a newsletter for those in ministry with children Virginia Conference United Methodist Church J ou r n e y in g w i th Children in t he Fait h Sunday School It s Truly For Life! by Harriett Olson Week after week, in congregations all over The United Methodist Church, children, youth and adults gather to find friends, to learn about God, to delve into Scripture and to catch and teach the faith. In an average week, 1.6 million of us find ourselves there. Is the lesson always wonderful? No. Is the teacher always prepared? The class always engaged? Again, no. But God is always there, yearning to gather us in and to send us out. In Sunday School we can work to become the sort of communities of faith that we envision and to find mentors and models for the lives of faith that we aspire to lead. In many places, Sunday School has great support from congregational leaders. In other places, we find Sunday School taken for granted or even soft-pedaled. At the same time we know that people are looking for authentic connection with others and with God. They re seeking to learn more about the love of God made known in Jesus Christ through the Bible, through worship, and through various kinds of spiritual exploration both inside and outside the church. What would happen if we decided to give Sunday School more attention? What if: We act as if being part of a Sunday School class is as critical to our formation as participating in worship? Volume 11, Number 1 Winter 2005 We affirm what the classes are learning? We listen for stories of growth and engagement, and share those stories with others in the congregation? We help classes plan their studies to build on each other and to connect to the congregation s mission and vision? We help the leaders recruit new teachers? We offer existing teachers a sabbatical to let them take Disciple Bible Study or some other study so they can return refreshed? We see classes as a primary spot for inviting new people and making them welcome? This is the vision of Sunday School it s for life! The General Board of Discipleship and Cokesbury are working together, supported by United Methodist Communications and by The United Methodist Reporter, to share with the church a vision of the potential of Sunday School. We believe that congregations are looking for authentic ways to make disciples. We believe congregations want to ground those disciples in the Bible. We believe that congregations want to relate those in Sunday School to others so that they become communities that are journeying together toward becoming new creations in Christ. The Sunday school is a primary place where this great vision and calling can be lived out. Sunday school can make a difference in your church. You can make a difference in Sunday School. Harriett Olson is senior vice president for publishing, book editor and editor of church school Publications for The United Methodist Publishing House based in Nashville, Tenn. For more articles and resources on Sunday School from Cokesbury go to www.sundayschool.cokesbury.com. Welcome to a new edition of faithsteps. We hope you find the new format as appealing as the contents are useful. Please feel free to reproduce pages or the whole issue to share with all those in ministry with children in your church.
A Pastor s Reflection on Sunday School by Martha Spigener It s sad but it s true. My own memories of church serve to keep me humble. In all my years of being in church I can only remember one part of two pastors messages. One memory is of the dramatic rendition of Pilate washing his hands. The other is the loud fist slammed upon the pulpit which woke me from my Sunday morning nap as a small child, not to mention the finger pointed right at me and the pastor s declaration that I was headed to a placed named in the Bible and we re not talking Heaven. Only two memories of sermons preached. That is a humbling statement for an ordained clergy person who preaches almost every Sunday. I spend hours pouring over the scripture and formulating in my heart and head the word of God for the week. But the truth is that the majority of the knowledge which people need to live a Christian life won t come from my fifteen to twenty minutes of expounding on scripture. faithsteps is a publication of the Virginia Conference United Methodist Church s Council on Age Level and Family Ministries (ALFM), Children s Section. It is published quarterly. Two free copies are mailed to each local church (sent to the pastor and children s coordinator). Permission is granted to reproduce articles and resource lists for educational purposes only. Contact the Virginia Conference for subscription information at 800-768-6040, Ext. 138. Staff Editor Ann Davis Design Team Leila Denton, Elizabeth Buxton, Martha Spigener, Sally Taylor I didn t learn about Noah or Moses or Samson or Zacchaeus or Adam and Eve or even much about Jesus life and teachings or any of the other wonderful Bible stories sitting in a pew. I learned them in a small, age appropriate classroom, through pictures, stories, songs and crafts. I learned how to read my Bible with so many others my age who were learning to read; and then years later, with a small group of others who wanted to know more about God, I learned how to study my Bible and apply God s word to my life. So why am I telling you this? I want to make sure that clergy are aware that they can make only a slim impact through the time spent in worship and that the majority of information needed by the people to be true disciples of Christ must be obtained in teaching ministries. You don t have to be the sole teacher, but you still play a critical role. In my time spent in Sunday School and Bible Study only once did I have an ordained clergy or pastor as the class teacher. However, I remember seeing the pastor at various times making rounds of the classes on Sunday morning, just checking in and being available. I remember at least once a year the teachers being recognized in the worship service and with special dinners. Pastors have a special role to play in the teaching ministries of the church. If you see this ministry as a team then the pastor is the coach; you are there to inspire and teach the basics but it s the players that have to play the game. Not only do pastors need to ensure that the teachers are equipped with the skills, gifts and resources to teach; pastors must also help to motivate individuals to become students. Pastors need to talk to adults about the responsibility they have to attend learning opportunities not only for their own growth but as an example to our children. Pastors have the responsibility within their appointments and ministries to ensure that people are coming into a personal relationship with Christ. Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and Bible Study are the places that can be utilized to introduce children and adults to the Word of God, to make disciples of Christ. In 2003, according to the records printed in the Journal of the Virginia Annual Conference, an average of 126,609 people attended worship on Sunday but only 59,881 attended Sunday School. Less than 50% of the people who come into our churches attended Sunday School on a regular basis. It is obvious that we must work harder to motivate people to participate in learning opportunities. We need to work closely with our congregations to strengthen and build our discipleship programs. With attention to our learning ministries we will all be better equipped for becoming and making disciples in the world. page 2 faithsteps
United Methodist Children s Sunday School by Leila Denton In Sunday School, children can learn what it means to be a Christian. Using curriculum approved by the United Methodist Curriculum Resource Committee, pastors, educators, teachers, and parents can be assured that we reflect our denominational identity. With United Methodist curriculum children will: have accurate biblically-based lessons participate in activities that transform by the experience of God in Christ and encourage continued growth in faith have age appropriate materials highlighting different ways of learning come to know what it means to belong to the United Methodist family of Christians. The Purpose Statement of the United Methodist Publishing House Children s Unit states, The primary purpose of a core curriculum is to ensure that we provide for children the tools they will need to increasingly identify themselves as children of God and to be in ministry as Christians both now and throughout their lifetime journeys. Below is a list of curriculum resources available to meet the needs of your church. For more information, take advantage of the easy-to-use teacher materials and support from Curric-U-Phone (800-251-8591), or curricuphone@cokesbury.com. Exploring Faith is a comprehensive Bible study that helps children grow in faith by teaching stories of the Bible. Children develop skills for using and understanding the Bible and its application in their daily lives. This four year curriculum covers the important stories of the Old and New Testaments, is produced for five age levels, and has activities for all learning preferences. Exploring Faith has a teacher book, student resources (Fun Pak, Bible Brain Pak, & Class Pak), music CD, and Disciple Disk. One Room Sunday School is a curriculum that allows children, ages three through middle school, to learn about God s word all in one classroom. It has teacher book, Class Pak, CD and reproducible activities book. One Room Sunday School is based on comprehensive Bible study and employs multiple learning styles. It can be effective for smaller children s programs or useful when you share space with other classes. PowerXpress is a workshop rotation curriculum. Children will experience different learning styles at different learning stations each week based on the same Bible story or theme. The rotation model emphasizes repetition which will reinforce the children s memories. PowerXpress includes plans for eight stations. Teacher preparation is easier because each teacher can teach the same lesson, with age level adjustments, for the length of the rotation. Director s Manual, complete station plans, Talk Tips, and CD-ROMs (for newer units) are available. Bible Zone Live is based on topical Bible study and appeals to multiple learning styles. It is a mixture of active games, activities and storytelling that captures the imagination and doesn t rely on reading and writing skills. Teachers can prepare for class in minutes and lessons are reusable and effective in a variety of settings. Provided are a teacher book with CD (containing Bible Zone, Life Zone & Home Zone) and FUNspiritual Kit (including Zillies [Bible reinforcing gadgets] and transparencies.) faithsteps Seasons of the Spirit is lectionary based. Children make a connection between what is happening in worship, their classroom and their daily lives. All age levels in your church could coordinate their lessons to hear and experience the same Bible story or theme each week. Over a three year period this curriculum teaches scripture throughout the Bible. Resources include leader book, reproducible learning material, art & posters, music, and congregational guide. Bible Quest is topical based Bible study featuring the yearly themes of incarnation, covenant, justice and salvation. From toddler to adult the same theme is related. Bookmark Stories offer opportunities for multigenerational learning. Bible Quest employs multiple learning styles and contains life issues. Leader guides with CD, student books and Leader Development Kit for training are available. Aventuras is a bilingual curriculum which exposes children to another language and culture. Resources can be used to teach English or Spanish as a second language. Provided is an easy to use teacher book that requires little preparation. Lessons are adaptable to any size class and materials are age appropriate. Toddlers & Twos uses age appropriate activities to introduce the concept of God and begin to learn the stories in the Bible. There is a leader guide, Bible Story Picture Cards and Activity Pak. Children can take home Bible Story Picture Cards and can, with help from parents, help families share their faith. page 3
Safe Sanctuaries Seminar Virginia Conference United Methodist Church A one-day training event to equip leaders in the local church to create child and youth protection policies, or for those who already have one in place, to update with current information regarding policies and guidelines, and to motivate and encourage maintenance and safeguarding of policies and the actions they require. The leader of this event will be Joy Thornburg Melton, author of the Safe Sanctuaries books. March 11 or 12, 2005 @ Trinity UMC in Richmond 9:30 a.m. Registration 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Seminar Cost: $25.00 per person (includes lunch) It is vital that our churches continue to strive to be safe sanctuaries. Only when they are safe and welcoming, can we see lives nurtured and transformed. for more information contact Ann Davis, Director of Children s Ministries & Discipleship 800-768-6040 ext. 138 AnnDavis@vaumc.org Safe Sanctuaries Seminar registration name: church: address: city: state: zip: phone: email: please choose: Friday, March 11, 2005 or Saturday, March 12, 2005 Enclose $25 registration made payable to Virginia Conference UMC and mail to: Virginia Conference, Children s Ministries, PO Box 1719, Glen Allen, VA 23060
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Fellowship Hall Using Workshop Rotation Model in the Small Membership Church by Elizabeth Buxton What do we do when there s only one or two kids in Sunday School and even they are not here every week? It was the beginning of my second year at South Halifax Charge, a two point charge in the south side of Virginia. Karen, a twenty-something young woman and third or fourth generation Cedar Grove member, asked this question. Karen had inherited her Sunday School teaching position from her grandmother Bessie, who had taught it for more years and generations than anyone could count. Our situation was familiar to folks who live and minister in small and rural settings. So familiar was our situation that an entire curriculum has been developed to address these challenges. The Workshop Rotation Model (WoRM) takes seriously the challenges of uneven attendance, insanely over-paced and over-priced curriculum, lessons that are spiritually and scripturally haphazard, and teachers individuality and limitations. Briefly, the WoRM model takes one biblical story or text and spends an agreed-upon number of weeks exploring the same story through different centers: storytelling, music, art, science, cinema, mission, games, and cooking. One week an adult leads the Sunday School workshop through music; the next week another adult may lead the same story or text through art; the next week yet another adult leads the children in games that reinforce some aspect of the story; and so on. The advantages of WoRM are 1) the repetition of important stories and text that helps the children master the story over a series of weeks; 2) teacher-friendly lesson plans that attract folks who might not be willing to teach for a year but will agree to teach one week at a time; 3) the curriculum is flexible to calendar, resources, talents, and facilities; and 4) the children like it and participate more. And so we bravely gathered up our crayons, candy and CDs, and kicked off a new school year using WoRM, with Karen heading up a brave band of folks who rotated Sunday by Sunday, each one taking a workshop. In one way or another, almost every family in the church was involved and participating in the new Sunday School program. Attendance picked up. Our one or two children are now a fairly steady core group of five or six, with another handful of irregular members. And now, instead of the potluck consumption of the biblical narrative (where a child might be present for the lesson on Rahab but unfortunately be absent for baptism), the children hear one story repeatedly and have the time and freedom to develop some level of mastery of age-appropriate and spiritually-formative texts and stories. Another surprise blessing that has come out of our new Sunday School came from the location of the two rooms. The Sunday School rooms are behind the sanctuary in an addition that added classrooms as well as kitchen and restroom facilities. A subsequent addition added a marvelous Fellowship Hall. To travel from the sanctuary to the Fellowship Hall, everyone has to walk through Sunday School. A funny thing happened on the way to the Fellowship Hall as we created stables and arks and deserts and vineyards within the walls of the classrooms, hoping to stir creative young minds to go deeper into the stories they were experiencing through word, music, art, food, mission, and fun. The congregation became engaged in the stories through the setting and paraphernalia of each unit. Countless conversations were overheard as they walked from the sanctuary to the Fellowship Hall and found themselves in the wonderful world of WoRM! Our children have learned about the major liturgical seasons, the sacraments, Old and New Testament figures of faith. They have collected cans and clothes and buckets and blankets. Our children have a sense of being important, vital members of their church and the church could not love these children more if they were every one a grandchild. That question of a year ago from the heart of a dedicated teacher started a surprising and sacred journey for all of us together. God has blessed the effort and faithfulness of these folks. What more could you want? faithsteps page 5
Are you interested in receiving faithsteps as an email newsletter? Or receiving periodic Children s Ministries E-News updates? Email Ann Davis, Director of Children s Ministries & Discipleship at AnnDavis@vaumc.org to be put on the email address list. Are you interested in being a part of the design team that puts together each issue of faithsteps? We are currently seeking new members of the team to meet quarterly in Richmond to develop each issue. Email Ann Davis at AnnDavis@vaumc.org or call 800-768-6040 ext. 138 for more information. Virginia Conference The United Methodist Church Office of Children s Ministries P.O. Box 1719 Glen Allen, VA 23060 Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Glen Allen, VA 23060 Permit No. 2136 Please share this issue with others who are in ministry with children in your church.