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Welcome to THE SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER'S NETWORK
**** A service of ChristianCrafters.Com ****
"For where two or three come together in my name,
there am I with them." -- Jesus
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SSTN # 46 - April 9, 2003
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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:
--> God's Top 10 - Understanding God's Love In The Ten Commandments
1) Lessons about the disciples
2) A prayer for Sunday School teachers
3) Bible Olympic Games
4) Palm Sunday Songs
5) Books of the Bible
--> Buggie For Jesus - I'm A BEE-liever!
6) Recipes in a Jar
7) Children in Adult Worship Services
8) Children's Time
9) Teen Class
10) Children in Adult service
--> Kidzoo-Shuffle Playmat Game
11) Family Day Songs
12) Children in Adult Worship Services
13) Children's time
14) State of Confusion
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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) Lessons about the disciples
>I teach 5th and 6th grade Sunday School Class and would love to
>introduce each of the 12 disciples and about each of their lives.
This book is not for your age group but would be excellent for others
looking for material in the 5-10 age bracket.
"More Instant Bible Lessons: Jesus’ Disciples" - ISBN 1-58411-017-1
Teachers will find everything they need to offer meaningful, fun lessons
in this 96-page books. Geared for ages 5-10, each volume includes
materials for eight extended sessions.
I've seen this book and it covers all 12 disciples with an assortment of
activities, from pencil activities to crafts, etc., the first 8 disciples
have an entire chapter dedicated to them, the remaining 4 have a page each
- I recommend this for anyone doing lessons on any of the disciples.
Luanne Payne
--from SSTN: this is available in our bookstore. Type
"More Instant Bible Lessons: Jesus' Disciples" into the search box:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/bookstore.html
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2) A prayer for Sunday School teachers
I was doing a Bible study one night and read Romans 6
(first 10 verses). From this study, I came up with
the following prayer for our adult prayer group. I
thought it would be nice to share with other SS
teachers. Because of its length, I only put the
beginning here. If you wish to see the whole thing,
email me at tericout@yahoo.com.
OUR PRAYER OF FORGIVENESS:
1. If we, the leaders have had other gods before Thee,
we repent.
If the sins of Your people have offended You, we ask
Your forgiveness.
If we have forsaken thoughts of You for things of this
world, have mercy on us.
If we have neglected to spend time all week with You;
If we have not spent time in prayer when we got up in
the morning or when we go to bed in the evening, or if
we have forgotten to seek Your face during the day or
before meals, then we admit our guilt before You and
beg Your forgiveness...
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3) Bible Olympic Games
for our Bible class, 8 year old's, we want to do a series of mini
olympics, and have them bible lesson based. Any ideas about games, foods,
anythinh would be helpful.
olga
nys
--from SSTN: check the Archives too. Type "olympics" into the search box:
http://christiancrafters.com/archives.html
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4) Palm Sunday Songs
The doughnut man has a cool hosanna song on his website. It is:
http://www.donutman.com/coloringpages/shouthosannacp.html
The song is Shout Hosanna! and there is a color page for the song that you
can download, too. My kids liked the song.
Dee Worley
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5) Books of the Bible Songs
Dear Roxanna, we are also studying the books of the Bible and I found a
memory song called The Holy Books Rap by Paul Woods. We sing it every
Sunday during Sunday school time. The kids love it and are memorizing by
song all 66 books of the Bible. Jeannine in MN
--from SSTN: it is available through our Bookstore. To find it type the
title into the search box:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/bookstore.html
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Buggie For Jesus - I'm A BEE-liever!
Reproducible buggie crafts, games, lessons, and yummy devotions
to coordinate with your summertime VBS programs, or midweek classes.
In the Curriculum section:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/curriculum.html
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6) Recipes in a jar
I've attached AbbaGail's jar recipe file to this message in case you can
forward it. I asked AbbaGail to send it to me when she originally posted
that she had them.
Note: The recipe file comes with all the recipes smooshed together.
Plan to do some formatting to make it readable (which I never did get
around to myself...).
Two years ago at mother's day, my Missionettes club at church used a jar
recipe to make hot cocoa mix for their moms. They decorated clean peanut
butter jars to put the mix in.
God bless..
Dana in Cincinnati
Gifts in a Jar:
I get a lot of questions--many of them are answered in the paragraphs
below. This page contains several recipes that can be given as gifts.
When making these recipes, keep this in mind:
The first recipe is the one you make and put into the jar. The second
recipe should be printed out in a nice font, maybe with a nice border
around it, and attached to the jar. A simple circle of cloth placed
between the seal and the ring (of a two-part canning lid) makes a pretty
effect and you could also add a ribbon around the ring.
Many of the recipes are designed to fit in a standard 1-quart canning
jar. Read them carefully before starting to see if they will fit. If the
total ingredients measure about 4 cups, it will fit in a quart jar. Some
of the recipes make too much or too little to go in a quart jar. Also, I
have not tested most of these recipes. They are some recipes I received
at a women's group meeting at my church.
Many ask how long these will keep. I have kept some in my pantry for
several months with no problem other than the brown sugar turning
rock-hard and having to be ice-picked out. Dry ingredients will not mold
if the jars are closed--no need to keep them refrigerated. However, most
make-a-mix cookbooks suggest that you use their mixes within three
months, and I think that is a good rule of thumb even if there is no
shortening in the mix
Hot Chocolate MixOne is never too old to enjoy hot chocolate, and this is
a special way to share it with a friend.3 cups powdered milk1/2 cup
cocoa3/4 cup sugarDash of saltSift the ingredients into a large bowl.
Pack the mix into an airtight container.Attach this to the JarHot
ChocolateServes 14 tablespoons Hot Chocolate Mix 8 ounces boiling
waterMarshmallows or whipped creamPlace the Hot Chocolate Mix into a mug.
Pour in the boiling water. Stir until the Chocolate mix is dissolved.
Garnish with marshmallows or whipped cream.Spiced Cranberry Cider MixThis
spicy cider tastes delicious after winter sports, so here's just the gift
for a hostess on a ski vacation.1/2 cup dried cranberries12 cinnamon
sticks1/2 tsp. crushed whole cloves2 Tbsp. whole allspiceIn a small bowl,
stir the cranberries and spices together. Store in an airtight
container.Attach this to the JarSpiced Cranberry Cider MixServes 12 to
142 quarts apple cider1 quart water1 package Spiced Cranberry Cider Mix2
oranges, slicedIn a large saucepan combine the cider, water, and Spiced
Cranberry Cider Mix. Heat through but do not boil. Add most of the orange
slices. Serve warm, garnished with the remaining orange slices.White Hot
Chocolate MixA great idea for a major chocoholic.1 tsp. vanilla powder1
tsp. dried orange peel1/2 cup grated white chocolate or white chocolate
chipsCombine and blend the ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an
airtight container.Attach this to the JarWhite Hot ChocolateServes 21 and
1/2 cups milk1/4 cup White Hot Chocolate MixIn a small saucepan, heat the
milk until bubbles form around the outside. Add the White Hot Chocolate
Mix and whisk until the chocolate is melted. Continue to whisk until the
mixture is hot.Wondering where to get powdered vanilla? The Great
American Spice Company has it! I am not sure at this time if the less
expensive Vanilla Sugar is acceptable, but they have both Vanilla Sugar
and Vanilla Powder.Mexican Hot Chocolate Mix1/3 cup light brown sugar3/4
tsp. ground cinnamon1 1/2 tsp. powdered vanilla1/4 cup cocoa2 1/2 cups
powdered milkCombine and blend ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an
airtight container.Attach this to the JarMexican Hot ChocolateServes 63
cups waterMexican Hot Chocolate Mix (to taste) Cinnamon sticks for
garnishHeat the water to boiling and add the Mexican Hot Chocolate Mix.
Stir with a whisk until the mixture is smooth. Garnish with cinnamon
sticks. For a frothier hot chocolate, mix in a blender.
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7) Children in Adult Worship Services
>Does anyone have suggestions for ideas on incorporating children in adult
>worship services?
At our church, Grace Lutheran Church, St. Charles Illinois, I started a
puppet ministry about 4 yrs ago. I perform for the children's sermon each
service. I started on my own budget with one puppet and a small PVC stage.
My main puppet is Gabby, a pink flamingo. The children's sermon comes just
after the Gospel Reading. All the children are called to the front of the
sanctuary; our pastor & the children sit right in front of the stage.
Gabby and Pastor usually discuss the Gospel Lesson with Gabby generally
giving her "own interpretation" which usually has some pretty funny ideas.
The children's sermon usually runs about 2-5 minutes. Following the
children's sermon, Pastor does his sermon. Many times, Gabby will have
activities sheets to pass out the children that reference her story. The
children then can color them during the rest of the service. But Gabby's
perspective is from a child's point of view and many times with a little
bit of humor added. I started out by getting a book of scripts from
Creative Communications, located in St. Louis. They may still have the
books of scripts. Check the drama section of their catalog. I also write
my own scripts based on holidays, events of the church, events of the
world. And thanks to Sarah Keith, several of my scripts can be found on
the ChristianCrafters website.
We have found, that not only do the children love to see Gabby, and
interact with her but the adults enjoy the humor and the simplier
explanations and stories that are discussed during the children's sermon.
If you'd like more information, please don't hesitate to contact me
(gpeterson@cauto.com).
In His name...
Gail/St. Charles, Illinois
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8) Children's Time
Hello Shan;
Something that came immediately to mind while reading your question was
using a rubber band. Use a large one if possible, and ask the children
where the end of the rubber band is. Of course there is no end and you
can then talk about how you can go around and around it and still find no
end. Relate this to the love of God which also has no end. Toye, Alberta
Canada
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9) Teen Class
Check out this site, http://www.teenlifeministries.com you can sign up to
receive a free newletter on Mondays, geared to teen ministry, giving
awesome ideas for classes, devotions, etc.
In His Love, Kristine
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10) Children in Adult service
>"Does anyone have suggestions for ideas on incorporating children in
>adult worship services?"
YES, try this book... it's great! "Boredom-Busting Ideas to Involve
Children in Adult Worship" by Barbara Younger and Lisa Flinn.
SK in NY
--from SSTN: you can find this book in our Bookstore by typing the title
into the search box:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/bookstore.html
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Kidzoo-Shuffle Playmat Game
Kidzoo-Shuffle is a blast to play indoors or out! While playing,
children will develop eye-hand coordination, depth perception skills and
strategy plays. Find it in the Products section under
"Children's Exercise" at:
http://www.therapyzone.com
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11) Family Day Songs
Hi, this is in response to songs for family day, hope one of these ideas
is helpful.
Thank you Jesus for my bible, for my bible, for my bible, Thank you Jesus
for my bible Thank you Jesus Thank you Jesus for my church, for my church,
for my church, Thank you Jesus for my church Thank you Jesus Thank you
Jesus for my friends, for my friends, for my friends, Thank you Jesus for
my friends Thank you Jesus Thank you Jesus for my family, for my family,
for my family, Thank you Jesus for my family Thank you Jesus I'm so glad
that we're all here, we're all here, we're all here, I'm so glad that
we're all here Thank you Jesus (Sing to the tune of "London Bridge Is
Falling Down")
Secondly, the following is a finger play and not a song, but it may be
just what you are looking for:
Some families are big. (spread arms out wide)
Some families are small (bring arms close together)
But God made our families (point up in the air) one and all!
Some families are big. (spread arms out wide) Some families are small
(bring arms close together) But God loves our families (cross arms over
chest) one and all!
Some families are big. (spread arms out wide) Some families are small
(bring arms close together) But God keeps our families (cup hands in
front) one and all!Lastly:
A family is people and a family is love, that's a family, they come in all
different sizes and different kinds, but mine's just right for me, yeah
mine's just right for me
Jesus created my family with love, cause that's a family, they come in all
different sizes and different kinds, but mine's just right for me, yeah
mine's just right for me
Jesus love my family, cause love's a family, they come in all different
sizes and different kinds, but mine's just right for me, yeah mine's just
right for me
We all different as you can see, cause special is a family, they come in
all different sizes and different kinds, but mine's just right for me,
yeah mine's just right for me
A family is people and a family is love, that's a family, they come in all
different sizes and different kinds, but mine's just right for me, yeah
mine's just right for me
Hope this helps
Love in Christ,
Sarah
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12) Children in Adult Worship Services
> We plan to have a "cry" room nearby in case a child becomes too unruly
>must be taken there by the parent or guardian. We need ideas that will
>help us to >better include and involve the children in the worship
>service. For the morning worship
We supply clip boards with coloring pages/bible word searches and crayons
for the kids to use during the service. We place a large basket in the
vestibule area so families can help themselves to them if they want to use
them. The pages usually correlates with the topic of the sermon. This way
kids have something to do except sit and try to stay quiet. They can
color
them, and then they can take them home. We encourage the parents to use
those pages then as a tool to open up a dialog with the kids to talk about
the sermon when they get home or on the way home from church.
Elaine, IL
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13) Children's time
> love to do something with my class of two and three year olds...any
> suggestions? Would be great if there was a song that could go with it!
I teach a 2 y/o class and we do use a curriculum. There are different
ones
out there for the preschool age group. The thing that is nice about them
is that they come with music and songs based on the lessons and an
activity
take home page of some type and some type of figures that can be used to
tell the story on a felt board. They also have motor activities you can do
based on the lesson and craft ideas. But you don't have to use them
because
basically what they are are simple lessons around a Bible story. So a
very
simple story like Jonah and the whale will be the focus for the week. Our
class is a somewhat structured. We start with a coloring page of the
lesson. Then break kids get to play, we have toys in the room, then it is
story time reading about Jonah and the Whale, from any children's Bible or
book that has the lesson. During that story time we use the felt figures
of Jonah and the Whale and tell the story about 3 times. I can't tell you
how much the kids love to come and put those figures on the board. Again
break.
Then we do a snack using the same simple prayer each week. Even the snack
sometimes becomes part of the lesson like using goldfish crackers and
relating them to the Whale in the story. Again we break and then we do a
craft for that lesson. Like taking a big whale and waves and Jonah and
letting the kids paste them on construction paper. Meanwhile we talk about
the lesson doing the craft. All the craft stuff is prepared ahead of
time. Some times the kids paint or use glitter or make stick puppets, or
necklaces it depends on how crafty we are for the week. Depending on the
lesson we
will do a song or large motor activity also. Our class time is based on
45
minutes. Besides myself there is one other teacher and we do have a teen
helper to help us since we usually have about 8-10 kids weekly. I have to
say the head of our children's ministries has lots of resources for us to
use in addition to the curriculum, like Christian based coloring books and
craft books . We have used 3 different curriculums in the past 3 years
and
what we have done now is taken the best ideas from them and our own ideas
and have made files for each lesson that we will be able to use year after
year. So let me know if you have a specific lesson in mind and would like
ideas for it. I will gladly help if I can.
Elaine, IL
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14) State of Confusion
I can't say I like that State! Thank you Evelyn Hale for the wonderful
advice which was (to summarize)......to keep focus on the Lord, give Him
our confusion, and He will have an answer to it all. His ways are best.
Although I am not the person to whom you were responding to, I was today,
in a state of confusion. There has been a woman, for over a year now, who
persists in a hateful pursuit against me. She followed me places and would
gather a few other women to sit behind me at my child's school events to
intimidate me. I continued to do what I thought the Lord wanted me to do
at
school, at church and the like. After a year of so much.....and much worse
situations...... . I had decided to follow Jesus as persistantly as this
woman followed me...and not to let this person steel the joy that Jesus
gives me in my heart. Guided by the Holy Spirit I was given such insight
that I began to write and write and write. I was on the wings of the
eagle,
even though the trouble had not completely ceased, it was hushed and I was
asked to join our cities Chamber of Commerce. The Lord had once again,
lifted me up and showed me that these people, though loud, did not
represent
the majority.....it just seemed that way. And I was given the insight
through scripture that as long as I am tryng my hardest to please God and
to
be a righteous follower of him then man's thoughts of me mean nothing.
But now, I struggle again, because she has targeted my seven year old
daughter, and she has done so at school. She is very sneaky as she does
the
same things she did with me, to my daughter.....I can visualize it as my
daughter explains it to me. She doesn't sign in at school either. I can't
confront her because this is ultimatly what she wants me to do. She wants
me
to look like a bad person. I have tried praying for her, but it's more
difficult now to do so.
I love my daughter so much and I don't appreciate someone trying to
instill
fear into her. I have already had to explain so much to my daughter over
the
past year.....explain the actions of this woman, who claims Christianity.
She claimes once saved always saved. But the things she does is so much
out
of hate. It's like she likes this. I told my little girl, you see, don't
you
feel sorry for someone who wants hate in their heart instead of love? But
it's gone on too many times now.... how do you explain principalities to a
seven year old? I just don't think she is ready for that.
I would rather this person if she has to harass someone, continue
harassing
me rather than my daughter, I have a better understanding of what I am
dealing with. There are times when I think to myself and recite... it is
better for a millstone to be tied to the leg of anyone who tries to harm a
little one. I can't confront her (she thrives on it, and is a
manipulator).
I guess what I am asking for is prayer...... Mostly for my little girl.
And
for me to be strong and to follow the example of Jesus in all ways. In
conclusion, we are studying a new Sunday school book......and it asks us
to
go on a daily God Hunt , and to list our findings. My God hunt for today
will be that I found encouragement from a fellow Christian named Evelyn
and
I thank the Lord profusely for showing you to me at my time of need.
And....
in our discussion at Sunday School, I will tell of my God Hunt
sighting.....
I will tell how I was crying tears of sorrow, and began to pray and my
prayer was answered through a fellow Christian and then tears came again,
only the tears were of joy. We are all here to encourage one another......
I
hope my story will encourage anyone else out there who has any pain
whatsoever, physical, mental, spiritual!
In His Loving Care,
Anne
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