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SSTN # 54 - June 13, 2005


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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:


--> Patriotic Catcher...July 4 Activity

1) Fruit of the Spirit Extravaganza
2) Youth Lock-In Service 
3) Father's Day Ideas
4) Memory Verses
5) Memory Verses

--> Armor of God Summer Series

6) Father's Day Ideas
7) Scripture memorizing
8) Fruit of the Spirit Games
9) Father's Day Ideas
10) Father's Day?

The LORD Is My Shepherd ... VBS - Bible Club

11) Teen Boys' Book?
12) Underwater Bulletin Board?
13) FROG theme
14) Camp & July 4?
15) Cool in the Furnace

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--> USA Patriotic Catcher ... July 4 Activity

With the "USA Patriotic Catcher Toy" kids learn the answers to eight basic
USA citizenship questions such as, "Why did the Pilgrims come to
America?"; What is the US Constitution?, and "What does the First
Amendment guarantee?". A great activity for July 4th! Kids can make it and
take it home! Print out as many patterns as you need for a onetime nominal
fee.

Find the USA Patriotic Catcher at:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/curriculum.html 
(you may need to copy and paste the address to your browser)


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1) Fruit of the Spirit Extravaganza

In one of the booths you can blind fold people and have them guess by
touch, smell, or taste what a fruit is...

you can have a watermelon seed spitting contest...

instead of bobbing for apples in a tub, you could suspend fruits from
string in the air and see who can pull it down/take a bite the fastest
with their hands behind their backs...

you could have a booth that makes fruit baskets to give to shut ins, the
local food bank, homeless shelter, etc...provide baskets,
fruit, bows/ribbon, markers and tags... 


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2) Youth Lock-In Service

*began the nite in the sanctuary w/ prayer, songs,a devontion, a guest
speaker
 food pizza, soda
*game time, the only one i really remember is dividing into two teams,
lots of crumpled up newspaper, making "forts" out of tables and chairs,
the goal was not to peg the other team but keep as much paper out of your
side of the room as possible
*at about 2 or 3 in the morning we had quiet time, they didnt have to go
to sleep if they didnt want to but most did, we watched a cartoon bible
story movie
*something else she did that i liked was everytime we went into the
fellowship hall there was a brown paper bag for each kid with their name
on it, and index cards and pens, everyone had to write at least one nice
thing to everyone else to put in their bags and they could remain
anonomous they didnt have to sign their names to it... 
*kids left at 6 am
 
 

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3) Father's Day Ideas

We're giving out giant Sugar Daddy suckers this year :o)
Angie in WV<><


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4) Memory Verses
 
> ....I would be very grateful if you can bring up suggestions.
  
One of the best memory helpers the Lord sent my brain was a "secret code"
label. I print these 30 per sheet at one time.
 
I have a program called SOS (see Lessons & Sermons section at
http://www.christiancrafters.com / for the program outline). Since it is
a military theme we often taught the memory scripture they were required
to memorize as a secret code. After all - soldiers may often be without
their Bible - but the secret codes that are memorized will be with them
always.
 
We would play different games to teach the scripture during our time
together, but when they left they were given the printed computer label
that had the scripture reverence (in code too) along with only the first
letter of each word in the verse. I was amazed how many times the kids
thanked me for doing this. They really enjoyed asking older siblings and
parents to listen to them say their verse and check them by the "code".
Several told me that their parents would ask them what the gibberish was
on the label and were surprised when their child looked at the letter code
and recited a long verse to them!
 
Here is what the label for John 3:16 looked like:
 
Secret Code - Week #1 
J-3-16
F G s l t w t H g H o b S,
t w b i H s n p b h e l.
 
Hope this is helpful.
 
Joyfully Serving HIM,
Emmalea Butler
(6 year member to SSTN - THANKS, Sarah!)

--from SSTN: you're awesome Emmalea! Great to have you with us sharing
your wonderful ideas!
ysic,
sarah <><


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5) Memory Verses

>Hi, I have a class of 15. I teach my kids a memory verse that summarises
>day's lesson. I am just wondering how best I can make them memorise these

Hi Brian,
I teach my Sunday school kids a memory verse each Sunday.  This year for
my 1st/2nd graders I made them memory sheets for the week.  I went into my
calendar program and printed a weekly calendar sheet (Sunday through
Saturday).  Then I just typed the verse in each day's slot.  I only had
the current week on the page - so it was nice big print.  I then told them
to keep this for the entire week and put it somewhere where they would
remember to look at it.  Each day they said their verse 3 times they were
to sign their name on that day or color in that day.  We would say the
verse in class on Sunday three times together.  Usually in a fun
way...like whisper, then say it then scream it.  Or vice versa.  The first
few weeks I had them bring their papers back and I hung them up.  
 
As a reward, whoever knew their memory verse the next Sunday got a sticker
to put on their folder and also got their choice of a candy.  I had jolly
ranchers, gobstoppers and trident gum.  The gobstoppers were quite popular
because I would have them guess what color it was going to be and if they
guessed right they got an extra one.
 
In past years with a small class I have had them write their verse on a
piece of card stock (or I write it depending on their writing ability)
that is postcard size.  Then I address it and mail the postcard to them so
it arrives midweek to remind them to practice.
 
Hope this sparks some ideas for you.
Michelle


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--> Armor of God Summer Series

Learn more on the following page:

http://www.christiancrafters.com/game_armor.html 


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6) Father's Day Ideas

At our church we have usually filled small foil pans- 3"x5" size- with
fudge or cookies. The ladies of the church make a variety of fudge or
cookies and then we all get toether a day or two before Father's Day 
and assemble the gift pans. We have also given the Dad's a pr of work
gloves, but the fudge is by far the favorite gift . The gifts are given
to the Dad's after the Sunday AM worship service on Father's Day
We also take a few minutes each Father's Day to ack. the Dad w/ the
youngest baby,  the eldest 2 or 3  Dad's or perhaps the one w/the most
of his children and grandchildren  present  w/him in church that day.
These Dads are then given a fresh baked pie. Fortunately we have some
very good cooks in our church so these recognitions work very well for us.
Thanks for this newsletter, it is a helpful resource. RMarshall in ME


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7) Scripture memorizing

In the last two years we have placed a much larger emphasis on memorizing
scripture. We decided to make it important but tried to balance internal
and external incentive - we wanted them to memorize scripture for the
right reasons and to retain the verses not just memorize and regurgitate.
The curriculum we used last year had 3 verses per quarter that we asked
them to memorize (different verses for different age levels). We called
our memory program "Scripture Scholars ".
I purchase a  poster board at the office supply store that had scroll
printed on it. After they recited a verse for their teacher - their name
and the verse reference would go on the board (we would add additional
verses learned under their names).The scroll board was displayed in the
foyer of the church. At the end of each quarter the children who could
recite all 3 verses for me (the Children's Pastor) were given a special
treat. They were responsible for coming to me - it was fun having them
stop me before and after SS to say their verses. Sometimes when I would
stop in towards the end of a class the teacher would let those who wanted
to, say their verses. We combined a small incentive, with the positive
reinforcement of having their names displayed - a big deal for a lot of
kids. The treat we gave at the end of the quarter was a large candy bar
(the ones that are .99 - 1.25), these would be given at a gathering of all
the students. We would acknowledge and applaud all stu
dents who learned a verse, then those who had done the 3. The candy bars
each had a verse wrapped around them (one verse per quarter) that had to
do with scripture, which we would talk about - again reinforcing why we do
this. I used verses like Psalm 119:11 and Jeremiah 15:16. By the end of
the year almost all student had their name on the Scripture Scholar board.
We found that the youngest children were some of the most dedicated to
learning their verses and that even kids with learning disabilities could
do their 3 verses at the end of the quarter. Though we are doing things
differently this year - (we've switched to a rotation SS) we still
emphasize the importance of memorizing God's word. On Memorial Day we had
some extra time (and a smaller group of kids) at the beginning of SS and I
allowed any child who wanted to, to stand up an say the verse. Out of
about 25 kids all but about 3 could did it (The youngest was barely  4yrs
old!). I know that these kids are learning s
cripture, retaining what they've learned, and understand what the
scriptures they are being asked to learn mean. I hope you too will inspire
them to learn God's word.
Love in Christ,
Linda in Edmonds


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8) Fruit of the Spirit Games

Bob for apples

Memory Verse Apple Tree: Make a poster with a large tree (like an apple
tree). Make apples with one word of the verse on each apple. Make a way to
attach the apples to the tree (like Velcro, buttons, or tape). Scramble
the apples and have children come up and put the apples in order. You may want
to attach a small piece of apple candy (like sour apple Jolly Ranchers) to
each apple for each child to keep.

Watermelon Bowling: Use empty liter or 2-liter soda bottles or gallon
juice bottles and roll a watermelon at them.

Grape races: On go, players use their straws to blow their grapes to the
finish line. The players that get to the finish line first must cheer on
the other players to finish.

Pineapple Ring Toss: Use pineapple rings for this game and have kids place
a pineapple ring on a pencil. They then toss the ring from the pencil onto
a floating butter bowl lid in a bucket of water. Get one on the lid and
win a prize!

Fruity ABC: Provide several different pieces of fruit and give each child
a minute or so to place them in alphabetical order. Switch a couple fruits
out each time in order to keep each game new for the next child. For
younger children, have them place the fruit under the correct color square
of paper.

Bananarama: Hang a banana from the ceiling and have kids pull it back and
swing it to knock over empty plastic juice bottles (like Squeezit
bottles).

Grape Golf: Make cardboard golf 'holes' that you place directly against
the wall. Kids must use a plastic golf club to hit a grape into the hole so
that it touches the wall.

An Apple a Day: Have kids toss 3 apple seeds onto a calendar and add up
the numbers of the days the seeds land on. Give prizes based on points scored!

Lemon-Aid: Hang lemons from a clothesline and have kids shoot rubber bands
or plastic/rubber darts from toy guns and try to hit the lemons. Draw a
bull's eye target on each lemon if you like!

Angie<><


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9) Father's Day Ideas

Stronger Than Nails "Nail Frame" in the crafts section.
And more ideas can be found in the Archives at:
http://www.ChristianCrafters.Com 


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10) Father's Day?

Dear Friend:

Any ideas for Father' Day

Sonia

--from SSTN: check out the other ideas in this issue.


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The LORD Is My Shepherd ... VBS - Bible Club

This complimentary five day VBS series can also be used in
10-12 one hour class sessions. A great resource for summer Bible clubs!
Learn more in the VBS / Bible Club section at:

http://www.christiancrafters.com/sermons.html 



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11) Teen Boys' Book?

i'm looking for a book written for teen boys to partner a book study for
our girls that deals with teen s ex. the book we have for the girls is
called Just Like Ice Cream and we found it thru family first. if u have
any suggestions please email me.. Tenuhcmama@wmconnect.com. Thanks Connie

--from SSTN: check out "BOOM: A Guy's Guide To Growing Up" in our
Bookstore-Christian Education section:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/bookstore_christianed.html 
 

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12) Underwater Bulletin Board?

I am planning an Underwater Theme for my next Bulletin Board.  I already
have some fish and seashells.  I was just wondering if anyone had any
ideas for any extras or a good title for it.  If so email me at: 
betherfly82@hotmail.com
Thanks,
Beth 

--from SSTN: Please remember, if you share directly, then the other
teachers cannot benefit from your knowledge.


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13) FROG theme

We used the FROG theme in our summer Sunday School program last year. 
Faithfulness, Righteousness, Obedience, Godliness and based the lesson on
each.  Also, we used RIBBIT - Reading In the Bible, Believing In the Truth
and leaped through the Old and New Testaments with examples of how the
"old" stories related to the New Testament stories.

--from SSTN: for more FROG ideas, search the site at:
http://christiancrafters.com/archives.html 
Love the RIBBET idea!



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14) Camp & July 4?

I am having a camping theme for my Sunday School Class and would like some
input on a special acticity to do with the kids regarding this. I was
using Joshua for my theme.
Jeanne
  
I wanted to do somethng special at church for July 4 Sunday in honor of
veterans. Does anyone have some ideas? I thought I woudl have all the
songs sang that represent each of the branches of service and have the
veterans stand at attention when their song is sang.
Jeanne


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15) Cool in the Furnace

This musical is available from Word Music - All I had to do to find this
was do a search using the title.  Hope you enjoy doing this musical.  We
just did an intergenerational musical based on the second missionary
journey of Paul called Paul and Company.  This is a publication of
Choristers Guild which puts out a new musical  every year.  (Available
through The Lorenz
Corporation) Great stuff.
Karla in IL


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