Sunday School
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Posted on February 12, 2013, 10:25 am
Topics: Nurturing Faith
This fall Tyson Capel he asked each high schooler at his church to invite an older member of the congregation to study the book of Acts with them. The teens decide who they would like to ask and then they ask that person to meet with them regularly throughout the school year to study the Bible . . .
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Posted on January 30, 2013, 10:57 am | 2 comments
Topics: Nurturing Faith
In the book Sticky Faith: Everyday Ideas to Build Lasting Faith in Your Kids, Chap Clark and Kara Powel talk about flipping the 5:1 kid-to-adult ratio. Rather than one leader for every five teens, what if every child and teen in our churches had five adults who were investing in their lives? Five adults who loved them unconditionally, listened to their stories, asked about their lives, prayed for them, and were there when they needed them. . .
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Posted on January 22, 2013, 2:48 pm
Topics: Nurturing Faith, Organizing
If you are a church educator, Sunday school coordinator, minister of faith formation, or director of children's or youth ministry, it is time again to join or renew your membership in the Association of Christian Reformed Church Educators. Members receive an annual selection of new resources from Faith Alive, membership in the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators, and a subscription to The Advocate, a quarterly journal focused on topics relating to faith formation.
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Posted on January 17, 2013, 3:24 pm
Topics: Nurturing Faith
Come to Me, a unique family “prayer book” now in development by Faith Alive, is an exciting new venture designed to bring families closer together and closer to God. We’re looking for families to field-test a sample of this book, which makes spending time with God a natural, doable, and meaningful part of family life.
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Posted on January 15, 2013, 11:59 am | 1 comment
What should fifth grade children know about the Bible and about God? What values should Christians embody by the time they reach adulthood? These are interesting questions without easy answers. ..
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Posted on January 8, 2013, 8:57 am
Topics: Supporting Volunteers
For Sunday school coordinators and teachers New Year’s brings a sigh of relief… ahhh, you’re halfway there! You’ve survived the fall recruiting crunch, the kick-off chaos, and the Christmas celebration. Like a Sabbath on the first day of the week, take a little time to catch your breath, reflect, and regroup for the New Year...
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Posted on December 18, 2012, 4:02 pm
Topics: Nurturing Faith
Just a couple weeks ago a friend mentioned how sad it is that her five year old son has code red drills at school. They practice hiding and staying quiet “in case a bad stranger comes,” he told her. Now our hearts grieve with the families in Newtown.
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Posted on December 4, 2012, 10:27 am | 2 comments
Topics: Faith Tradition, Nurturing Faith
This Sunday at Prairie Edge CRC a barren tree stood on stage in the worship center. Later that night kids, teens, and adults came together to sing, share a meal, and reflect on the promise of God to send a savior. . .
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Posted on November 20, 2012, 10:21 am
Topics: Organizing
Last week I visited Fourth Reformed church on the northeast side of Grand Rapids. It’s a busy place, buzzing with ministry. But Sunday school coordinator’s Tom and Norma Boehm face the same challenge that many of us face. Busy schedules mean worn out families don’t always make it to church. We talked about some of the things they are doing, or could do to get families more engaged. Here are some of the ideas . . .
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Posted on November 13, 2012, 10:32 am
Topics: Teaching
We tell a lot of stories about persecution in Sunday school. These stories of perseverance, courage, and God’s amazing power are current and relevant testimonies to persecuted believers who continue to suffer today. But our North American kids don’t experience the daily persecution faced by Christians in other parts of the world. It is easy to forget their struggle and to think of these stories as ancient history.
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Posted on November 7, 2012, 8:52 am
Topics: Curriculum
We love our kids and want to protect them. We implement policies like team teaching, windows in classrooms, safety screening, video cameras, and more to keep them safe. Is there more that we can do?
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Posted on November 6, 2012, 10:18 am
Topics: Supporting Volunteers
Recently I asked Laura Brink, Children’s Ministry Director at Cascade Fellowship Christian Reformed Church, what she has done to encourage and equip her volunteers. Her church offers Sunday school, children and worship, and midweek programs, so there are teachers, leaders, and helpers who minister to the same age group of kids at different times throughout the week.
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Posted on October 31, 2012, 8:56 am
Topics: Nurturing Faith
The song “When I am Afraid I Will Trust in You” played softly in the background as we scrawled pictures of things that scare us (mostly monsters). Seven-year-old Justice was eager to talk about her picture—a scene from a movie she’d seen on TV. “The man was running to get these people,” she said, eyes wide, and voice getting louder with each word.
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Posted on October 23, 2012, 9:32 am | 1 comment
Topics: Supporting Volunteers
I’m on a mission to connect with children’s ministry directors, Sunday school coordinators, and teachers to see and hear what God is doing in their midst. I’m hoping to highlight a new idea or best practice each week. Here is a fun one that's easy to implement at any time of the year. . .
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Posted on October 16, 2012, 10:58 am | 2 comments
Topics: Supporting Volunteers
Volunteers are BUSY—it’s getting harder and harder to get everyone together for training and encouragement. Brian Bierenga, the Children & Youth Ministry Coordinator at Brookside CRC uses weekly email to encourage his youth team. His formula is simple . . .
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