The Sunday School Teacher's Network Newsletter - Great ideas for children's ministry!


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Issue #69 - October 29, 2007 Previous issues can be found in the Archives.	Home \| Search \| Support SSTN
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"For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." -- Jesus
1) Series of Tracts 2) God's Plan Skit? 3) Seeking Youth Director 4) Praise and Worship 5) Teens' Doughnut Service Pilgrim & Indian Finger Puppets Print out as many patterns as you need for $4.99. Click here. 6) Magic versus Miracles 7) Halloween - Overcome Evil with Good 8) I need to LOOK like Heaven?! 9) Fun In The Country 10) Male Angel Costume?	Halloween Scare Tract
	A book of sad poems written by Jeremiah. (The answer is in this newsletter)
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1) Series of Tracts Teachers, I have written a series of small tracts for children for the October holiday - you can use them for Reformation Day/Fall Festival/Halloween trick-or-treat, or just as a read aloud story, lesson or take home paper for your students. I hope you enjoy them! www.bulletininserts.org and scroll to the bottom of the page. Thanks! Susan

2) God's Plan Skit? I am trying to put together a little Christmas skit for the kids to show what they have been learning this year, starting with Genesis and leading through the OT to Jesus' birth, Christmas, to show God's plan, but has to be short and simple because most of the kids are quite young and I don't have many either. Any ideas?. Thank you and God bless you Isabel --from SSTN: check out the Bible in 50 Words in our Lessons and Sermons section at: http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/sermons.html

3) Seeking Youth Director Greetings and peace to you! Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church, Liberty Township, OH (a northern suburb of Cincinnati) is seeking an energetic, creative individual to serve as FT Director of Youth Ministry. This person would have responsibility for ministries to children and youth (and their families) ages newborn to college. Immediate needs center around development of ministry to high school students in our community. Other responsibilities would be contingent on gifts and experience. Interested parties should contact: Joel Morgan, Pastor Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church 7127 Dutchland Parkway Liberty Township, OH 45044 (513) 779-4740 www.royalredeemer.org

4) Praise and Worship Dear Sandra, How about singing Bible verses? What we have to do is be creative and be willing to be led, to be flexible, to be carried by the spirit. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Could that be sung? For, God so loved the world, that he gave us his Son, That by him we might believe. God put his faith in him, that we might be won, That we might believe and receive. I think it takes a lot of changing and often rearranging, for many a good song to be sung. Could a class work on it together? That could be fun. Did you ever simply type random letters and then start a line using each one? I have. It's fun. RB

5) Teens' Doughnut Service In our church here in the UK we have a 'Doughnut' Service once a month on the first Sunday evening of every month. This is a contemporary service where the Youth Church, ages 12 - 25 years, play instruments, sing or help lead the service. All ages are welcome to attend the service then coffee and doughnuts are served following the service, (hence 'doughnut' service). On the third sunday of every month the teens get together for a 'jamming' session and take over the whole building. The musical instruments are in the church, craft in a small room, games in the larger hall and a quiet space in the small upstairs room. Adults are available should they be required but most of the time it is a teen evening. The Youth Church attend part of the Sunday morning service before leaving for their sessions unless its a family service. They are most probably taking part in the family service either playing music, singing or performing a sketch. In September 2008 we are hoping to start a youth club for the teens, both church goers and non-church goers. All sessions with the Youth Church is planned around them with Christ at the heart. They also go on excursions like swimming, skating, bowling etc. Hope this helps. Yours in Christ Jaqi S

6) Magic versus Miracles magic is pulling a rabbit from a hat or Flowers from an empty vase. (teacher performs the trick) Miracles are seeds that become trees and the red sea parting. Only God can do a miracle. Sing he has the whole world in his hands. I'm sure the kids will love this. Ann Kimberlin Mathiews

7) Halloween - Overcome Evil with Good I know this is very late in the day to come up with this idea, so please excuse my brain, you know the part that does things in a timely and orderly manner, well that part is broke. The good news is there is always next year. Having seen all the superb ideas that come from this group I know some one will know how to put this idea of mine together and add to it to counter all the junk from the other side. I would like to see Christians everywhere start to make window and yard displays for halloween that look just like the ones you buy in the stores, with one difference. That the scenes show each one of the most popular "scary characters" being put to flight or destroyed by God, an Angel or other Christian hero. I think it would be so neat to see the look on kids faces when they come up to a Christian yard and see the same old displays that decorate every other yard but suddenly realize something is different with these displays! It would be nice to see Christians stand up and show the world that we have a different view of hallloween. This is a perfect opportunity for Christian households to identify themselves to the community. I could be just as much fun putting up the spider webs and spider with an Angel added to the scene cutting the web with a fiery sword and rescuing the poor victim. The WalMart artists have done most of the work, just add a Christian Hero to the scenes they made. It could be fun and if nothing else it will show neighborhood kids there is a God and He always wins over evil characters. This is as close as a lot of kids today will get to a Sunday School lesson. If this became a Christian tradition like turkey at Thanksgiving a lot of little kids would at least be exposed to another view about good and evil in your yard every halloween. My hope is that someone with more talent and better health will think it's a good idea and make it happen.

8) I need to LOOK like Heaven?! On October 31st our church has been doing ministry. We call the event "Safe Halloween". Long story short, we make The Wordless Book into bracelets. The person stops for each color where it is explained to them what the color represents. When the bracelet is done they proceed to a tent for a sandwich BAG full of candy. There are other aspects to the night that I can relay if anyone is interested...BUT this year I am the GOLD bracelet and we've decided to try and personify the colors. ANY IDEAS?! Thanks SO MUCH in advance. Blessings, Lisa J. Acker --from SSTN: string white, Christmas tree lights over walls and around the edges of the room. Over the lights spread white fabric netting. Wear a halo and white robe.

9) Fun In The Country One of the things that Christians should not celebrate is Halloween in any fashion. Yet, we live in a society that does. It is hard to figure out ways, at times, to reach a lost world without compromising our beliefs. Many have tried different things. We do not participate in allowing our children to dress up in any fashion. I do have a couple of ideas that may help all of those in doubt. If you would like to pass out candy to a lost world, have the parent sit out on the porch or wherever and give out candy and also and envelope filled with tracts on the history of Halloween and your church information. We have done this a few times. One of the other things we do every year is that our church youth group has a thing called "Fun In The Country." On the last weekend October, our youth have a baked good auction at our fellowship hall. We decorate for fall and have fun silly acts in between auctioning off baked goods that our church provides. We then give the money to a children's organization, such as Coats for Kids, Shop With a Cop, etc. This year, they are raising money for a dialysis center. It is our time to think of others and in turn have a wonderful fun filled gathering of our church family and many bring unchurched friends and co-workers.. I really suggest you try this because you will do it again and again.....What a blessing. Your sister in Christ Nancy

10) Male Angel Costume? We are doing our Christmas play this year and will have male angels. The head angel is male and the play says that he needs to be "whiter and brighter" than the other angels. The kids are going to wear white shirts and pants and I plan on making the boys capes, any suggestions on how to make the head angel whiter and brighter without being feminine? Thanks Rachel

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This issue's Bible Trivia answer is, "Lamentations". Used by permission. From the game, Bible Stack-O!
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