Sunday School Network Great Ideas for Children's Ministry!



Like us on Facebook!




March 18, 2013 -- Issue #7 - Volume 14


Today's articles are listed, below. When replying, highlight the text that is pertinent to your response, then hit reply. Title your message to reflect the content. 1) Easter Booklet Kids Can Make 2) Easter Symbols...why bunnies? 3) Catchy Sign Slogans 4) God, the Change Agent 5) Critique of Bible Miniseries 6) Shadows and Light Devotional 7) Help Keeping Volunteers Motivated? The Red Button indicates a teacher who needs your help.



1) Easter Booklet Kids Can Make Materials needed: 6 large egg shapes cut from paper. One of these should be colored paper to be used as cover. Pictures: a Bible or a child reading a Bible, three crosses, a tomb with a rock as a door, same tomb, but the rock is rolled to the side, and a picture of Jesus. The picture I used for this shows Jesus in the clouds. Pictures can be found in clipart books and on clipart internet websites. Cover page Print: The Easter Story Add some decorative lines: XXXXXXX Then the words: As told in God's Word. Page 1: Bible picture. Print: These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Son of God. From John 20:31. Page 2: Cross picture. Print: Christ died for our sins. God's Word says so in 1 Corinthians 15:4. Page 3: Closed tomb picture. Print: He was buried. Page 4: Open tomb picture. Print: He was raised on the third day. God's word says so in 1 Corinthians 15:4. Page 5: Jesus picture. Print: Jesus went up into Heaven, where He is today. God's Word says so in Acts 1:11. Hope this can be useful. Frances Kemp --from SSTN: thank you, Frances, for sharing your idea. This was actually similar to something we published several years ago, but it is now out of print.



2) Easter Symbols...why bunnies? Materials: cut and mount on colored paper, pictures of the following objects. (Better yet, have the actual objects for the lesson.) Children dressed in new clothes or a dressed doll, baby animals and a bunny, eggs, Easter lily, Three crosses and an empty tomb, Jesus picture pasted on a large red heart. New Clothes: Luke 20:1-17 -- It was the custom among many early Christians to have newly baptized Christians wear new white clothes for the Easter celebration. Like many other Easter symbols, the new clothes represent new life offered through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Later, it became the custom in many European towns and villages for people to . . .Get the rest of the Easter Symbols lesson from the following page: http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/lessons-Easter-Lent.html



3) Catchy Sign Slogans Lent is underway. So kneel down and pray. Tell God you've sinned. And let him come in! JESUS SAVES! Jesus Christ, Our Passover Lamb. Was sent from the Father. So we wouldn't be damned. JESUS SAVES! Click here for more "Burma Shave-type" signs for the Easter season! Add to this resource! Email sstn@sundayschoolnetwork.com



4) God, the Change Agent “Do not be angry that you cannot change others as you wish them to be; you cannot even change yourself.” Thomas a` Kempis, The Imitation of Christ. If we’re honest to God, we must admit we’re prone to go on moral crusades— conducting ethical inquisitions to take care of all those apostate heretics, resisting falling to our knees to find the holy land of a humble heart! We cannot change ourselves – only God can transform hearts. In Christ we’re becoming new—changed from inside out. We should not hate anything but our own latent evil. We should be compassionate to all struggling souls. We should permit God to be the Change Agent. We should ask God to begin with my heart. Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139:23-24 (ESV)! Johnny R. Almond, Pastor Colonial Beach Baptist Church Colonial Beach, Virginia





5) Critique of Bible Mini Series As we watched the Bible Mini series premiere on Sunday, we were noting many discrepancies with God's Word. When the Israelites passed through the Red Sea, the Bible says they passed on DRY GROUND (Exodus 14:16-29). They were all getting wet on the T.V. The Bible says that Pharaoh and all his host went into the middle of the sea in pursuit, and were all killed in the waters of the sea. The movie has Pharaoh and some of his men standing on land after the sea returned to its place. I did not see the "biblical fidelity" that Mr. Frank Wright was praising. These are just a sample. There were other scenes that we questioned. This may be the only Bible that some see. Why can't we have an accurate depiction? Shari Schmidt



6) Shadows and Light Devotional “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed” 1 Peter 4:12-13 (NIV). The beauty at the ocean was beyond compare. It was a delightfully cool morning with a piercing, clear blue sky. The sun’s rays danced across the giant boulders that lined the inlet; the shadows contrasted against the light, which created beautiful shapes and patterns. The water glistened with what looked like millions of diamonds upon the waves. It was breathtaking! Breathing in the salty air and feeling the breeze against my skin, I worshipped the God of creation while listening to the praise song, “Beautiful Scandalous Night.” My senses were overwhelmed with the magnificence! Just when I thought it could not get any better, a large school of bottle-nosed dolphins came swimming and jumping into the inlet. I continued worshipping. As I headed back home, I kept thinking about all I had seen. What did God want me to know? My thoughts kept turning to those boulders. Then I realized they were beautiful because of the shadows that contrasted against the light! Yes, that was the message! Are not our lives are more beautiful because of the shadows? Is this not where God teaches us . . .Read the rest of today's devotional at: http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/lesson-shadows-light.html
7) Help Keeping Volunteers Motivated? Please share how you keep volunteers motivated.



Don't keep it to yourself! Share SSTN with friends & coworkers!







SEARCH SundaySchoolNetwork.com for ideas:

Join us at: http://www.SundaySchoolNetwork.com
Copyright 1997 - 2013 / 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.