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SSTN - Number 177
April 9, 2001

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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:

1) No building
2) Daniel Song?
3) Easter Songs
4) A Jelly Bean Witness - recyclable craft idea!
5) Ideas to bring children to church
6) Samson & Delilah
7) Collecting Offering Ideas?
8) Heaven?
9) Sunday School Classes?
10) Recyclable craft--Candle Jars
11) Mints-Simple fundraising idea
12) Hosanna Song

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1) No building

Lydia, I am in the same situation as you. Our church rents a building
each week. It is a Senior Citizens Centre so doesn't have very many bright
colours etc. At the beginning of the year I talked to the Pastor of the
church and we approached the owner of the Day Care Centre which is
opposite our church building and made an agreement to rent the day care
centre for the morning at a very low cost. This came after a lot of
prayer! It still involves a lot of packing each week however. I found it
easier if I stored the stuff I need for each week in a large plastic crate
so that it was easier to carry around rather than having lots of small
boxes. Sometimes I get permission from the parents and hold Sunday School
out in the park which is great for outreach events.Your enthusiasm and
love for God will shine through to the kids no matter the surroundings.
Have some music always playing in the background, it really lifts the
atmosphere. You will find lots of ideas here. Blessings, Laurie.

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* Great for after Easter, Resurrection themed lesson!

NEW-LIFE PUPPET patterns, these puppets turn inside out to change from a
tadpole to frog, or a caterpillar to butterfly puppet. Easy to make and
children will learn about becoming new creatures in Christ! Get a free
puppet skit to go with the puppets at: www.ChristianCrafters.Com - In
our Curriculum section.

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2) Daniel Song?

I am looking for the words and tune to a song called "Dare to be a
Daniel." Can anyone help me? Thank you. Sherry, Indiana

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3) Easter Songs

I use the Heavens Sake Kids series, or Change My Heart O God tapes, my
kids love them and I have the same age group as you do I also use Matt Neely
songs Matt Neely and Storysong Ministries He has some great messages and
lots of wonderful songs. There is also Alan Root, you can check out some
of his song on his web sight we are doing several with sign lang. that he
provides on a video tape that he has The official webpage of ALAN ROOT!
the next place I like is Kidz Blitz Zone or the cold water cafe' for
children's ministers, a great pick me up! If you need any more, oh wait
Dramatix drama page you can get plays here, well if you need anything else
don't hesitate to email I have had to research so much being a novice in
teaching that I have acquired lots of great pages, stories, plays and other
fun things for them to do. Good Luck and may God light your path on your
way to wonderful programs for children. In Christ, Diana Myers, Children's
Coordinator First United Methodist Church, Hughes Springs.

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4) A Jelly Bean Witness - recyclable craft idea!

You've heard of the Jelly Bean Prayer? I've rewritten the prayer, inspired
by the Wordless Book theme, but I've added a few more colors to it. Check
it out in the Craft section at: ChristianCrafters.Com
You can print out the Jelly Bean Witness label to color and glue to an
empty baby food jar, then fill with jelly beans and give as Easter gifts.
Blessings! Sarah Keith, your moderator. <><

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5) Ideas to bring children to church

We have actually started a club for the grade school age kids in our
church. Ours meets after school, so the children ride the bus to our
facility. The excitement is contagious, as they leave school Wednesday
afternoons, others hear them talk about the plays they do, the games they
play, and the food they eat. We started with 10 and have had as many as
29. The program is only a couple of months old. We are very excited about
the growth potential. Our church is ultra small, about 30 in regular
attendance, so they kids group is almost as big again as our regular
church services. Many of the kids who were brought in though the club also
attend sunday school and church now. May God Bless You and keep you
encouraged. Jesus said that we are to welcome the children and not hinder
them form coming to him. You will be blessed.

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6) Samson and Delilah

Snack Idea? Try making or buying a lion container (I used a pattern to
from pack-of-fun magazine to turn a cereal box into a lion's body) and
filling it with honey combs. I hid the clues to Samson's riddle on index
cards (2 sets of cards in diffrent colors, one word per card) in the
church. I divided the children into two groups, by color, and had them
search their assigned area for the words to the riddle. Then they did a
race to see who could find the words, find the scripture reference, and
put the verses together in order first. Then when they were finished and
had the answer to Sampson's riddle I served them dry Honeycombs (honey-nut
Cherrios would have worked as well) from the lion container. They thought
it was really neat. They had a lot of fun.

Group Publishing has a book of Unforgetable Hands On Bible Story
Activities that suggest "Sampson Tag" where one child is bindfolded and
the other children walk around saying "Delilah". The blindfolded child has
to find the other children by the sound of their voices and tag them. This
same book also has a great little skit that you do with a broom and a mop
(Sampson and Delilah faces attached) that is adorable and after the skit
is over, the kids cut Samson's mop hair and tie a string around their
finger to wear through the week to remind them to obey. Hope this helps.

--from SSTN: Group's book is in the Christian Ed section of the Bookstore
at: ChristianCrafters.com

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7) Collecting Offering Ideas?

Hello, Instead of passing the little brown envelope around Sunday school
each morning, we are looking for new and cool ways to collect offering
each Sunday morning. It could be for each individual classroom, or a neat
way for all of the kids to deposit their offering on the way in to their
new Christian education wing of the church. Any neat suggestions or
ideas? Thanks Laura, Indiana

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8) Heaven?

The Children's Division of our church will be presenting a program on
heaven for the Adult church.

There are 5 groups: 2-4 year old, 5-7 year old, 8-10 year old, 10-13 year
old and 14-16 year old. Does anyone have an idea on how do present this
program from a child's point of view to adults? Maybe a hands on idea to
illustrate heaven. I would also like to share a site that I have found
with great ideas, it can be found at www.heritagebuilders.com

Thank you to Sarah for a great site. How about a photo of you somewhere on
Christian Crafters.com so that we all can see how the woman behind the
site looks! God bless, Liezl Fotiadis, South Africa

--from SSTN: Hi Liezl...If you really want to see my mug...there are two
pics in the site. If you click the link to 'Chrismon Trees', you'll see me
with my beautiful family in 1994. (My kids are much bigger now. My oldest,
is 16 now and taller than me!) Then click the picture to read my testimony
and there's another pic. ;o)) Your co-laborer in HIM, Sarah <><

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9) Sunday School Classes?

Dear Sarah, I really enjoy your newsletters and web site. As a new
Children's Department Director, it has been very helpful. We have been
very blessed at our church during the last year and have seen our
Children's Department grow from 20 to 60 children. The problem I am having
is this: Our Promotion Sunday is coming up in June. We are having to
split up a class that has been together for a long time. It is the
Primary Ages, grades 1-3. We currently have 18 children in this age
group. How would you suggest separating these children? We have 5 first
graders, 9 second graders, and 4 third graders. As we are seeing growth
almost on a weekly basis, we want to make the classes small in June, and
allow room for more children. The teacher who currently teaches the first
graders wants to leave all of these children together, and this creating a
HUGE problem. I am praying about this and know that I will receive an
answer, and would like your suggestions. Thank you and God Bless You for
providing this site. Susan Cook, Forest Grove Church, Knoxville, TN

--from SSTN: we had the same type of 'problem' in our church a few years
back. But it was more the parents wanting their children to stay together,
as opposed to the teachers. I would explain the reasons as to why you
believe it is necessary to split, and that to prolong the split is only to
prolong the crowding issue. Also, of major importance, at what age then do
you finally split these kids up? Many churches have to combine wide age
ranges due to many factors, cost, lack of teachers, etc. But, if your
church is able to have more classes, then I believe it is best to do so,
because children in 3rd grade are developmentally much further along than
1st graders. Some curriculums, such as Gospellight, combines ages. But it
is a two year combination. For example, I use Planet 5/6 for 5th and 6th
graders. Blessings to you as you lead. Sarah <><

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10) Recyclable craft--Candle Jars

It would make a good Mother's Day gift for kids to bring home.

Need: small baby food jars, salt, colored tissue paper, white glue, tea
candles.

Pour some white glue into a margarine container and add a tiny bit of
water to thin it. Use a paint brush (or a cut bit of sponge clipped in a
clothespin) to cover the outside of the jar with the thinned glue. Cover
the now-gluey jar with bits of colored tissue paper. (Encourage the kids
to make a thin layer--then the light will come through better.) Next,
while your glue is still wet, roll your jar in a plate of salt. This
adds a textured sparkle. If you want, have some pretty ribbon to tie
around the top. Set them aside to dry, and before the children take them
home, make sure each one has a tea candle in it. This craft spans a wide
age bracket--very young children can smear glue and tear tissue paper,
but older children will be pleased with how pretty their craft looks.

Crafting tip: The color on art tissue paper runs when it gets wet, and
gets all over fingers and clothes. This won't happen if you use
gift-wrap tissue paper or the top layer of pretty napkins.
This is a great craft to make if you are teaching children to be the
"salt and light of the world." Happy crafting!
Dana Gagnon-St. Clair Shores, MI

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Have you visited the 'FREE FEATURED RESOURCES' section for April?

It's only some of the new stuff...so check out all the other new ideas!

Find it on the home page of: www.ChristianCrafters.Com

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11) Mints-Simple fundraising idea

Here's a very simple fundraising idea that's working well for my group
right now. We keep a box of Altoid mint tins and a box of less-expensive
rolls of Breathsaver mints on the table in the back of our sanctuary with
a sign advertising the fundraiser and mentioning the price of the mints.
We buy our mints at Costco. (We charge $2 for Altoids, 75 cents for
Breathsavers.) I also covered a check box with wrapping paper, cut a
slit in the top, and labeled it for folks to put their money in. I had
doubts when we started this, but the mint boxes are always empty and the
money box is always full--so I guess we must be filling a need at my church. :)
Dana Gagnon-St. Clair Shores, MI

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12) Hosanna Song

I have been teaching the children Hosanna. You start with your arms low
and sing:

ho ho ho hosana
ha ha ha leluia (arms get higher)
he he he is risen (arms get higher)
praise his Holy name! (clap your hands above your head)

Each time you sing this you get faster, and faster. The kids love it.
The melody is hard to describe but is very easy and catchy or you could
make up your own just by saying the words. By the way, Amen was written by
Jester Harrison of the old Amos and Andy Show. God bless, Joni

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