Welcome to THE SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER'S NETWORK

**** A service of  SundaySchoolNetwork.com ****

"For where two or three come together in my name,
there am I with them." -- Jesus


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


To reply or to post a new topic:

When replying, delete ALL TEXT that is NOT PERTINENT to your response.
Please TITLE your message to reflect the content.


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


SSTN # 67 - August 23, 2006


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:


Join the Super Hero Team!

1) Gossip Sessions
2) Gossip Sessions 
3) Taking Prayer Seriously
4) Massive Prayer Adventure
5) Kid skit @ wedding?
 
Have you told them? Do they know?

6) Church Turmoil
7) Watermelon Gospel
8) Watermelon Gospel
9) Watermelon Gospel
10) Books of the Bible



<>< <>< <>< TODAY'S SSTN POSTINGS: <>< <>< <><




Join the Super Hero Team!

Get your kids on the Super Hero team when you use,
"Super Heroes of the Bible", one of our two-semester series from our
Bible-4-Life curriculum section. You'll find it listed at:

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




<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


1) Gossip Sessions
 
we have a leadership commitment/standard.  NO one is in any form of
leadership unless they adhere to the standard - which includes leaving a
Christian life (gossip is not living as a Christian) tithing, faithfulness
to church/church functions, dressing appropriately, living in accordance
to the teachings of the church, etc.  Everyone knows that failure to
comply means they will be asked to resign or terminated from their
position.
 
This applies to teachers, deacons, praise singers, choir members, etc.
 
Teresa


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


2) Gossip Sessions

This is the hardest thing to say, but if the leadership in your church is
allowing this to happen and those who see the unrighteousness that is
going on and don't, or can't  band together to address it and stop it,
than you should leave, for your own spiritual health and that of your
family.  I've been in a similar situation, and I've seen the destruction
it can cause in the lives of believers and in their children.
 
Think of Sodom and Gomorrah  there was a point when the bad so outweighed
the good that God allowed the few who were good to leave and left the rest
to be destroyed.
 
One question, since you are part of a denomination that has a hierarchy
above the local church, is anyone looking for help in that direction?
Praying for you,
Linda in Edmonds
 


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


3) Taking Prayer Seriously

I wonder if you might be imposing adult expectations on children who are
too young to live up to those standards. It could be that the children are
too young to understand the seriousness of the adult prayer requests.
Those concerns might not mean anything to them. Perhaps it might be better
to ask them what they would like to pray about and then pray together.
Also remember that younger children are wriggly and have different
learning styles. Have you tried other forms of prayer with them...drawing
their prayers, dancing them, writing them, molding them with clay, using
finger labyrinths....

In their free stuff Group has a session about prayer for children in
grades 1-2 that might give you some
ideas.http://www.grouppublishing.com/free/Childrens/g12_talking.htm

There is a book called " Art as Prayer; Prayer as Art - Drawing to God" by
Jeri Gelding ISBN 1-893732-24-X It's a book full of ideas for creating art
as a form of prayer. It is intended for adults but I have adapted many of
the ideas for use with children.

Sharon

--from SSTN: check our bookstore search box for the book:
http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/bookstore.html 


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><



4) Massive Prayer Adventure

Dear Y.K, about your prayer lesson with your girls,
I have just started something with my Sunday school
children, it`s called Massive prayer adventure,
it`s an interactive prayer adventure book,and really gets them thinking
and taking part, it`s full ofthings to do and scripture and explains the
Lords prayer in detail on their level, they love it,we are also going
togive each child a prayer jotter so they can wright down their prayers
and tick off those which have been answered.
hope this may help.
God bless You.... Paula U.K

--from SSTN: you can find, Massive Prayer Adventure
in our bookstore by typing the title into the search box at:
http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/bookstore.html 


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><



Have you told them? Do they know?

Have you told your kids the story of Jesus? Do they know him?
Have you captivated their attention?
Have you told them in a way that makes sense to them?

You can, when you use, "Tell Me the Story of Jesus", a two-semester,
hands-on Bible lesson series on the life of Jesus, from childhood to
Pentecost. 

Learn more in the Bible-4-Life curriculum section at:
http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/Bible-4-life.html 



<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


5) Kid skit @ wedding?

Hi everyone, could u please help me out by giving me ideas for kid skits
at weddings. I'm a Sunday school teachers aid and i need something ASAP..
the wedding is Sept 17 and we need to start practicing. I'd love anything
besides songs, as we have alot of those. Thank You!!!
love, Juanita


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


6) Church Turmoil

To Oklahoma Baptist Church:
 
Satan loves this turmoil and healing begins with prayer.  Our Church was
going through this alot about 3 years ago.  We had a Music minister that
was against the pastor and was causing discord among the congregation.  We
also had the controling group of people that tried there best to get rid
of the Pastor.  I was unhappy with the way church was going and was
listening to the music minister and assumed since he was a minister that
he was telling the truth about certain situations but it turned out to be
the opposite.  I was so unhappy with all the discord that I was even
thinking about changing churches but my husband was not a  christian and
he was just feeling comfortable in our church that it would have
ruined his spiritual growth. God helped me to  realize my complaining was
hindering my husbands acceptance of Jesus.  I started going to a BSF
(Bible Study Fellowship) group and the topic of Bible study was on Moses. 
The part I came into was when they were in Numbers.  The second half of
Numbers.  This part of Numbers records the wondering of the Jews in the
desert and how they continued to complain against God and Moses and even
said many times they wanted to return to captivity.  Each time the
complained God was angry and put plagues on them, burned them, had the
earth open up and consume them.  Moses interceded on there behalf so many
times.  But when I read all of that, God was speaking to me.  God hates
complaining and I was one of those complaining about my church, about the
Pastor and the people.  I realized that my healing had to come from with
in first.  So I began to pray and ask God to heal my spirit and to teach
me what it is that He wanted me to learn.  I began praying for the Pastor
and for the Music minister and that the problem would come to an end. 
That what was wrong would be healed. Not too much later, the Music
minister retired.  I began to listen to the sermons and each Sunday
morning would pray for the Pastor and his sermon that I would hear Gods
words that morning.  My husband became a christian and is serving along
with me.  Since that time, I have enjoyed all the sermons and have learned
much.  I have grown to love the Pastor and many people started to change
and our church is back on track.  We have still got our factions but they
are the minority and those that were causing alot of the problems decided
to leave our church. And even thought they have left our church they are
still not happy at the new church or they haven't found a perminent church
home.   Our church population got down to maybe 110 on Sunday mornings but
now we are up to 175 and still having more new members everyday. 
Our Pastor instilled one day a month designated for prayer and had people
sign up for praying on the seventh day or each month from 7:00am
to 7:00pm.  He called it 7 to 7 on the 7th.  This past summer he wanted to
make June the testimony month.  People signed up to give there testimony
in church.  There were so many people signed up that he had to run it
through July. HALLELUJAH!  God helped me to realize that some one could
benefit from my testimony and He gave me the courage to get up and tell my
testimony.  I really shocked some people I think but they all realize that
that was the old me and not who I am today.  Thank God for His Mercy.
 
 We have come along way and it is all due to prayer and self searching. 
We have no control over others.  They will do what they are going to do. 
But God is in control and we just need to rely on His power and His
time. So start with you own heart and then pray for others.  It will make
a difference.
 
God Bless you
Lisa Pannell
Austin TX 


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


7) Watermelon Gospel
 
Before you cut a melon, notice the green and yellow or gold markings on
the outside.  Then, slice it open and see the wonderful juicy red fruit,
dotted with black seeds.  There might be a little white rind, too.
 
Green represents things that grow; the yellow or gold color is a reminder
of the streets in heaven, paved with gold.  Red repesents Jesus' blood,
which He sacrificed for us.  Black is a reminder of our sin, and white
represents a clean heart when we ask Jesus into our lives and follow His
teachings.  Now...enjoy the goodness God has provided!
 
 
Thanks so much for your wonderful website!
Julie in Illinois


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


8) Watermelon Gospel

Hi Cindy,
 
The Secret of the Watermelon is found in CEF Magazine, Evangelizing
Today's Child's issue January/February of 1995.  I suggest you go to your
local CEF office to see if you can borrow it.  Basically, the yellow
blossom represents the gold like street in Heaven.  The dark seeds
represent the curiosity Eve demonstrated when she could not resist
temptation to eat the forbidden fruit and upon doing so, sin entered the
world with all mankind's hearts as dark as seeds in watermelon. God gave
the world the greatest gift which is shown by the red coverning all the
seeds of darkness.  It stands for the blood of His Son Jesus who died on
the cross in our place taking our punishment for sin.  The white of rind
shows when one admits he has sinned and asks for forgiveness , receiving
Jesus as their Savior, their sins are washed away and God sees their
hearts as clean.  The outside green reminds one of growing in the
knowledge of our Lord and to turn away from seeds of temptation and sin. 
I hope this is helpful.  Shirley from Pa.



<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


9) Watermelon Gospel

I just bought a story like this at our church camp as a gift for one of
our SS teachers.  The company that puts it out is Child Evangelism
Fellowship
(CEF).
They have a website - though I'm not sure of the exact address.  Do a
search for them on the web.
The story was very well done with reproducible verses, fun activities
etc.


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


10) Books of the Bible

I hope I am answering this in the correct manner. We are about to embark
on the same thing in our sunday school class when we start our fall session.
I am going about this in 3 ways. Actually 4
a) Fun songs to sing it too, one is from "Scripture Rock" and another is
off a site I use frequently, "kidology.org" and involves different motions
to each book.
b) we are having a route 66 club that the kids can join when they finish
saying all the books.
c) playing games and using worksheets to drill the kids with the bible
names; obtained from the following websites. www.fillthevoid.org,
www.kidology.org.

I plan on using the first 25 minutes or so before each lesson to focus on
the books of the bible. I also give out bible bucks for memorization of
any scripture, so will probably give them for this also. Good luck!



<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


Help  SSTN  Continue

Only one dollar a month helps to provide the
Christian educational resources in the website and newsletter.
For more info, go to this webpage:

http://www.SundaySchoolNetwork.com/ministry_support.html 

Or, write your US check or US Money Order out to:
Sarah Keith - SundaySchoolNetwork.com

Mail to:
SundaySchoolNetwork.com
438 East Ilex Drive
Lake Park, FL 33403
USA

(In the memo section of your check write: "SSTN Subscription".
Please include your email address.)

Your webservant,
Sarah Keith <><


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


--Copyright 2000  S.A. Keith--All Rights Reserved. ----

Please read the complete copyright information at SundaySchoolNetwork.com.
You will find the link at the bottom of the homepage.

SSTN Posting Guidelines: 
 http://SundaySchoolNetwork.com/SSTN_guidelines.html  

Reproducing in any medium, commercial or noncommercial, is strictly
prohibited without prior written permission. SSTN has contributors from
all over the world who share their ideas. If you reprint any of the ideas
from SSTN, SundaySchoolNetwork.com or ChristianCrafters.Com in any medium
(websites, magazines, newsletters, etc.), you must contact the submitter,
and website for reprint permissions. Any materials used must also include
the submitter's name and where the ideas were gleaned from. The opinions
expressed or advertisements displayed in the SSTN e-Newsletter are not
necessarily endorsed by SundaySchoolNetwork.com or ChristianCrafters.Com.
SSTN reserves the right to edit and or exclude information from the SSTN
e-Newsletter.


<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><


SUBSCRIBE--UNSUBSCRIBE - and Change of Address directions:

To SUBSCRIBE or change your email address go to the
"Sunday School Network" page
at: http://www.SundaySchoolNetwork.Com/page3.html 

(If you are subscribing your friends, make sure you have their
permission.)

Return to the Archives