Hi Maryanne, we did stop Sunday School and went with an all generational class instead. We create our own lessons using the confessions and Contemporary Testimony as our material. We break it up into 3 10 minute sections: part 1 is teaching, part 2 is discussion guided by questions, part 3 is a game or activity based on the lesson theme. We call it GIFT, a name we found elsewhere that stands for Growing In Faith Together. It has been going for about 2 1/2 years now and the numbers are kind of up and down, anywhere from 5 or 6 to 15 to 20. Our sessions on prayer were the most strongly attended. I have a couple of people who help with proofing the lessons and questions and who take care of the activity or game. The most difficult part is keeping the teaching part at 10 minutes, especially when you're dealing with bif topics. This is where the questions come in, even if we don't have time to go through all the questions, the people who attend are able to reflect on them through the week as well. We have seen that our older members are more aware of our children and youth and vice versa. It is a fair bit of work, but seems to be working for us at this time. I am leaving our church in the next couple of months, so we're not sure if if will continue. As pastor of a small church, I have made this a priority in order to increase the connections between the generations, and it has helped in that, Each church and pastor would have to weigh the time and effort for themselves to see if it would be right for their church.
Thanks for responding Caryn,, some great ideas here, I appreciate your willingness to take time to help us out, I will take your suggestions to our Sunday School leader and this will help us get those creative fires burning again.
Thanks Karen, we are considering stopping Sunday School as it is and do something intergenerational with the entire church, something like WE, but on a weekly basis and then tying it into our worship service. You've given us some great resources to look through! I appreciate all your help
Hi Ben, I don't know of specifically Reformed/Presbyterian spanish speaking churches in Montreal, there are small gruops that get together that flow out of a couple of the churches in the West Island, mostly from the Baptist and Brethern backgrounds.
Good day everyone, our Education committee has asked if anyone knows of any worships available for Sunday School teachers or Children in Worship leaders, thanks for your time
Justice is an important biblical principle, and certainly there were miscarriages of justice to Mr Khadr, yet there is also the need for justice to be seen to be applied to those who were risking and giving their lives to protect innocents against terrorism. Mr Khadr's father and family aligned themselves with a terrorist group that targeted innocents as being a legitimate form of warfare. While young, he was still old enough to know right from wrong. It is easy to wipe his affiliation with a terrorist group away, to blame his family, to focus on his age, but why was he in a battle zone if not to participate. Was he treated wrongly? I will agree with this, but has he truly been been held accountable for his presence in a battle zone? I wonder. I realize this is likely not to be a popular view on this site, but if we are going to talk about accountability, it needs to be practiced both ways.
The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer is always a good read and another I have found helpful is The Equipping Pastor by R. Paul Stevens and Phil Collins which is a systems approach to congregational leadership.
Posted in: Suggestions for Sunday School With Only a Few Kids?
Hi Maryanne, we did stop Sunday School and went with an all generational class instead. We create our own lessons using the confessions and Contemporary Testimony as our material. We break it up into 3 10 minute sections: part 1 is teaching, part 2 is discussion guided by questions, part 3 is a game or activity based on the lesson theme. We call it GIFT, a name we found elsewhere that stands for Growing In Faith Together. It has been going for about 2 1/2 years now and the numbers are kind of up and down, anywhere from 5 or 6 to 15 to 20. Our sessions on prayer were the most strongly attended. I have a couple of people who help with proofing the lessons and questions and who take care of the activity or game. The most difficult part is keeping the teaching part at 10 minutes, especially when you're dealing with bif topics. This is where the questions come in, even if we don't have time to go through all the questions, the people who attend are able to reflect on them through the week as well. We have seen that our older members are more aware of our children and youth and vice versa. It is a fair bit of work, but seems to be working for us at this time. I am leaving our church in the next couple of months, so we're not sure if if will continue. As pastor of a small church, I have made this a priority in order to increase the connections between the generations, and it has helped in that, Each church and pastor would have to weigh the time and effort for themselves to see if it would be right for their church.
Posted in: Suggestions for Sunday School With Only a Few Kids?
Thanks for responding Caryn,, some great ideas here, I appreciate your willingness to take time to help us out, I will take your suggestions to our Sunday School leader and this will help us get those creative fires burning again.
Posted in: Suggestions for Sunday School With Only a Few Kids?
Thanks Karen, we are considering stopping Sunday School as it is and do something intergenerational with the entire church, something like WE, but on a weekly basis and then tying it into our worship service. You've given us some great resources to look through! I appreciate all your help
Posted in: Hispanic Church in Quebec?
Hi Ben, I don't know of specifically Reformed/Presbyterian spanish speaking churches in Montreal, there are small gruops that get together that flow out of a couple of the churches in the West Island, mostly from the Baptist and Brethern backgrounds.
Posted in: Tools and Resources for Choosing Sunday Morning Children’s Ministry Curriculum
Good day everyone, our Education committee has asked if anyone knows of any worships available for Sunday School teachers or Children in Worship leaders, thanks for your time
Posted in: Omar Khadr, The Kings University, and Micah 6:8
Justice is an important biblical principle, and certainly there were miscarriages of justice to Mr Khadr, yet there is also the need for justice to be seen to be applied to those who were risking and giving their lives to protect innocents against terrorism. Mr Khadr's father and family aligned themselves with a terrorist group that targeted innocents as being a legitimate form of warfare. While young, he was still old enough to know right from wrong. It is easy to wipe his affiliation with a terrorist group away, to blame his family, to focus on his age, but why was he in a battle zone if not to participate. Was he treated wrongly? I will agree with this, but has he truly been been held accountable for his presence in a battle zone? I wonder. I realize this is likely not to be a popular view on this site, but if we are going to talk about accountability, it needs to be practiced both ways.
Posted in: Deep Skimming: What Would You Recommend?
The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer is always a good read and another I have found helpful is The Equipping Pastor by R. Paul Stevens and Phil Collins which is a systems approach to congregational leadership.