Time Flies When You're Trying To Get There

I can't believe I'm going into my fourth year of teaching Sunday School! It seems like just yesterday I was starting off. I still remember the first lesson I ever taught was about Adam and Eve. I was so nervous, I was literally shaking. The kids were some of my friends brothers and sisters, and to them I was just their sister's friend. The transitioning period from "that girl my sister hangs out with" to Sunday School Teacher, admittedly took longer than I expected. I think that's the most important thing I've learned from being a Sunday School Teacher, you have to love and accept yourself where you're at.
Example, when I started this, to tell the truth, I didn't really like kids all that much I thought they were gross and annoying. I never thought I would see the day I would be mopping up puke, or holding a hand that had recently been up a nostril, or even comforting a kid...I was never the touchy feely emotional type even when I was a kid. All that was not in the job description. You see, I didn't get into Children's Ministry because I loved kids, I did it because I love God and I felt that was were he was leading me. Now, I can mop up puke and other unidentifiable liquids that seem to constantly come out of kids without gagging, I can see a kid pick their nose then want to give me a hug and I don't even flinch, and if I see a kid is sad or crying I want to be the first one there with a hug and a "Do you want to talk?" It was cool to see God put those things into me, and give me a true love for His babies. I can't pretend that I'm the best Sunday School Teacher ever, or that I don't have more growing to do, but I do know that I'm better than I was yesterday; and isn't that really the point? I tell the kids all the time that I may be the teacher, but I learn things in Sunday School too. Those kids have been my best teachers, cheerleaders, and humblers on occasion. lol.
I think that this can even be applied in our daily lives. My pastor once preached a message called "A Place Called There" where he talked about reaching that infamous proverbial mile stone of "There", I.E. "If I can just get there/do that I'll know I've made it!" Pastor brought out the point that if we really ever reach "There" then we're ready to die because our race is finished, we've done all God has called us to do. His point was that we're always changing and always growing, and we shouldn't rush God's process trying to get to the impossible perfection of "There." I think we've all probably been guilty of that in our lives.
"If I can just lose ten more pounds..."
"If I can just have a few more friends..."
"If I can just make more money..."
"If my Children's Ministry was just bigger..."
"If I can just get married..."
ETC...
We rush God's plans and we end up overlooking the awesome things that he's doing in the here and now trying to get to "There."
The Bible says in Zech. 4:10 NLT, "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin."
We spend our time complaining about how we aren't "There" yet when God is saying quit complaining and let Me help you get "There", you can't do it on your own.
I've said all that to say this, Maybe you've been frustrated because you don't feel like you're the teacher you can be, or your class isn't growing, or maybe you're going through one of those my class is a zoo phases...I've been there...just remember, don't despise your meager beginnings.
The inspiration for this post came from me looking at pictures of my old classroom. It was so tight and cramped, we've outgrown it now and I was glad to get a large space with a sound system and a stage. Looking four years later though, I would love to go back to that little classroom for a while. and be with those kids learning about Jesus. So many of my very first babies have moved on to youth group now, I still get visits from them every now and again but sometimes I do miss seeing those faces on Sunday morning. I spent so much of my time then trying to grow and get bigger and better. be a better teacher, get a bigger class, do more over the top things; if I could just grow more I would get "There!" God was growing me all along and didn't even have to good sense to pay attention, I just needed to follow His lead. It's really that easy, we teach it all the time. Sometimes I think we would do well to listen to what we're teaching ourselves...=]
So, don't forget to enjoy you're here and now, because once it's gone you can't get it back. You may not be where you want to be today or even tomorrow, but one day you'll turn around and realize God was leading you "There" all along. Your big changes just came one day at a time. So, embrace your growing moments, your trying moments, your fun moments, your silly moments, and every moment in between. Children's Ministry is a wild ride, but it's sure worth the trip.

Love and Blessings,
Faith

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

Do You Have A Gift To Bring? (Christmas Lesson)

These are my basic notes and outlines that I used for my Christmas 2014 lesson, "Do You Have A Gift To Bring?". Feel free to to add or take away to them. Our services tend to run long so I always like to have lots of filler and extras just to be safe.
Part1.
I began service with the classic Christmas movie "The Little Drummer Boy."
(See Left)
<<<<<<<
For those of you who don't know the story of "The Little Drummer Boy" here's the IMDB version...
An orphan drummer boy who hated humanity finds his life changed forever when he meets three wise men on route to Bethlehem.
Long story short, he finds Jesus in the manger and his life is changed forever. It's under 25 minutes long, and fit in nicely with my lesson.

I incorporated a PowerPoint presentation with my lesson, if that's not at your tech level or in your budget then props will work fine too.

(SLIDE 1)

Teacher:Do you have a gift to bring?

Teacher:YES! God has given us each gift to give. 

(Slide 2)

Teacher: Are we talking about the kinds of gifts that we wrap up and put under the tree?

(Slide 3)

Teacher: No, not exactly this gift is ever cooler, because it's one of a kind and ONLY YOU can give it. Any guess on what that gift might be? *let the kids answer but act like you're not going to tell them the answer yet* Hmm, I think I heard some really good guesses in there, but the best presents are always a surprise...ok ok. I'll tell you. 

JAMES 1:17

(Slide 4)

Teacher: God specifically gave us two things,

1. Life

2. Our Gifts

There is no one else on the planet that ever has been or ever will be just like you. No one will look exactly like you, think exactly like you, talk exactly like you, or be exactly like you. There are things we have in common, yes, but even twins aren't exactly alike. That's all because of God! He did that on purpose. That's how much time and love he put into you. He loved you so much that he wanted to make you an original! He even gave original gifts and talents! God has put giftings and talents into, and they're so special that there are things on this planet that only you can do. 

Now, what gift do I have you ask? Well, maybe you don't know everything that God's called you to do yet. I still don't know everything that God wants me to do. I'm an adult and I'm still growing up in 

God! 

(Slide 5)

Teacher: Let's look at some of those gifts that God can give us right now.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Teacher: Those are just a few of the gifts God has to give. He may call others to be moms or teachers or business men or marines or...WHO KNOWS! God's plans are infinite and so much bigger than we can dream. In 1 Corinthians 2:9 says that nobody has seen, heard, or even imagined what God has prepared for His people. God's plans are so big that even our wildest dreams can't top them. And in Jeremiah 29:11 the Bible says, "I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and future." Even if you're going through a rough time right now you can always have hope according to God's Word.

(Slide 6)

Teacher: Well, so far we've talked about some pretty amazing gifts! But did you know that there is a gift that tops ALL other gifts EVER?! Before I get ahead of myself lets read a story about 3 very important men who gave 3 very important gifts.

(Slide 7)

Matthew 2:1-12

Teacher: I'm going to tell you a little bit about Bible history today. Did you know that there is a gap of roughly 400 years between the end of the Old and the beginning New Testament? 

Numbers 24:17

Teacher: There were hundreds and hundreds of years between Numbers and the end of the Old Testament. People had been searching and waiting for The Messiah for literally hundreds of years...and we get grumpy if we have to wait ten minutes for dinner. 

The Magi, or Wise Men, were actually really famous for their knowledge of the stars. They were like the NASA of Bible times. So, after having all of this time to study the prophecies about Jesus the Magi knew exactly what that big star in the sky meant. They traveled a long way, most people believe they actually traveled thousands of miles, even crossing an ocean! They didn't have to do all of that. I'm sure it wasn't an easy journey and certainly not a cheap one, but they chose do it just so they could come and kneel before Jesus. They didn't actually arrive at the manger like we see in our Christmas plays. Jesus was about 1 or 2 when the wise men came, 

Did you know that we don't actually know how many wise men there were. The Bible never says. We always say the three wise men because the Bible only mentions 3 gifts. 

Speaking of gifts, those 3 gifts are very important. They each mean something very special. 

Gold-Gold was a typical gift for a king. This gift tells us that Jesus is the King.

Frankincense-Frankincense was used by Jewish priests for anointing the priests as they went into the temple. This gift tells us that Jesus is our High Priest.

Myrrh- Myrrh, during Bible times, was used a sort of medicine. So, this gift tells us that Jesus is our healer. But Myrrh has a double meaning because it was also used for people who died. So, this gift tells us that Jesus is our ultimate sacrifice. 

Really, if you look at the wise men's 3 gifts you can see Jesus' life. He was born King of the Jews. He went about teaching and healing the sick. But most importantly he was the sacrifice for our sins. 

(Slide 8)

Teacher: So, what do you think was the greatest gift of all? 

(Slide 9)

Teacher: That's right. It was Jesus. You know, at Christmas we exchange gifts, someone gets us a gift and we give them a gift. Jesus gave a gift, the best gift in the who universe, He died so that we could live forever with God in Heaven. Do you think you have a gift that you can give him? 

You don't have to bring an expensive gift like gold or even a million dollars. There is something that Jesus values more than anything, in fact it's at the top of his Christmas list. 

Do you know what it is?

(Slide 10) 

Teacher: It's you. Jesus loves you so much that he chose to die for you so that you could live for Him. All he asks is that you give your heart to Him. Ask Him to be the Lord of your life, and then serve Him with all your heart. It's not hard and it's not scary and it totally not just a grown up thing. 

Do you remember what the Little Drummer Boy gave? He gave all his talents and all his heart and Jesus changed him from the inside out.

Maybe you don't know what gifts and talents you have to give right now, but just like the wise men followed the star and got closer to Jesus if you will keeping drawing closer to Jesus and getting in God's Word your gifts will start becoming clearer to you and the Holy Spirit will show you all the awesome things that God has for you.

You know, having all those awesome God given gifts and not sharing them with Jesus and the people around you is kind of like getting a cool toy for Christmas and never putting in the batteries. Yeah, I can still have the toy, but it's never going to do much until I put in the batteries.  Put Jesus in your heart and see all the good He'll do.

Our church service ran long...as usual. So, here come those fillers that I mentioned earlier. 

1. Follow the star quiz. 

This is super easy and inexpensive. 

A. Split the kids into two teams Have them "line up their camels" and stand in line facing you.

B. Turn out the lights.

C. Turn on a flashlight and shine it at the end of the room.

D. Ask questions about your lesson. My kids especially liked questions about the history stuff that I told them. I had roughly 7 pages of questions written down before hand. Let everyone have a turn by going in order of the line front to back.

E. If someone gets a question right their camel line gets to take one step forward. This goes on until one team reaches the star. 

Note: We did this in a hallway and it helped to keep some of our more wiggly camels from running away. haha

2. Star Ornament

I LOVE this one. I made these when I was in Sunday School. 

All you need is,

Popsicle sticks

Glue

Yarn

And your choice of graft decor...we used foil pieces, glitter, and yarn...foam cutouts and stickers would work good too. 

1. Use your Popsicle sticks to make a star. The kids had a bit of trouble with this and things got a bit messy so I would recommend having extra help on hand to to glue the stars as the kids place to the Popsicle sticks. 

2. Loop a piece of yarn around the star so that it can be hung on a Christmas tree as an ornament.

3. Let them go to town and decorate it however they see fit, but for the love of all things wonderful DO NOT I REPEAT DO NOT GIVE THEM FREEDOM WITH THE GLITTER. I made that mistake and I'm still sweeping up stray bits of glitter from a month ago. haha. 

Note: It's helpful if you have a pre-assembled star to show the kids for ideas.

Finish off your day with some juice and Christmas cookies and you'll be the coolest Sunday School teacher around!

Well, that's what I did this Christmas. :) I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! We really had a blast. Tell me what your class did in the comments below. I would love to hear from you. Plus...I need ideas for next year! :)

God Bless,

Faith

Trivia Day!

 We all know no kid likes tests. But they are, however, really great ways to find out if your kids are learning. So, what's the easiest way to test them without them knowing they're being tested? 

QUIZ DAY!!!!

My kids love quiz day! It is such a great way to learn just what your kids know and what you still need to teach them.

All you need are, 

(I added the links for the items below.)

Game Show Buzzers

Bible Trivia Cards

Sound Effects App. (If you have a smart phone...)

Note:

If you are more of the DIY type you can make your own game show buzzers and trivia questions.

DIY Game Show Buzzers

The concept is simple. The kids split into two teams, you ask them trivia questions, and they get one points for ever correct answer.
Note:
This is a lot of fun when you team up boys vs. girls style. It's a big hit with the kids.

 This is such a fun easy way to break up the same old same old Sunday School routine. I like to do Quiz Days at least every couple of months as a review for Sunday School lessons. Also, if you have a weekend when you are running short on time and can't get a lesson plan together this is a fun quick way to teach without all the paperwork. Or, it can even work as a time filler.

I hope this helps!

Blessings,

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.

The Road to 2,000

 I just wanted to let everyone know that we are well on our way to 2,000 viewers. I am so beyond blessed and humbled. Thank you to all of my readers and fans! You guys are the best!
 When I started this blog a little less than a year ago I wasn't even sure if there were other Sunday School Teachers out there online. I didn't think anyone would even want to read something I wrote. But this blog has proven me wrong, it has reached everywhere from the United Kingdom, to India, and France. And that is because of all of you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I'm so happy to be able to help and connect with Children's Ministers from all over the world.

So, here a virtual hug from me to all of you. lol

²⁴ “The Lord bless you and keep you;

²⁵ The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
²⁶ The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”

Numbers 6:24-26

Love and Blessings,

Faith <3

The Dry Spell

 I think we've all, unfortunately, hit the proverbial wall at least once in our teaching careers. When we find ourselves feeling tired, dry, exasperated, and frankly questioning if this is all worth it or not. It is a time that more often than not is due to us simply not taking care of ourselves spiritually. 
 As children's ministers we can often overlook our own spiritual need for those of our students. Which is a never a good thing since it usually leaves us spiritually dehydrated. Contrary to the popular belief you should always think of yourself first...at least when it comes to spiritual needs anyway. lol 
 Think of it like this, what if you tried to feed all the hungry in the world by giving up all of your food. Well, if you look at it naturally it looks really great, you've helped tons of people, but eventually you start starving yourself. By doing so you can no longer help any of the hungry. You end up losing your health doing something that looked right. 
 Well, it's the same way spiritually. We can end up getting so caught up giving out our time and talents that we forget to give God any of our time. Slowly but surely we spiritually starve to death. Which in turn renders us useless to our class. It's like trying to feed the homeless while you starve to death. 
 So, is it possible to bounce back from something like that? Yes, of course! 
 It's so simple to do too. Get in God's Word first and foremost! My dream is to be like a spiritual sponge for my students...I want to soak up God's Word all week and then just ring it out all over them on Sundays. Curriculums are great, but if you're not teaching them the Bible then you're really not teaching them anything are you?
 Also, pray....pray...what was that other thing? Oh yeah...PRAY! 
Prayer is key. It's literally communicating with God. It's not some hokey religious tradition, it is a God given blessing so we can keep in constant communication with our Heavenly Father. You will get your most valuable teaching guidance that way, I think. I am a strong believer when it comes to the power of prayer. I think the majority of any problems you have can be answered through prayer. No I don't necessarily mean a great audible voice echoing from a golden beam shot down from Heaven as doves fly out...hey if God ministers to you that way then great. But He tends not to be so in your face when it comes to me. Often times He may not even say a word, but a few days later someone may pop up with just the answer I was looking for, or when confronted with the situation I may just know what I need to do or say. It's really that simple. 
  Lastly, if you are really concerned with this dry spell you're dealing with consult your pastor. Don't do it to complain, but do it to explain your situation and seek some guidance. Sometimes God will use other people to communicate what He wants us to know. Because sometimes we just DON'T SHUT UP long enough for Him to get a word in edge wise...not that I've ever done that...ha yeah...not me...ok maybe once...or twice...ok three times tops.
 So, to finish off my main advice is, never neglect your relationship with God. It's great to want to do tons of stuff for God, but never to the point that you lose your relationship with God because of it. I think this advice applies to anyone in ministry no matter what your station. Our relationship with God has to be strong so that we can help strengthen others. 

God Bless,
Faith

How to Handle "The Problem Child"

Ok, you know every class has one... 
That kid who is consistently causing trouble. You've pulled your hair out daily just trying to keep them in their seat, much less make them pay attention in class. So, what do you  do?

Spotting A Problem Child

 These kids tend to be instigators. No matter who they're sitting with or what they're doing they often manage to not only cause trouble for themselves, but they usually involve those around them. 
 They are consistent through every class when it comes to causing trouble, be it talking, not staying in their seat, being disrespectful, or whatever. 
 Also, they tend to be popular with the other kids. A leader, a show off, a class clown, or maybe just an all around good kid...as long as they're not sitting in a classroom. lol

What To Do About Your Problem Child

First, 
 Know that every child is different. Some require more attention than others, and some things that work with the majority of the class may not work with a problem child. So, think carefully about how to handle the situation.

 Second, 
 Don't let your temper get away from you. It can be soooo exasperating correcting a child again...and again...and again for exactly the same thing. So, take care of yourself first, get your emotions under control before confronting the child. We have to correct out of love not anger. We're correcting these kids to help them. Someone once told me that behavior begins character. So, don't think of yourself as the big bad disciplinarian, but think of yourself instead as a mentor helping mold your kid's character. 

 Third, 
 Really consider the child's situation. As teachers we see and hear A LOT when it comes to our kids lives...sometimes more than we'd ever want to know. So, consider their family life and situations. Are there issues at home that could be causing the child to act out? Does the child come from a big family where maybe they don't get as much attention? Do they deal with a type of disorder? Has there been a death of a pet or family member? Have they been having issues in school? Has the child been out of routine because of vacation or sickness? All these things can cause drastic changes in kid's moods and behaviors. Now if any of these things are true for your problem child then some leniency is ok...for a while. But you aren't doing them any favors by letting them run wild either. In these cases if you feel the child is unhappy or troubled I recommend first talking with your pastor and second talking with the child's parent or guardian. But most importantly I recommend you pray.

 Fourth, when issues consistently arise chances are you have a problem child on your hands. Don't mistake the term problem child for bad child...in my experience the kids I've had the most trouble with in class are usually the sweetest most helpful kids outside of class. So, take this into consideration when you're trying to discipline them. 
 There are three main types of problem children. Below I will list the type and my recommended forms of discipline.

The Bouncing Ball of Energy
 This one tends to be allover the place...they talk...dance...jump...all at really inappropriate times. Now, these types of children may deal with disorders like ADD or ADHD so it's very important to have your children's medical info.

How To Help
 For the Bouncing Ball of Energy Type I recommend class participation which is really broad and can include whatever you want. Let them help pass out Bibles, get snack together, whatever works for your class. But keeping active in class will help channel a lot of that energy positively.


The Class Clown
 This one tends to be cracking jokes like they're Bill Cosby. Usually the class clowns deal with acceptance issues with other kids or family. It could be a number of things, but either way they crave the attention. 

How To Help
 Love and attention is a huge help for this one. But mostly straight forward correction will help the most. With the class clown never ever harshly correct them in front of the class. Because, it gives them even more attention which adds fuel to the fire. So, correct them in the hallway away from the class. Just point out what they're doing, and how it disrupts the class. But finish off by saying something like, "But I know you're a good kid. And I'm so happy I get to be your teacher." Giving them positive attention will not only help them personally, but it will help your relationship with them.

The Little Box of Sarcasm
 This one is the eye roller, sarcastic comment maker, and the trouble maker. Usually the little box of sarcasm is a big box of anger underneath. A common theme with these kids is divorce or death in the family. But it can, again, be a number of things but it can usually be traced back to the home.

How To Help
 This is my least favorite one to deal with, because often times you know this kid is hurting. There is a fine line you have to walk between loving and correcting. You have to mash those two things together and make it work. The best thing with this is to pray...pray for help for this family and for the child. 
 In class you will usually have to be pretty firm with correction, and the child will usually pout. But after class make an effort to communicate with your little box of sarcasm. The truth is they're just looking for love and acceptance. So, give it to them. You will see a lot of change...often slowly over time...but showing them love will make all the difference.

 My best tip for this is know that it's not you. You're not a horrible teacher. These things aren't put in the job description, but it does come with the territory. These are the kids that often need us the most. They're usually the ones dealing with things only God can heal. So, look at it as an opportunity to show God's love. I hope this helps you!

God Bless,
Faith

The Popcorn Game

 This is an easy, fun, and inexpensive game for a lesson about hearing God, being close to God, or the importance of prayer. It's called, simply, the popcorn game.

All you need for this game is,

1. Popcorn (Obviously)
2. An Even Number Of Kids (If you don't have an even number feel free to stand in yourself.)
3. A Big Open Space
4. A Broom (To clean up after.)

Instructions

 To start off have the kids stand in two straight lines, facing each other. The kids will be paired up in teams of two. Once they're in position hand one piece of popcorn to each team. Standing ten feet or so apart have the kids toss their piece of popcorn to their partner. 

 Now obviously they wont be able to catch it. So, when this happens tell them that they may take one small step toward their partner. Have them keep doing this until their partner catches the popcorn. 

 Also, tell them that anyone who eats their popcorn piece loses. I didn't think to make this rule the first time we played this game, and needless to say we ran through a lot of popcorn that day...Boys...*rolls eyes*. lol

Tie In

 For my lesson I talked about hearing God. If you're doing that or something similar here is a little excerpt from some pieces of notes I used.

 Our relationship with God is similar to the game we played. It's really hard to hear God when you're far away from him. But in James chapter 4 verse 8 it says to draw nigh unto God and He will draw nigh unto you. 

How do we draw nigh unto God?

• Read Our Bible
• Pray
• Go To Church Regularly
• Be Faithful In Tithes and Offerings
• Praise and Worship God
• Obey His Commandments
• Have A Daily Time Set Aside For God

 Now, this game is super versatile, and can be used as a just for fun game or a lesson game. It's totally up to you, but be prepared to clean up a bit of a mess after. It's totally worth it though. Hope you have as much fun with it as we did!

God Bless,

Faith <3

Student Participation

 Student participation is HUGE to the success of a Sunday School program. I've had serious problem students over my time, and simply letting them participate in class helped tons. 
 The best way to start with student participation is incorporating them into your lessons, like a game where everyone can get involved or even a skit. 
Example, if you're doing a skit or using puppets you may ask some of your older students to help out. This always goes over really well. The older kids love the grown up responsibility, and the younger kids love seeing their friends be goofy.
 My favorite way to get kids to participate in class is to give them daily duties, like passing out Bibles, praying over snack, taking up tithes and offering, passing out craft supplies, and so on. Not only will this help you out each Sunday, but you won't believe how much the kids enjoy it. They fall all over each trying to get their hand up first when I ask for volunteers. Again, kids love feeling like they are doing a grown up job. It makes them feel like a "big kid."
 My kids started getting so involved that they would voluntarily stay after to class to help me sweep, clean the white board, straighten the chairs, take out the trash, and generally pick up the place. 
 Also, praise it key with student participation. Kid's love your approval. You don't have to gush about them in class, but a general, "Thank you (insert name of kid here lol)", will do when they are helping out. But after class I really recommend thanking them one on one. You can say something like, "Thanks so much for helping pick up Bibles after class it helps me out a lot!" Simple right? Kids will respond so well to little things like that. 
 When you bring participation and praise into your classroom you will see better behavior, a closer relationship with your students, and probably a cleaner classroom. haha 
 I believe in teaching our lessons through action, which is why I use so many games, skits, and object lessons in class. But, I also believe things like work ethic and responsibility are learned through action as well. It seems to stick with the kids better this way. They don't just have words to hold onto, but they have a fun memory as well, and that will stick with them for a lifetime. 
 At the end of the day know that your students want your love and approval. Maybe thats something you have difficulty showing. Obviously you love these kids or you wouldn't be back here doing this job. But for whatever reason maybe you have trouble showing it to your kids. So do me a favor, think of this as a homework assignment not to just to teach the kids, but to teach you as well. Show them love and approval, and they will do the same for you.

Thanks,
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