Jolanda Howe
Welcome to the Network for Sunday School Ministry! Whether you coordinate the children’s ministries, organize the Sunday school program, or lead a small group of second and third graders, I hope this site will be a reliable source of support for your ministry! In case you’re curious, here’s the scoop on me: I grew up Catholic and United Methodist before joining the CRC with my family as a teenager. My ecumenical upbringing has given me a great love for the church in all its flavors—and a deep appreciation for the Reformed theology we cherish. This is my second time around as the Sunday School Network guide, and a lot has changed for me in the time between! The biggest change is motherhood-- little Sophie Howe was born on March 3, 2012. Life has been full of gratitude, joy, and chaos ever since! We're learning how to be a family of 3 and how to juggle worship, work, and time with family and friends. I've stepped away from the role of Sunday school coordinator to give myself space to learn and enjoy this new role. We've also joined a new church, Church of the Servant, which is a place we've developed many deep friendships over the years. We trust that God has led us there to find support and give support to many other new parents as we learn and grow together. This time around, as guide, I hope to tap into the wisdom and experience of many other people who are serving or have served in Sunday school and faith formation ministries. I hope to invite many new people to add their ideas and inspiration to the blogs you see featured week after week. Thanks for joining me on this journey!
Posted in: Repetition in Worship
Thank you for this reflection Mike. I wish there was more intentionality about teaching a congregation to treat repetition as an opportunity for reflection and for broadening the words in our hearts into prayer, or to make the connections between what we are singing and our day to day life. This is more possible as you repeat a song because you already know the words and so your heart can soar from them. However, if this isn't introduced as a possibility or an aim of repetition, I'm not sure people know what to do with that time. Then repetition can feel tedious. It's a discipline to focus in that way.
Posted in: Justice Books to Read in 2015
Thanks Kris, this is a helpful list!
Posted in: Seamless Faith: Simple Practices for Daily Family Life
This book inspired me to start a new family tradition for Pentecost! I like the ideas involving kites and wind that the author suggested for Pentecost, but I've always noticed a certain flower that blooms in the spring that reminds me of a flame. So my family (which includes my husband and two-year-old daughter) planted an orange celosia plumosa flower as we talked about the Pentecost story. Then we sang a simple song that I learned through the Little Lamb's curriculum which is set to the tune of the Farmer in the Dell:
The birthday of the church!
The birthday of the church!
We celebrate Pentecost, the birthday of the church!
The wind was very strong
The Holy Spirit came,
Disciples told of Jesus love and praised his holy name!
We will probably outgrow that song as my kids grow up, but I hope to continue planting the flower each year! Now it sits in a pot near our deck reminding us of the important day when the Holy Spirit came in a new way. My daughter waters it while she plays with her water table and sings the Pentecost song!
Posted in: The Bible in Fifty Words
This is a great idea! I'm going to try it. Thanks : )
Posted in: Children at the Lord's Supper
Thank you for the helpful update!
Posted in: Lift Up Your Hearts
I am so grateful for your work, Diane, and the work of the whole committee. Hymns have played a powerful role in shaping my faith and giving voice to it. Every week my heart is stirred by the words we sing. This week it was the song, My Jesus I Love Thee that hit home. My grandfather is in hospice care now and won't live much longer. The song became a prayer for him and a source of comfort to me.
"I'll love thee in life, I will love thee in death, and praise thee as long as thou lendest me breath... in mansions of glory and endless delight, I'll ever adore thee in heaven so bright, I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow, if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now."
Posted in: The Basics: Necessary Information to Have on Your Website
Thanks for highlighting the importance of keeping the website up-to-date. My husband and I enjoy visiting a different church every time we drive out East to spend time with relatives. Last time we found that the summer worship schedule wasn't the one listed on the website for the church we hoped to attend. We arrived just in time for the benediction! Not a big deal for someone passing through, but it would be disheartening for a guest who was looking for a church home.
Posted in: Characteristics of Kindergartners and First Graders
I love the imaginations of kids this age!
Posted in: The HC is on the Cutting Edge of Youth Ministry!
Great point! It's a shame that the word Catechism sounds so heavy--I think many people just assume it won't connect with today's youth. But studies like Questions Worth Asking are so creative and engaging. They draw teens into discussions about foundational questions that speak to belonging.
Posted in: Getting Intentional About Inclusive Church Education
Thanks for sharing, Mark. I love Barb's idea of using ribbons for praising God!
Posted in: How do you handle prayer time in Sunday school?
Thanks for the advice, Mary & John! Sounds like starting right off with prayer would be the best plan. Maybe I'll ask them to fill out a prayer request card as they walk in the door and place it in a bowl. Then we could draw the cards and pray for each other before we move into the story...
Posted in: Sunday School Ministry — Succession Planning?
Deb, when I was a youth director and was leaving that position to move to a new city I left behind a three ring binder full of everything I could think of that would help make the transition easier for the new director. It included a list of people with (email addresses/phone numbers) that I often connected with for ideas and support, websites and resources that I found helpful, a timeline of our annual events and all the contact information for places we’d been and things we’d done, including fundraisers. I also left files of permission slip forms, templates for fliers, postcards, etc. I tried to provide everything that would be helpful to keep things moving forward, but I also tried to communicate that I understood he would make changes and do things his own way and I wished him the best!
When I came to my next church and began working with the Sunday school program it was helpful to me to know what materials they had used in the past, what the vision was for the program and why, what had worked and hadn’t in the past, and why they had chosen to do programing at certain times/days, etc. It was also helpful to learn a bit from the previous leader about the community, the things the church values, the neighborhood, etc., because I was fairly new to the church. I hope that helps! Many blessings to you in your next season of ministry! Praise God for the seeds you’ve planted and the lives you’ve helped to shape over the years!