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SSTN # 99 - November 16, 2005


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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:


Thanksgiving Puppets

1) Special Needs Children
2) Parent Pride Photo
3) Special Needs Kids in Church
4) Sixth Graders?
5) Prayer Necklace

Ornaments to Keep Christ in CHRISTmas!

6) Special Needs Children
7) Young Children's Missions
8) Operation Christmas Child
9) Family Advent Event
10) Doctor Who?
11) Family Advent
12) Help with Christmas Party?


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Thanksgiving Puppets:
Pilgrim & Indian Finger Puppets (Set of Four)

A fun activity to coincide with your Thanksgiving lessons!
Download as many sets as you need for a small, one-time fee!

To learn more, go to:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/curriculum.html 
Premium Club Members receive a 15% discount.
Learn how at:
http://www.Christiancrafters.com/PM_learn.html 


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1) Special Needs Children

My 17-year-old son has special needs.  I did not take him to Sunday
school when he was younger because he would have disrupted the class
and just ten years ago, things were much different when it came to
acceptance.   
Our new pastor (with us for 3 years now) has a special needs grandson
(now 7 years old) who has been welcomed into our congregation (by
most people).  This has helped to open minds and hearts. 
As a Sunday school superintendent, my advice for welcoming special
needs children into your Sunday school would be to start a new class
for them.  Of course, try to help them participate when all of the
children gather for music, etc.  If they are able to "mainstream"
into a regular class, great!  But there are many children who, in
addition to disrupting a class, would not be able to keep up with the
other children.  In a special class there would be additional helpers
for reading, crafts, etc., so they could work at their own pace.
Make sure your teacher and assistants are prepared for the task;
recruit nurses, if possible, and maybe you even have a special ed.
teacher in your church. 
There are now books available with advice for working with special
needs kids in your church.
God bless!



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2) Parent Pride photo

Dana,

I do have the photo we used in the Parent Pride of the grant recipients
from the spring....they have received their grants this fall.  The photo
is on a CD and I cannot recall all of the teachers' names.  I could give
you the CD. Is it worth the hassle??

Kim


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3) Special Needs Kids in Church

Hi Holly in OK
I am a Sunday School Teacher in a small rural church in Ontario Canada. Do
not despair please. I, too, have a special needs child and also have
several in my class. My son is autistic with ADHD and routinely has
trouble
with social situations. With time the parish has learned to accept him and
his behaviors. It took some time and I had to remain steadfast in my
resolve to have him included in church. When the parish see that you are
"unflappable" and take behaviors in stride, with time, so will they.
As for the special needs kids in your class, What I do is always have some
playdough and coloring pages(usually pertaining to my lesson) available
for
quiet play for those who do not wish to join, or are unable to join the
main class. Because my class age range is 2-14 years I often have to
graduate the lesson for the age groups, but everyone has the same basic
lesson I hope this helps. Hang in there, I will pray for you
Paulette (in Ashton)

 
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4) Sixth Graders?

I'm looking for ideas for the 6th graders at my church. They are too old
for a lot of the children's ministry programs and yet too young to go into
the youth programs. What works best for these children? Thanks for your
help.  Nancy

--from SSTN: Bible-based games and skits work well for this age group.
Video taping the skits is an effective attention-getter too.

 
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5) Prayer Necklace

take a film canister and punch hole in lid. tie string with knot under the
lid. make a cute label with praying hand clip-art. also typr a verse on it
about prayers. they have these in Christian book stores that sell for 5
dollars. by recycling you  can make them for less than 25 cents. use
return address labels to type your verse and clip-art on. the kids can put
their prayers inside.


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Ornaments to Keep Christ in CHRISTmas!

Do you remember the fun of making paper-cut snowflakes as a child?
This holiday season relive the nostalgia with friends and family by making
my Christ-filled, Chrismon Snowflake Ornaments.

To see a video of the Angel Snowflake being cut, go to:  
 http://www.ChristianCrafters.Com/chrismon.html  
(you may need to copy the address to your browser)



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6) Special Needs Children

Holly,

I can sympathize with your delimna.  A church I attended had only one
special needs child--and we worked with him and his parents on how to best
meet his needs, but we were a small church, and it was not that hard with
just a few children.

I know of another church, not one I attended but one my friends attend,
that has had a special program for kids whose needs are different from the
norm.  Because you are a children's pastor, I thought it might be
appropriate for you to contact them and see how their program is run. 
Their website is: http://cloverhillag.org/ They are an Assebmly of God
church in the Richmond, VA, area.  I did not see this program noted on the
website, but I'm sure you could talk to their staff and see what wisdom
they have to share.

Good luck!!  Don't give up and move on--God has given you special children
and a special challenge, and you can touch so many lives by helping them
and others!

Anne


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7) Young Children's Missions

>I was just wondering where I could write to or contact someone that the
>children in our church school could write to some children at Christmas or
>send something small to them as a way of telling other children about the

I know you may get a lot of responses with this information, but Operation
Christmas Child is a wonderful way to share with one child or twenty,
depending on your resources, the love of Jesus.  Their website is:
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/

You fill a shoe box with age-appropriate gifts, wrap the box and lid with
wrapping paper, and give it to Samaritan's Purse.  They send it to
children in underdeveloped countries and include information about Christ
in the language of the child receiving the gift.  You can send pictures,
games, toys, etc.  We have done this before, and are doing it again this
year.

Anne


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8) Operation Christmas Child

You can contact Samaritan House for their Operation Christmas
program.  The kids send shoeboxes filled with notes and supplies as gifts
to kids in needy countries.

Good Luck, M. in Michigan  


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9) Family Advent Event

The Sunday morning before Advent we are having a family event during
Sunday School time.  Each family will construct an Advent wreath for home
use, and we will have coffee, juice and baked goods to encourage
fellowship in the 45-minute time frame.
Each preregistered family will receive a craft foam ring, four candles,
eight artificial evergreen floral picks, one Advent devotional booklet per
family and a small Advent calendar for each child.  I plan to include a
brief history of the Advent wreath, suggested guidelines for its use, and
prayers to use for the lighting of the wreath each Sunday in Advent. 
We are charging $5 to help offset the cost.  I was blessed to find the
wreath materials at half price during recent craft store sales.
May your efforts to observe the Advent season be blessed.
Mary Beth in Cincinnati, Ohio    

--from SSTN: for information on making an Advent Wreath,
go to the Crafts page at:
http://www.ChristianCrafters.Com 


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10) Doctor Who?

We are planning to run our annual holiday club around the theme of Doctor
Who.  Does anybody have any Christian based dramas around this theme?  I
would be very grateful if you could forward them to me at
helen.matcham@virgin.net if you have.

Helen Matcham, Kent, UK


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11) Family Advent

Our ladies group is sponsoring an Advent guest night on the first Sunday
in Advent.  We are asking people from the church and community to bring
their Nativity sets (our theme).  The sets will be displayed with a card
telling a bit of history about the set and why they are special.
We have a skit and children's message with Nativity themes.  There will be
music and songs centering around the birth of Christ.
Other suggestions were to have the youth group act as a live Nativity
scene outside the parish hall.
We're making simple favors to go with the theme, giving children a
Nativity craft to take home and hope to provide Advent devotional books
for families.
Desserts, coffee and tea will be served.
 
Naomi


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12) Help with Christmas Party?

Hi! Everyone!
I have been asked to put together a really nice Christmas party for our
Church. Pastor wants it to be fun, and fancy.
We are about 80 people, including 20 kids.(14 and under) 
We have a nice fellowship hall so it will be done there. 
Any ideals would greatly be appreciated!
 
Keep looking up because the Lord is on His way!!!
Shiela

--from SSTN: while you're all together, why not make a Christ-tree?
Learn more at: http://www.christiancrafters.com/chrismon.html 


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