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SSTN # 41 - May 19, 2006
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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:
Pentecost Sunday Craft
1) Candyland VBS
2) Showing Appreciation
3) Youth Group
4) Survivor VBS?
Jesus Ascending Craft
5) Memorizing Psalm 23
6) Threes Company Ice Breaker Game
7) Old Bibles Into Angels
8) Youth Group
9) Growing In God's Word
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Pentecost Sunday Craft
A great activity to accompany lessons on the giving of the Holy Spirit and
formation of the early church. You can find it listed in the "Easy Make N'
Take" downloads section at:
http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/curriculum.html
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1) Candyland VBS
Sharon,
Thanks for your help. I have never heard of these 2 songs so I looked
them up. Found the lyrics to Sandyland but not to Apple Red Happiness.
What is the tune to Sandyland. Message is Day 1-Lord Licorice (black)the
sin in our lives. Day 2-Mr. Mint (red)-the blood of Jesus. Day 3-Queen
Frostine (white)-Jesus washes whiter than snow. Day 4-Jolly
(green)-growing in Christ. Day 5-Princess Lolly (yellow-gold)-Kingdom of
Heaven....
Nancy
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2) Showing Appreciation
I was surprised to hear about someone from Canada complaining. I am not
sure what it was about I missed the article. But it sounded like it was
about researching material for Sunday School and about the Archives. I am
also from Canada and I enjoy the network, the newsletter is always so
interesting and Sharah Keith works so hard on supplying information. I
have used the archives and found them helpful though it is difficult to
know what is in them so you have to randomly pick. It would be difficult
to show a subject in the title I think because their are so many. I found
it really interesting but it requires alot of time. I never have any
problems with research. I use alot of web sites. But not all of them are
as helpful as Sarah's site. It is obvious that she has the wellbeing of
children on her mind and getting the bible message through. I have enjoyed
reading different crafts and activities that Sarah Keith comes up with. I
think she should be praised for the excellent jobs she does and her
friendly disposition. Some areas are not what you are looking for but
others are and give you ideas even if you don't use the specific craft
shown. I feel that it is a honour to receive e-mails and to be able to
browes through the SundaySchool Web Site. Keep up the Good Work Sarah, you
are always trying to improve things.
Being Thankful Betty from Canada.
--from SSTN: Hi Betty: Thank you. One correction, you don't have to
randomly select from the archives. You can search out specific topics
using the search engine box. Check it out. There's one on the home page
and the archives page:
http://www.SundaySchoolNetwork.com
Blessings,
Sarah <><
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3) Youth Group
Our Youth Group is for 6th grade and up. They meet on the 4th Sunday of
the month. They learn scriptures, play games and practice a skit. Once
every 3 months they plan the worship service with the pastor and do
everything for the service except the sermon. The pastor gears the sermon
to go with the skit the kids do. We started with 5 kids and in the last 2
years have grown to over 30 teens. We invite anyone who wants to come,
even if they don't come to church. In January, we go to a Youth Festival
in Ocean City, MD that has youth from several states come. There is Gospel
Rock groups and speakers and it goes for the whole weekend. The teens
really enjoy being away without the rest of the family and several kids
have been saved on those weekends. It is a little expensive, but we do car
washes and dinners for fund raisers, so all kids can come even if they
can't afford it. It is amazing to see teens who have never known Jesus
become believers and be saved. It is a wonderful weekend, alot of fun, but
very emotional. Terri in MD
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4) Survivor VBS?
First let me say I love the newsletter. We have a youth group that we
started almost a year ago. We have very few workers that are willing to
donate their time to helping. After we went from 6 kids to 38 (praise
God), we had to come up with a new curricullum. So we divided the youth
into three groups, by age. They all wanted to have vacation bible school,
but like I said we have a shortage of workers. So we decided to do our
Wednesday nights like VBS. The kids love it, we even had some ask if we
could have it every night. What I need is any VBS ideas that we can use.
We want to do Survivor Temptation Island, I have already got the one from
the Sunday School Network, but I need more to go with it so it can last
for several weeks. If anyone has anything to go with this, I sure would
appreciate it. Also any other VBS material or ideas would be greatly
appreciated. Thankyou and God Bless, Kathy My email address is
kat91155@hotmail.com
--from SSTN: for those interested, you can find Survivor at:
http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/sermons.html
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Jesus Ascending Craft
Great for Easter follow up and Ascension Sunday. You can find it listed in
the "Easy Make N' Take" downloads section at:
http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/curriculum.html
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5) Memorizing Psalm 23
One of my earliest childhood memories is of the Twenty-Third Psalm. When
my mom would tuck me in at night she would say the Twenty-Third Psalm,
then pray with me. Eventually I could say it with her. I was only four
years old at the time, yet I had memorized the entire passage! If God's
Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, then Scripture
memorization should be at ....
To get the rest of this lesson series, go to the following
page:
http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/lesson_23Psalm.html
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6) Threes Company Ice Breaker Game
Write a word on an index card. The word must be a word that comes in 3's
such as Larry, Moe & Curly. At the bottom of the card, write the ...
To get the rest of this ice breaker game, find it in the Bible Games
section at:
http://www.SundaySchoolNetwork.com
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7) Old Bibles Into Angels
Q: I have seen old wornout bibles---by folding each page---transformed
into
beautiful angels. Does anyone have a pattern?
A: Wixee: You can turn books into angels easily.
* Skirt is formed by folding the top edge of the page downwards and into
the center of the binding. (to make a triangular shape.) Begin in the
center of the book.
* Wings are formed by folding the bottom edge of the book upwards and into
the binding. Begin at the front and back of the book.
* You will need more skirt pages than wings.
* Faces can be made from anything: Styrofoam ball and doll hair - to
- purchased doll heads. Arms optional.
~~Vicki Logan, Indiana
--from SSTN: a picture is worth a thousand words. If you got one,
it can be posted to the site.
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8) Youth Group
I have never posted here before, but wanted to reply to “Youth Group.”
When we first started attending our current church, there was a “youth
director” but really not much of a youth group- they met erratically and
really weren’t a very engaged group. When that youth director left, I
volunteered to meet with the group until a new director was found.
When I started working with them, I thought it was important to let the
kids decide what they wanted to do, so we had a couple of meetings where I
brought ideas and they liked all the ideas, but they really didn’t have
many of their own ideas. So, I just started making a schedule of
activities and just had the youth “approve” them and off we went. Here
are things I found:
It doesn’t matter how small your group is (ours ranged from 3 to 8)- you
should meet regularly and plan something to do every week. Even if you
change only one youth’s life, it is worth it.
Kids love enthusiastic leaders. I was pretty good at that, but one year,
I asked for help from a very enthusiastic person who made everything seem
like the funnest thing ever. I did the planning and organizing and she
got the kids excited about it.
Getting people involved is good for the kids and the other people. We
have some expert stampers who helped the kids make cards, a lady who
helped them make pine cone wreaths, an international student who talked to
them about being a Christian in Korea, a couple active in the Jail
ministry who talked about evangelism, a college student who planned a
weekend mission trip for us, a woman who planned a ski trip for the kids,
a woman who gave a drama workshop when we were preparing a play for the
children, and so on. I think there is still a special relationship
between the kids and those people that wasn’t there before.
Tell the church about what you are doing- we periodically made
announcements in church and then got a bulletin board that we put up in
the entrance way and wrote what we were going to be doing each week.
Teenagers may act like they are too old for crafts- but you never really
are. If you call the craft a service activity, they especially love it
(we made lap blankets, candy, and decorations for our members in
retirement centers, cards for men overseas, etc). Crafts are also
terrific fund raisers (cooking together for a bake sale, making candles to
sell, etc.)
Times are different than when I was a teenager. Kid’s lives are full of
lots of other activities- try to find a time that conflicts with as few
other things as possible and don’t get your feelings hurt if the
volleyball game has to come first some weeks. We finally chose right
after church for lunch and then some activity.
Have fun. Though study and service is important, I think the real value
of youth group is to help kids see the church as an important part of
their life, now and for the future, and to provide Christian friends and
role models.
Well, to end the story, it’s three years later, and we finally got a new
Youth Director in January. She inherited a small, yet enthusiastic group
and is doing a great job.
Donna Flint
First Presbyterian Church of Brookings, SD
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9) Growing In God's Word
I am embarassed by the reply of a fellow Canadian.
I feel the need to apologize for the crass and unjustified comments......
Dear Trudy, (and Shawna)
I have not read such a vicious reply on this site before, I was truly
shocked and began praying that Shawna doesn't *ever* see your reply.
When I read Shawna's mail, I saw someone who needed help, encouragement
and support, *not *judgement, disdain, and reprimands. I'm glad there are
some other Christians out there who saw the same and have responded with
ideas.
We all need help and support sometimes. I hope that when *you* hit rough
patches, you have the support that you need and ask for. As brothers and
sisters in Christ, we are supposed to do that.
As Christians, I thought we were supposed to be trying to be like Jesus.
Do you think Jesus would have reponded in that way? Not even a prostitute
caught in the act received his condemnation. Nor did Judas, or Peter,
both of whom betrayed Him.
If you don't have any ideas to offer, that's not a problem, someone else
is bound to have them they are willing to share. But do we really need to
respond to kick a person when they are already down?
Maybe Shawna does owe Sarah an apology, maybe not I don't know. But
perhaps those of you who have judged and condemned Shawna, owe her, all of
us, and God an apology????
How can anyone grow in Christ when they are spurned by fellow Christians
when they ask for help????
It is *not* our job to be judging others. We are commanded to *love* one
another and leave the judging to God.
I hope Shawna receives the help she needs, and I pray God grants all of us
the grace we need to treat everyone in a manner pleasing to Him.
Shawna, keep trusting in God and doing His work. He will not desert you,
He will carry you through if you lean on Him.
Sarah, this is a fabulous resource site, keep up the good work.
Your sister in Christ,
Julie
Australia
--from SSTN: Thank you, Julie. No apologies needed to me. I do however
hope to put this stream of postings to rest.
Yours in ministry together,
Sarah Keith.
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