"For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." -- Jesus
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SSTN # 47 - June 6, 2006
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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:
> Is SSTN helping you? Then please help SSTN! <
1) Visual Teachings? 2) Talkative Teens 3) Games & Small Group Challenge 4) Children Day?
Summer Classes ... Bible-4-Life Curriculum
5) Songs for Father's Day 6) Wednesday night program 7) Games & Small Group Challenge 8) Encouraging Attendance 9) Low Attendance in Summer
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If anyone has any new teachings that you use illustrations for visual teachings please send them to me. My students are older 10-14 I have used the christian crafters teachings which have been a blessing...looking for some new one. please forward to me
--from SSTN: a reminder to all, it is more likely that you'll receive help from the network when you're more specific with your request. What subject do you have in mind, what goal?, etc.
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2) Talkative Teens I in regards to the Sunday School Teacher and her talkative teens, I have some suggestions that work for my class.
When students are repeat offenders, I: a. Separate them if they cannot contain themselves. b. I give pop-quizes and the students are able to see how well they are listening during the lesson. c. I give the students an opportunity to show their leadership skills by teaching the lesson. d. Offer hands-on activities. e. Role playing, etc.
When the students are productive, there is little room for distraction amongst their peers during the class.
Tranquil Teacher in the Dairyland
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3) Games & Small Group Challenge
Having taught a multi-age group in a very small church with unpredictable attendance for 3 years now, I understand the problem. I, too, find that games are not an easy thing to do with few children. That's why I don't usually use them. (If I do, I always have an alternative planned if attendance is low).
Crafts, on the other hand, are almost always a good thing to do with only a few kids. You can find crafts that suit almost any lesson plan on the internet. If only one kid shows up, you can make the craft more elaborate or make extras for them to give away. You can talk about the lesson or issues that are important to the child while you are crafting. I spent almost a year with only 1 special-needs child in my class and it helped her immensely!
Other alternatives: acting out the story with puppets, creating/doing puzzles, writing stories or poems, singing, building a story scene, creating a dance... Think how you might communicate this story to your child or grandchild.
Don't think it's negative if you plan small! Think of it as tailoring the lessons to suit the children's needs. Try preparing your lesson for only a few, but making provisions for more. God will bless your work!
Regards, Nancy in Texas
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4) Children Day?
Hi Everyone I read all your suggestions everyday and get great ideas from all of you. Thanks a bunch. I'am looking for ideas for children's day as i'm in charge of the children to do the service or part of it in our church.I teach 2nd thru 5th graders in my church. I will have some of them as greeters and taking up the offering but I'am needing help for something during the worship service not to long but so they can be part of it. I appreciate any suggestions. I love this web sight keep up the great work you all are doing for our churches and the Lord.
A Friend if Christ Cathy from N.Y. state
--from SSTN: make sure you check the archives too.
I have a very special friend, And Daddy is his name-o, D-a-d-d-y, D-a-d-d-y, D-a-d-d-y, and Daddy is his name-o!
He always loves and cares for me, And Daddy is his name-o, D-a-d-d-y, D-a-d-d-y, D-a-d-d-y, and Daddy is his name-o!
Happy Father's Day (to the tune of "Happy Birthday")
Happy Father's Day to you! Happy Father's Day to you! Happy Father's Day, dear Daddy! Happy Father's Day to you!
I Love You (to the tune of "London Bridge")
Daddy, Daddy, I love you! I love you! I love you! Daddy, Daddy, I love you! Yes, I do!
You Are Special (to the tune of "Are You Sleeping?")
You are special, you are special, Every day, every day! Now on Father's Day Oh my dearest Daddy, I will say, "I love you!"
Rhonda DuCoty
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6) Wednesday night program
This is to Beth in regards to starting a Wednesday night program. I recently started teaching a class on Wednesday nights. Right now I am using left over materials I have gathered from other Sunday school teachers. I read the kids a story and we do memory verse activities and have snacks. It is very relaxed. Sometimes we will find an outside activity that we can do while I teach a short message, planting flowers and talking about how our faith grows for example. I usually play a contemporary Christian song for them and they seem to enjoy that also. We have been collecting money and we will be walking to an ice cream shop on one of our upcoming classes. There are lots of things you can do that costly nearly nothing. It really helps if you have someone you can put your head together with to come up with ideas. Hope this is helpful. Good luck and God bless, Misti
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7) Games & Small Group Challenge
Dear Hollie, I run Sunday School for two services each Sunday morning. At 9:15. we have 50 kids, and you're right - it's easier preparing for all of them! At 11am, there are sometimes 2 kids, mine, and often only 1 or 2 more ages 18 mos - 10 years. It's a huge age spread - so it sounds like we have things in common. The way I start is with a bible story, something written for little kids, that I can fill in details more for the older ones later. Then the internet has all kinds of colouring pages and activity sheets and on-paper games that go with the stories for kids of various ages. That way, they can be done independently - for older kids, or together if more kids show up. The younger ones like the colouring sheets to match the story. I like colouring sheets where you also add on glued-on elements - like feathers on to birds, or sand onto beach scenes, or plastic food wrap over blue crayoned areas for water. (You get the idea) Another time you do a birthday party, maybe do cupcakes - freeze any that are unused and bring them out the next time. Kids can decorate their cakes themselves. Group curriculum has these great game balls that you blow up - just like a beach ball. They have questions on them to ask kids after any story you tell. The kids, no matter how many, will like the throwing, rolling or ball play then you can talk together about the answers - they really help the kids remember the story as they answer questions. They have a couple different kinds. Other games are hard as they are meant for larger groups. But start with a story, add paper games, then chalkboard games about the story - like Pictionary where they draw so you can guess word, or hangman with a word from the story. A simple craft the older one might help a younger one with. Base everything around that story. The repetition helps them remember and it makes it really easy to plan. Start at the beginning of a child's bible in September and keep going! For the summer, post a plan of activities for the whole summer - add in attractive options like "Ice cream day" and tell a "cool" story, "freezies day" with a "n-ice" story, balloon day, outside day, etc. Get the kids excited about coming and maybe that will carry over into the Fall. You can be serious about teaching, but don't make the mistake of making the classses serious.
Blessings, Amy in Niagara Falls, Canada amy@standrewsunited.net
In response to Hollie who had questions regarding sporadic attendance in her class for ages 3 – 8, I have found that a wonderful way to encourage attendance is to stage plays for the parents periodically throughout the year. Letters home to the parents which detail the rehearsal schedule and performance date often achieve “miraculous” results. The plays don’t have to be elaborate – just a few props and a song or two. Your age group is actually a blessing in that regard, because there are lots of plays out there with a handful of speaking parts. The younger set can always fill in as crowd members or animals or angels.
Hope this helps,
Lisa
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9) Low Attendance in Summer
Due to our small number, we do not hold VBS, instead, we hold a monthly "Kids Night Out" at the church, one evening a month in June, July and August. We send out flyers to other children in the community so we sometimes have more in attendance for these nights than we normally have at Sunday school. We have a special theme for each month. The children have dinner together (and dessert!) first. This summer we are having a Talent Show in July, and we are asking the adult members of the congregation to take part as well. I am hoping this will become an annual event. Also last August we did an Art Night, which came just before our local town-wide celebration. Because there is an Art Show held during this weekend celebration, I was able to help the children prepare an entry for the children's category of the Art Show. One of the children won a prize for his entry. I had a book of masterpieces of religious art to share with the children. I had bookmarked the pages where the paintings depicted stories the children already knew. (However they also got hysterical over pictures that had nudity - oops.) Other themes I have used include "God's Beautiful Earth" and a Ten Commandment theme. I wanted to share this as it seems to be a good alternative for small churchs to the larger undertaking of holding VBS. Thanks for keeping me included in your mailing list. God Bless - Jennifer Barrett - Congregational United Church of Christ - Lacon, Illinois.
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