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SSTN - Number 181
April 19, 2001
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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:
1) Building An Igloo?
2) Hosanna song
3) 3-year olds Easter story
4) Fundraiser idea
5) Beach theme VBS
6) "I AMS" of Jesus
7) Software
8) 'Cracked pot' story?
9) Polar Expedition ideas
10) Sin Stained Soul or Child idea
11) Troubled youth
12) Fundraisers?
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>>>>>>>>>>>> SSTN HEADS UP MESSAGE <<<<<<<<<<
NEW!! NEW!! NEW!!
In the FREE Bible Games section...
Eight NEW 'Ice Breaker activities' have been added to the site!
Sent in by Sandi B., Hilda Foster, Marsha Stout, and yours truly ;o)
* When SUBSCRIBING or UNSUBSCRIBING, see directions at the bottom of SSTN.
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1) Building An Igloo?
Thanks for all your new Easter resources. We already have next year's
resurrection celebration in the works because of all the new ideas posted.
But now I am thinking ahead to VBS. We are doing Group's Polar Expedition
and I am collecting milk jugs to build an igloo. I saw this done in a
kindergarten class many years back. I cannot remember how the teacher cut
and fastened the jugs together. It was a huge igloo that the kids used
for reading and playing in during the last grading period. Has anyone done
this or have any suggestions to try?
I just ordered your Chrismon snowflake book so the kids can make
snowflakes to transform our church into the arctic.
Sherri, Mt. Vernon, OH
--from SSTN: this is why the network is SO GREAT! We too are doing the
Polar Expedition, and I didn't even think of using my own Chrismon
Snowflake book to accompany it! ;o) By the way everyone, there is a free
Chrismon Snowflake star pattern in the site too! Your friend and
colaborer, Sarah Keith - ChristianCrafters.Com
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VBS Resources at ChristianCrafters.Com
In the Curriculum section of the site, as well as in the Christian
Education and Craft sections of the Bookstore, are many great resources to
choose from for VBS-2001. Also, don't forget to use the FREE patterns in
the site to accompany your VBS programs!
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2) Hosanna song
We use the words:
> ho ho ho Hosana
> ha ha ha Haleluia
> he he he He saved me
> Now I've got the joy of the Lord!
Vivian Douglas (Northview Baptist Church, Jacksonville, FL)
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3) 3-year olds Easter story
There is really no need to eliminate portions of the crucifixion for this
age group. We approached it in a different way -- we talked about the
group of people who didn't like Jesus & that they decided to kill him. And then
we passed around a ten-penny nail because many of the kids had never
really seen a nail, and simply told them that Jesus was killed by being nailed to
a cross, with nails through his wrists & feet. We didn't go into a lot of
detail, other than to tell them it was a very scary time for everyone.
Then the rest of the lesson we emphasized the resurrection & the joy of
Easter. Kids are much more resilient than we give them credit for. And I
feel it's wrong to try to sugar-coat the parts of the Bible WE think they
can't take. All you really have to do is put it on their level, tell it
simply, but tell it truthfully. Thanks, Sarah, for a great newsletter!
YSIC, Candy-Seminole TX
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4) Fundraiser idea
I have a fun idea for a fundraiser.It is to have a kind of juke box after
church when people are socializing, where people can dedicate songs to
their loved ones to show their parents spouses how much they love them
.But the real fun idea is to have a face painting.You can pay 1$ or 50
cents to get someones face painted in a simple deisgn.It would be a fun
idea where people get their friends faces painted in weird designs(tribe
chief, spots, butterfly, something like tattoos) and since these paintsare
washable they come off easy, just take care of your clothes.You could ask
any further questions at kiddo263626@hotmail.com
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5) Beach theme VBS
Our VBS will have a "Beach" theme. Any ideas for craft, games, skits,
songs, etc. would be appreciated!
--from SSTN: Check out the Archives List at ChristianCrafters.Com
Type in "Beach".
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6) "I AMS" of Jesus
A book called 'Young Children and Worship by Dr. Sonja Stewart might be
helpful. It contains a wonderful story about the Good Shepherd, plus ways
to incorporate the light. The book also contains everything you need
(diagrams, pictures, etc.) to make all your own materials. Hope this
helps.
--from SSTN: you can find it in the Bookstore at: ChristianCrafters.Com
Just type the title into the bookstore search box and it comes right up!
;o) ~ sarah.
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7) Software
>Where can I find computer software for Bible related games for children?
I have been collecting some software games suitable for use in the Sunday
School or church computer lab. You can see my collection at:
http://www.ebibleteacher.com/game.html
Some versions are full, free copies and some give your trial versions.
Some, such as Bible Baseball and Bible Tic Tac Toe allow the teacher to
input their own questions. All will run on a 486 processor. You also
might try searching the software archives of places such as ZDNet, etc.
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KIDZOO-SHUFFLE!!
Children ages 5 and up can play a FUN game of strategy and skill and
develop eye-hand coordination, category placement, and depth perception
skills in the process. For more info, go to: www.todaysfitnessforkids.com
Click on "Products" when you get there!
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8) 'Cracked pot' story?
Hi I hope you can help. I once had a story about a "cracked pot" it felt
really bad because it wasnt as beautiful as the the perfect pot. But it's
owner showed him how beautiful he was. I thought I got it from your
site...but my computer crashed and I lost everything. If anyone has would
you please send it to me. "the story of the cracked pot" Thanks so much
and have a blessed day
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9) Polar Expedition ideas
>We are doing a vbs this June, The Polar Expedition. Any ideas...
Dear Beth, This is Beth from a small Methodist church in Southern
California. We, too, are doing the Polar Expedition VBS this year. I
have asked the congregation for Jars with wide mouths to use to grow borax
crystals. I also asked them for baby food jars with lids to make snow
globes. I plan on making an Igloo out of small paper bags in the Narthex
of our church starting on Mothers day for the fundraiser. I got some
white corrugated paper to make a picture frame and am making a backdrop to
take the kids individual pictures. Hope you have a blessed Vacation Bible
School. Group is Great. This is the third year I have used their stuff.
Thanks, Beth
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10) Sin Stained Soul or Child idea
I have an idea that you teachers of young ones ( 4 -8 ) my be able to use.
I call it the "Sin Stained child. One of our teachers used it for our
3-5 year old class and it was amazing. It's lesson is about confessing
our sins and asking for forgiveness every night or day. what you need is
... 2 life size drawings of a child.. (you could probably use a pattern
traced around one of the children in the class) These patterns will be
cut out and pasted/glued to a cardboard cutout of the same size so each
side has the same child on it ( one front and one back ) ... a rubber
spatula.. chocolate pudding or ... chocolate frosting. You sit with the
cardboard child.. give him a name.. and tell a story of his/her day. Take
him thru typical things .. where he comes into instances where he/ she
may sin... such as telling a lie, taking a toy that isn't theirs, hurting
someone's feelings... disobeying a parent...etc. Now .. for each sin the
child does .. you ( or you could have a student), smear the chocolate on
the picture....At the end of the story you explain that the dirtied and
stained child is what we look like after a day with all our sins... but
... when we go to bed at night.. we say our prayers and ask the Lord to
help us with and forgive us of our sins.. we become clean again .... and
then you turn the "child" around to the clean side. My daughter was in
the class when we did that and the teacher then explained that sin leaves
marks on our soul... like the dark marks on the cardboard child.. but when
we ask Jesus into our lives.. he wipes those marks away. When we came
home.. when i'd catch her doing something wrong .. i reminded her of the
marks she was adding.... She started to stop doing those things she was
doing. I hope this was pretty clear to everyone.. if not... reply and
i'll try to explain it better.
In Christ, Torri Liano - Las Vegas Nevada
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11) Troubled youth
In response to the question of how to minister to a troubled youth: love,
love, and more love. I run a small youth group at our congregation and a
few of the youth have had very tough lives. It is so important to accept
them as they are. Also you can do small things to show them that you care
about their interests. For example, if they like a certain rock group,
pick up a magazine featuring that group or their latest CD and tell them
that when you saw it, it reminded you of them. Don't jump right in and
overdo it. Give them a little space and let them grow to trust you. If one
of my youth is feeling especially bad on a particular day, I might give
them a pat on the back and remind them that they are never alone. I start
with implications so they don't anticipate a sermon, but gradually
increase the discussions. Instead of doing all of the talking, ask them
what they know, what they have experienced, what they feel about
Christianity. Good luck and God bless you for your caring ministry!!
Christine, Stoneham, MA
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12) Fundraisers?
We had a fund raiser at our church in, by the Senior Adults for our van
fund. It was a lunch box auction. The Sr. Adults decorated boxes, every
Sr. that participated also had their own table decorated with the same
theme, so whoever bought their box had to sit at an assigned table. The
bidding started at .25 for children - they got to bid first, youth started
at $3.00 and adults started at $4.00. One of the ladies told me that back
in their days, the girls would decorate a lunch box and hoped that the boy
that liked her would buy their box, or something to that effect. (The
boxes only contained chips, cookies, candy or whatever that Sr. Adult
decided to put in the box. The sandwiches were on the counter, and people
could take as many of any type that they wanted.) We ate very good. My
max to bid was only $20., that was all I had and let me tell you, I was
out bid quite a bit of times. We had a great time and raised quite a bit
of money. Now, the Youth have to come up with something to raise money
for the van fund - any ideas besides doing yards and car washes. I know
nothing can top the Lunch Box Auction.
--from SSTN: There are TONS of creative fundraising ideas in the Archive
List at ChristianCrafters.Com
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