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Posted on May 20, 2013, 12:00 am
Looking for a way to ease the August stress of searching for volunteers? Check out this blog post from veteran children’s minister, Linda Freeman, who offers week by week ideas for planning a month long focus on volunteer recruitment. Read more »
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Posted on May 14, 2013, 9:36 am
Many Sunday schools take a break during the summer months. If yours is one of them, how do you say goodbye to your class as you send them off to enjoy the sunshine? If you’re coming to your last week of Sunday school, consider setting aside time do something special. Here are a few ideas. . .
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Posted on May 7, 2013, 9:14 am | 3 comments
A brunch, a blessing, a bowl full of chocolate—how will you thank your team at the end of this season? Check out these fun ideas I found on Pinterest. Here are a few of my favorites...
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Posted on April 29, 2013, 1:31 pm
As the sun begins to shine and you spend more time outside, it’s easy to let thoughts of September slip out of mind. But a little preplanning now could go a long way in saving you money and time next season. Consider these ideas for stretching your Sunday school budget:
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Posted on April 23, 2013, 9:18 am | 1 comment
Here is an easy tool you can use to give voice to your leader's joys and concerns! You may coordinate the program, but unless you're in the classroom each week it's hard to know exactly how things are going. This simple questionnaire, adapted from the one in Sunday School That Really Works by Jessie Schut, asks teachers to . . .
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Posted on April 22, 2013, 12:27 pm
As the Sunday school season wraps up it's fitting to ask, what will next season look like? What could be new, different, fresh? What should remain the same or be enhanced? As you evaluate your programs and dream about the future consider...
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Posted on April 17, 2013, 3:25 pm
Helping kids develop a faith that's big enough to deal with the realities of this fallen world is part of our role as faith nurturers. Last night I found this article posted on my facebook wall, Talking With Children about the Boston Marathon Bombings... and Listening! and I wanted to pass it along.
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Posted on April 9, 2013, 11:05 am
When I think of Sunday school I think about telling God’s stories and sharing God’s love. But we’re also passing on a faith tradition. With that in mind, the songs we sing with kids and the variety of music we use is significant. It can help or hinder our efforts to enculturate them into the full life of the church.
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Posted on April 1, 2013, 12:00 am | 2 comments
A few weeks ago one of Faith Alive’s editors received a voicemail from a classis leader. He was calling to ask if the churches in his region should continue ordering from Faith Alive, or if we’d soon be closing our doors.
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Posted on March 27, 2013, 3:49 pm | 1 comment
As educators we know that people learn best when their senses are engaged. Theresa Cho draws people in using color and sound, texture and scents, reflection and interaction. The experiences she creates are memorable, personal, and communal. Each time I read her blog I’m amazed at her creative and thoughtful programming. She pushes me to think of new ways to explore ancient truths.
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Posted on March 18, 2013, 1:23 pm
Resurrection eggs are a carton of 12 colorful plastic Easter eggs each containing a little trinket that symbolizes some aspect of the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Each day leading up to or following Easter the family cracks open an egg, sees the symbol, and reads a corresponding Bible passage. Each egg helps families focus their attention on this important story during Holy Week.
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Posted on March 12, 2013, 5:24 pm | 7 comments
It’s been a couple weeks since the premiere of the BIBLE on the History channel. I’ve heard a range of opinions, some hating it, some loving it. Last night I caught a rerun of some of the first and second episodes. I have to say that it was better than I expected, and it made me wonder what other Sunday school teachers are thinking.
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Posted on March 4, 2013, 12:05 pm
Last week Mark DeVries, president of Youth Ministry Architects and author of Family Based Youth Ministry posted this video on recruiting volunteers. He is so confident it will work that he offers a $100 guarentee!
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Posted on February 28, 2013, 12:21 pm | 3 comments
The pastor of Beaverdam RCA, Rev. Mike Tubergen, and a team of volunteers there are very excited to host an event to encourage and inspire local Sunday school coordinators and teachers. I'll be there sharing a workshop on storytelling with young children and Derek Atkins, the youth editor for Faith Alive will be there talking about what makes a lesson Reformed. I'm also eager to hear the main speakers--Dr. Tim Brown from Western Seminary and Rev. Lou Roossien from the Network of Biblical Storytellers International.
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Posted on February 12, 2013, 10:25 am
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
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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