!

Sharon
Gosford, Australia


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Amazing Miracles of the Bible

God’s glory and love are revealed through the miracles he performed and
were fully realized when he came to earth in the form of a man to save
mankind. By studying the miracles of the Bible children will gain a better
understanding of God’s love and faithfulness and how he continues to be
loving and faithful in miraculous ways to his people today. Great for
rotation-type programs!

In the Curriculum Creatives section:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/curriculum.html 


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7) Costumes for Holy Week

For Shirley McCracken in SSTN # 18, March 10, 2004
Both Simplicity and McCall's have patterns that
are very easy to sew.  These patterns are quite realistic and appropriate
for Biblical times.  If you don't have a lot of money for patterns, watch
for JoAnn Fabrics $.99 sales on patterns.  We have a whole collection of
these patterns that we mix and match for various needs.  Hope this helps.
In His service, Karla

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8) Needing Prayer

--from SSTN: I don't usually ask for prayer, because all of us need each
other's prayers on a regular basis, but this is especially urgent. The
following letter was sent in by "Sarah from California", a longtime
subscriber and contributor to SSTN. Sarah  is very young and has a blood
clot in her brain. She needs our prayers. ysic, Sarah Keith.
Here's what "Sarah from California" wrote:

Prayer through SSTN would be wonderful! I have made a lot of friends
through SSTN and it has really been a blessing in my ministry and in my
life. To shorten the whole thing down, basically prayers for healing and
patience are what is needed right now. That I would have patience with not
only all of the doctor's as they test different methods to see what is the
most effective in this situation, but also that I would have patience with
myself, and follow the orders that I have been given...sort of like the
strict bedrest one I am ignoring today LOL. Prayers that what is left of
the blood clot would liquify so that it would just dissappear and things
could go back to normal. It's amazing how something like this really puts
a life in perspective but also puts a life on hold, so many
things...school, babysitting, Sunday School, church, day to day
activities, social life, volunteer work, website maintenance, etc. have
all been put on hold on account of this. Yet, it really makes me realize
how blessed I truly am.
Love in Christ,
Sarah
if you need an e-mail address to post on SSTN you can use
living_life_my_way@earthlink.net
since that is the e-mail I always post with there.

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9) Gently used Sunday School Material

Again I have two boxes of material if anyone is interested.  It is Wesley
material from the ages of 2 through adult.
I also am aware of another church in my area that is looking for a good
home for their (Methodist) material as well.
Please respond back with your address.
Thanks Pam @ kkp371@cs.com

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