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SSTN # 23 - February 24, 2003


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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:


--> God's Top 10 - Understanding God's Love...

1) Rotation Pros and Cons
2) ZONK...The fun way to review kids
3) Rotation Pros and Cons
4) No Eggs...Easter idea 

--> Egg-shaped Easter Story Cards

5) Help with 6th grade boys?
6) Sign language videos?
7) Vacation Bible Cruise?
8)  Adopting Twins

--> W.W.J.S.? Gospel Catchers

9) Crafts for Three Year Olds?
10) Musical Bells   
11) Ten commandments   
12) Used curriculum to give away
13) Prayer Ideas
14) Superintendent Needing Help   
15) Black History month and the Bible


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God's Top 10 - Understanding God's Love In The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments contain many "Do Nots". They teach us God’s holy
standard and show us how far we fall short of his perfection. But they are
more than this; in these "Do Nots", one can find a positive message: a
message of God’s love. (Developed by Sarah Keith for Kindergarten to 5th
grade) Follow the link below to learn more:

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


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1) Rotation Pros and Cons   

Rotation Sunday School is a great idea when you have the support and a
decent amount of children to carry it out.

This is our second year of doing it and it is not quite what we have
planned on.
With a roster of 24 children, the children are varried in ages (3 yrs - 12
yrs) we never know how many will show up on any given Sunday. It is
impractical to break the children into age appropriate groups with one
child in the group. It did work out when there were 4 or 5 children in
each group. We could do puppetry with pre-k &  K,  while 1st & 2nd watched
the movie, 3rd and 4th grade "listened to the lesson " acted out by the
teacher in the appropriate costume, 4th and 5th did either a craft or food
projct to correspond to the lesson. When the month had 5 Sundays we did a
whole group activity on the lesson. We also always had on hand other whole
group activities  that could be pulled out when attendance was poor. Also
in case there was no appropriate movie or puppet story we did a lesson on
the computer with the children.
Keep in mind it is hard to break all the projects down into something they
all can handle, sometimes coloring sheets of the apostles or made up
coloring books of parables can be passed out to the little ones if the
craft is to over their heads.
Keep in mind about any food allergies that your students have and wwork
appropriately.
Hope This Helps. SAL-Bethlehem Lutheran- Chicago

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2) ZONK...The fun way to review kids

This game is in a book published by Sword of the Lord Publishers
(Murfreesboro, TN).  I cannot think of the author, he wrote "I Can't Wait
To Get To SS" and "Why Can't I Get these Kids to Listen?"  I have the
books in my office if you need the name.

Teresa

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3) Rotation Pros and Cons

We are offering a class on this at our annual Children's Ministry Workshop
(Feb 22) in the Houston area.  If Bebop wants to contact me I can give her
info. The people teaching the class re form East Texas.

Teresa  - faithcmw@aol.com

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4) No Eggs...Easter idea

> from SSTN # 9 - January 22, 2003

The Bible tells us there is nothing new under the sun!  It is so true. We
think we come up with something totally unique and find the Lord has
impressed it on other people too!

Teresa

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Egg-shaped Easter Story Cards

Ten Egg-shaped cards that tell the Easter Story - When the cards
are cut, colored and assembled, players can play Easter Egg Scramble and
learn the Easter Story! Reproducible so your whole class can make a set!

In the Curriculum section: 
http://www.christiancrafters.com/curriculum.html 


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5) Help with 6th grade boys?

Hi my name is Diane and I teach 6th grade religion on Saturdays.  I have
mostly girls but I also have 2 boys who think the class is boring because
everything I do is geared toward girls.  Does anyone have any suggestions?
One of them loves to draw.  thank you so much God bless you.

--from SSTN: I taught 5/6th grade boys for many years and loved it! You
can do big bold activities with them, games, and even crafts. Check out my
games and crafts page. There are many activities listed that were tried
out on "my boys"!  http://www.ChristianCrafters.Com
Your sister in Jesus, Sarah Keith <><

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6) Sign language videos?

I am Patti from NM.  I am trying to find videos demonstrating sign
language to songs for children.  My youth choir wants to attempt to sign songs, but
I have zero resources.

Thanks,
Patti

--from SSTN: for those responding, please include product/ISBN codes so I
can locate for the Bookstore. Thanks! Sarah <><

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7) Vacation Bible Cruise?

Good Morning, My Church is trying to come up with different ideas for
Vacation Bible School. And the theme we've adopted is Vacation Bible
Cruise. Any help as to making this event a success please let me know.

Thanks Lynn Clemons

--from SSTN: type in "ocean" and "water" into the Archives search box.
You'll find some great ideas there:
http://christiancrafters.com/archives.html 


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8) Adopting Twins

A wonderful resource for parents of twins is a local "Mothers of Twins
Club". Hospitals often have information on local clubs, or you can often
find information on one in your area on the internet. I have twins who are
5 years old, and I am still learning so much from other mothers of twins.
Your church might consider buying a membership for the family and provide
babysitting for the nights they meet (usually one evening a month).
Karen Burzinski
Milwaukee, WI

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W.W.J.S.? Gospel Catchers

There's something much worse than cooties...it's called sin!  Now kids can
make Gospel Catchers rather than Cootie Catchers! A fun and innovative way
for kids to learn to share their faith with their friends!  Includes 4
Gospel Catcher patterns to make: the Colors of Christ (Gospel Colors), the
Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, and the Promises of God. Follow this
link to learn more:

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


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9) Crafts for Three Year Olds?

I currently teach a 3 year old Sunday School Class.  This can be extremely
challenging.  Especially when I try to come up with an easy craft.  At
this age, my helpers and I tend to do most of the craft ourselves.  I know
that they would find it more rewarding, if they could show mommy and daddy
something that they made with their own little hands.  Any suggestions
would be very much appreciated.

Thank you,
Debbie Evans

--from SSTN: check out the Pray and Play Bible in the Bibles section of
our bookstore. It is a great resource!
http://www.christiancrafters.com/bookstore.html 

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10) Musical Bells   

I responded to someone wanting to know where our church purchased the
Colored Musical Bells.  I forgot to way one thing.  There is only 8 bells
in a box.  We purchased 2 boxes because we have more the 8 kids sometimes.
It works out o.k. with 2 kids having the same colored bells to ring
together.

Another suggestion:  The colored note that has the most rings to a song.
Usually the older child plays them.  The few rings to a song a 1st graders
picks them up real well.

RS, Dillsboro, IN

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11) Ten commandments   

In response to ways to teach the ten commandments...I found the song "The
Perfect 10" is great for small children. My son learned it in preschool
when he was only about 3 and now that he is 20 he still knows the song and
can name all commandments in order. I believe it is by Cedarmont Kids
Classics.

You can also play a game with 2 dice and type up each of the commandments
on index cards (one set for each child or team playing). Have the children
take turns rolling the dice and whatever number shows up they get the card
for that commandment but in order to keep it they have to "say the
commandment without turning the card over." If they roll doubles they get
another turn and if they roll eleven they get commandment # 1. The first
person (or team) to get all ten commandments wins.

Sherry J.

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12) Used curriculum to give away

Hello, my church has a fairly large amount of older Sunday School material
that we need to get rid of.  I hate to throw it away if there is someone
out there who could use it.  It mostly is RBP.  If anyone would like to
have it, they are welcome to it.  I would package it for shipping but you
would need to pay for the shipping.
In Christ, Valerie
VKH8752@bjc.org

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13) Prayer Ideas

>I will be teaching a unit on prayer, focusing on the Lord's Prayer, to
>2nd and 3rd >graders.  Any favorite books, activities, etc. that you
>would recommend?

For a quick beginning activity, write out the Lord's Prayer and cut apart,
either by word, phrases or verses, depending on how many pieces you will
need. (An easy way to write it out would be on adding machine tape!) As
the children come in, give them a section and get them to stand up around
the room and put the prayer in order.

You can also just have them put it together on a bulletin board or mount
on a piece of foam board for future reference.

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14) Superintendent Needing Help   

Re. someone saying that an appointed Superintendent was not doing his job,
but no one could tell him what he was supposed to do.

I was selected 9 years ago. One of the first things I did was change the
name to SCS Co-Ordinator, because I felt that better described what I
would be doing. Two responses came to mind: go back to the person
(council, committee, whichever) who "appointed" you. Tell them you have
been told you have not been doing the job well enough. Ask them to write
down aa brief job description, a list of what they expected you do to when
you were appointed. Then go back to the person/people who are telling you
that you are not doing your job. Ask them to help you, work with you,
guide you. Either they will, or you won't hear from them again.For me,
also, there was no "job description." Luckily, the Pastor and the Parish
Assistant walked me though the first year. I began writing down everything
I was doing, and later devided that into "monthly" "weekly," "seasonal."
I also have short version. I will you both at your email address.


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15) Black History month and the Bible

If we are all the same in God's eyes -- why do a board on Black History
month?  To be fair you would also have to do a board on white history,
Hispanic history, Vietnamese history, etc.  None of the people in the
Bible were any of these races. Why not do a Feb board on the love of God
and how He loves us all?
Teresa


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