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<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< Volume 1 - Number 33 <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
March 16, 2000
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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:
* Easter Celebration ideas (??)
* Discipline Response
* Children and discipline
* age 3 to age 9-finding activities
* age 3 to age 9-finding activities

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Hi, I'm in need of ideas! Our church is new and small but we want to do God's work in a big and mighty way! We have just located our church in a building located in a small shopping area/buisness park. We wish to do something special l for the community to celebrate Easter and witness to the members of the shopping area and the community. We do have a grassy area on the other side of the parking lot with picnic benches available to us. What I am looking for are ideas to draw the people to some type of Easter Celebration and invite them over to the church for refreshments, etc., which will allow us to witness Gods word > Any ideas? Thanks for you suggestions. Pat

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Regarding the SS teacher of 1st and 2nd graders having problems with behavior. It's always good to make sure the parents know if your having problems with the behavior of some of the children in the class. You can do this simply by having them "register" where they will be during the SS hour. This way, if you have problems with a particular child, you can ask one of the teenagers to take the child to the parents or go get them. Believe me, after the first time, the others will shape up remarkably.

It's also a good idea to let the pastor know that you may be bringing a child to him. It's rather like going to the principal's office, only the pastor talks nicer and know God personally!

cb
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> Can anyone share how they get their classroom to
> Listen and follow directions (Special techniques?) I use time out
_____________________
> My name is Elizabeth Crum. I am from Gilbert, WV. We attend R.A. West
> Ministries and I needed to know how we could get some lessons to teach our
> kids at home. One child is a girl who is 31/2 and the other child is a boy
> who is 5.

I included excerpts from both the emails above since they both deal with children and discipline. I have found a wonderful resource in the books that are offered thru "Doorposts." As they claim on the front of their brochure "Bible-based, parent-designed, family-tested products to help you apply Scripture in your home." This is a list of their books & resources from their brochure:
1. For Instructions in Righteousness (a topical guide for parents, listing Scripture on over 50 common areas of sin)
2. Plants Grown Up - (500-page spiral-bound book offers hundreds of ideas for Bible study projects, reading material, and practical, everyday activities to help train your sons for godly manhood.)
3. Polished Cornerstones: Projects for Daughters on the Path to Womanhood (is for parents who are overwhelmed with the awesome responsibility of raising daughters.)
4. The If-Then Chart (designed to help you be more consistent in your disciplining)
5. The Blessing Chart (designed to help you acknowledge and reward godly attitudes and behavior.)

This just the first few items listed in their brochure. I have used a little of Polished Cornerstones both for my 12 year old daughter and me. I plan to incorporate it more into our school schedule next year and include our 2 year old daughter as well. I recently purchased "Instructions for Righteousness" but haven't had the time to really review it.
Their contact information is Doorposts, 5905 SW Lookingglass Dr., Gaston OR 97119 (503) 357-4749. Their website is www.doorposts.net.

Love in Christ,
Liz Wills ~ I Am Saved By Grace 2
*\o/*
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

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< range from age 3 to age 9. My problem is finding activities that will work
< for this age range. Any suggestions?

I taught that age for a number of years and both I and the kids burned out on crafts and coloring pages. I have a website that I think may be helpful to you that has a one year Sunday School curriculum for that age group. It includes a weekly lesson with an action game that ties into the theme for the day, and a take home paper of suggested Bible readings that parents can do with their children at home. It is completely free. You can go to it at http:www.edupatterns.com and check it out for yourself. I hope you find it helpful.
In Christ, Linda Lawler Pittsburgh, PA

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I hope my reply isn't too long--sorry!
Dana.........

> On the average I have 5 kids for Sunday School. They
> range from age 3 to age 9. My problem is finding activities that will
> work for this age range. Any suggestions?

I frequently have to include some 9-12 year-old girls in the craft time
of my 4-6 year old class. (I also tend to work on a very low budget.)
I've found that there are a lot of crafts that both groups can do--the
older girls just tend to spend more time making their crafts into
masterpieces. I also use older kids who finish early to help the younger
kids. The older kids enjoy the recognition, and the younger kids would
rather have an older kid help them than the mom teaching the class (me!).
The less structured the craft is (and the less specific the final result
needs to be), the better. I noticed that the older girls didn't care how
simple the craft was if I used a unique material. Here are some ideas
that worked out well:

Crayons on fabric
Have the kids first draw their design with bright markers on plain paper.
Encourage them to keep it simple--drawing on fabric is a little harder.
The paper is where they can make mistakes, and think. Then give each kid
a square of light-colored fabric. (I hemmed the top on my machine at
home to make a space for a hanging stick--you don't have to.) Fabric
ideas: cut an old white sheet, or buy muslin when it goes on sale for
79-cents-a-yard. Place the fabric over the marker drawing so you can see
the picture through the fabric. Use regular crayons (you don't need
special fabric crayons) to draw your picture on the cloth. If you want,
set and smooth the crayon picture with an iron. (Put paper towels
against the crayon side and iron on the back--the paper towels will
absorb excess crayon.)

Votive Candles
(There are so many Bible references to light and the salt this craft
uses--pick one)
Buy cheap tea-light candles. (Usually comes in a box of 8.) Save
baby-food jars. (You won't need the covers--save them for another
project!) Use brushes to coat the outside of the jar with watered-down
white glue. Cover the glue with scraps of tissue paper (or colorful
party napkins). Paint another coat of glue over the tissue and roll the
jar in a tray of salt. (The salt will give the jar texture and sparkle
when dry.) Give each child a tea-light to put in their jar.

Screen sewing
I thought that this would be too hard for my younger girls, but they
wound up loving it the most. I cut an old thrown-away window screen
(keep your eyes out--someone is always throwing one away) into squares.
(If your window screen is made of wire, use electrical tape to frame the
edges and protect fingers from being poked.) Gather all the embroidery
thread your church members can donate (or try yarn). Use the biggest
needles you can find that will fit through your screen (forget embroidery
needles for the little kids--try plastic canvas needles), and let the
kids design away. My younger girls randomly sewed colors and wound up
with a crazy web--and were happy with it. A nine-year-old stitched a
careful picture of bunch of balloons.

Coffee filter flowers
Each child uses watercolor paints (or markers) to paint two round paper
coffee filters as brightly as they like. (If you use markers, dampen the
filters a little so the colors will run on the filter.) When they dry
(and they will quickly), stack the two filters on top of one another,
pinch the center and twist it a little, and wrap a pipe cleaner around
the bottom of the twisted center. Instant flower! My daughter makes
bouquets of them for her great-grandmother's nursing home room.

Happy crafting!
Dana, St. Clair Shores, Michigan
Thanks for the VeggieTales craft site, Jane!
Dana

(From ChristianCrafters.Com- Dana, thanks for all the great ideas! You can also make coffee filter butterflies. The directions and object lesson are in the Crafters Showcase.)

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< I am a Sunday school teacher for 1st and 2nd graders. I was wondering if anyone can
< help me with Disciplinary tips. How to get the classroom in order. I have 35-40 kids
< and only two teenager helpers. Can anyone share how they get their classroom to

I would suggest letting the parents know you need their help and recruit volunteers for a start. Make a parent sign up list. If every parent is 'expected' to volunteer throughout the year you would have an ongoing supply of help and they wouldn't have to be in class more than a few times a year.

The large class size does make it a challenge. But one thing I do with a large class is to 'divide and conquer'. Divide the group into smaller groups. If you have a large enough room, separate them as much as possible and put an adult or older teen over the smaller groups.

Also, have a good behavior chart with the rules displayed and a take home sheet of the rules for the parents to discuss with their children. Rewards at end of class such as candy or points to earn candy or prize, etc., can be given out. For bad behavior, an additional point system could be implemented whereby good points are taken away or parents notified if too many are gathered.

Sarah Keith <><
Your Moderator
Christian Crafters.Com
Lake Park, FL

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