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SSTN # 39 - May 5, 2004


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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:


Ascension Sunday Craft

1) Calming Kids
2) Crafts for youth/seniors?
3) Calming kids

The Parables of Jesus / 6-12 Week Series

4) Used VBS Materials?
5) Mother's Day Poem
6) Tea Bag Lesson

Fruit of the Spirit Spinner
 
7) Mime Ministry?
8) No Place To Teach
9) Treasures of the Nile?

Prayer Wheel

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Ascension Sunday
 
May 23 is Ascension Sunday. This day celebrates the ascension of Jesus
into heaven, recorded in Acts 1:1-11. Have your class make and take the
"Jesus Ascending Mini-Movie" to coordinate with your lesson. Learn more at:

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

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1) Calming Kids

>Does anyone have any suggestions, especially for the bus trips, to
>keep the kids calm during the long trip back to their homes?

This message is in response to how to calm kids, especially on bus trips.
Maybe you could try a sing along, with some easy songs like Jesus Loves
Me, I Am A C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N, The B-I-B-L-E, and other songs that most
kids already know the words to. You could try playing I spy something God
made that is (blue, green, red, etc) and having the kids try to guess what
you are thinking of.  You could also play a game similar to telephone
starting at the front or back of the bus by whispering a Bible verse into
a child's ear and then they whisper it into the ear next to them, and so
on until it gets to the back of the bus if you started at the front of the
bus or the front of the bus if you started at the back of the bus, the
responses are always good for a laugh or two especially if there are very
young children in the group. Another game is the alphabet game, start
somewhere on the bus with a single child, they clap twice, say A and then
something from the Bible beginning with A (Abraham for example), the next
child claps twice, says A (Abraham), then says B (Bible, Barnabus, etc),
keep going until you have gone through the entire alphabet, or someone
misses a letter and then you can start over again. You can play the same
sort of alphabet game by naming animals God made or another theme. You
could play sign scramble and write down some signs you know you pass on
your route with the letters all scrambled up and let the kids try to
unscramble them as they watch for signs. You could also play license plate
Bingo where you can use number themes found in the Bible (# of
Commandments, # of Days of Creation, etc) and write those numbers on the
Bingo board. When the children spot those numbers on passing license
plates they can cross it off on their board.
Hope something here is helpful!
Love in Christ,
Sarah in California

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2) Crafts for youth/seniors?

Hi: 
I'm looking for crafts our Christian young people, or seniors where I
live,  can do.  Please respond.   
 
Bev

from SSTN: Hi Bev, Check out the crafts and links pages at:
http://www.ChristianCrafters.Com 

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3) Calming kids

For your bus-load of energetic youth, why not try finding someone with
a guitar and lead them in rousing singing all the way home? You only
need a few to start singing at first and I'm sure the rest will join in
too, if the songs are right? There are many great worship songs out
there, and of course, include a few quieter ones to settle them down at
the end.
Sharon


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The Parables of Jesus / 6-12 Week Series

Parables are "earthly stories with heavenly meanings”. This 12 week series
examines six parables that focus on "Faith", "God's Mercy", "Being
Merciful", "Obedience", "Prayer", and "Evangelism". Through the use of
hands-on Bible lessons, crafts and games, children will gain a better
understanding of these important truths. Can be incorporated into
rotation-type programs!  Learn more at:

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


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4) Used VBS Materials?

I am a member of a Church that has been organized for only a year.  We
have a predominantly young congregation and it is important to us to establish
our Youth Department before we lose this age group.  We are in the midst
of planning our VBS.  Needless to say our budget is almost zero.  Any
suggestions, donations, bargains will help.

Veronica Jackson
Birmingham, AL

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5) Mother's Day Poem

I wrote the following poem for the JR Church kids. They will decorate a
card with this little  poem inside.
 
My sister's JR Church is also using the poem - not only as a card but also
performing it by reciting it to the mothers in the congregation.
 
Anyone who would like to use it, may do so, with my blessing :o)
 
(Notice the word ANGEL is in the first stanza - if you look hard enough
vertically. :o)

             Mom is Always there
              when I Need her.
                  She Gives me hugs all the time.
                  And Every hurt gets a special kiss.
                        I Love that Mom is ALL mine!
 
But an ANGEL can never be a Mother
For God said that could not be.
Though angels surely would want to
'cause, who wouldn't want hugs from ME?!
 
Joyfully Serving HIM,
<E><


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6) Tea Bag Lesson

Hi,
I don't know where you come from or what the climate is like but I live
where it is warm and humid most of the year. Because of the temperature
the tea bag often does not work up here. We can get it to lift off a
little bit if we are doing the lesson in airconditioning.
Hope this helps

Rachel In Australia


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Fruit of the Spirit Spinner

Children will learn the Fruit of the Spirit in a fun new way. Each
characteristic is illustrated with a whimsical cartoon fruit for kids to
color, cut, and spin.

Get a lesson and learn more here:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/lesson_spirit_fruit.html 


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7) Mime Ministry?

Does anyone have a reference on how to teach young people "Mime Ministry"?
Thank you.

--from SSTN: Type "Mime Ministry" into the search box of the bookstore:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/bookstore.html 
ISBN: 0916260372
 
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8) No Place To Teach
 
I am a teacher by heart and soul. I have taught children for many, many
years. I gave up a teaching job at my last church. The Lord drew me to
another churches. When in a new church I did not have the time to teach
because of an illness with my husband and my business of taking care of
two elderly that live with me. Beside positions are filled but knowing God
gave me a gift to teach I waited for Him to show me the place in building
the body of Christ with children. This church is a worshipping church and
had just started the letting the children Worship with flags in an area in
the back of the church. I saw that they did not have direction and some
just didn't want to sit with their parents during Worship and went where
the other kids were. The pastors mother was trying to get some kind of
control and I asked her if she needed any help. Needless to say she
welcomed me to help.
 
I started with some flags and glory hoops I had made and sort of showed
them what to do with the worship tools as I worshiped. After a couple of
weeks I had the kids hooked and even showed the ones who came to me how
wonderful and free it is to worship God with different tools. We now have
a great group of children every Sunday who step out and Praise God as they
dance with the flags and other tools. Right now we are at the level of
learing to know when God calls you out to lead in worship in a group. Just
last Sunday a few boys all under 13 took of running around the church and
then stopping in front waving and using their flags. It was so beautiful.
This would be too long to tell you of the different ways God has used the
children to minister what He wanted to say to the people. (For this next
month the children are making their own flags on white sheets with
permanent markers. I supplied the sheet and some pictures, they supply the
markers and the time. I am excited to see their work and what the Lord
will say in the flags and when God tells them to use them.)
 
Remember a child shall lead them There is a child in all of us grown ups that wants to freely worship God
instead of just sitting or just standing to worship.
 
God made a position for me at the new church to teach and He can make one
for you to.
 
BTW I also started a BONUS Sunday short object lesson time before church
for the early before church child whose parents come for prayer meeting
before church. At this time I teach relating everyday things relating to
God. Example a regular stop sign can relate to God in witnessing = stop
and let me tell you what the Lord has done for me. Even an apple or orange
= seeing what God sees. I have used several from Christian Crafters.
 
There is also a way to praise and worship God with just your hands. Which
I will be teaching sometime.
 
So another opening for teaching in progress. 
Jan Rowan
Birmingham, Alabama

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9) Treasures of the Nile?

For VBS last year our church, Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, used Standard
Material Treasures of the Nile.  It was decided to buy the 10 day material
and use half of the material in 2003 and the remaining material this
year. 

I make the crafts for the classes which range in age from 3 year olds
through 9th grade.  We have approximately 80 children so the classes are 3
yr and 4 yr olds, 5 and K, 1st and 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 5th and 6th, and then
7th through 9th are together.  I was to purchase craft supplies for two
years, which I did.  The thing is that so many of the crafts apply to many
of the different lessons and anything that was used last year can not be
repeated again for that age group as half of the children are still in the
class. 

What I would like is, has anyone used this material last year and found a
favorite craft which they made or found in the craft book?  I have the
craft book that goes with the materials, but I am always looking for
something new and different.  The kind of crafts that I like to use is
something that the children can take home and look back at and say I did
this in VBS, and remember something about VBS.  I don't want it to be
something that they are going to take home and trash.  VBS was always a
positive experience for me when I was a child and I would like to repeat
the same for other children. 

All ideas or suggestions on any crafts -- any age would be greatly
appreciated. If I can help anyone with any crafts, I would be glad to
share ideas.  I have been doing this for 20 plus years put I am always
looking for something challenging for the appropriate age group.

Thank you for any help that anyone may have.

Karlene Helman
Bendersville, PA

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Prayer Wheel

Children turn the wheel to learn "The Lord's Prayer", the prayer that
Jesus taught us to pray. Use the Prayer Wheel during class time, at the
dinner table, or for morning and bedtime prayers! Kids color, cut, and
assemble the easy-to-make patterns.

Learn more at:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/curriculum.html 


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