The Sunday School Teacher's Network Newsletter - Great ideas for children's ministry!


The Place for Christian Education Communication Ranking #1 among Christian education websites! Children need the Lord...teach them about Jesus!
Issue #45 - October 28, 2008 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. ~ Jesus
To reply or to post a new topic: Please TITLE your email to reflect the content of your message. When replying, highlight the text that is pertinent to your response, then hit reply. NEED PRAYER? Visit our Prayer Board. Scroll to the bottom of the newsletter for details.
In this issue of the SSTN Newsletter: Scroll down the page to view articles. 1) SSTN now ranks #1 in Christian Education! 2) Christmas Skit for Preschoolers 3) Who gets your vote on Nov. 4? 4) Combined Classes? 5) The 911 Prayer Invite your friends and coworkers to join us. Click here! 6) Call to Prayer? 7) Pre-school Christmas Play 8) Christmas Skit for Preschoolers 9) The Authentic Nativity Play	Home Search for Ideas Support SSTN PCM Discount 15% OFF Ministry Resources Bible-4-Life Curriculum Gospel Fun Activities Holidays & Holy Days Make N' Take Downloads E-books F-R-E-E Resources Bible Games Christian Crafts Christian Skits Object Talks Missions For Kids Recycling Ideas

1) SSTN now ranks #1 in Christian Education!! Hello Christian Educators, Thanks to you, and in case you missed it, according to Alexa.com, SSTN currently ranks "numero uno" (#1) among Christian Education websites! I hope you'll invite your friends, co-workers and pastors to join us too! Your webservant, Sarah Keith <>< http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com
2) Christmas Skit for Preschoolers This is in response to issue #44, post #1 about Christmas skits for preschoolers. This year I am going to be playing the song "Unto Us This Holy Night" by the Wiggles. I have a very generous lady that is going to dress Cabbage Patch Dolls for me to match the characters of the Nativity Scene. As each character is sung about in the song, a preschooler will take that doll dressed up and place it at the front of the church. When the song is all over, the preschoolers will have built a Nativity Scene right in front of everyone. I did this a few years ago. I read the scripture and the kids placed my Precious Moments Nativity Figures up on a table. This year we will do it to the song with the dressed up dolls. The kids just loved doing this. Good luck. Thanks for a WONDERFUL newsletter! God Bless. Jill Ohio --from SSTN: fantastic idea! For anyone who's interested, you can find the song for .99 cents in our affiliate bookstore, click here.	Journey to the Manger... a great gift idea for families! Pastors, directors and teachers: Volume discounts are available! Click the cover!
3) Who gets your vote on Nov. 4? Participate in our newly published poll at: http://www.sstn.org/vote.html It is so important that Christian teachers vote. Do you know that between 3 and 4 million evangelical Christians did not vote in the USA 2000 elections? We cannot complain about, or be surprised by, the spiritual decay in our world if we do not participate in the process of electing our leaders. I want to urge my fellow Christian teachers to become informed, learn about the candidates' record, and then vote for leaders (locally and nationally) whose platforms are most closely aligned with Scripture. USA teachers, exercise your right to vote on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008! Your webservant, Sarah Keith <>< SundaySchoolNetwork.com
4) Combined Classes? Regarding the respondent who said she "combined all our classes ages 4-11" Could you provide more info on what curriculum you use, your schedule, etc.? You can email me directly arthurmc@gwtc.net We have done this because of small numbers, but under one teacher (me!) and worksheets are too hard for the little ones and too boring for the older ones, etc. I also never know if there will be two kids or 12 show up. Thanks. Tanya --from SSTN: the Bible-4-Life curriculum works great for combined ages (K-5th grade): http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/Bible-4-life.html
5) The 911 Prayer Sometimes in our hectic lives we forget that prayer is our first resource - not our last resort. For yourself or your church - claim a 911 Campaign of prayer and see how God blesses. Why 911? The numbers alert us to an emergent situation. What is more emergent than a need that drops us to our knees to cry out to God? I have asked my church to use the 911 approach for inviting lost to attend worship services BEFORE Christmas, and most certainly, the urgency of our Nations leaders is at hand. 9-1-1 The 9 is for 9:00 - A.M. And 9:00 P.M. The first 1 is for 1 specific urgent matter or person The second 1 is for 1 minute --- just one minute of calling upon God with all your heart for this person, or situation. That would be requiring praying only 2 minutes a day -- but praying with all possible intensity. I heard of a church that did something similar - only 1 time a day - for 1 person - for their salvation. Their campaign was for 8 weeks before Easter. Within 2 weeks reports were coming in that a new boldness had begun in individuals to speak to lost friends and relatives. Hearts began to soften and within a month several visitors were coming from invitations. On Easter - the church was blessed to see most of those that had been prayed for sitting in the pews. Several came to Christ for salvation that day - others were saved within the next few weeks. The prayers were answered, the praise was magnified and offered up to the Heavenly Father. They called. HE answered. HE blessed them beyond what they could have ever imagined. For 1 minute of focused prayer a day for 8 weeks. Times are urgent -- 911 urgent! Do you have 2 minutes (at 9 AM and 9 PM) to cry out to God for HIS help?
6) Call to Prayer? I am interested in the article about the call to prayer and what the lady copied and is handing out. My Sunday School class is doing a section about prayer and this sounds like it might be a good addition to our curriculum. Thanks, Denice Pinder Fallon, NV --from SSTN: Hi Denice, She was referring to SSTN's article on prayer (#43). If you still have it in your inbox, you can read it there, or from the archives at: http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/archives.html Your webservant, Sarah Keith <>< SundaySchoolNetwork.com
7) Pre-school Christmas Play I may have shared this once before but it may help you as you prepare for the holidays. Memorizing can be tedious for some little ones...This skit (play) (presentation) requires no memorizing. Prepare several tee shirts using ties or hot glue as follows: Tee # 1 lots of candy canes; #2 lots of Christmas cards; #3 Christmas lights (battery operated); #4 musical notes....and so on.... You can also have children carry on stage the following: a small Christmas tree; a cut out snowman; a star; a Christmas present...and so on.... Then you could have several costumes such as: shepherd; angel; winter coat and mittens; one wrapped in tinsel from head to toe; apron and oven mitt...and so on... Finally you must have a mother Mary and baby doll (LAST but not least). Each child walks out to the microphone (one at a time allowing for laughter at times) and have them say, "Don't forget the _____. " (what ever it is they are holding or dressed as) Mary should be last and say, "But the most important thing to remember is Don't forget the baby Jesus!" Have the children come up as a group at that time and sing "Mary had a little lamb or Away in the manger" or some other song appropriate for Christmas and their age. Dianne, AL --from SSTN: very sweet.
8) Christmas Skit for Preschoolers http://www.theoneperfectgift.org/thegift.htm I wrote this skit for our S. school, and it would work well for preschoolers since they are 'props' rather than actors. Tanya --from SSTN: you can also find Tanya's skit at: http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/skit_perfect-gift.htm
9) The Authentic Nativity Play For an easy-to-produce nativity play, check out "The Authentic Nativity Play" available in our affiliate bookstore. Click here or type the title into the bookstore search box at: http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/bookstore.html
Help SSTN To Continue Your donation of one dollar a month helps to provide the Christian educational resources in the website and newsletter. To learn how you can help, go to the following webpage: http://www.SundaySchoolNetwork.com/ministry_support.html Or, write your US check or US Money Order to: S.A. Keith - Creative Imaginations (d.b.a.) Mail to: SundaySchoolNetwork.com 438 East Ilex Drive Lake Park, FL 33403 USA (In the memo section of your check write: "SSTN Subscription". Please include your email address.) Your webservant, Sarah Keith <><
ADVERTISE WITH US! Visit the following page to learn how you can advertise your business, ministry or product to over 23,000 Christian educators: http://www.SundaySchoolNetwork.com/advertising.html
SSTN Posting Guidelines: http://SundaySchoolNetwork.com/SSTN_guidelines.html
Copyright 1997 - 2008 / d.b.a. "S. A. Keith of Creative Imaginations Reproducing in any medium, commercial or noncommercial, is strictly prohibited without prior written permission. SSTN has contributors from all over the world who share their ideas. If you reprint any of the ideas from SSTN, SundaySchoolNetwork.com or ChristianCrafters.Com in any medium (websites, magazines, newsletters, etc.), you must contact the submitter, and website for reprint permissions. Any materials used must also include the submitter's name and where the ideas were gleaned from. The opinions expressed or advertisements displayed in the SSTN e-Newsletter are not necessarily endorsed by SundaySchoolNetwork.com or any of its affiliates. SSTN reserves the right to edit and or exclude information from the SSTN e-Newsletter. SundaySchoolNetwork.com \| SSTN.org \| ChristianCrafters.com \| Bible-4-Life.com ChristianTeachersNetwork.com \| Sunday-School-Lessons.com \| Bible-Lessons.net \| FreeCraftsAndGames.com
*NEED PRAYER?* SSTN has developed a Prayer Board for it's members. You may submit your requests, but while you're there, pray for others too! We ask that you guard this area and monitor it for abuses that could arise. It is not a place for gossip or for marketing products. Please respect this area. It has been set apart for you! Follow this link to begin posting your prayer requests and praying for your brothers and sisters in Christ across the world: http://sstn.org/corkboard/index.html
SUBSCRIBE -- UNSUBSCRIBE Directions To SUBSCRIBE a new email address, visit the following page at: http://www.SundaySchoolNetwork.Com/page3.html (If you are subscribing your friends, make sure you have their permission.) To UNSUBSCRIBE, scroll to the very bottom of your newsletter and click the unsubscribe link. Click here to access, and search out, past topic ideas from SSTN!