On February 21, most of our Sunday School students met in the Roundabout to learn about Heifer Project. Now the collection time has begun. Students in all classes, preschool through adult, are hoping to collect $5,000 (an ark of animals) that will provide a source of income for impoverished families throughout the world.
Students in the younger grades, preschool through 5th grade, brought home an ark and a calendar from Sunday School this last week. If your child missed this week, stop by the Roundabout - the arks will be there for all four weeks of the program. The calendar is designed to be a tool for you to use with your child - to talk about all the things we are blessed with, and to focus on sharing those blessings.
For the older grades and adult classes, many are using the My Cup Runs Over sheet (available at the church) to help guide discussions and encourage giving in relationship to the blessings we enjoy.
Christ asks us to be his hands and feet. Let's demonstrate this servant-hood by reaching out to those in need. Please support this venture by bringing your donations to the church. Designated jars are located adjacent to the sanctuary.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Monday, December 7, 2009
John The Baptist
Question of the Week from the 3rd grade class: John the Baptist
I know, that's not really a question. We had many, many questions about John the Baptist, and rather than lose the whole hour to a history of this man, we told the kids we would blog about him. Get out your Bibles -- it's time to take a trip through the scriptures.
John the Baptist was chosen before he was even born
Check out Luke 1:5-25. John's parents were old, and his father was a priest. His father was chosen to go into the temple to burn incense, and while he was there, an angel visited him, and told him he'd have a son. More than that: he told Zechariah that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth, and he'll bring people to God, and prepare them for the coming of the LORD. Zechariah was surprised, and a little unsure this could actually happen. Can you find out what happened to him because he didn't believe the words of the angel? If you want to find out about John's birth, and how his father recovered, read Luke 1:37-66.
John the Baptist starts to preach
Read Luke 3:1-6. This is the scripture we read on Sunday. It gives us a time stamp as to when John started. He called for repentance (turning the other direction, away from sin/wrong). Keep reading, through vs 18. John taught them how to be better people, and they thought maybe he was the promised Messiah. How did he respond? Read verse 16. Right away, John told them that Jesus was coming, and he was going to be SO much bigger than John.
How did John get the name "John the Baptist"?
Sometimes they call him "John the Baptizer". And that's what he did. He baptized people, when they decided to change around their lives and live for God. This was actually pretty unusual. Jews might baptize Gentiles (anyone who wasn't Jewish) if they wanted to become Jewish. But to baptize a Jew meant that maybe the Jew wasn't already in God's favor, and they considered themselves the chosen people (God had told them they were, after all, His chosen people). But John was convincing these people that just being born a Jew didn't make you right with God. Radical!
Who's the most famous person that John baptized?
Jesus! Read Luke 3:21-22. Now read Matthew 3:13-17. Both tell about Jesus' baptism.
Seems like a good guy. How'd he get into trouble?
When we look at prophets, we find that speaking the truth does not always go over well with people. Especially when you speak it to someone who thinks he's in charge. Read Luke 3:19-20. John was fearless, and confronted Herod. The word "tetrarch" means he was a kind of ruler - not quite a king, but close. "Rebuked" means he told him right to his face that what he was doing was wrong. So what did Herod do? Read verse 20. For more of the story, go to Matthew 14:3-5. At first, Herod was afraid of killing John because of the people who liked John so much.
From Prison to Death
John hung out in prison for awhile. But his time came to an end one day. Read Matthew 14:6-12 for that story. I think the interesting part there is the choice that Herod made. He could have said NO to the request of the girl -- he was the king, after all! But he was afraid of what his people would think.
Gory Details
Yes, he was beheaded. They didn't have a guillotine back then, so it means his head was cut off with a sword. Philip asked if he was already dead, but no, I think that's the way they killed him. The question was also asked if he wanted to die. I would guess not -- given his choice, he would have preferred to be out in the world, doing God's work. But many years later, the apostle Paul, also writing from prison, wrote the words "For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." He knew that while alive he would do what he could to tell people about Christ and help them make a choice for Christ. But when he died, he'd get to BE WITH Christ in heaven, and that's way better than living forever here on earth!
I know, that's not really a question. We had many, many questions about John the Baptist, and rather than lose the whole hour to a history of this man, we told the kids we would blog about him. Get out your Bibles -- it's time to take a trip through the scriptures.
John the Baptist was chosen before he was even born
Check out Luke 1:5-25. John's parents were old, and his father was a priest. His father was chosen to go into the temple to burn incense, and while he was there, an angel visited him, and told him he'd have a son. More than that: he told Zechariah that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth, and he'll bring people to God, and prepare them for the coming of the LORD. Zechariah was surprised, and a little unsure this could actually happen. Can you find out what happened to him because he didn't believe the words of the angel? If you want to find out about John's birth, and how his father recovered, read Luke 1:37-66.
John the Baptist starts to preach
Read Luke 3:1-6. This is the scripture we read on Sunday. It gives us a time stamp as to when John started. He called for repentance (turning the other direction, away from sin/wrong). Keep reading, through vs 18. John taught them how to be better people, and they thought maybe he was the promised Messiah. How did he respond? Read verse 16. Right away, John told them that Jesus was coming, and he was going to be SO much bigger than John.
How did John get the name "John the Baptist"?
Sometimes they call him "John the Baptizer". And that's what he did. He baptized people, when they decided to change around their lives and live for God. This was actually pretty unusual. Jews might baptize Gentiles (anyone who wasn't Jewish) if they wanted to become Jewish. But to baptize a Jew meant that maybe the Jew wasn't already in God's favor, and they considered themselves the chosen people (God had told them they were, after all, His chosen people). But John was convincing these people that just being born a Jew didn't make you right with God. Radical!
Who's the most famous person that John baptized?
Jesus! Read Luke 3:21-22. Now read Matthew 3:13-17. Both tell about Jesus' baptism.
Seems like a good guy. How'd he get into trouble?
When we look at prophets, we find that speaking the truth does not always go over well with people. Especially when you speak it to someone who thinks he's in charge. Read Luke 3:19-20. John was fearless, and confronted Herod. The word "tetrarch" means he was a kind of ruler - not quite a king, but close. "Rebuked" means he told him right to his face that what he was doing was wrong. So what did Herod do? Read verse 20. For more of the story, go to Matthew 14:3-5. At first, Herod was afraid of killing John because of the people who liked John so much.
From Prison to Death
John hung out in prison for awhile. But his time came to an end one day. Read Matthew 14:6-12 for that story. I think the interesting part there is the choice that Herod made. He could have said NO to the request of the girl -- he was the king, after all! But he was afraid of what his people would think.
Gory Details
Yes, he was beheaded. They didn't have a guillotine back then, so it means his head was cut off with a sword. Philip asked if he was already dead, but no, I think that's the way they killed him. The question was also asked if he wanted to die. I would guess not -- given his choice, he would have preferred to be out in the world, doing God's work. But many years later, the apostle Paul, also writing from prison, wrote the words "For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." He knew that while alive he would do what he could to tell people about Christ and help them make a choice for Christ. But when he died, he'd get to BE WITH Christ in heaven, and that's way better than living forever here on earth!
Teacher Meeting 12/6/09
We started a new curriculum this fall, and all grades are using it, in addition to one adult class, and one Bible study. It was time to evaluate how it is going, and to share tips and suggestions.
The younger grades shared some frustrations with the materials, in that the handouts are not colorful or eye-catching in any way. Overall, for this age, the material seems more educational, and less fun. And for the youngest grades, covering less familiar stories before becoming familiar with the common, familiar ones seems a strange choice.
Action plans coming out of this meeting include:
Checking the print version of the current curriculum (which we are only receiving the online version) to see if it has flyers that are colorful and more fun.
Looking at combining some smaller classes in future years, to be more efficient about use of time of the teachers.
Looking at the possibility of some age group clusters -- having the youngest kids, through 2nd grade, following a more traditional curriculum with colorful flyers and familiar stories (maybe a modified lectionary?). 3rd through 5th grade might develop into topic-focused classes. Suggestions included 3rd grade focusing on learning the Bible - how to find things, how it fits together, 4th grade focusing on the history, geography, and culture pieces, to give kids a context for the stories, and 5th grade perhaps focusing on trivia, taking them all around the Bible. Starting with 6th grade, they would work on the lectionary curriculum.
The idea of age group clusters will require some thought and planning and research. We will continue with the current curriculum through this year, taking note of ideas, and pulling together these ideas for next fall.
Finally, we did agree to have another teacher meeting in March, to check in again and get more feedback.
The final discussion was about the stations for the younger groups. The general consensus was that once a month is too often... perhaps once per quarter (or season) would work better.
The feedback from this meeting will be brought back to the education committee meeting, to be held this week.
Many teachers of all age groups are putting in much more time in preparation. A lot of this is in an attempt to supplement the material to make it more fun. Some of the lessons have it all there, but some are really tough. However, the stories covered are not always in the mainstream 15-20 stories all children become familiar with.
Action plans coming out of this meeting include:
Checking the print version of the current curriculum (which we are only receiving the online version) to see if it has flyers that are colorful and more fun.
Looking at combining some smaller classes in future years, to be more efficient about use of time of the teachers.
Looking at the possibility of some age group clusters -- having the youngest kids, through 2nd grade, following a more traditional curriculum with colorful flyers and familiar stories (maybe a modified lectionary?). 3rd through 5th grade might develop into topic-focused classes. Suggestions included 3rd grade focusing on learning the Bible - how to find things, how it fits together, 4th grade focusing on the history, geography, and culture pieces, to give kids a context for the stories, and 5th grade perhaps focusing on trivia, taking them all around the Bible. Starting with 6th grade, they would work on the lectionary curriculum.
The idea of age group clusters will require some thought and planning and research. We will continue with the current curriculum through this year, taking note of ideas, and pulling together these ideas for next fall.
Finally, we did agree to have another teacher meeting in March, to check in again and get more feedback.
The final discussion was about the stations for the younger groups. The general consensus was that once a month is too often... perhaps once per quarter (or season) would work better.
The feedback from this meeting will be brought back to the education committee meeting, to be held this week.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
3rd Grade Questions - week of 10/4
This week we received 2 questions from 3rd graders:
Q: How many years ago did Jesus live?
A: Well, the easy answer is that our calendar tells us. Sometime after Jesus lived, the calendar was changed, and the years started counting from Jesus' life. That's what the A.D. stands for: The year of our Lord (Anno Domini). So your answer would be 2,009 years ago. But Jesus lived more than just one year. We think he was about 33 when he was crucified. We know he was alive in Year #1 - but how old was he? Not sure.
Q: How is the Bible made?
A: The only part of Bible making that I've been a part of is making Braille Bibles, and that's different than any other kind of Bible. For Braille Bibles, plates are made that will raise dots on both sides of the paper. We have an assembly line production to put them together. Someone punches holes in the paper that the spiral binding goes through. Someone writes the page numbers on each sheet. Someone loads the paper into the metal plates. Another person sends the plates through the press that makes the dots, and another person takes the pages and puts them into the spiral machine to bind them all. All of these people are volunteers, who work so that we can bring light to people who are blind.
The paper used for Braille Bibles is much bigger and thicker than the paper in your Bibles. When we make a Bible, it is only a portion. Genesis comes in 2 books, and each one is an inch thick, maybe more! The whole Bible in Braille would probably take up an entire bookcase!
Q: How many years ago did Jesus live?
A: Well, the easy answer is that our calendar tells us. Sometime after Jesus lived, the calendar was changed, and the years started counting from Jesus' life. That's what the A.D. stands for: The year of our Lord (Anno Domini). So your answer would be 2,009 years ago. But Jesus lived more than just one year. We think he was about 33 when he was crucified. We know he was alive in Year #1 - but how old was he? Not sure.
Q: How is the Bible made?
A: The only part of Bible making that I've been a part of is making Braille Bibles, and that's different than any other kind of Bible. For Braille Bibles, plates are made that will raise dots on both sides of the paper. We have an assembly line production to put them together. Someone punches holes in the paper that the spiral binding goes through. Someone writes the page numbers on each sheet. Someone loads the paper into the metal plates. Another person sends the plates through the press that makes the dots, and another person takes the pages and puts them into the spiral machine to bind them all. All of these people are volunteers, who work so that we can bring light to people who are blind.
The paper used for Braille Bibles is much bigger and thicker than the paper in your Bibles. When we make a Bible, it is only a portion. Genesis comes in 2 books, and each one is an inch thick, maybe more! The whole Bible in Braille would probably take up an entire bookcase!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Off to a Good Start
We've had 2 Sunday School days, and so far, so good. The changes still through us off a bit - like getting to the Roundabout by 10:35 for song time - but we haven't lost anyone yet.
There've been some behind the scenes meetings about the Stations we're putting into place starting in October, trying to figure out how it will all work. Originally, we were going to do the first Sunday of each month. Now we're entertaining thoughts of changing the dates, making it half a class time, not doing it every month... Teachers don't want to give up their class time, and I guess that's a good thing, yes? They care deeply about teaching each lesson. But, we need to try new things, and if we don't give it a good shot, we can't really evaluate it properly at the end of the year.
With that in mind, I think we will change some dates, and we won't have one in December, but we will have a station every month besides December, and we'll keep it for the whole class time. I think we can make this work, and that once it gets up and running, it will be a good thing. Good enough that everyone will wonder why we didn't do it years ago. The biggest hurdle is to tap into the talents within the church body, to make these stations fun and exciting.
Meanwhile, the 3rd graders may be using this blog soon as a forum for questions. Jessica and I, the 3rd grade teachers, have found the last several years' classes have had lots of good questions, which, given half a chance, can totally derail the lesson for the day. So, we will try a Question Box, and then I think we'll post our answers here. 3rd Grade Q&A? Are you as curious as a 3rd Grader? We'll need a good label -- something to ponder for a couple of days.
There've been some behind the scenes meetings about the Stations we're putting into place starting in October, trying to figure out how it will all work. Originally, we were going to do the first Sunday of each month. Now we're entertaining thoughts of changing the dates, making it half a class time, not doing it every month... Teachers don't want to give up their class time, and I guess that's a good thing, yes? They care deeply about teaching each lesson. But, we need to try new things, and if we don't give it a good shot, we can't really evaluate it properly at the end of the year.
With that in mind, I think we will change some dates, and we won't have one in December, but we will have a station every month besides December, and we'll keep it for the whole class time. I think we can make this work, and that once it gets up and running, it will be a good thing. Good enough that everyone will wonder why we didn't do it years ago. The biggest hurdle is to tap into the talents within the church body, to make these stations fun and exciting.
Meanwhile, the 3rd graders may be using this blog soon as a forum for questions. Jessica and I, the 3rd grade teachers, have found the last several years' classes have had lots of good questions, which, given half a chance, can totally derail the lesson for the day. So, we will try a Question Box, and then I think we'll post our answers here. 3rd Grade Q&A? Are you as curious as a 3rd Grader? We'll need a good label -- something to ponder for a couple of days.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Just for Teachers
We are so excited for Sunday school to begin on the 13th. Thank you again teachers for dedicating yourselves to the Lord, our children, and the church. You are such a blessing. We want to share how wonderful you are with our parents and congregation. Please pick up a Who are You form in Fellowship Hall and drop it off in the box located there. This applies to ADULT class teachers all the way down to preschool. Other reminders:
ü Posters have been ordered for each class so you don’t have to share them.
ü Materials must be left outside of Rachel’s office. They are accessible by the Internet or you can arrange to have the secretaries run off a copy for your room. Some grades are sharing the same material. This is a 3 year cycle so all will be new for everyone next year.
ü Materials to be copied must be done by Friday of the week they are being used. Call the office and the secretaries will have them ready for you.
ü Take attendance weekly and if you have a new student, add it to the bottom of the list. The first collection of the papers in your outside mailbox is Sunday, Sept. 27 (Adult classes as well).
ü The Christian Education team will be holding you up in our prayers.
ü Johanna Harris is your go to girl for information or concerns. We will resolve all of them ASAP.
ü If you did not receive a scroll covenant poster, there is one located in Fellowship Hall.
Have a great first Sunday. We appreciate each and every one of you. Nancy Gainor
ü Posters have been ordered for each class so you don’t have to share them.
ü Materials must be left outside of Rachel’s office. They are accessible by the Internet or you can arrange to have the secretaries run off a copy for your room. Some grades are sharing the same material. This is a 3 year cycle so all will be new for everyone next year.
ü Materials to be copied must be done by Friday of the week they are being used. Call the office and the secretaries will have them ready for you.
ü Take attendance weekly and if you have a new student, add it to the bottom of the list. The first collection of the papers in your outside mailbox is Sunday, Sept. 27 (Adult classes as well).
ü The Christian Education team will be holding you up in our prayers.
ü Johanna Harris is your go to girl for information or concerns. We will resolve all of them ASAP.
ü If you did not receive a scroll covenant poster, there is one located in Fellowship Hall.
Have a great first Sunday. We appreciate each and every one of you. Nancy Gainor
Welcome to Sunday School!
Fall has begun, and so we have started Sunday School classes. We have several changes for the fall. First, we have started our new curriculum. Seasons of the Spirit is a curriculum for preschool through adult. All of our children will be learning from this curriculum, and Pastor Don is leading an adult class using it, too.
Missed the first week of class? It's not too late to start! You can start coming to Sunday School any time during the year. Preschool through 5th grade, check with the teacher for a registration form. These should be filled out and returned to the church office. 6th grade and up, check the SuperFly website for a medical/permission form, and turn that in to Rachael Warner or the office soon. We want all of our kids to be safe, and we need to know how to contact parents, and if there are any concerns teachers should be aware of. Help us out by turning in those forms!
Also new this year: we have changed around the morning a bit. We are all meeting in classrooms starting at 9:45. At 10:35, all classes (preschool through grade 5) come to the Roundabout Room for song time. Parents should come to pick their child up there. Please check in with your child's teacher if you child is 2nd grade or younger. We will tweak this program in these first few weeks, to make sure no child goes wandering off... stay tuned for updates.
Coming soon, we'll have our first Station Sunday. October 5th, the students preschool through grade 5 will be mixed up, and sent to other rooms for hands on learning activities. If you would like to share a skill or interest with a group of children once, or once a month, please contact Tracy Dungan.
Missed the first week of class? It's not too late to start! You can start coming to Sunday School any time during the year. Preschool through 5th grade, check with the teacher for a registration form. These should be filled out and returned to the church office. 6th grade and up, check the SuperFly website for a medical/permission form, and turn that in to Rachael Warner or the office soon. We want all of our kids to be safe, and we need to know how to contact parents, and if there are any concerns teachers should be aware of. Help us out by turning in those forms!
Also new this year: we have changed around the morning a bit. We are all meeting in classrooms starting at 9:45. At 10:35, all classes (preschool through grade 5) come to the Roundabout Room for song time. Parents should come to pick their child up there. Please check in with your child's teacher if you child is 2nd grade or younger. We will tweak this program in these first few weeks, to make sure no child goes wandering off... stay tuned for updates.
Coming soon, we'll have our first Station Sunday. October 5th, the students preschool through grade 5 will be mixed up, and sent to other rooms for hands on learning activities. If you would like to share a skill or interest with a group of children once, or once a month, please contact Tracy Dungan.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Curriculum Notes for S.S. Teachers
Here we go! Teachers, we are so thankful for your commitment and your work. Thank you for your patience as we work through the inevitable bumps in the navigation of a new curriculum that brings many new opportunities and adventures! I have a few notes for you that I hope will help:
1. MASTER COPIES BINDERS - please do not remove these binders from the shelf outside of Rachael's office. They are for everyone to use for reference, for master copies, etc. If you need personal copies, please make them in the office, contact the office staff during office hours for help, or print a copy from the online materials.
2. POSTERS - indeed, some of the posters referenced in your curriculum will be shared when multiple grades overlap one age-group resource. I have ordered 2 complete poster sets, and when they arrive, we should have plenty of posters for all. I will create a poster box to organize them by title so that you can retrieve the posters you need from the shelf outside of my office. Meanwhile, sharing is appreciated. Also, remember that you can pick and choose which activities to do each week or even supplement the provided material with your own ideas!
3. Please return the WHO ARE YOU form, located in your handbook from the training event, to the church office, to Johanna, or to Nancy Gainor as soon as possible. We want to celebrate YOU as a teacher!
Thanks for all you do.
Rachael
1. MASTER COPIES BINDERS - please do not remove these binders from the shelf outside of Rachael's office. They are for everyone to use for reference, for master copies, etc. If you need personal copies, please make them in the office, contact the office staff during office hours for help, or print a copy from the online materials.
2. POSTERS - indeed, some of the posters referenced in your curriculum will be shared when multiple grades overlap one age-group resource. I have ordered 2 complete poster sets, and when they arrive, we should have plenty of posters for all. I will create a poster box to organize them by title so that you can retrieve the posters you need from the shelf outside of my office. Meanwhile, sharing is appreciated. Also, remember that you can pick and choose which activities to do each week or even supplement the provided material with your own ideas!
3. Please return the WHO ARE YOU form, located in your handbook from the training event, to the church office, to Johanna, or to Nancy Gainor as soon as possible. We want to celebrate YOU as a teacher!
Thanks for all you do.
Rachael
Monday, September 7, 2009
Watch for New Library Resources
This fall we plan to add some new resources to the library, including a computer that will allow you to search for library materials using search parameters such as key words, author, category, or title. We will keep your informed as these resources come "on line" by way of this blog, and also by including in the Hylander information about the library and highlighting materials in the collection.
We would also like to hear from you about materials you would like to see added to our NHUMC library.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Website Under Construction
The new education website is almost all done and ready to be published. Nothing like trying to put everything down in writing to help you realize what you don't know yet. Tracking down names, classrooms, topics, details...
The good news is, it's all exciting stuff. We have a new curriculum for Sunday School, that will keep everyone preschool through grade 12 on the same general topic. We even have an adult class doing the same curriculum, so parents can keep up with their kids. There's a brand new Wednesday night program, with learning and fun all wrapped up in a nice 3 hour package. Drop off your kids, knowing they'll be kept busy. Find a class for yourself -- there's a topic to meet nearly any interest. Let's grow in God's grace together.
The good news is, it's all exciting stuff. We have a new curriculum for Sunday School, that will keep everyone preschool through grade 12 on the same general topic. We even have an adult class doing the same curriculum, so parents can keep up with their kids. There's a brand new Wednesday night program, with learning and fun all wrapped up in a nice 3 hour package. Drop off your kids, knowing they'll be kept busy. Find a class for yourself -- there's a topic to meet nearly any interest. Let's grow in God's grace together.
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