Monday, 22 November 2010
Initial Post
This is the blog site that we'll use to post ideas for our goals for the different areas of Sunday School. I really hope that we can make this a rather live discussion where each of us checks after we've made posts pretty frequently. You can simply reply to my post, or create an additional post.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hi All,
ReplyDeleteAs a part of our effort to keep/make learning about Christ a vital part of children's lives, the Council will be reviewing new Sunday school literature. We will look to:
1. put one or two literature options out for the Sunday school teachers to consider at our 5th Sunday program in January during the Sunday school hour;
2. put together a committee (to include Sunday school teachers, school teachers and others)to review sample literature to present in January.
We would appreciate your suggestions on who should be on the committee and any curriculum you may think is worth reviewing.
As we ask the committee to review the curriculum, what are the things we will ask them to review for? I think this is broken down into two large components:
I. What do we want a child who leaves the Children's department after 5th grade to know about God, Jesus, the Spirit, the bible and church?
II. What methods/tools best accomplish the teaching of these "necessities?"
As we consider these things, please keep in mind that we should consider developmental milestones in children's learning and spirituality, and how we address the varying needs of children who regularly attend versus those who are newcomers.
What other variables should we ask the committee to consider?
I will plan to synthesize our various postings after Dec 5 so that we will be in a position to finalize them at our next meeting on Dec 12 after 11 service.
Thank you for your prayers and work for God's kids!
And Happy Thanksgiving!
Jan
FROM JAN MASSEY
Hi All,
ReplyDeleteAs a part of our effort to keep/make learning about Christ a vital part of children's lives, the Council will be reviewing new Sunday school literature. We will look to:
1. put one or two literature options out for the Sunday school teachers to consider at our 5th Sunday program in January during the Sunday school hour;
2. put together a committee (to include Sunday school teachers, school teachers and others)to review sample literature to present in January.
We would appreciate your suggestions on who should be on the committee and any curriculum you may think is worth reviewing.
As we ask the committee to review the curriculum, what are the things we will ask them to review for? I think this is broken down into two large components:
I. What do we want a child who leaves the Children's department after 5th grade to know about God, Jesus, the Spirit, the bible and church?
II. What methods best accomplish the teaching of these "necessities?"
As we consider these things, please keep in mind that we should consider developmental milestones in children's learning and spirituality, and how we address the varying needs of children who regularly attend versus those who are newcomers.
What other variables should we ask the committee to consider?
I will plan to synthesize our various postings after Dec 5 so that we will be in a position to finalize them at our next meeting on Dec 12 after 11 service.
Thank you for your prayers and work for God's kids!
And Happy Thanksgiving!
Jan
testing to see if my google account is still active, Karen Berlin
ReplyDeleteWasn't someone supposed to be sending out materials that had already been published with some guidelines on what students should know at certain grades through Sunday School? I would need to consult those resources in regards to the first question--or just defer to those more experienced in Sunday School teaching itself. At this stage at best I just know what some students do know--which is not necessarily what they should. Let me know if those resources were sent out and I just missed them, I was interested in gaining some more insight on current practice. I can also just run my own google search, but wanted to check in anyway!
ReplyDeleteJust found my notes---I was referring to Cokesbury's spiritual milestones of children or "stages of faith"--was someone going to send a resource out related to this?
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about what I would hope a child leaving 5th grade would know. Here's a few rough ideas:
ReplyDelete1- what was God's first covenant/promise?
a- who did he make it with?
b- where in the Bible do you find this?
c- what is the law
i. where in the Bible do you find this?
d- what is the greatest commandment?
i. where in the Bible do you find this?
2- what was God's second covenant/promise
a- who did he make it with?
b- where in the Bible do you find this?
c- how will people know you are Christ followers?
i-where in the Bible do you find this?
3- what is the third great promise God gives us?
a- where in the Bible do you find this?
4- what are we supposed to do until the 3rd promise is fulfilled?
a- where in the Bible do you find this?
b- what is the role of the church in this?
c- what is your role in this?
5- who did God send to help us fulfill his commission?
a- where in the Bible do you find this?
b- how do we communicate with the Spirit?
c- is there a special prayer?
i- where in the Bible do you find this?
Looking forward to your thoughts and additions.
Jan
i just spent several minutes typing in my comments and then lost it all...
ReplyDeleteIn short, without re-creating, I wanted to comment on the style for learning, with the desire to look at curriculum that uses the large group/small group format. I have seen a trend with churches and with kids in general that kids enjoy both the opportunity to share in a small group setting (with age specific peers) and also enjoy the interactive, multi-age setting of the large group, which often incorporates interactive learning. Since kids learn in different ways (thank you, Karen B for all of the links you sent of resources), we should look for different ways to share the same message.
I also feel like our curriculum should always be scripturally based and should also be fun, interactive and utilize the media and technical opportunities that we have now in our church.
I will defer to Jan's list on what they should know, keeping in mind that we get kids in and out of Sun School and some don't join us until farther along in elem school. We may want to have a simpler list of more basic Bible knowledge as our benchmark with the desire to go in depth when we can.
Just some thoughts. Karen B did give me one other article to get out to you all. i just need to figure out how to scan it and get it out to you via e-mail...that will happen tomorrow. Thanks for being a part of this very worthwhile process.
blessings,
Karen H
1) know that God loves us and why
ReplyDelete2) why Jesus came to earth and died
3) the Holy Spirit comes to us in various means and what they are
4) the Bible is the Word of God and should be used as a life tool daily.
5) the church is a means to help you grow in faith in a community of Christians to equip you with tools to spread God's word and love
I found children very attracted, especially the younger ages, to entertainment such as skits, puppets, worship through song and dance. Then breaking into groups to tie the message/curriculum for that day with learning through a game-like environment. I think it is important to have a highly interactive atmosphere where children are in discussion.
Brian Smith
Having spent the last 10 years working with students, this is a really intersting question. What would we hope children would know before they come to student ministry and begin other milestones like confirmation, etc.
ReplyDeleteMain themes in no particular order at the particular age levels:
1. Who is God?
2. What is the Trinity? -- really basic, the relationship between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3. How do you use your Bible? What books are OT, what are NT? We have a theme in confirmation where so many students come and say, what page is that on? Where is that book? How do you use the number system?
4. Understanding of creation.
5. Understanding of God's love for them and how valuable that is.
6. Understanding of sacraments -- communion & baptism.
7. Understanding of basic spiritual disciplines and a call to practice them.
I appreciate how all comments are beginning to nail down specifics. The articles that have been sent are wonderful food for thought, not sure I can do any better, but I do have some very big picture thoughts:
ReplyDeleteMy goal for kindergartners is that they leave knowing God as the creater, compass and counsel for life decisions, caretaker and comforter. They should know about the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament, but not much deeper than the new is about life of and after Jesus, and how that changed our relationship with God.
One key is how he sent us his only son to teach us how to live (learning to live like Jesus, or at least as Jesus would want us to act and behave, love and help each other.
Pretty simple really, they know the stories that we cover in our guides: Adam n Eve, Noah, OT main figures and the themes for what the stories are telling us about God and how to live; then through the NT stories: Jesus birth, the players in his life (parents human and God); disciples and their stories.
I really like the article that Karen sent about where kids should be and how receptive they are to teaching methods. Action, movement, short stories, then more action, music, prayer (key that they learn to be comfortable and feel natural praying, so we do that at least once a week).
Keep it fun, interesting and meaningful for all levels. And, PRODUCE A VIDEO or do whatever project gets kids involved in doing stuff... semi-kidding, but what I'm really getting at here is that creativity counts at all levels. Tap into our members' gifts, and look for opportunities for putting them to use (I miss music Sundays, especially when they were interactive, allowing kids to express).
One suggestion: For the curriculum committee folks, perhaps we could have a few spokespeople meet with individual teachers periodically, 15 minutes pre-class or after to see how it's going and offer ideas for how they can reach the milestones we have for them. I know teachers would appreciate the advice, ideas, resources and support. Whatever we can do to make their "jobs" easier, funner and better... LOVE IT!