The Sunday School kids are surprisingly (to me) interested in finding Bible references.
We often look up one of the lectionary readings. Then one of the kids will read some or all of the text. (Some of them love the chance to be the reader too.)
Some kids with limited reading ability are even excited to find the right spot in the Bible.
What makes this so engaging for the kids?
Now that I see this much I'll try to make it work better....obvious basics like be sure there's a Bible available for everyone, same translation so they don't get lost following along...and I have a few other ideas that might be fun too.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Vacation Bible Camp Announcement
Gethsemane is joining St Mark's Cathedral for "Pilgrimage: Seeking the Kingdom of God," August 6-10, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Pilgrims will step back in time to experience the Medieval period, travel to foreign lands, and meet five different Saints. Along the way pilgrims will enjoy music, street fairs, Bible stories and general merriment as we seek to know ourselves, each other, the Creator, the Savior and the Holy Spirit. The program is for children aged 4 through completed 4th grade. Registration is due by July 16th. Watch for more information or contact me.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Freedom
If I were uninhibited I would dance in church.
If I were uninhibited I would raise my hands in church.
This Sunday at about a time in the service when I felt like raising my hands, but of course was too inhibited to do so, my 4 year old was prancing around the kids' rug area with a basket of toys raised above his head.
Am I projecting my sense of things onto him, or did he feel what I felt and have more freedom to respond than I did?
If I were uninhibited I would raise my hands in church.
This Sunday at about a time in the service when I felt like raising my hands, but of course was too inhibited to do so, my 4 year old was prancing around the kids' rug area with a basket of toys raised above his head.
Am I projecting my sense of things onto him, or did he feel what I felt and have more freedom to respond than I did?
Monday, May 07, 2007
Cookies for Members
Things came together in such a way that my kids and I ended up missing the church service and just arriving at church for Sunday School last Sunday.
While still at home, this brought up a question. If you don't go to church can you still get cookies (during the coffee hour after the service)? One of my kid's responses yielded good news and bad news.
Bad news: The responding child may lack a sense of open hospitality that welcomes everbody.
Good news: The responding child feels like they belong at Gethsemane!
They explained that you couldn't just walk in off the street and have cookies, but that if you're a member and you're there before the cookies get put away you can have cookies.
So, my husband, who was leading this conversation, followed up by asking,
"Are you a member?" Response: "Yes."
"Is [your sibling] a member?" "Yes."
"Is Mommy a member?" "Yes."
"Am I a member?" (Now, I should say that my husband is Taoist and his involvement in church is much differerent and more limited than mine.)
Response: "Sort of."
All very interesting.
But my favorite part is that sense of my child's of being part of the church.
That's significant I think.
While still at home, this brought up a question. If you don't go to church can you still get cookies (during the coffee hour after the service)? One of my kid's responses yielded good news and bad news.
Bad news: The responding child may lack a sense of open hospitality that welcomes everbody.
Good news: The responding child feels like they belong at Gethsemane!
They explained that you couldn't just walk in off the street and have cookies, but that if you're a member and you're there before the cookies get put away you can have cookies.
So, my husband, who was leading this conversation, followed up by asking,
"Are you a member?" Response: "Yes."
"Is [your sibling] a member?" "Yes."
"Is Mommy a member?" "Yes."
"Am I a member?" (Now, I should say that my husband is Taoist and his involvement in church is much differerent and more limited than mine.)
Response: "Sort of."
All very interesting.
But my favorite part is that sense of my child's of being part of the church.
That's significant I think.
What a Response!
There were lots of kids in Sunday School today that weren't there last week when I did the Godly Play Good Shepherd presentation. I ended up doing it again.
Wow, what a response. Great responses to some of the wondering questions were coming faster than I could comprehend or acknowledge them.
I have to try to do more of this.
Wow, what a response. Great responses to some of the wondering questions were coming faster than I could comprehend or acknowledge them.
I have to try to do more of this.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Godly Play Experiment
Lasts week's Scripture readings were just too perfect a fit for the Godly Play presentation of the Good Shepherd not to use it, since I've been wanting to work into Godly Play anyway.
So, I made myself a set of materials as close as I could come to what I was supposed to have, practiced the story & did it. I was amazed at how well my kids responded to the materials when I was working with them at home, and how they paid attention during the presentation. Well, most of the time anyway. I do have to admit that one kid (yes, my own) degenerated into potty mouth talk at one point.
They wanted to work with the materials. They had ideas about how they should be arranged. It almost seemed like they were already familiar with the sheep & shepherd story. My kids each attended a year of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at another church so I asked about if they had heard about the topic before and if so where. The answer wasn't very clear....something like "I can't really explain it." So, I conclude either this is stuff that is very graspable, or more likely, they absorbed it previously without really being able to identify when and where. Of course this is happening to them all the time, but its interesting to see likely evidence of it. I only hope they are absorbing as little bad or troublesome stuff as possible and and lots of good and helpful stuff.
So, I made myself a set of materials as close as I could come to what I was supposed to have, practiced the story & did it. I was amazed at how well my kids responded to the materials when I was working with them at home, and how they paid attention during the presentation. Well, most of the time anyway. I do have to admit that one kid (yes, my own) degenerated into potty mouth talk at one point.
They wanted to work with the materials. They had ideas about how they should be arranged. It almost seemed like they were already familiar with the sheep & shepherd story. My kids each attended a year of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at another church so I asked about if they had heard about the topic before and if so where. The answer wasn't very clear....something like "I can't really explain it." So, I conclude either this is stuff that is very graspable, or more likely, they absorbed it previously without really being able to identify when and where. Of course this is happening to them all the time, but its interesting to see likely evidence of it. I only hope they are absorbing as little bad or troublesome stuff as possible and and lots of good and helpful stuff.
Monday, April 09, 2007
"Keep the Kids Away" - A New Take
During church Sunday it clicked for me why it might have been that some of Jesus' followers weren't too keen on letting children near Jesus. I guess I'd always assumed it was just general disrespect for children. I'm not sure why it took me this long to put two and two together and see another possiblity.
Maybe the disciples wanted to keep kids away from Jesus because kids do things like disrupt quiet parts of liturgy with talking and loud noises. Maybe it was because they distract the adults with them, impairing adults' ability to engage in religious services or meaningful conversations. Maybe it was because of the way kids try parents' patience by pushing, pulling, clinging and fidgeting. Maybe it was because kids embarrass their parents by putting parental shortcomings on display for congregations of people to see. (Not that I have experience with any of this of course!)
But of course scripture says that Jesus welcomed the children. Let me sum up a lot by saying, I'M GLAD! I'm glad for me kids. I'm glad for me - I need that kind of welcome and affirmation. After my kids have been behaving poorly, my patience has worn thin, my anger flared and my frustration soared, coming forward with my kids, each of us extending our hands to receive communion is a wonderful and welcome grace.
Maybe the disciples wanted to keep kids away from Jesus because kids do things like disrupt quiet parts of liturgy with talking and loud noises. Maybe it was because they distract the adults with them, impairing adults' ability to engage in religious services or meaningful conversations. Maybe it was because of the way kids try parents' patience by pushing, pulling, clinging and fidgeting. Maybe it was because kids embarrass their parents by putting parental shortcomings on display for congregations of people to see. (Not that I have experience with any of this of course!)
But of course scripture says that Jesus welcomed the children. Let me sum up a lot by saying, I'M GLAD! I'm glad for me kids. I'm glad for me - I need that kind of welcome and affirmation. After my kids have been behaving poorly, my patience has worn thin, my anger flared and my frustration soared, coming forward with my kids, each of us extending our hands to receive communion is a wonderful and welcome grace.
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