"For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." -- Jesus
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SSTN # 58 - August 2, 2006
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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:
1) Explaining the Church? 2) Large Class 3) Large Class 4) Lessons For 2 Year Olds?
Cultivating Jesus?
5) Large Class 6) Learning Centers For Large Class 7) Keeping Senior Highers Interested 8) Keeping Teens Interested: Build Relationships 9) Getting kids to pray
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1) Explaining the Church?
I am in need of a lesson before Friday to teach preschoolers why we have the church, it's not a building but it's the people, and how God calls us to be a church family (all ages belong). Anyone have any ideas on a way to teach preschoolers using visuals? Thanks!
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2) Large Class
Hi, The problems/blessings of a large class can indeed make you wonder if you are accomplishing anything of eternal value. Keep at it though, for we do have God's promise that His word will be effective when we present it. A group that large is too much for one person to handle alone. Can you arrange for a helper ? If there isn't an adult , could 2 or 3 of the young people alternate weeks to assist you? They need to learn how to work within the church body but also need the instructional time of Sunday School, too. That is why having a few to swap off would be a good idea. Ideally, another adult to co-teach with you would be available so you could share the instructional time and the games/activity time. You might also find it a benefit to have another adult to work with in the planning and preparing of the lessons, too. Speak up to your Sunday School director before you become any more frustrated with the situation. If you don't tell him there is a problem, he may not realize that one exists. God bless you , Susan for your desire to teach the children. Ruth in ME
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3) Large Class
Hey Susan as a Sunday School Director that I'm in Jesus Christ. I would recommend a couple of things. 1) I would suggest that you separate your class to have a smaller group again, you can either separate according to there school grade or age. This way you would decrease your class and it would make your job more interesting. 2) If the first advice dose not work or you have no control over that subject I would look for more activities that include small groups of kids and you would focus teaching on the groups and not as an individual. You can find games that would make you put your class in small groups and teach them that way. 3) If none of those tips work then I would suggest talking to your Sunday School Director or your Pastor.
Hopefully I could be of some help if not then you can e-mail me for any questions at RamirezEdg@Yahoo.com
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4) Lessons For 2 Year Olds?
Hello to everyone, I would like to know if anybody knows any lessons that can be taught to 2 year olds kids in Sunday school? If anybody has ideas please let me know, I'm desperate in finding new ideas for these precious kids.
--from SSTN: I know these have been suggested before, but they are excellent rsources: Pray & Play Bible (Vol. #1 and 2). You can find them by typing the titles into our bookstore search box: http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/bookstore.html
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Cultivating Jesus?
Are you cultivating Jesus in the hearts and lives of children?
Try our kid tested and teacher approved series, "The Fruit of the Spirit - Jesus Growing In You and Through You".
You'll find it listed in our Bible-4-Life Curriculum section at:
There are about 50 children in our Sunday School. The children are divided into 4 groups. There are 3 teachers in every groups. Each week we (the teachers) gather and pray God about us and children and God help us. You may every time pray God and use this method: You may say “ Who sit silent the first, he or she will get a prize”.
In His wonderful love Gayane
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6) Learning Centers For Large Class
I would suggest Learning Center type activities. For the first part of the hour the students can choose among a few choices of activities. Even with a small room I've been able to achieve a couple of areas using small rugs in corners and taping materials on the wall or using "project boards". {In one church I didn't have a lot of set up time so I made the Learning Center Project Boards at home and took them to class.} After a certain amount of time call for group time where the lesson is given. Art activities to follow the lesson can be done in "team" set-ups. Change as problems arise. Game activities can be done in teams instead of individually. (SundaySchool Network has alot of the games suggested in teams.) Ending activities can be individual types or a calling back to Whole Group to do a "memory Verse" activity from a poster at the front of the class. Diane Plum dplum@hughes.net
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7) Keeping Senior Highers Interested
>I know that our church is not the only church to start losing >kids after confirmation. I >am struggling, need HELP! Cindy
Cindy, our church also is going through a similar problem so keep in mind, you are not alone! This year we are starting a small group mentoring program meeting two Sunday’s a month for our 7th & 8th graders. We have approx. 30 7th & 8th graders so we are breaking them into small groups of 6 and having a Bible study/ fellowship time with them in addition to confirmation. We are also having a fellowship group for our senior high starting Wed. eve this fall. I was told that kids will not drop out of church if they are mentored as junior high students. They need some kind of connection to keep them in church. I pray that your ministry will blossom, at the same time, please pray for us, we’re in the same boat! Blessings, Jeannine
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8) Keeping Teens Interested: Build Relationships
My nephew (age 24) is in seminary studying to obtain his ministerial music degree. He has recently been hired at a church to build the middle and high school choir program. I asked him what steps he is taking to get kids to join and his main response was, "build relationships with them - i.e. one on one, group activities and hanging out with them. Once a friendship is established, they want to help, they want to participate."
ysic, sarah keith <><
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9) Getting kids to pray
First off, your site is wonderful. I began teaching a 3rd grade religion class last February and have so enjoyed it. I have never taught anything before in my life. I wanted to do more than lecture, and found your site to give so many helpful ideas. One thing that I wanted to stress to the kids is to reach out and pray to God. It doesn't have to be a lengthy prayer, just talk to God. One thing that I did with the children is create their own personal prayer book. We cut pieces of paper (index size) of all different colors and punched holes in the top of them. We then tied them with yarn. Every week, I would bring in "kid friendly" prayers that the children would paste in their books, and then I supplied stickers for them to decorate the prayers with. The kids looked so forward to getting new prayers every week. I also had each child write their own prayer, and then typed those up and brought them in the next week. We then added those prayers to every child's prayer book, with their name as the author. My hope was that the children would refer to their "personal" prayer books often. We also made simple craft items that served as "Prayer Reminders". So that each time they seen the item they crafted, would remind them to say a short prayer to God.
Sarah .... Keep up the awesome work you are doing. Your Friend in Christ, Angie in Ohio
--from SSTN: thank you, Angie.
For those who don't know, I've written a book called "The Prayer of Jesus - Teaching Kids to Pray the Lord's Prayer". It can be found in the Bible-4-Life Curriculum section at: http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/curriculum.html
ysic, sarah keith <><
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