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SSTN - Number 231
October 6, 2001
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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:
1) Teens in Sunday School
2) For Violeta from the Philippines
3) Pastor appreciation week
4) Music for ages 4-13?
5) Trick Or Treat Ideas
6) Christmas curriculum?
7) Special Needs Children
8) Fruits of the Spirit
9) Advent Calendar and Donkey Puppet
10) Advent Calendar
11) Different ages
12) Advent Calendar
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1) Teens in Sunday School
>>I'm wondering of a way to encourage our children to come to class on
time.<<
Ideas I'm using this year:
First one there gets to pick out the CD to listen to. I keep a boom
box, along with some great Christian CD's available like: Zoegirl, Steven
Curtis Chapman, Sonicflood, Third Day, FFH, Jake, Newsong, and Chris Rice.
A lady in our church donates doughnuts to our Sunday School class. If
you're late you might miss out on your favorite kind.
We're just starting our class our using Josh McDowell's RIGHT FROM WRONG
workbooks. I've never used this before. Anyone have any opinions of this
curriculum? What are other people using for curriculum for JR/SR high?
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2) For Violeta from the Philippines
Hi, my name is Brian Bond from southeastern Kentucky. I believe I can
help someone that was on your suggestion list. Her name was Violeta and
she was a sunday school superintendent from the philippines. She was
needing free sunday school materials. I'm one of those teachers that like
to come up with lessons from here and there and have lots of unused
material. Counting Sunday School and Wednesday night bible study I teach
2nd - 12th grade!! If you could give Violeta my email address so she can
contact me I might even be able to help her make out a curriculum. If you
can't do this I understand and will try to gather the materials to send to
the address given, although it would be great if I had more information.
Thanks, Brian Bond
email: bbond1@prtcnet.org
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3) Pastor appreciation week?
Hi, I need some ideas for pastor appreciation . Last year we took them on
a balloon ride had a chauffer driver, a special dinner, and sent them to
tennesee. We just don't know what else to do. can you send some ideas.
thanks, pris
--from SSTN: there are many great ideas in the Archives.
http://christiancrafters.com/archives.html
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4) Music for ages 4-13?
HI I AM A SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER WHO IS WANTING TO START A YOUTH CHOIR FOR OUR SMALL CHURCH BUT WE ARE GROWING. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY GREAT SONGS THAT
KIDS FROM AGES 4-13 WOULD LIKE ? THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND MAY GOD BLESS. THANKS APRIL CHATT.TN
--from SSTN: Offer music that the older kids will like, and the younger
ones will follow. It rarely works the other way. ;o) Check out,
'Kids on the Rock' (awesome!), and 'Singable Songs'.
http://christiancrafters.com/bookstore_music.html
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5) Trick Or Treat Ideas
It's Halloween time again. I am among many who firmly believe that
Halloween should not be "celebrated" by Christians and I know that many
Christians struggle with how to handle Halloween night.
However, we are given a great opportunity to spread the Good News on
Halloween when scores of children are coming right up to knock on your
door and asking for a treat. So... why not give them one? Turn on your
welcoming porch light, set some colorful pumpkins from God's harvest on
the front steps and give each kid a piece of candy and a gospel treat.
Then send them on their way to the next house with a blessing. Tell them
how much the Lord loves them. Be goofy and have fun.... wear a clown nose
and carry a honky horn with a sign around your neck that says "Honk if you
love Jesus!" Show them that being a Christian does not mean that you have
to be a sourpuss. Christians are joyful and full of life! We are in this
world, but not of it. That means going right into the marketplace to
stand neck and neck with those who don't know Christ, and doing our best
to witness in love to them right where they're at... showing them a better
way. Very seldom do we have the chance in which they march right up to
our doorstep.
Here are some resources that can be handed out along with the candy.
These would also be good giveaways at your church's fall carnival, etc.
1) Truth Coins. About the size of a silver dollar with a bible verse on
each side, many different themes available. They're cool!
2) Ten Commandments Pennies. A genuine flattened penny with the 10
Commandments press-stamped onto it. For tiny tots, I hand them to the
accompanying adult so they don't go into little mouths. Bigger kids are
fascinated by them.
3) Mini Bibles. These are small tracts in Bible book form with themes
such as Bible Verses for Children, No Trick-Just Treat, and even a Spanish
"Biblia".
Do some advertising for a worthy cause you support. Type up a short
paragraph on the subject so that several can fit on one page. Make copies
and then cut them into strips to drop into the trick or treat bags. The
parents see it when they go through the bags for the candy safety check.
Most charities are starting to rev up for the holiday season, and I have
used this to make plugs for The Heifer Project, TheHungerSite.com, our
local foodbank, and even my own church. Use it as a way to invite the
trick-or-treaters to visit your Sunday School. Or just type up a blessing
to be given to each child. Why not? When you're giving out free treats,
it can be whatever you choose so be creative and spread some light.
Sally in Wichita
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6) Christmas curriculum?
Hello Sarah, I am the Director of Children's Ministry at our small but
thriving church and I am considering have a Christmas curriculum for the
month of Dec. This allows the teachers a lighter load and a service
oriented theme of helping others in Christ's name during that time of the
year. If anyone has a Christmas themed curriculum or craft ideas that
benefit others please post them on this site. Thanks to you Sarah for
starting such a vital link for all of us who are teaching our future
generation of believers.
Trusting Jesus,
Julie Richardson
--from SSTN: Thank you, Julie. Make sure you check out the Crafts section
in the site...there are many free Holiday & Holy day ideas. Also, may I
suggest using my Chrismon designs for your holiday program. Each design is
symbolic of Christ or Christianity and is accompanied with a Scripture
verse which can be memorized by the kids. The kids work together to make
the ornaments then decorate a 'Christ' tree to bring in the Advent season.
Your webservant, Sarah Keith.
http://www.christiancrafters.com/page2.html
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7) Special Needs Children
I am the Christian Education Director at my church. I am looking for a
plan to help special needs children fully participate in Sunday School and
other children's programs. We are a small congregation so I do not think
a separate class would be the thing for us. We need to be able to
mainstream children with emotional, mental and physical problems. This
includes dealing with behavior problems in a loving as well as effective
way. My own son who is 8 years old has been recently diagnosed with
bipolar disorder. His behavior is unbearable in Sunday School and his
tolerance for frustration is zero. We're hoping his medication will take
effect soon. We have children in our church who are ADHD (unmedicated on
weekends), so they find controlling their behavior difficult. Anyone out
there who has a program in place to deal with this delema in a
compassionate and knowlegeable way, your input is greatly appreciated.
Thank You
--from SSTN: make sure you check the Archives List for many great ideas!
http://christiancrafters.com/archives.html
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8) Fruits of the Spirit
You asked for material on "Fruits of the Spirit." I minister to children
ages 4-6 at Youth Church. Two years ago I had to modify some lessons for
this age group as well on the same topic. I used a book entitled
Fruit-Filled - 18 Studies on the Fruit of the Spirit. It was written by
Jeffrey & Deborah Keiser. It is only one book of a four book series.
The ISBN # is: 0-8308-1113-3 if you can order it from a local Christian
book store. It was written for Parents and kids to do together so it
will be easy for you use. Sample lessons include Joy (Psalm 100:1-4),
Patience (Luke 2:25-32), Kindness (Ephesians 4:30-32), Faithfulness
(Daniel 3:16-18, 21, 25, 28), etc. I hope this information will be a
blessing to you.
Ahreita Griffin
Charlotte, NC
--from SSTN: type in 'Fruit-Filled' in the search box in
ChristianCrafters' Bookstore:
http://christiancrafters.com/bookstore.html
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9) Advent Calendar and Donkey Puppet
In regards to the advent calendars, we have them every year in our church.
instead of getting a candy everyday you put money in the square. the money
was collected after it was all over with and sent to missionaries. we got
the advent calendars from the women's missionary society. don't know if
that is what she is looking for but that is what we use.
The donkey puppet can be found at
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/6580/vbs.html
hope this helps.
cindy caldwell - nova scotia , canada
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10) Advent Calendar
>Does anyone have any suggestions for a Christ themed
>Advent calendar? I am thinking of using a
>blue felt background with a church shape for the
Why not create a stable scene on your blue background? Instead of taking
something out of a pocket each day, have 24 felt shapes (with velcro on
the back) and add one each day to build up the crib scene. The shapes could
include Mary, Joseph, manger, animals, angels, star etc. The children
could pick one out at random (perhaps from a large pocket hung underneath the
scene) and add it each day.
On Christmas Day, place the baby Jesus in the manger to complete the
scene.
Mary
--from SSTN: also, check out the Advent Tree in the Crafts section.
http://www.christiancrafters.com/page6.html
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11) Different ages
Sounds like quite a challenge Julie, and God bless you for taking it on!
I don't know what kind of numbers you have, but my first thought would be
a buddy system - pair up the older kids with the younger kids, have them
do the workbook and/or craft together, and stress the importance of being
a good "older" buddy to the 7 year olds. When all else fails, eat snack!
Sandi
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12) Advent Calendar
Laurie, I'm not sure if you want the type found in card stores or a fabric
one. If you are just going with the simple cardboard one, I always get a
religious one in the Hallmark store. As I recall, last year's was The
Animals Countdown to Christmas. It had the Nativity scene with lots of
animals, and behind each door was a poem about an individual animal
helping Jesus. I'm hoping to find it again this year.
Good luck,
Sandi
--from SSTN: check out the Advent Calendar in our bookstore:
http://christiancrafters.com/bookstore_holidays.html
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