Leader sits on the floor in front of the CD Player.
The slow deliberate smoothing of the underlay helps prepare the leader and children.
Try not to have eye contact with children once the story begins. Look at story material.
Move slowly. Speak slowly. Speak softly.
Use only essential words - usually just what is printed in book.
Use silences effectively. Don't be afraid of Silence, enjoy it.
Use wondering questions even though children may not have immediate responses, as these help them to process the story.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Disciples Song
Disciples Song
(Sung to tune of Jesus Loves Me)
(Words for song are in bold and large font. Information or other names for disciples are in small font and you don't sing that part.)
Jesus called them one by one
Peter (Simon Peter the fisherman)
Andrew (Fisherman)
James and (Fisherman son of Zebedee)
John. (Fisherman brother of James)
Then came
Philip (Fisherman)
Thomas, too (A twin)
Matthew and ( Levi a Tax Collector)
Bartholomew (Also called Nathanael)
James the one
they called the less (son of Alphaeus)
Simon also (Simon the Zealot)
Thadeus (Judas the son of James)
The 12th disciple
Judas made (Judas Iscariot)
Jesus was by him betrayed.
(Sung to tune of Jesus Loves Me)
(Words for song are in bold and large font. Information or other names for disciples are in small font and you don't sing that part.)
Jesus called them one by one
Peter (Simon Peter the fisherman)
Andrew (Fisherman)
James and (Fisherman son of Zebedee)
John. (Fisherman brother of James)
Then came
Philip (Fisherman)
Thomas, too (A twin)
Matthew and ( Levi a Tax Collector)
Bartholomew (Also called Nathanael)
James the one
they called the less (son of Alphaeus)
Simon also (Simon the Zealot)
Thadeus (Judas the son of James)
The 12th disciple
Judas made (Judas Iscariot)
Jesus was by him betrayed.
Ten Commandment Finger Rhyme
Ten Commandments or Ten Best Ways to Live
( use fingers to help remember)
(Hold up one finger)
One - One God – there is only One God.
(Two fingers – make a scissors)
Two – Cut out idols.
(Three – make a “W” trace inside of fingers)
Three – Watch your words – be serious when you use God’s name.
(Four – fingers together and push hand forward as if saying stop)
Four – Stop and rest on Sunday. Think about God and what he has done for you and what he has made.
(Five – use five fingers and salute)
Five – Respect your Mom and Dad – always obey them.
(Six – use the “one finger” hand and turn it to make a gun)
Six – Do not murder. All life is precious.
(Seven – trace a “V” on the “two finger” hand)
Seven – Protect your marriage Vows. Don’t do anything to hurt your marriage.
(Eight – touch the thumb and finger that are down on the “three finger” hand as if they were cut off)
Eight – Do not steal. Do not take what belongs to someone else. In some countries they cut off your fingers if you steal – but not in our country.
(Nine – take one hand and then the other and place over your mouth)
Nine – Do not lie. Always tell the truth.
(Ten – hands in front like you are grabbing something)
Ten – Do not covet – do not want what others have. Be happy for them.
These are the “Ten Best Ways to Live.” The first four are the “best ways” we can show God we love Him. The next six are the “best ways” we can show others we love them. All ten were given to us because God loves us and wants us to have the “best” life.
( use fingers to help remember)
(Hold up one finger)
One - One God – there is only One God.
(Two fingers – make a scissors)
Two – Cut out idols.
(Three – make a “W” trace inside of fingers)
Three – Watch your words – be serious when you use God’s name.
(Four – fingers together and push hand forward as if saying stop)
Four – Stop and rest on Sunday. Think about God and what he has done for you and what he has made.
(Five – use five fingers and salute)
Five – Respect your Mom and Dad – always obey them.
(Six – use the “one finger” hand and turn it to make a gun)
Six – Do not murder. All life is precious.
(Seven – trace a “V” on the “two finger” hand)
Seven – Protect your marriage Vows. Don’t do anything to hurt your marriage.
(Eight – touch the thumb and finger that are down on the “three finger” hand as if they were cut off)
Eight – Do not steal. Do not take what belongs to someone else. In some countries they cut off your fingers if you steal – but not in our country.
(Nine – take one hand and then the other and place over your mouth)
Nine – Do not lie. Always tell the truth.
(Ten – hands in front like you are grabbing something)
Ten – Do not covet – do not want what others have. Be happy for them.
These are the “Ten Best Ways to Live.” The first four are the “best ways” we can show God we love Him. The next six are the “best ways” we can show others we love them. All ten were given to us because God loves us and wants us to have the “best” life.
Classroom Management Tips
Tips for Leaders and Volunteers
* Welcome children at doorway. Have children leave jackets, books or anything distracting, in the hallway against the wall. Help them to enter quietly and sit in the circle if a Greeter is not available. Shoes maybe taken off before the story begins and put behind them.
* If a child is speaking during the story you will say, “I need you to save your words until the story is over.” If the child is invading other children’s space with their legs or hands, say to them softly, “I need you to get ready.” The parent volunteer/helper should sit behind the child, if they are having a hard time getting ready. If these approaches are not working, the parent volunteer/helper should say softly in the child’s ear, “I need you to come with me so we are not disturbing other children.” Remove child from circle and sit behind the circle with the child. Then say "This story is still for you but we need to sit here."
* During “work time” children are to work as independently as possible. Only assist them, if they ask you, or you see that you must help to “show them” how to use something. Stay back from them, so they learn to work without our attention. This is their time to respond to the story.
* When children are working, they may speak softly to others. They are to handle all work with “gentle hands.” If you see someone handling a work inappropriately, you remind them the first time of how we use this work with gentle hands. If you notice that they still are having a problem, you say “I see that you are not ready to work with this and you need to put this work away and choose something else.”
* If child is talking too loud, remind him of how we talk in a soft voice in our special place. You may also need to remind a child of how we walk in our special place, if you see them running, or stepping on someone else’s work.
* Children are to get their own work and put away their work. If they forget to put something away, gently remind them that they have left something out. Ask them to show you how to put something away. It helps to suggest that they only work with one story at a time.
* The helper(s) can assist any child who may need to go to the bathroom.
* Clean up time is signaled by turning the lights off and then on again.
* The class follows a basic four-fold pattern of worship:
1) Entering and “getting ready” to be with God;
2) hearing and responding to the Bible stories
3) sharing in thanksgiving through prayers and singing;
4) and leaving with a blessing of peace.
* Our special place to worship will help the children learn to use the language of faith in making meaning for her/his life. The wondering questions are used to enable reflection and deepen their knowledge of God and what God desires. This activity is the foundation on which theological thinking is built. Wondering produces thinking Christians who can share their experiences of God and together discover God’s calling for them.
* Welcome children at doorway. Have children leave jackets, books or anything distracting, in the hallway against the wall. Help them to enter quietly and sit in the circle if a Greeter is not available. Shoes maybe taken off before the story begins and put behind them.
* If a child is speaking during the story you will say, “I need you to save your words until the story is over.” If the child is invading other children’s space with their legs or hands, say to them softly, “I need you to get ready.” The parent volunteer/helper should sit behind the child, if they are having a hard time getting ready. If these approaches are not working, the parent volunteer/helper should say softly in the child’s ear, “I need you to come with me so we are not disturbing other children.” Remove child from circle and sit behind the circle with the child. Then say "This story is still for you but we need to sit here."
* During “work time” children are to work as independently as possible. Only assist them, if they ask you, or you see that you must help to “show them” how to use something. Stay back from them, so they learn to work without our attention. This is their time to respond to the story.
* When children are working, they may speak softly to others. They are to handle all work with “gentle hands.” If you see someone handling a work inappropriately, you remind them the first time of how we use this work with gentle hands. If you notice that they still are having a problem, you say “I see that you are not ready to work with this and you need to put this work away and choose something else.”
* If child is talking too loud, remind him of how we talk in a soft voice in our special place. You may also need to remind a child of how we walk in our special place, if you see them running, or stepping on someone else’s work.
* Children are to get their own work and put away their work. If they forget to put something away, gently remind them that they have left something out. Ask them to show you how to put something away. It helps to suggest that they only work with one story at a time.
* The helper(s) can assist any child who may need to go to the bathroom.
* Clean up time is signaled by turning the lights off and then on again.
* The class follows a basic four-fold pattern of worship:
1) Entering and “getting ready” to be with God;
2) hearing and responding to the Bible stories
3) sharing in thanksgiving through prayers and singing;
4) and leaving with a blessing of peace.
* Our special place to worship will help the children learn to use the language of faith in making meaning for her/his life. The wondering questions are used to enable reflection and deepen their knowledge of God and what God desires. This activity is the foundation on which theological thinking is built. Wondering produces thinking Christians who can share their experiences of God and together discover God’s calling for them.
Teaching Guidelines
To better understand the purposes behind our Children and Worship ministry, you will want to read the following pages from our two teaching sources. Don't feel like you have to read it all at once, as it is easier to absorb if taken in small parts!
Following Jesus pages 3 thru 53
Young Children & Worship pages 13 thru 81
I would start with the Following Jesus as it is a more concise version and much of the suggested pages are notes on particular lessons, that you can skip and return to when you are getting ready to teach that particular lesson.
You will notice that we do not do everything that they suggest in the book, mostly because we do not have a full hour, however, they have many wonderful suggestions that we may want to incorporate in the future.
Kathie
Following Jesus pages 3 thru 53
Young Children & Worship pages 13 thru 81
I would start with the Following Jesus as it is a more concise version and much of the suggested pages are notes on particular lessons, that you can skip and return to when you are getting ready to teach that particular lesson.
You will notice that we do not do everything that they suggest in the book, mostly because we do not have a full hour, however, they have many wonderful suggestions that we may want to incorporate in the future.
Kathie
Curriculum and authors information
Curriculum Sources We Use:
Young Children and Worship
Following Jesus
The authors Sonja Stewart and Jerome Berryman wrote Young Children and Worship. Sonja Stewart then wrote Following Jesus and Jerome went on to write 8 volumes of Godly Play, a series for older children.
You may also be interested in viewing their websites. Jerome's is GodlyPlay.com and Sonja's is WorshipWoodworks.com. We order lesson materials from both companies and they are located in Kansas. Godly Play has recently been bought out by a larger company and I don’t know how that will change our ordering procedure.
Sonja Stewart died a few years ago but her staff has continued her work. On her site they also have a few stories written by Dick Gibson. Dick holds several training sessions a year, at his church, The First United Methodist Church of Clover, SC right outside of Rock Hill. These sessions or gatherings as he calls them are very beneficial. My hope is that we can all find time to attend so we can see the whole program demonstrated.
Kathie
Young Children and Worship
Following Jesus
The authors Sonja Stewart and Jerome Berryman wrote Young Children and Worship. Sonja Stewart then wrote Following Jesus and Jerome went on to write 8 volumes of Godly Play, a series for older children.
You may also be interested in viewing their websites. Jerome's is GodlyPlay.com and Sonja's is WorshipWoodworks.com. We order lesson materials from both companies and they are located in Kansas. Godly Play has recently been bought out by a larger company and I don’t know how that will change our ordering procedure.
Sonja Stewart died a few years ago but her staff has continued her work. On her site they also have a few stories written by Dick Gibson. Dick holds several training sessions a year, at his church, The First United Methodist Church of Clover, SC right outside of Rock Hill. These sessions or gatherings as he calls them are very beneficial. My hope is that we can all find time to attend so we can see the whole program demonstrated.
Kathie
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Wondering creatively...
Kathie encourages us to use the words suggested by Stewart and Berryman in their book Young Children in Worship when releasing the children to go and do their work:
“I wonder of you would like to make something that shows how you feel about this parable [or story]. Or perhaps there is some other work you’d like to do.”
Today Kathie made this suggestion to the children during the 8:30 worship. One of the children followed her prompting and here is what was created!
“I wonder of you would like to make something that shows how you feel about this parable [or story]. Or perhaps there is some other work you’d like to do.”
Today Kathie made this suggestion to the children during the 8:30 worship. One of the children followed her prompting and here is what was created!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Small room, Big work.
The following quote from Eugene Peterson hints at the importance of the particular type of work we are doing with the children:
"Imagination is the capacity to make connections between the visible and the invisible, between heaven and earth, between present and past, between present and future. For Christians, whose largest investment is in the invisible, the imagination is indispensable..."
"Imagination is the capacity to make connections between the visible and the invisible, between heaven and earth, between present and past, between present and future. For Christians, whose largest investment is in the invisible, the imagination is indispensable..."
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