Transformation

[PRE-POST UPDATE]
Since my post is about a transformation object lesson it only seems appropriate to give an update on how our ministry is growing and transforming. I'm so happy to report that our Children's ministry and God's kingdom are growing! This last weekend I had the the opportunity to act as the Vacation Bible School director for my church, and it was by far one of the most amazing experiences of my life. This was our third VBS, and it was our best yet. We saw 10 kids come to Christ. It doesn't sound like a lot, but when you only average 30-35  kids in the entire ministry that's a pretty huge number. We are growing, and I couldn't be prouder. As a small church we've come a long way, and God's given us a huge vision for our community. I'm so blessed to be able to be a part of what God is doing in my little town in these end times.
Now, down to brass tacks.
As I said earlier, I got to direct our VBS this year, but I also took on a class as-well. We had an amazing curriculum called SonSpark Labs from Gospel Light Publishing. It was the most user friendly VBS I've ever done. It gave you every possible resource, but still allowed you the freedom to put your own spin on things. We will definitely be using them again next year. It was full of wacky and wonderful science fun.
So, like I was saying, I took on a VBS class this year. I was over the Bible Story Lab, but this was no ordinary Bible Story session...oh no...I got to blow kids minds with awesome science experiments too! It was so much fun! However, for my night 2 experiment I decided to deviate a little from the curriculum. They suggested doing the expanding sandwich bag experiment where you fill one baggy with vinegar and the other with baking soda. Then you put the baking soda baggy in the vinegar baggy and seal the vinegar baggy up. They mix together to make carbon dioxide which then inflates the bag. Well, it is a cool experiment, but I had done it before with the kids and it only worked about 75% of the time for me. So, I didn't want to take the chance...
So, I pulled one of my favorite experiments out of my bag of tricks. Same concept, but bigger wow factor.
You will need...

1. A Bottle of Vinegar

2. A Box of Baking Soda

3. A Disposable Baking Pan

4. An Empty Glass Bottle...you can use plastic, but it tends to expand slightly when the chemical reaction occurs so I've found the glass usually works better.

5. A Deflated Balloon

Ok, first things first, be sure to try this experiment at home first! Trust me when I say there is nothing more embarrassing that blowing up an experiment in front of your class, and then having to walking around the rest of the day smelling like vinegar and tasking baking soda...not that I've ever done that...

Alright, now that you have your supplies here's what you need to do. 

1. Use a piece of paper to make a makeshift funnel...or better yet use a real funnel...to put roughly one to two tablespoons of baking soda into the balloon. 

2. Fill your bottle with roughly half a cup of vinegar.

3. Then, quickly and carefully, pull the end part of your balloon (the part you would blow into to blow it up) onto the rim of the bottle emptying the baking soda into the vinegar. 

You will then see a chemical reaction between the vinegar and baking soda...think 6th grade science fair volcano...it will begin to fizz and froth. This reaction will then create carbon dioxide which will begin to inflate the balloon. Be careful at this stage if you put too much baking soda in the bottle will fill too quickly and the balloon will either fly off or explode...either way you will walk away smelling like vinegar...but the kids will LOVE it...not that I've ever done that. ;)

So, what does all of this have to do with transformation you ask? 

Allow me to elaborate. 

Do you remember that thing called the cross that we seem to only talk about on Easter these days? You know the one that held our Saviour as He died for our sins? Yeah, that one. Well, when Jesus died for our sins the Bible says we became new creatures in Christ. 

I like to use the example of a butterfly. When that Caterpillar climbs into that cocoon it's not a very pretty site.

*Be sure to paint a ooey gooey icky mental picture for the kids.*

Then that Caterpillar climbs into his cocoon and something starts to happen. When he leaves his cocoon he's completely different. He's a new creature. He's not a Caterpillar anymore, he's a butterfly. 

The same thing happens with us. We start out in an ooey gooey icky mess of sin, but when we accept Jesus into our hearts he wipes away all the yuck of the world and turns us into His beautiful creation. 

Just like the vinegar and baking soda came together  and changed into something totally cool when we come together with Jesus we can become His new totally cool creation, a new creature in Christ Jesus. Now, that's better than any exploding science experiment...

Unless you're six in which case you will beg your teacher to again...not that that's ever happened to me. ;) 

Remember to never ever allow a child to do this unsupervised, and to always use caution and all protective measures before doing any experiments...especially where something explodes. lol.

I hope you'll enjoy this as much as my class did!

God Bless,

Faith

The Heart Hat

 As most of you know our class has been doing a unit on love this month. Well, my class kiddos are older so we don't do crafts very often, but they really enjoyed this one. Even my twelve year olds were running to show there parents what they made after church.

~All You Need Is~

Note:I recommend buying the super cheep flimsy plates, because they're easier to cut.

This is a suuuuuper simple craft. All you have to do is,

1. Fold the plate and cut a heart in the center. Then fold it forward so the heart stands up.

2. Let the kids decorate it. 

Note: I recommend writing a verse on it first just to tie it in with a lesson.

And then....TA DA! It's a heart hat!

It's really that simple. This is a such a super fun and easy craft. I hope it goes over as well in your class as it did in mine! 

On a side note...I  found this heart hat idea from alphamom.com...it's a neat website for all you parents out there.

God Is Love Example

We've just recently started a teaching unit on love, particularly the Love of God, in my class. I used an awesome example that I found in one of my curriculums. It's super inexpensive, but it will make a big impact. 

All you need is,

And,

Note:

Be sure to get the plastic bottle of honey and not the glass, 

since this example involves breaking the bottle.

 Holding the bottle of honey in your hand ask your class what it is, and what comes out of it. Most everyone will know it is ,of course, honey comes out of a honey bottle. 
 Throwing the bottle on the ground again ask them what the bottle is. Call the bottle a mean name, and ask again what the bottle is. Finally, taking the scissors cut gashes in the bottle. Ask the class again what this bottle is. Then ask them what comes out of the bottle.
 Finish off by saying, "Today we have kicked, been mean to, and hurt this little bottle of honey, but despite all that what still comes out of it?", the answer if you haven't guessed is honey lol, "God is the same we can call Him names, break His rules, and even turn our back on Him, but He loves us anyway. His love for us is unconditional. Meaning, there is nothing we can do to make God love us. He has always loved us, because God is love. He may not love the choices we make, but He still loves us. So, just like this bottle, even though we've hurt it, honey still comes out. The same is true with God, even though we try to hurt Him, love still comes out."

 Well, I hope this example will be useful to you! 

Love and Blessings,
Faith

Curriculum VS. Self Made Lesson Plans

 A major debate among Sunday School teachers is the use of a curriculum versus self made lesson plans. Some argue that curriculums provide more structure for class and they save time. While others say making a lesson plan yourself gives you the opportunity to build a lesson around your class' needs. But we can't seem to break down exactly which one is better. So, I'm here today to give you my take. 

Curriculum 

Pros:

1. It provides consistent structure to class since most curriculums follow the same basic patterns every class. (Prayer, Lesson, Game, Craft, Snack, ETC.)
2. If you're not a full time Children's Minister then it can sometimes be difficult to find the time get an entire lesson complete with games, snacks, and crafts every Sunday. In this respect a curriculum is definitely a pro since all of your material is there and waiting.  
3. They often have really good ideas that we haven't thought of. These people have spent months putting together dozens of lessons before these curriculums are published. So, chances are they've had more time to come up with awesome ideas, versus your often mad rush to get a lesson plan together 2 hours before church because the weekend suddenly got away from you, come on we've all done it. 
4. They can be reused when kids change in class. Kids grow up and come an go in Sunday Schools. So, I think it's totally acceptable to repeat a Curriculum after some time has passed. 
5. If you have a sick day, are on vacation, or have an emergency and need someone else to teach your class having someone takeover for a Sunday is as easy as handing them a binder. And you don't have to worry about what the sub will teach or how the kids will react.
6. Finally, a big perk to curriculums is that they're just easier to use. Everything is always right there when you need it. If you can read you're set. 

Cons:

1. Sometimes faster isn't always better. Every Sunday School Class is different. They all have different needs, likes and dislikes, and time frames even. So, with you curriculum you are a little more constrained as to what you can and can't do.
2. Sometimes curriculums call for you to buy odds and end things, anywhere from a beach ball to clown costume. Which is cool...if your church budget can stretch it. So, be sure before selecting a curriculum to check out what it calls for.
3. Sometimes curriculums may have been written by people of different denominations than your church. So, things may not always line up with what you like to teach. But don't panic, just grab a pen write a few notes in the margins, and you'll be fine.

Self Made Lesson Plans

Pros:

1. With self made lessons you get a more personal feel. You can make it much more one on one with your class.
2. You get the chance to always minister on what A. God ministers to you and B. What you see the kids needing or dealing with.
3. You're more flexible with your time frames and your schedules. Curriculums often start their first lesson at the beginning of the school year so lessons will fall right on holidays like Christmas and Easter. With self made lesson you're more flexible.
4. You always know exactly word for word what you're ministering because, Hello you're the one that wrote it. This makes you more prepared and confident when entering the classroom.
5. It gives you the opportunity to be creative, and learn some yourself through studying God's Word.
6. Kids can tell when you're just going through the motions. Often times with curriculums you get the feeling that you don't have to try because it's all spelled out in black and white for you. But with self made lessons you take your time, blood (Paper cuts hurt.), sweat (It's tough carrying all those papers around every weekend.), and tears (Yeah, I'm a waterworks kind of girl when God ministers to me.) to get done every week. Which in all honestly does give you an awesome sense of accomplishment.

Cons:

1. It often takes a lot of time out of your week to get a full lesson together, between studying (which honestly we should all be doing every day anyway), searching online for ideas, coming up with games, getting snack and trying out crafts. 
2. If you have a substitute in your class they usually have to come up with their own lesson unless you have one prepared. So, Note: Pick a sub you really trust if they will be the ones preparing the lesson. If the sub says or does something wrong you will have some angry parents.
3. It's often more difficult to cater to a larger class if you use a self made lesson plan. Simply because you're the only one getting all the material together, and if you're running 30+ students every week self made plans can not only be expensive, but they can be time consuming. We don't get a dress rehearsal for our classes if a game or craft takes longer than expected then you will have parents tapping their foot at the door and a lesson left unfinished.
4. Chances are if you are as unorganized with your self made lesson plans as I am you won't be able to reuse them years later because they could be anywhere between your house, church, and the road you took on that spontaneous after church trip to the beach. 

 So, to finish this debate on a personal note...I often use both a curriculum and self made lesson plans. It really depends on my time that week. I'm not a full time Children's Minister so between work, keeping up the house, running errands, and the general craziness some weeks throw at me I'm just glad to get to eat some days much less prepare a full Sunday School lesson so I'm a big curriculum fan. 

 However, sometimes God will minister to me about doing a certain topic in class. And frankly no matter my time constraints, I would rather do what God says. Sometimes I even like to do special days if we've had exceptionally well behaved classes for a few weeks. I will use a self made lesson plan with a few extra games or activities that week.

 Sometimes, I even combine self made lesson plans and a curriculum. Or, I take parts of two or three curriculum lessons and mix them together to make a semi self made lesson plan. 
 In all honesty, the main thing is to follow how God is leading you. We only see these kids on Sunday mornings, but God sees them all week. He knows what they deal with at school, at home, and even in their minds. So, if I can give you one piece of advice it's this, don't listen to cynics and the critics, listen to God. And you will see more growth and joy in your classes than you ever would with just a curriculum or just a self made lesson. No matter what you use, at the end of the day, let it be a God made lesson.

What curriculum is your favorite? Leave your answers in the comments section below.

God Bless,
Faith

Prayer Reminder Poster

 I think teaching our kids to pray is one of the greatest favors we can do for them.. Recently I've done a whole series on prayer, and one of the learning tools/crafts I liked was the prayer reminder poster.
 I hate wasting time, money, and supplies on crafts that kids either leave in the classroom or will throw away when they get home. So, I try to do things that they can use, wear, hang in their rooms, that are very thought provoking, or present a challenge. Like this...

The Prayer Reminder Poster

Supplies

1. Praying Hands Coloring Page
2. Construction Paper
3. Glue
4. Markers
5. Crayons
6. Scissors
7. Stuff To Decorate (Glitter, Stickers, Foam Cut Outs, etc.)

Here is a link to the praying hands coloring page I used.

Praying Hands Coloring Page

Step 1.

Color praying hands using markers, crayons, or colored pencils

Step 2.

Cut out praying hands. You can let the kids do this or you can do it yourself.

Step 3.

Glue hands to the piece of construction paper...the praying hands...not the kids hands though I have had that happen before. Note: Always keep baby wipes and a first aid kit ready at a moments notice. lol

Step 4.

Have the kids write "Pray" at the top of their poster.

Then have them write a thing to pray for on each finger. Give them 5 fields to choose from, one for each finger.

1. A Ministry Or Group (Police, Church, Military, Missionaries, etc.)

2. A Person In Their Life (Parent, Grandparent, Friend, Aunt Uncle, etc.)

3. A Country (America, Africa, Japan, China, etc.)

4. A Spiritual Thing (Peace, Joy, Wisdom, Help Witnessing, etc.) 

5. A Material Thing They Want (Xbox, Dog, Dress, Movie, Bikes, etc.)

Step 5.

Let the kids go crazy with glitter, stickers, foam cut outs, and whatever else you have on hand. Just let it be fun. Remember this is something they will hang in their room, so the crazier the better usually.

The Finished Product!!

 This is a very simple craft, but it is very impacting. Tell your kids to think of it as a homework assignment for the week. They will hang the poster in their room to remind them to pray for their 5 things every day. By next week's class you should be able to discuss how things went. 

Was it hard to pray every day?

Did they see anything thing happen due to their prayers?

Will they continue to pray every day?

Why is it important for them to pray every day?

Did praying help them feel closer to God?

I hope this craft will help you minister the power of prayer to your class!

Is there another theme you need a craft for? If so leave them in the comments below, and I will try to work up something in a new blog.

Good Luck,

Faith