Tag: free sunday school lessons

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How Struggle Helps us

How Struggle Helps Us

Below is a link to a blog I found at Chuck Swindoll’s web site.  When I look back over my life, I see how the struggles I experienced as a child actually made my spiritual life very strong, because I looked to the Lord for help.  (My father died when I was 9 and I turned to Jesus and he eventually revealed the Heavenly Father to me.)

We never wish troubles on anyone, but when we see children struggling, encourage them to hold unto Jesus more than ever.  What can seem to be a setback can actually be used by God to propel our faith forward, stronger than it would have without the struggle.

https://www.insightforliving.ca/read/articles

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources

 

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Children Church Songs

Hi friends, if you are like me you are always looking for meaningful music easy for the kids to “get into”.  Here is a link for a song which has been around for a long time but is fun to watch.  “Super Hero.”

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources

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THANKSGIVING PUPPET SHOW

Here is a puppet show for Thanksgiving on Thankfulness

Thankfulness From Curriculum Life of Christ 02  Lesson 1

(Characters:  Stinky and Sally)

Stinky:  I hate my nose!  It’s an ugly nose.

Sally:  I think you have a cute little nose.  Why aren’t you thankful for your nose?

Stinky:  Cause it’s a puppet nose!  That’s why!

Sally:  Would you rather have an elephant nose?

Stinky:  No.  And I hate my poofy hair.  I can’t do anything with it!  Every day is a bad hair day!

Sally:  Why aren’t you thankful for your hair?  Some people I know, who shall remain nameless, don’t hardly have any hair!

Stinky:  Cause it’s puppet hair!  That’s why!  And my long floppy legs, I hate em!

Sally:  Now that’s it Stinky!  I have heard enough of your ungrateful attitude.  Look at me.  I don’t even have any legs!

Stinky:  That’s cause you’re a puppet Sally!

Sally:  So?

Stinky:  I’m a puppet!  Can you believe it?  I’m a puppet!  I always thought I was a real boy.  But Blue Bob, told me that I’m a puppet!

Sally:  (with attitude) And what’s wrong with being a puppet?  I’m thankful to be a puppet.

Stinky:  You always knew you were a puppet and you didn’t tell me I was a puppet?  You just let me think I was a real boy!

Sally:  I thought you always knew you were a puppet.  There’s nothing wrong with being a puppet.  You have lots to be thankful for.

Stinky:  What do I have to be thankful for?

Sally:  You get to come to kids church pretty much every week.  Lots of the puppets backstage never get to come to kids church.  Some puppets have only come to kids church one time in six years, but they don’t have the stinking ungrateful attitude you have.

Stinky:   I’ve never thought about it that way before.

Sally:  God uses us puppets.  We are VIP’s, very important puppets.  We get to give messages to kids.  Kids can learn things from us.

Stinky:  You’re right Sally.  I’m sorry I have been so unthankful.  (to the kids)  Is it okay kids if I’m a puppet and not a real boy?

(Let kids respond.)

Stinky:  I like my nose.  It’s a cute nose.

Sally:  Very cute.

Stinky:  I like my hair.

Sally:   You should!

Stinky:   I like my long skinny legs.  Sorry you don’t have any legs Sally.

Sally:  I’m still thankful.  At least I have hair and 2 eyes and 2 arms.

Stinky:  You have a good attitude Sally.  Will you marry me?

Sally:   Nope.

Stinky:  How come?

Sally:  Cause I don’t like boys.

Stinky:  But I’m not a real boy.  I’m a puppet.

Sally:  It’s all the same to me.

(Sally exits.)

Stinky:  Girls!

(Stinky exits.)

 

Click here for more Children’s Ministry Resources.

 

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Education

EDUCATION

 

“Education is not a head full of facts, but knowing how and where to find the facts.” (E.C. McKenzie, 1800 Quotable Quotes)

 

It is important as children’s ministers to teach kids how to find things in God’s word and also how to listen to God.  There are some things that can’t be taught.  You have to actually spend time in God’s presence.  Encourage the children to keep their inner ear tuned into the Spirit of God.  Remind the kids constantly to keep an inner conversation going with the Lord and listen to his nudging.

 

Recently my daughter was looking for a graduation dress and I watched how the Lord led her to the most perfect dress for her.  We did not want to spend a fortune and we had looked in several stores.  There was a store where we least expected to find anything nice and she said, ”I just feel it inside, that I should look in this store.”  Sure enough, there it was!

 

There is nothing more exciting that seeing the children we minister to be led by the Lord.  Have times when the kids can share how they were led by God.

Click here for more Children’s Ministry Resources.

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BEING A DOER OF GOD’S WORD

BEING A DOER OF GOD’S WORD

 

“Knowledge comes by taking things apart but Wisdom comes by putting things together.”  (E. C. McKenzie, 1800 Quotable Quotes)

So often when it comes to God’s word, people can read it and feel that they know all about God and they know all about the Christian way but really  we only truly understand and gain an appreciation for God’s wisdom when we become a doer of the Word, not just a hearer.

Encourage the kids that we are not here just to get knowledge but to actually do the things that they learn, then they will grow in wisdom.  Then they will see that God’s way is the best way.

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.

 

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Cost of Children’s Ministry

COST OF CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

“The bird with the largest bill isn’t the pelican – it’s the stork.”  (E.C. McKenzie, 1800 Quotable Quotes)

 

Of course, this is a play on words, the bill being the cost of something.  In this blog I want to talk about the cost of children’s ministry.

Churches who want to thrive in years to come should put a lot of their budget towards children’s ministry.  Many years ago I heard statistics that said that 80% of the people in the church said they had received the Lord Jesus as savior when they were under the age of 20 years old.

 

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Foolish Things

FOOLISH THINGS

“If 50 million people say a foolish thing over and over is it still a foolish thing?” (E.C. McKenzie, 1800 Quotable Quotes)

We can say YES.  Only God’s word is settled forever.  Anything contrary to his word is a foolish thing.  The most important thing we can teach our kids is that God’s word is true and we are not to be conformed to the world.  We are not always going to agree and we need to accept that.  There is going to be many things that the world thinks is truth and they are going to live their lives by and we are going to go against the flow and say it is wrong, it is foolish thing.

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.

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OPEN MINDS

OPEN MINDS 

“The trouble with most open minds is that they are open at both ends.”  (E.C. McKenzie, 1800 Quotatable Quotes)

It is impossible to believe everything because of the contractions that lie in all the different teachings.  People often try to pick and chose what they want to believe.  After reading the book titled “The 100” (The 100 most influential people in history), I realized that for thousands of years people have been trying to figure out the best way to govern people.

From these thoughts have come communism, democracy, and other forms of governance.  I believe it is important to teach the children the word of God so that they always have something to measure every thought against.  For everything they learn they will be able to say, “What does God’s word say about this?”

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.

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Create What You Love | 7 Habits of a Good Artist | Andrew Price

Create What You Love | 7 Habits of a Good Artist | Based on Blender Foundation Speech by Andrew Price (view full speech on youtube.com)

Habit # 7 Create what you Love

 

As people who are serving the Lord we have a strong sense that we are called to something unique and special for us.  We are not called to do everything.  It is clear in the scriptures that God has given out gifts and not all of us have the same gifts.

 

Andrew says, “You have intrinsic motivation when you are doing something that you love. ”

 

How this related to me in drawing the cartoons is that I have always loved teaching the word of God in children’s church because I know his word will never return void.  It might take my life time to get this project done but I will never stop because it is what I LOVE to do.

 

Find out what you love and start doing it.  Even if it takes you your whole life time to complete, take encouragement that you will always have something to wake up in the morning for.

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.

 

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Feedback | 7 Habits of a Good Artist | Andrew Price

Feedback | 7 Habits of a Good Artist | Based on Blender Foundation speech given by Andrew Price (view video on youtube.com)

Habit #6 Get feedback

 

Andrew says, “You want true honest feedback.”

 

In my efforts to cartoon the bible, I found the kids I am reading the stories to, to give me the best true and honest feedback.  I would ask them questions after the story and I could tell whether they were getting the point or if they were confused.

 

I have been really pleased with how many times they would correct me and see inconsistencies in the cartoons or the story.  I would realize from their feedback that I needed to go and do some rewriting.

 

Feedback is pure gold. A humble heart is always looking to do better, especially when we are working for the Lord.  Never take feedback as negative.  Don’t be oversensitive about it.

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.

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Rest | 7 Habits of a Good Artist | Andrew Price

Rest | 7 Habits of a Good Artist | Based on a Blender Foundation Speech by Andrew Price (You can view full video at youtube.com)

 

Habit #5  Rest

 

Andrew says,  “Take a break from your work then go back and take a look at it with fresh eyes.”

 

He uses the example of the writer, Stephen King who after he writes a novel, packs it away for 6 months and doesn’t look at it.  When he later re-reads it, he sees it with fresh eyes and sees things he did not see the first time.

 

I can attest to the fact that when you have been working on something for so long, with so many re-do’s, you don’t see it objectively anymore.

 

Also when you take rest times your mind somehow sorts out your problems as you rest.  Make sure you bring a recording device or paper and pen, so you can write things down if you get a brilliant idea.

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.

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Conscious Learning | 7 Habits of a Good Artist | Andrew Price

Conscious Learning | 7 Habits of a Good Artist | Based on Blender Foundation speech by Andrew Price (view full videos on youtube.com)

Habit #4 Conscious learning – not practice, practice, practice

 

I heard a saying “It is  not practice that makes perfect, but perfect practice that makes perfect.”

 

Andrew uses the example of a time when he was drawing but he was in a rut, not improving – just redrawing the same pictures over and over again.  He realized he needed more training.  He started to re-learn the old things and he realized he hadn’t adopted everything he had learned.

 

How I found this applied to me in my cartooning of the bible was that I recognized pretty quickly my limitations and I enrolled in a night school course for cartooning once per week at my local college.  I totally enjoyed the experience and enjoyed getting out each week with other people who had like interests.

 

If you feel like you need more training in the area you are called to, go and get the training.  Look outside the box so to speak, to see how you could make it happen.

 

Consciously always be improving your skills.  Try not to plateau.

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources