Tag: training materials

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Game Book Relays

Game – BOOK RELAYS

Divide players into two teams, with the same number of players in each team.  The first player from each team puts a book on his or her head and makes his way around an obstacle course and back to team member #2.

Every time a book is dropped, 10 seconds are added to that teams score. Touching the book with your hands gains 5 seconds to the teams score.  Have an umpire/time keeper assigned for each team.   Team at the end who completes the course in the shortest time is the winning team.  Have the kids recite the memory verse several times before and between rounds.

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EQUIPPING CHILDREN LEADERS

EQUIPPING CHILDREN LEADERS

GOOD LEADERS MAKE GOOD LEADERS (A Blog by Rev. Grace Verrier)

A few years ago I assisted in ministry within a church whose adults had lost their vision for teaching children.  I did try to recruit workers and offered to fully equip and train them.  However, no adults were willing.  (My style of teaching is an open format requiring a minimum of three teachers with some extra for “crowd control” as the number of children increases.)  My husband who was traveling at the time offered his assistance sporadically and I honed my curriculum so that the lessons I taught could be taught by myself and my husband when he was available.

The children’s church began to grow and I was quickly running out of lessons that could be adapted to one or two teachers.    It was then (out of desperation) that I discovered that older children were quite capable of teaching those younger than themselves.  I had a meeting during class time and asked who would be willing to help me.  If you work with children, then you will know that every hand in the class went up.  The next few Sundays were spent “equipping the (younger) saints for the work of the ministry”.  I did puppetry workshops for those who wanted to use them to teach.  I gave acting lessons to those who wanted to do the teaching skits.  I gave lessons on teaching the memory verse in fun and active ways.  Children were taught to reinforce the solemnity requirement for the altar calls.  Some children wanted to actually stand before the group and teach the lesson I provided them  the lesson the week before so they could learn it.  Some children offered to do the “crowd control” in an adult style respecting the other children and thereby earning respect from their peers.

When I finished that church assignment I received one of the greatest confirmations of my ministry.   A twelve year old girl (who was the pastor’s daughter) said, “I now understand how and why we teach the younger saints.  I will become a Children’s Pastor.”

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Craft | Snow Slime

Craft – Snow Slime

 

My kids love making slime!  This will be sure to be a class favourite craft.

https://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2015/12/snow-slime-in-a-jar-homemade-gifts-for-kids.html

 

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Christmas Crafts | Window Silouettes

Christmas Crafts Window Silouettes

Here is a link to some very pretty Christmas craft ideas.  The tissue paper silouettes will look just lovely hanging in a window.  Sure to be a child favourite.

Christmas Silhouette Window Decorations

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Christmas Craft | Popsicle Nativity Ornament

Nativity Popsicle Stick Ornament

This popsicle stick nativity ornament  christmas craft is so sweet in it’s simplicity.  The kids will enjoy making faces on the different characters.

http://easypreschoolcraft.blogspot.ca/2012/10/nativity-popsicle-stick-christmas.html

 

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Christmas Craft | Graham Cracker House and Other Ideas

Christmas Craft Graham Cracker House and Other Ideas

Here is a link to some good christmas craft ideas for kids.  As long as you have no one with food allergies in the class, making a graham cracker house will be a child favourite.

http://quirkyinspired.com/christmas-crafts-for-kids-3/

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.

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The Crucifixion of Christ

The Crucifixion of Christ

“What this country needs is not more liberty but fewer people who take liberty with liberty.”
(By E. C. McKenzie from 1800 Quotable Quotes)

As children’s ministers and as parents, there are many parts of the bible that are hard to teach children because they are so brutal, with many references to killing.   Most often we avoid those stories or pass over them until the kids are older.  Sometimes we make slight changes to make them less brutal and I am not saying that is wrong.  When you ask kids about Noah’s ark, they remember all the fluffy animals in the boat, not all the ones who died.  Even at Christmas, people rarely think of all of the sadness in Bethlehem the morning after Christ’s birth caused by the killing of all of the boys two years old and under.

There is one account that I believe should never be softened up.  Every detail needs to be engraved into our hearts so that we never take lightly the cross that gave us liberty.  When we teach the crucifixion of Christ, I think we need to share the difficult details, like how he didn’t even look like a man any more after the whipping.

During the age when my son was 3 to 6 years old, he only ever wanted to read one story in the bible.  “Jesus on the Cross” he called it.  It made a great impression upon him.  May we never loose the awe of that sacrifice.

When you are teaching the crucifixion, keep it serious.

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.

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Game Pass the Present

Game – PASS THE PRESENT

Take a very small box and put a candy treat inside it.  Wrap the box in wrapping paper.   Put the small box into a larger box and wrap that larger box in wrapping paper.  Put that box into a larger box and wrap that box with wrapping paper.   If possible have 6 boxes or so wrapped up inside of each other.  Place 8 or 10 chairs in a row across the front, facing the audience.   Choose children to sit in those chairs.    Give the big multi-layered box to the first child in the row.   Start some music.   When the music starts the child is to pass the present to the child beside them, who passes it on to the next child etc…..   When the music stops whichever child is holding the box gets to unwrap the present.  Of course when they do so they will just discover another wrapped up box inside.   The music begins again and this child passes the box onto the next etc…..   Each time the music stops the present is opened until they get to the tiny box with the treat.   That child can keep the treat.

 

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Christmas Crafts | Handprint Ideas

Christmas Crafts Handprint Ideas

Here is a link to some really creative christmas craft ideas using paint and the hands of the little children.  The young children will really enjoy these Christmas Crafts.

http://alittlepinchofperfect.com/20-cutest-christmas-handprint-crafts-kids

 

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Christmas Crafts | Names of Jesus Printable Ornaments

Christmas Crafts – Names of Jesus Printable Ornaments

Here is a link to printable ornaments with a different biblical name for Jesus on each one.  Many children love to sit and colour and while they colour they will be learning many of the biblical names of Jesus.

http://www.biblestoryprintables.com/BibleCraftsChristmasNamesJesus.html#.WiGrIUqnGDI

 

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True Friends

True Friends

“The friends you make in prosperity are those you lose in adversity.”
(E.C. McKenzie from 1800 Quotable Quotes)

How wonderful it is that the bible tells us clearly how to know when you have a true friend.  You see the parable of the prodical son and how he learned the hard way that there are friends who are only there when you are prosperous.  A true friend sticks closer than a brother and will tell you the truth when you need to hear it.  They never leave you when you need them most.

As children’s ministers we need to be constantly affirming to the kids what a true friend is and that a true friend would never lead you away from the Lord.  We can be sure that if they are not coming your way towards the Lord, then that is not likely a friend sent to you by the Lord.

Friendships often pull kids away from the Lord, so friendship is something we should OFTEN talk about in children’s church.

 

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Crafts | Christmas Crafts | Wood Slice Ornaments

Craft – Wood Slice Christmas Ornaments

If you have a bit of time to prepare the wood slices, I think you will find this craft to be one that remains on the Christmas Tree for many years to come.

The children will take pride in making these christmas craft ornaments and may be a good gift source for them to give to family members – worth the time to prepare, I think.

 

Wood Slice String Art Ornament

 

Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.