Resource Browser Page
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| April 23, 2013 |
A Questionnaire for Sunday School TeachersOrganizing, Supporting Volunteers 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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| November 20, 2012 |
Getting Parents Pumped about Sunday SchoolOrganizing 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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| January 3, 2011 |
A New Year's ChecklistOrganizing, Supporting Volunteers Happy New Year! By now you are almost halfway through the educational year, and you’ve tackled some of your most labor-intensive months. (Stop reading and give yourself a hug!) But since there’s still work to be done, I’ve prepared a little list to help you get the New Year off to a smooth start! |
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| December 16, 2010 |
Welcome Home: A Christmas DevotionalSupporting Volunteers Like fireworks in July, a choir of angels—spinning and whirling, shining and twirling—burst into the sky singing, “Glory to God in the highest and peace to everyone on earth.” |
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| December 1, 2010 |
3 Tips for Involving Kids in StorytellingNurturing Faith, Teaching Some of my favorite story times are ones that allow kids to take center stage... We love to jump in and become part of the story! There are three things I keep in mind each time I tell a story with kids... |
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| November 23, 2010 |
Who Will Take Your Place?Supporting Volunteers It is hard to get people out for leader’s meetings and even harder to find an hour or two of available time when everyone can meet for training. What isn’t hard is thinking of several excellent leaders at my church—leaders who I would love to see pass on their passion for ministry. I wonder what would happen if each of them would take someone under their wing to show them what they do and how they do it. |
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| November 11, 2010 |
What to Do About the Christmas ProgramOrganizing Ah, the Christmas program. The annual event guaranteed to make parents beam with pride, kids do the unpredictable, and Children’s Ministry Directors break out in a cold sweat! If you’re in that director’s chair this year, expect the unexpected! And read on to find some great tips to make this year’s program... |
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| August 10, 2010 |
Kids on a Mission!Nurturing Faith Kids need to hear about how Jesus called his disciples and how he healed, taught, died, and rose again. They need to imagine Paul’s missionary journeys. . . . But they also need to know what it means to be called on a mission of their own! |
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| June 25, 2010 |
Children at the Lord's SupperNurturing Faith This year’s synod took a big step toward welcoming children to the Lord’s Supper! By approving the following guiding principal, synod sent the message that they approve of the direction of the Faith Formation Committee’s work... |
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| June 15, 2010 |
Serving with KidsNurturing Faith Something special happens when people from different generations rub elbows as they serve together. They find common ground where they hadn’t known it existed before! A sixty-year-old and seven-year-old become something more than a grandparent and child, or a Sunday school teacher and student—they become ministry partners! Stories are shared as faith is experienced and modeled, practiced and affirmed. |
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| June 4, 2010 |
Before You Hit The Beach . . .Organizing My vacation packing ritual always includes some household chores. I can’t stand the thought of coming home from summer paradise to face a messy house and dirty dishes. Church is no different. Before you shift gears for the summer, I suggest you start on seven little chores that will help make next season a success.
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| April 26, 2010 |
Make it CountTeaching There are 52 weeks in the year. If a weekly 45 minute Sunday school class doesn’t meet for 10 weeks in the summer and the average child is absent for 5 Sundays during the school year, how many hours of Sunday school does the average child attend in a year? |
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| April 8, 2010 |
Faith ModelingNurturing Faith What does it mean to be a faith model? If the chorus of R.E.M.’s song “Shiny, Happy People” springs to mind, you’re not alone. Sadly, what we think of as faith modeling is often little more than pretending. Instead of reflecting the reality of life with God, it’s tempting to put on a smile and pretend ...
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| March 2, 2010 |
Teacher Training: Autism and Children's MinistryOrganizing Nella Uitvlugt, executive director of Friendship Ministries, has just posted a recording of her popular Autism and Children's Ministry webinar on the Friendship website! Nella first shared this workshop for an eager crowd at the 2008 Children's Pastor's Conference in San Diego, CA. Since then, Nella has offered it live via webinar and received many requests for a recorded version that churches can share with their entire teaching team. |
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| February 27, 2010 |
ChangeOrganizing This Sunday school season held a BIG change for my little church. A change that was carefully thought out, prayed over, and discussed. A change that meant rerouting the church van and reorganizing the whole Sunday schedule. A change that required two congregational meetings, the approval of the council, and the vote of church members. It wasn't easy and it wasn't quick, but it happened: our Sunday school hour moved from Sunday evenings to Sunday mornings! If your church is considering a change, here are three things I learned that might help. |
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| January 25, 2010 |
What Makes a Lesson Reformed?Faith Tradition More Than Storytelling is a free workshop you can lead with your team that compares a variety of approaches to Bible interpretation and teaching. It offers rules of thumb for teaching in a way that’s faithful to Scripture’s big story—God’s redemption and restoration of the world through Jesus Christ. |
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| January 23, 2010 |
Potential VolunteersOrganizing Tara might not be a teacher, but she’s a great musician—could she play the guitar for worship at the beginning of Sunday school? Kendra’s hobby is scrapbooking; she’s always at the craft store. Could she help pick up glue and glitter to keep your supply cabinets full? Sam would be a great teacher, but he travels a lot—could he be a trained substitute? |
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| January 23, 2010 |
Leading a Child to JesusNurturing Faith As churches become more intentional about connecting with their communities, Sunday school leaders like you disciple more and more children who are at the very beginning of their Christian journey. When the Holy Spirit works in their hearts, these children begin to respond to the call of the gospel. Covenant children, too, commit their lives to the Lord... |
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| January 23, 2010 |
Beyond BabysittingNurturing Faith I was sitting at my desk having one of those mental conversations, trying to convince parents that we’re not just babysitting their kids on Sunday morning so they can worship in peace. And I found myself asking ... We’ve got one hour with kids every Sunday morning—if we aren’t babysitting, what are we hoping for out of this time? |
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| January 23, 2010 |
Coaching Your TeamSupporting Volunteers Sports movies always have the same climax. The home team is down, but not by much. Seconds remain on the clock. The crowd is screaming in pandemonium. The coach calls a timeout and pulls the team into a huddle. It’s time for a pep talk, and the message is clear. This is our moment to shine. This is what we’ve ... |
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| May 14, 2013 |
Go in PeaceNurturing Faith, Teaching 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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| May 7, 2013 |
Thanking TeachersSupporting Volunteers 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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| April 29, 2013 |
Getting More Bang for Your Buck: 4 Ways to Stretch Your Sunday School BudgetAs 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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| April 22, 2013 |
Innovations in Faith FormationOrganizing 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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| April 17, 2013 |
Talking With Children about the Boston Marathon BombingsHelping 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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| April 9, 2013 |
The Songs We SingFaith Tradition, Nurturing Faith 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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| April 1, 2013 |
The Future of Faith AliveCurriculum 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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| March 27, 2013 |
Prayer Stations, a Chalk Labyrinth, and Other Cool IdeasFaith Tradition, Nurturing Faith 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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| March 18, 2013 |
Do-It-Yourself Resurrection EggsFaith Tradition, Teaching 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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| March 12, 2013 |
The BIBLE on the History ChannelIt’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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| March 4, 2013 |
Recruiting Volunteers in 6 Simple StepsOrganizing 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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| February 28, 2013 |
Sunday School Conference in Zeeland, MISupporting Volunteers, Teaching 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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| February 12, 2013 |
We DON'T Call it MentoringNurturing 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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| January 30, 2013 |
A Community for Every KidNurturing 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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| January 22, 2013 |
Is ACRE For You?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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| January 17, 2013 |
WANTED: Families to Field Test a New Prayer BookNurturing 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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| January 15, 2013 |
What Do We Want Them To Learn?Faith Tradition, Nurturing Faith, Teaching 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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| January 8, 2013 |
Looking Back, Looking AheadSupporting 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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| December 18, 2012 |
How Do We Help Kids Feel Safe Again?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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| December 4, 2012 |
Special Events: AdventFaith 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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| February 12, 2013 |
Developing a Vision for Sunday SchoolWhy does your Sunday school or children's ministry program exist? The answer to that question could help motivate leaders to join the ministry, parents to send thier kids out, and the church to invest in the next generation. Use the tools below to develop a vision for ministry that will help you serve with purpose and get people excited about what God is doing in your midst! |
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| August 18, 2010 |
Volunteer Job DescriptionOrganizing Use this form (from Sunday School That Really Works by Jessie Schut) as a guide to help you develop descriptions for the various volunteer roles within your Sunday school or children's ministry program. Having a description to hand to potential volunteers will help you find the right match for your ministry! |
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| August 3, 2010 |
Web Seminar: Help! I'm A Sunday School Coordinator!Organizing Coordinating Sunday school for the first time? Join this free webinar for ideas and resources to make your job easier! |
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| May 25, 2010 |
Choosing Children's Curriculum WebinarCurriculum Considering a new curriculum for the fall? The "Choosing Children's Curriculum" webinar can help you decide which one is right for your church! |
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| January 22, 2010 |
Volunteer ProfileOrganizing Use this Volunteer Profile to place leaders in the best roles for their gifts and skills. From the book Sunday School that Really Works by Jessie Schut. Copyright 2008, all rights reserved. Used with permission. |
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| January 15, 2010 |
Sunday School Registration FormOrganizing Use this registration form, from the book Sunday School That Really Works by Jessie Schut, to keep track of important information for each child in your program. |
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| January 15, 2010 |
Sunday School Budget ProposalOrganizing This budgeting worksheet, from the book Sunday School that Really Works by Jessie Schut, will make your annual request whole lot easier to calculate! |
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| December 28, 2009 |
Choosing a Curriculum - A Guide for ChurchesCurriculum This helpful tool includes a checklist of features to look for in children's Bible curriculum. The questions are designed to help you find material that is theologically and educationally sound and also fits the unique personality and dynamics of your congregation. Add additional criteria that's important to your church, and use it to evaluate and discuss curriculum options with your team! |
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| June 22, 2010 |
Signs of Wonder SongsSupporting Volunteers Signs of Wonder Songs is a ministry that teaches children and adults how to sign worship songs using conceptually correct American Sign Language. |
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| February 17, 2010 |
Intergenerational LearningOrganizing If your church is exploring models for learning and growing in faith together, the Lifelong Faith website is a great place to begin. |
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| February 3, 2010 |
Collecting for a CauseTeaching Did you know that nearly half of all the gifts given from the World Renew (formerly CRWRC) gift catalog are from Sunday school classes? Kids love to know that their offerings will provide a goat, a well, or a pig for someone else! |
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| February 3, 2010 |
VBS Giving Projects from World RenewOrganizing This page is PACKED with resources that will help your kids join in the work of World Renew (formerly the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee) as they share the love and compassion of Christ with others. Your kids can join the campaign to embrace people living with HIV/AIDS, help provide clean water to kids a continent away, or make a difference in the lives of adults and children through the literacy project. |
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| February 3, 2010 |
Meeting Wizard: Scheduling Made Easy!Organizing If you've ever sent out an email proposing more than one date for a meeting then you know how confusing it can be to keep track of responses. This easy tool allows you to propose several dates at once and creates an online graph that shows you who is available on which day. I've even used it to determine which leaders were available to serve for children's church in a given quarter. The best part—it’s FREE!
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| February 3, 2010 |
Brain RulesTeaching Check out this excellent site for 12 brain rules that could help you engage kids more fully in the Bible lessons you share! |
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| January 22, 2010 |
Free Workshops and WebinarsOrganizing The Grow website provides free resources to encourage, training, and support children's ministry leaders! |
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| January 22, 2010 |
The Ways We LearnTeaching This page from the Walk With Me website includes a short summary of the many ways we learn (based on Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences). Print a copy to use as a reference when you're planning Sunday school sessions. If the curriculum offers choices and options, pick a variety of activities that span the intelligences so your session will connect with every kid in the class! |
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| January 15, 2010 |
Safety FirstOrganizing Keep kids safe by making sure you have strong abuse prevention policies in place that include careful screening of all staff members and volunteers. This page from the Safe Church Network includes
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| January 11, 2010 |
Kid Connection WebsiteCurriculum This website provides information and support for churches using Kid Connection--the kindergarden through grade six large group/small group curriculum from Faith Alive. Search under Scope and Sequence to find recorded lesson tips and ideas for units and sessions.
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| January 11, 2010 |
Walk With Me WebsiteCurriculum This website provides information and support for churches using Walk With Me--a preschool through grade eight faith nurture curriculum by Faith Alive. Walk With Me is a Reformed curriculum that takes kids on a journey through Scripture and the teachings of the church. It goes deeper every year, helping children grow in knowledge and in faith! Search the site to learn more about the scope and sequence, find answers to frequently asked questions, and download free workshops for training teachers. |
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| January 5, 2010 |
The Association of Christian Reformed Church Educators (ACRE)Organizing The Association of Christian Reformed Educators (ACRE) is an organization made up of professional and volunteer church educators who serve congregations in the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) in children’s and adult educational ministries. Its purpose is to promote and strengthen the churches educational ministries on congregational, classical, and denominational levels by supporting, encouraging, and advocating for church educators in the CRC. |
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| December 23, 2009 |
Synodical Faith Formation CommitteeNurturing Faith Visit this website to stay up to date on the latest work of the Synodical Faith Formation Committee. Visit this site to see reports and recommendations from the committee, including resources to use in helping your church discuss the role baptism and the Lord's Supper play in forming our faith. |
