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SSTN # 20 - February 25, 2005
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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:
1) Home Schooling
2) Easter Scenes / Skits
3) Used Curriculum
He's Risen Egg Holders
4) Home School Help
5) Gospel "Magic"
6) Crown craft
7) Home-schooling ADHD
Egg-Shaped Easter Story Cards
8) Creating A Foundation
9) New Testament books song
10) Prodigal Son ideas
11) Stoning of Stephen Craft?
12) Soldier Helmets
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1) Home schooling
Hello,
My son also has special learning needs and a seizure disorder in
addition. During a recent medication adjustment he needed to stay home
for 2 months. I ordered from ABeka books. They have Christian workbooks
in all subject areas. These books are great, they incorporate God into
the subject areas and my kids love working in them. Pray this helps.
Have a blessed day!
God Bless,
Mariann
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2) Easter Scenes / Skits
To Florence
Our Sunday School doesn't do Easter Skits exactly but for the last few
years we've done something a little different. We chose scenes to present
to our congregation.
In 2003 we presented the Palm Sunday street scene to our congregation
after our service when they gathered for coffee and friendship in the
parish house. It was a live scene sort of like a live nativity. "Jesus"
sat on a borrowed wooden hobby horse (our donkey) as he rode into
Jerusalem. The "townspeople" waved palm leaves (our altar guild got us
real palm leaves but you can use anything.) Some of the children placed
their cloaks on the ground in front of Jesus' donkey. We had a narrator
who told the Easter story and then the children sang "Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho,
Hosanna" sung to the tune of 10 little Indians. The costumes for
Christmas pageants can be used for Easter also and could be done in the
church service.
In 2004 our new minister invited us to participate in the reading of the
Passion during the service on Palm Sunday. He had people in the
congregation read different parts. When it came to the Garden of
Gethsemane, our "Jesus" and 3 "apostles" went to the altar rail to depict
the Agony in the Garden. Then the "townspeople" lined the main aisle as
"Jesus" carried the cross toward the altar. We had Mary Magdalene, the
Virgin Mary, Simon of Cyrene, Veronica with her veil and soldiers. The
beautiful cross was made by a parishioner and was not huge and very light
so the children could carry it. Other things can be used also.
I believe our children are getting a better understanding of what Jesus
went through and of the meaning of this season by participating in this
way. We are going to do it again this year.
Gloria Burnley
Sunday School Superintendent
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
King George, Va
sgbburn@rsonline.net
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3) Used Curriculum
Please relay this e-mail to:
Tracy Eubanks
Unity Baptist Church
302 Foxspring Ave
Flemingsburg KY 41041
RE: Used Curriculum
My church uses: Boyd's National Publishing Sunday School Literature,
Adult, Teen Scene, Adventurers In Jesus (ages 9-11), Young Learners
(ages 4-8). Please e-mail me @ jacopo@earthlink.net if you are
interested in all or just the youth literature.
You are welcome to any and all literature.
May God Bless You
Janice
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He's Risen Egg Holders
Use a child-friendly Bible and the twelve "He's Risen Egg Holders" to tell
the Easter story. Each egg picture is numbered to correspond with its
explanation. Reproducible so your class can make their own set. Get a
complimentary "Palm Branches" pattern with explanations at:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/craft_eggholders.html
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4) Home School Help
This is for Elizabeth wanting home school help for a curriculum. Your
local library should have a book called Christian Educator's Home School
Manual by Cathy Duffy. The book lists suggested curriculums to order for
the Home School Educator based on Elementary/Junior/Senior age groups, as
well as, breaking the curriculums down by Language Arts, Math, Science,
Etc. You may also be able to contact a local Home School group or
Christian School to find out the curriculums they use or suggest for you
and your children. I hope this info. will help you.
In Christ,
Kim
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5) Gospel "Magic"
>>- - - what we don't have, and will never have, is what
>> you have called "gospel magic",
It is unfortunate that some people use the term 'gospel magic'. It is
better to talk about 'illusions', or even 'tricks.' Teachers should never
give children the impression that what they see is 'magic' , and if there
is any doubt at all, they should make it clear that there is always a
rational explanation for what the children have observed.
Having said that, I believe that we should strive to be like Paul, who
became "all things to all men" that he might win some for the Lord. In
these days of fast paced multi-media presentations, I believe that the use
of well thought out, relevant, illusions are one of the most effective
ways of getting a child's attention and helping them understand Biblical
truths.
I was recently passing a teenager in the street (he looked about 15 or
16). He stopped and said "I remember you. You used to teach 'Bible' at my
school." I agreed that I did, and he replied "You used to teach us lots of
tricks. I still remember some of them." Rather disappointed, I asked if
that was all he remembered. He replied "Oh no. It is because of those
Bible lessons that I now go to church."
If anyone has reservations about using illusions as part of their lessons,
can I suggest you read the article "Should a Christian do Magic or
Conjuring" by Robert Hill. It can be found on http://www.kidology.org/ ,
or you can email me for a copy.
Maurice Sweetsur
mnmsweetsur@xtra.co.nz
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6) Crown craft
You'll find a new Crown craft idea in the Paper Plates section of the
Creative Challenge - recycled page at:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/creative_challenge.html
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7) Home-schooling ADHD
Hi Sarah,
I noticed a few postings about homeschooling kids with ADHD and wanted to
put in my 2 cents. I have a 14-yr-old who is actually an adopted drug
baby, but I got him at 6 weeks old, so he is deeply bonded to us. He is
EXTREMELY hyper and was even in the drug study for Concerta, which works
great for him.
I also used scripture memory in conjunction with other curriculum.
Computer curriculum didn't work because ADHD kids are extremely
intelligent and he could figure out the program and get 100%! Workbooks
worked best for him because he could work at his own pace. I would give
him a minimum, say 6 pages a day and he nearly always overachieved my
minimum. I did have to insist that he write neatly.
For the last 2 years he has attended public school and made honor roll.
The foundation God laid through my homeschooling has resulted in a guy my
church thinks is just awesome and they are largely unaware of his ADHD. I
am the Children's Miinistry Director and he is my #1 helper -- he has the
energy and skill to deal with the kids and is a great role model.
To all the moms, I want to encourage you to stay the course, God will
bless you, and praise to Jesus we have such extraordinary (though
challenging) gifts from God! They are perfect in His eyes!
Gail
Wildomar, California
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Egg-Shaped Easter Story Cards
When the cards are cut, colored and assembled, players can play Easter Egg
Scramble and discover a secret Easter message! With two black and white
"cross" and "resurrection" drawings to color! Reproducible so your whole
class can make a set!
Find them in the Curriculum section at:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/curriculum.html
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8) Creating A Foundation
>I am looking for ideas on teaching our children's church about having a
>strong foundation for God.
Sister Annette:
There are a couple of websites that I use often in teaching. One is
www.msssbible.com When I taught about creating a foundation I used the
parable of the Wise man and the foolish man using materials from Sarah's
wonderful parable book as well as the above website and also my own
personal experience of growing up in the church...then getting older and
thinking I knew everything.then realizing I didn't..but I always knew I
had a safe place to go and God would welcome me back home with open
arms. The above website has pulled many great resources for Old and New
Testament and the church as a whole. Another good site is
www.sermons4kids.com
they have some wonderful short sermons with great visual aids.
I hope this helps and to God be the glory
A servant of Christ,
Sister Cynthia
P.S. On a personal note I am asking all to keep our Pastor in your
prayers. He is very ill and we believe his kidneys are failing..he has
been going through hospilizations and testing for about 2 months now. It
is an extreme hardship on the family and hard for our church.
May God continue to bless you Sarah for creating such a useful tool for
us!!!
--from SSTN: thank you, Cynthia. Please keep me in your prayers.
ysic, sarah.
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9) New Testament books song
Hello Lana,
My Sunday school class is also working on learning the books of the New
Testament. I have a CD I bought some time ago called Wee Sing Bible
Songs. On this CD is a song for helping kids learn N.T. books and also a
song for helping them learn the O.T. books. I was able to burn copies of
this CD and gave one to each child(or family)along with a note to the
parents explaining that they could help their kids learn the books of the
Bible by using the songs on the CD. You should be able to find Wee Sing
Bible Songs at your local Christian bookstore. It's fairly inexpensive,
and it has other songs on it too that are good for Sunday school. Hope
this helps.
Carol
--from SSTN: You can find the Wee Sing songs in our Bookstore - Music
section:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/bookstore.html
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10) Prodigal Son ideas
The Ring the father gave his son is representative of our parents giving
us a gift at a party. It also represents the gift Jesus gives us of
Forgiveness and Love. We have made rings out of wire. Take around 3
inches of wire...anycolor ..you can buy gold and silver at Wal-Mart..not
too stiff...or you can use telephone wire that has all those
great colors. Twist about 5 strands of 3 inch wire in the middle...wrap
it
around your ring finger and twist..then take each strand and make a spiral
so that it lays flat...do this for each piece of wire and you have a
flower
ring. Easy..inexpensive..something the child will keep and remember that
no matter what we do our parents still love us and Jesus does too.
Another idea is to have the children act out the story...and then have a
big party with snacks at the end to help them remember that Jesus
Celebrates when we come back to him.
In His Love:
Julie in Knoxville, TN
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11) Stoning of Stephen Craft?
For the first time we are going to be teaching our Sonbeams Sunday School
Class (ages 2-4) about Saul's participation in the stoning of Stephen. I
assist by preparing the crafts for the lessons. I would appreciate any
advice on an appropriate craft. All ideas and suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks in advance. Karen (RousseKaren@aol.com).
--from SSTN: I would reconsider teaching this topic to this age group. I
realize I do not know how you will present it, but it seems to me that a
craft that would coordinate with the stoning of Stephen is not
appropriate, especially for this age group.
Your webservant,
Sarah Keith <><
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12) Soldier Helmets
You can find an easy Soldier helmet made from poster board on Danielle's
Place, just type it into your favorite search engine, and you should have
no trouble finding it.
If you are looking to purchase helmets, you may want to try local dollar
stores, online dollar stores, E-bay, or Oriental Trading company.
Hope this helps!
Love in Christ,
Sarah in California
--from SSTN: you can find Danielle's place in our links section at:
http://www.ChristianCrafters.Com
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