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


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Issue #73 - November 20, 2007 Previous issues can be found in the Archives.	Home \| Search \| Support SSTN
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"For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." -- Jesus
1) School To Attend? 2) Parents in Class w/ Older Kids? 3) Interfering Parents 4) Christmas Verses, Sayings, Poems? Make the Chrismon Snowflakes "Two Doves" Ornament in 6 Easy Steps! 5) Song: My Gift is Me? 6) How Does SSTN Work? 7) Easy Christmas Play 8) Interfering Parents 9) Christmas Skit Please? 10 Christmas Posters?	Over 1400 pages of: Bible Games Christian Crafts Christian Skits Missions For Kids Recycling Ideas Sermons & Object Talks
	Pilgrim & Indian Download Just in time for THANKSGIVING! Serve King Jesus - Spoon Located in "Anytime Crafts".
Bible-4-Life Curriculum Gospel Fun Activities Easy Make N' Take Downloads Holidays & Holy Days Christian E-books Premium Club Membership Discount Support the SSTN Ministry! Email a friend to join us at SSTN!	She was a Gentile ancestor of King David and Jesus. (The answer is in this newsletter)

1) School To Attend? hi, thank you for sending me your articles. I'm praying that one day my children will be able to enroll from your school. for it is my utmost desire to let my children grow in the knowledge & grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. pls continue sending your updates God bless your ministry --from SSTN: I'm so glad the newsletter is blessing you. However, we do not have a school that children can attend. The SSTN newsletter and SundaySchoolNetwork.com exists to help equip Christian teachers and parents around the world to teach children about Jesus within their homes, local churches and schools. God bless you!

2) Parents in Class w/ Older Kids? I've read with interest the comments regarding parents attending class with their toddlers. Do any of you have this issue with parents of older children? Specifically, we have some who want to attend alongside their teens. I'm not sure why they feel the need to do this, but the response when questioned about it was, "I should have the right to be wherever my children are." Nothing untoward has happened in our teen classes. This has been the family philosophy for many years with this particular family. Is it a common one? My own personal concern is that it stifles the natural flow between teacher/students in the classroom for the parents of three of the children to be present. For instance, one of their children seems to be the first to always respond to the questions, not allowing other students to have the spotlight. It is more difficult for a teacher to say, "Let's let others have the opportunity share their thoughts uninterrupted," if the interrupting child's parents are there observing and very proud of their child's eagerness. There are several other issues that have cropped up, but that is one example. Have others dealt with families who have this "all together, all the time" philosophy? Or are we unique? B. Carol

3) Interfering Parents I have been deeply saddened as I have read the responses to this "dilemma". Unfortunately, the church seems to have become molded to resemble a militantly parent-exclusive public school system and these teachers seem to presume that by virtue of their position they are qualified to take the place of the child's parents. Parents are sidelined on almost every front in our culture and now apparently Sunday School is off limits, too. It is hard for me to fathom being kicked out of my child's class and simply standing by placidly as if I were merely the person responsible for transporting my child to the care of someone with superior knowledge and expertise. I have taught in a mixed age Sunday School for three years and have had a great response not only from our parents but our teachers as well. Our age range began at 2yo up to fifth grade. Most of our parents have regularly been in the classroom and have directly interacted with their own children as well as others'. As these children and their parents have worked together over the years they have developed closer relationships and enjoyed a time of growing together spiritually. Our set up has worked precisely because of our parents' assistance and without them the teachers and children as well would simply not have the same richness and delight that being together can provide. Is it possible that the parents of the children you teach simply desire to be with their children after a long week of being separated by work and school? Is it possible that the parents of the children you teach are concerned enough about their children's spiritual growth that they feel strongly about participating? Is it possible that the parents of the children you teach have had some tragic circumstance that compels them to be their children's personal guardian angel? You are in a wonderful position to encourage and build relationships. Please acknowledge the strong love your parents have for their children and consider setting your need for class control aside long enough to consider the possibility that there may more ministry opportunities that God would like you to see and less that He would like you to control.

4) Christmas Poems, Verses, Sayings? My name is Mary Lawson. I teach 2 & 3 year olds in Sunday School and it is a joy. I am looking for any short poems, verses, or sayings for my class to say at the Christmas Program. Does anyone have any ideas I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you, Mary

5) Song: My Gift is Me? I found in the archives something I would like to do for Christmas but have been unable to retrieve the info needed. It was an entry that stated that they sang "My Gift is Me" with big bows on their head. I emailed the person who entered it but it came back undeliverable. In the same entry they said it came from the musical "Countdown to Christmas", but I Googled them and contacted them and they have not such song. It was a few years ago. By chance, do you know anything more that could help me? Thanks, Maureen at: mtknupple@sbcglobal.net

6) How Does SSTN Work? > I'm not acquainted with the format of this newsletter at all. I am expecting articles in a format like that of a > newspaper? Is that wrong, then? Maybe you could help me understand the purpose of the newsletter and > how I can best use to help me. :) > thanks, claire --from SSTN: Hi Claire, SSTN is a way for teachers to ask questions or to exchange ideas with one another. Therefore, you might read a question in one newsletter and then for the next several issues you'll have other teachers responding to that question (as was the case recently with the "Interfering Parent" topic.) Other times you'll have someone share an idea that doesn't require a response, but others might add their ideas to the original idea anyway or someone might challenge someone's thoughts or ideas. But again, the purpose of SSTN is to have current, grassroots topics discussed which effect us and the children we teach, and then to share and discuss those ideas with other Christian educators around the world. Currently, we are 16,000 members strong! You might also find the following link helpful. It contains some of the information you should have received via email when you first joined: http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/SSTN_guidelines.html See also this page: http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/page3.html Your webservant, Sarah Keith <>< http://www.SundaySchoolNetwork.com

7) Easy Christmas Play Our children's church is doing a play that is so easy. One of the older kids reads the story of Baby Jesus out of a kids Bible and the other kids act it out. They all knew their parts by the second rehearsal. They are doing a couple of songs that they already know and one is even doing a solo. I think I may have gotten the idea off of this newsletter. Hope this helps somebody. TP

8) Interfering Parents Many years ago when I taught that age group--I had the same thing in my class. But I quickly learned that if you put the parents to work, they likely would disappear after a few weeks. I actually had jobs that I had made up--just for them to do if they showed up. To separate the parent from their child, ask the parent to sit with a child on the other side of the room--maybe with a child who needs extra help or is a little wiggler. My concern is that if you tell the parents not to come to class--will they stop bringing their toddlers to Sunday School? What a shame if that ever did happen. I do not feel I have the right to tell anyone they can not come to my classes. I do agree that it is very hard to teach with the parents talking during the lesson. Another question to ask yourself--is there somewhere else that the parents can go during this time? Are their other classes they could go to--or is the problem that they feel uncomfortable in the other class that they should be in. Or do you have Sunday School during the same time as the main church service. I can remember when my kids were little I would have liked to go into their classrooms with them too, because I didn't know the teachers and was just worried about what they were teaching the children. Maybe if this is the problem, you could find a time to meet with the parents so they can become better acquainted with them. You could invite them to your home (or local restaurant) for lunch, etc. I'm currently teaching 3rd grade and I have a mom who comes to class 1/2 hour before class ends--and wants to come in and join in. Well, over the years I learned never to do anything to discourage anyone from coming into my classes--come to find out, she has a learning disability and was not able to understand the sermons that were given in church during that time period. So she came to my Sunday School class so she could learn more about the Lord--on a basis that she understood. What would have happened if I'd told her not to come right in and join the class????? I wonder if she might have just quit coming to church and quit bringing her child to church???? How could I look at my Lord one day and explain how I couldn't let her in because it disturbed my class?????????????? How glad I am that I did not discourage her in any way. (The other thing was she was hungry--and I always give my kids snacks and drinks in class because I know that some of them do not get to eat breakfast before they come to church. And she was one that lived on a very low income and my little snacks were all she had for breakfast too.) I'll be praying for your situation. May God richly bless you for your work. June

9) Christmas Skit Please? Hello, We are having a Christmas program and I would like my Sunday School teenagers to put up a skit with a message. Can you send me a nice play, for duration of 5 minutes, please? Thank you. --from SSTN: You can find our skits listed in the site under F-R-E-E Stuff at: http://www.SundaySchoolNetwork.com

10) Christmas Posters? Our youth Christmas play requires the use of posters that include the shepherds, angels, wise men, the manger scene, etc. At this late stage, I was hoping to find a packet of these such as are used in Sunday School or VBS illustrations -- something to set on a tripod for viewing. Can anyone direct me to the right place to find these. I have checked the local Christian supply in my area and have searched the web. Help! sam4742@hughes.net --from SSTN: Check out the F-R-E-E Stuff "Skits" section to find silhouette pictures for "Bethlehem Drive" at: http://www.SundaySchoolNetwork.com
This issue's Bible Trivia answer is, "Ruth". Used by permission. From the game, Bible Stack-O!
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