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THE SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER'S NETWORK
A Ministry of Christian Crafters.Com
"For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
Matthew 18:20

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<>< <>< SSTN-Volume 1-Number 51 <>< <><
April 26, 2000
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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:
* Unchurched pre-teens
* Easter Sunday class project
* Millennium capsule?
* Crafts for Mother's Day
* Edible marshmallow bunny
* Mothers' Day Craft
* Mother's Day Heart Wreath

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Unchurched pre-teens?

> Besides activities such as games, crafts and skits, what is the best way of
> presenting the Bible story itself to unchurched pre-teens...

In my opinion, it is important for children (and adults) to be involved in Scripture reading AND memorization. The Bible says, "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." Romans 10:17. The Bible says that the Word of God is, "...living and active..." Hebrews 4:12. If that's the case, and it is, then to not use Scripture reading as the central part of your lesson, you'd be missing out on the power of God! I ALWAYS involve my class in reading the Scripture. In fact, at the start of class we open the Bible to the contents page and first read through the names of the books of the Bible. I want my students to be familiar with God's word, and to be able to 'get around' in it. Then, all the kids open to the passage for the day and we each read 2-3 verses, going around the tables. While one child reads, the others must follow along so they'll know their place when it's their turn to read. While they're reading, I'll frequently stop them to explain parts of the passage, or when they're finished reading, they'll break into smaller groups and answer questions about what they just read, and how it applies to the people in the passage, as well as how it applies to their lives. The crafts, games, and skits I use are SECONDARY to the point of Scripture. They are only useful in light of the Scripture lesson. A craft or game that doesn't make the Bible point for the day is just filling time, and in my opinion, is a waste of time. Crafts, games, and skits serve their purpose as a sort of memory marker or reminder of the lesson. But, they also make the lesson fun! Many times I will mail out invitations to come to FUNDAY School, when I have a special day planned. I hope this helps. I also look forward to reading the other opinions from the network!

God bless your ministry,
Sarah Keith
5/6th grade boys SS
K-4 Kingdom Kids

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Easter Sunday class project

I hope it's not to late, but I had just come up with what I think it a fun idea
for Easter Sunday class project. I co-teach a class of two year old children and I was struggling to find a easy, fun project that would remind them of what Easter is all about.
I have begun to make hearts our of plaster of paris, this takes some time. When
they hearts are ready, I am using yellow paint to paint a star burst in the middle
of the heart. Then I am going to write "Jesus Is Alive" across the front of it.
I will leave the rest up to the children to paint or color.
This is a fairly easy project that will remind the children of what Easter is all
about for some time to come.
In God's Love,
Lisa Kneifl

(From ChristianCrafters.Com- Lisa, sorry it didn't make the pre-Easter edition. But we can use your idea next year, or apply it to another lesson. Keep the ideas coming!! Thanks for sharing!)

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Millennium capsule?

I am a Sunday School Superintendent at Immanuel Lutheran Church and have a fairly small enrollment in Sunday School (45) Nursery to Grade 7. During the last 2 Sundays of May we will be putting together a Millennium capsule celebrating that Christ was born 2000 years ago. I am looking for age appropriate ideas to put into the capsule. ie. perhaps for the older children, "what my Faith means to me" and perhaps some crafts etc. Does anyone have suggestions?

Yours in Christ,
Debbie - Winnipeg, Manitoba

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Crafts for Mother's Day:

Greetings,
Our trip to the nursing home to deliver butterflies was a big hit. Thank
you so much for your site. So many are needing crafts for Mother's Day.
Let me introduce you to my next favorite site (guess who is my first.) It
is called www.makingfriends.com and is full of age appropriate crafts for
all ages. Check it out.
Love in Christ,
Mary Summers

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Edible marshmallow bunny:

Hi, just wanted to say thanks for all the great ideas. I had my preschool
class make the edible marshmallow bunny necklaces yesterday and they were a
big hit!! The only problem was getting them to finish stringing the food on
the licorice lacing before they ate too much of it to be able to tie around
their necks! Pre-punching the bunnies Saturday night was a big help. I
used a straw to make a bigger hole for stringing. I love your newsletter.
Keep up the great work!

Lisa Richards,

Grover Beach, California Church of Christ

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Mothers' Day Craft

> >I am planning a special class on Mothers' Day.
> >I would like some ideas on a short devotion and/or crafts
> >Any ideas or suggestions will be appreciated.

A gift 2 of my children have made in the past still grace my kitchen table. It is
easy and goes across the age groups, one made it when she was 10 and the other was 5. I myself enjoy making them.

Tissue paper flowers.
Cut tissue paper into circles - about 3-8 inches diameter
Place at least 2 circles on top of each other (contrasting colors work very well)
Fold tissue circles in half. Then take the folded ends and have them meet (without creasing the fold) dab with glue. Then use a twist tie or pipe cleaner and secure the center with one end of the twist tie. Place a contrasting scrap of tissue paper wadded up into a ball with a dab of glue in the center. My son did this with coffee filters. He used marker on them and then let the ink run with drops of water and just gathered the bottom of the filter and secured with a pipe cleaner. Depending on their age (and your resources) have them make as many or as few as they can in the time allotted and secure them with a ribbon so they can present the bouquet of flowers to Mom.
I hope this made sense.

God Bless, Marnie (from MO)

(From ChristianCrafters.Com- When using the coffee filters, I've used watercolor paints, then dropped a few drops of rose oil onto the finished flower for a sweet smelling flower!)

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Mother's Day Heart Wreath:

You might want to make the Heart Wreath, or Tea Cup magnet for one of your Mother's Day projects. The verse to use on the heart wreath could be changed to:
Proverbs 31:28-29, "Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."

You can find these free projects, and others, in the Christian Crafters Showcase
of my site.

Blessings,
Sarah Keith--your moderator
www.christiancrafters.com

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SEND IN YOUR SUGGESTIONS, REQUESTS & IDEAS! :o)
Invite your friends and coworkers to join us!

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The Sunday School Teacher's Network is brought to you by:
ChristianCrafters.Com
http://www.christiancrafters.com
--Copyright 2000--
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You can access past SSTN letters:
Go to christiancrafters.com and click on Sunday School Teachers, then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on 'Archives List'.

Don't forget about the availability of free Bible Games and Christian crafts @ ChristianCrafters.Com! If you have a Bible game or Christian craft that you've created, email me and share it with the rest of the world! The opinions expressed in the SSTN e-Newsletter are not necessarily endorsed by ChristianCrafters.Com

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