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SSTN  # 104 - October 14, 2002


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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:


--> Christ-Filled Snowflakes

1) Ideas for baby gift
2) Shoes for the Armor of God?
3) Jingle Jars
4) Baby Gift Idea

--> Earn Money From Home!

5) Mission Projects
6) Need Used VBS Curriculum   
7) Ideas for baby gift
8) Christmas Plays?

--> God's Top 10
   
9) T-Shirt printing?
10) Mission projects   
11) The Bee-attitudes?
12) Easy Epistle Lesson


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Christ-filled Snowflakes!

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 my Angel
Snowflake being cut, go to:
http://www.ChristianCrafters.Com/page2.html 

Your webservant,
Sarah Keith <><


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1) Ideas for baby gift

I just had a thought while working on a baby blanket for a friend.  How
about having each child decorate a quilt square?  You could tailor the
difficulty to the child's age, just have fabric squares cut out for the
kids to decorate with fabric paint, or appliqués, handprints, etc.  Then
sew the pieces together, and put a back on it.  If you aren't talented at
the sewing machine, use polar fleece instead of regular quilting material,
since it won't fray so easily, and is quick to sew (you could even glue it
instead of sewing).  It wouldn't even have to be a functional baby
blanket, but it would make a beautiful wall hanging for baby's room.
Shouldn't be too expensive either, you could shop the bargain bins at the
fabric stores or Wal-mart.  That way each child is giving something
individually, as well as part of a larger project.  Good luck!

In Christ's love, Kristine Bell<><

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2) Shoes for the Armor of God    ?

Hi,  I was wondering if anyone had an idea for a craft on how to make
shoes for the armor of God.  We area trying to make each thing in Jr.
Church.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 
Thank you and God Bless. Rhonda Brown

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3) Jingle Jars

Michelle, NC     We purchased sports drink bottles (plastic with a
screw-on lid) got rid of the straw and decorated the outside with
Christmas ideas along with sign taped to the outside that said " JINGLE
JARS".  Each Sunday morning from Thanksgiving till Christmas, we had a
time slot during 11:00 worship hour where the kids took their jingle jars
and passed them through the congregation to collect loose change. We
'advertised' to bring pocket change for each Sunday. While children's
songs were played on the piano, the kids collected all the change. Then
the next Sunday (or Wednesday night, the youth counted the change)  We
used this for Lottie Moon offering, but it could be used for postage fund
to correspond with missionaries, shut-ins, etc. We were amazed at how much
was collected!  Of course we accepted the 'folding' money in our jingle
jars too!&nbs! p; Good Luck  Jane Carpenter - Calvary Baptist, Monroe, N.
C.

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4) Baby Gift Idea

...for pastor's wife by the Sunday School kids:    You can take muslin or
any plain type of material. Depending on the age of the children, you can
already have a picture drawn on the square or if older, let them draw.
Color the pictures (simple is best - rocking horse, balloon bunch, teddy
bear, kite, rubber duck, etc.) After they are colored, iron over them
(with wax paper to set the colors. Stitch them together and make a simple
quilt top for a nursery wall hanging or crib quilt. Let them sign their
square too (even date them or quote Bible verses) - the ideas endless.
Good Luck!  Jane Carpenter  Calvary Baptist Monroe, N. C.

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Earn Money From Home!

Earn extra money from home by selling Sarah Keith's
popular crafting book, Chrismon Snowflake Ornaments!   
There is NO financial risk. Learn more on this page:

http://www.christiancrafters.com/fundraiser.html 


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5) Mission Projects

I am also the SS Teacher of a very small class (from 2-9 kids) ranging in
ages from 4-16. We were going to have a Rally Day for the kids, because I
thought it would be sort of a Revival, kid's style, like us grownups have
once a year. Then, I thought instead of doing something that is just along
the lines of giving the kids something fun to do, I would rather find
something the kids could do to help someone else in the community. So, as
a group, the members of our church decided to call around to local Nursing
Homes to see if they would allow our kids to come and sing for them. I
called, and a privately owned nursing home said they would LOVE to have
our kids come and sing. But, we didn't stop there. The kids all made
greeting cards for the people who they will be singing to. I got the names
of the residents, there are 7 people living there. And the kids each made
enough cards so that each person will get 2 greeting cards. The kids
enjoyed being creative with the cards and have been practicing very hard
for October 5th, which is when we will go and sing at the nursing home.
Afterward, the church is taking the kids out for pizza.

I would also LOVE to receive any ideas on helpful projects for the kids to
do. We live in a small town and don't have many resources for the kids, so
inventive thinking is needed in this area.

YSIC,
Christine


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6) Need Used VBS Curriculum   

We had our very first VBS this past July and it was a HUGE success!!! The
kids had sooo much fun. I believe it was from this newsletter that I got
the link for Elderberry's Story Telling Page www.eldrbarry.net and we used
the "Wanted: Children After God's Own Heart" curriculum. It is a western
theme so there were way more possibilities than we could even use. I have
a student who is 16 and she was my helper for VBS. We had 10 kids and for
our first VBS it was perfect. We bought bandanas, red and blue, for the
kids. On some days we had games or tasks that the bandanas came in handy.
I can send anyone a detailed description of the stuff we did, just let me
know on here and I would be glad to send it. I made great use of the
Memory Verses that were on the site. The site also has a huge list of
games and we made good use of those as well. We also did a craft each day,
I asked the members of my church to bring in any kind of stuff they may
have lying around the house that could be used for crafts, and one lady
brought in those little strawberry baskets. I had no clue what I could
possibly use those for when I first got them. But, as I was working on the
daily lessons, I had an idea to use them. "Cage Of Fear" is what the kids
made. It went with Monday's lesson, 1 Sam. 16-17, David & Goliath, Courage
vs. Fear. The kids thought of something they were afraid of; made it out
of alluminum foil, then strung it up with fishing line inside the
strawberry basket, upside down. Then placed a piece of construction paper
on the bottom to close the cage. The kids were very inventive with this.
One kid was afraid of being made fun of, so together we came up with
making a hand pointing a finger. One made a bee, one made a boat, one made
the word "SIN" because he was afraid of turning away from God.
Hope this helps, and sorry it is so long,
Christine - WV

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7) Ideas for baby gift

How about a photo album or a scrap book?
The kids could help design the outside of either one, it is very simple to
cover a photo album and, although I have never done it, I would think it
would be just as easy to cover a scrap book. Or for a scrap book, the kids
could design pages for it.
Or how about a baby book? The kids could each design a page or two
(depending on how many kids you have) and put it together with those pin
things that you put through punch holes (sorry I have no idea what they
are called). I am sure someone has a used baby book to look at for ideas
on what kinds of things to put on the pages for the soon-to-be Mommy to
fill out. Leave some pages blank to fill in with lots of pictures. And
maybe add a picture of her while she is still pregnant??
Hope this helps.
YSIC,
Christine - WV

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8) Christmas Plays?   

Our church would like to do a Christmas play this year with some true
meaning behind it. We did one last year, but found it just didn't do
justice to the birth of Jesus. We would like to find something soon so
that we can start practicing on it. does anyone know of any good websites
or have any good plays that they would like to share? I would like to last
at least thirty minutes if possible. Please let me know at
spiritflow628@aol.com. God bless
you Sarah for this ministry.

--from SSTN: check out all the free skits in the site at:
http://www.ChristianCrafters.Com 
as well as the ones in our Bookstore skit section:
http://www.christiancrafters.com/bookstore.html  


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God's Top 10 - Understanding God's Love In The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments contain many "Do Nots". They teach us God’s holy
standard and show us how far we fall short of his perfection. But they are
more than this; in these "Do Nots", one can find a positive message: a
message of God’s love. (Developed by Sarah Keith for Kindergarten to 5th
grade) Click below to learn more:

http://www.christiancrafters.com/curriculum.html 


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9) T-Shirt printing?   

A number of years ago I saw a TV programme which gave details of a liquid
you could make which would allow photocopied pictures to be transferred
onto fabric. As it was very early in the morning, and I was half asleep
nursing my baby daughter, I didn't make a note of it. I wonder, does
anybody have the recipe for this stuff as I would like to use it with my
youth group?
Many Thanks
Graham Ransom, Cumbria UK

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10) Mission projects   

Hi.  This year our Sunday School is doing the Operation Christmas Child
shoeboxes.  For more information go to Samaritan's Purse.
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/home.asp

Blessings, Jane

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11) The Bee-attitudes?

Dear Sarah and friends,
I just spent some time in the local Christian book store trying
brainstorming a way that I would teach The Beatitudes. ( I am in charge of
Christian Education at a small, but growing church.  We have 3 Sunday
school classes - age 3-Kindergarden, 1st-4th grade, 5th - 8th grade.  What
has worked well for us in the last 2  years is developing our own
curriculum.  The teachers rotate, so I, for example, teach the first
Sunday of every month. )
For the month of November we have decided to tackle The Beatitudes. This
is a daunting subject since most adults don't quite understand the
importance.  I am struggling to find a way to break the concepts up in a
way that preschoolers can understand.  The manager of the bookstore
vaguely remembers a VBS curriculum called "The Bee-attitudes".  Is anyone
familiar with it?  Does anyone have an old curriculum I could use?  Any
brainstorms or suggestions?  Thank you for your help and continued
support!
Kristi Gilbreth,
Community Congregational Church of
Manitou Springs, CO

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12) Easy Epistle Lesson   

I did an easy Epistle lesson that my preschoolers really enjoyed.  I asked
a Christian friend of mine (she lived out of state and was not known by
any of the kids) to write a letter of hope and encouragement to the kids.
In her letter she included some fun stickers - enough for each kid to have
some.  Then she mailed the letter directly to our church addressed to the
attention of my class where it was delivered unopened at the beginning of
class.  It's cool to have the pastor deliver it while the kids are there.
We opened and read the letter and looked on the map to see where she
lived.  Then we talked about what an epistle is and how the letters of the
New Testament were written and passed around among the believers to
encourage and exhort them.  I read a few passages of encouragement from
the Epistles to the kids.  We talked about how hard the t! imes were for
Christians then, and how much they would have welcomed the encouraging
words.  We talked about how believers live all over the world, and how we
can pray for them to be encouraged.  We also talked about how we can be
living epistles by the way we live and how we can speak hope and
encouragement into other people's lives.
Sally in Wichita

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