Choosing to Care

You have probably heard the quote, "Children don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Investing in the lives of our pupils goes beyond one hour in the classroom at church.

Are we willing to invest time in the lives of our pupils?

When we attend a sports event or a musical concert, this action says "I care."

When we call a child's parents and ask permission to drop by and visit for a few minutes, this shows we care.

When we mail a letter, make a phone call, or send an e-mail this shows we care.

Praying daily for the pupils in our class, shows we care. One teacher not only prays for the pupils she presently has, but continues to pray for the students she had last year, and the year after that, and the year after that. Time spent praying is never wasted!

Thanksgiving

ONE LEPER SAYS “THANK YOU” Luke 17:11-19

Lesson by Betty Benson Robertson

Needed:
Bible open to Luke 17 (which you hold while telling the story).

Have you ever had measles where you got little red spots on your body? Or chicken pox where you have little sores all over your body that itch?

With either of these diseases, you get well within a few days. A story in the Bible, in Luke 17, talks about people who had a horrible disease that made sores all over their bodies. Sometimes the disease made them crippled or blind. They were called lepers.

Let’s say that word together: Lepers.
Again: Lepers.

Because others could catch this disease, the lepers had to stay away from people. So they were very lonely. The lepers always carried bells to ring, warning others to stay away. They couldn't work or live with their families. They could only stand by the roadside or outside the gates of the city and beg for money.

Then, one day, a leper said to the others: “Did you hear the good news? Jesus is coming to town! I can’t wait to see Him!”

Another leper said: “We’ll never be able to get close enough to Him. We can’t get near people.”

“No,” the first leper replied, “but we can shout!”

Soon they saw Jesus coming. And they shouted: “Jesus, have mercy on us!” And they kept shouting: “Jesus, have mercy on us! Jesus, have mercy on us!”

Let’s pretend we are the lepers. Let’s shout together those words: “Jesus, have mercy on us!” Let’s say it again: “Jesus, have mercy on us!” Again: “Jesus, have mercy on us!”

Jesus looked at the lepers. And when the lepers saw Jesus looking at them, their eyes opened wide with surprise and their mouths dropped open. Let’s all show on our faces how we look when we are surprised.

Jesus looked right at the lepers and said: “Go to the temple and show the priests that you are healed.” The lepers may have said to each other: “What? What does Jesus mean we are healed?” Then one probably said: “My sores are gone!” And another leper said: “Mine, too! My skin looks healthy again!” Another one said: “I don’t limp anymore!”

As they were all walking toward the temple, they were saying: “Jesus has healed us! Jesus has healed us!” Let’s say that together: “Jesus has healed us!” Again: “Jesus has healed us.” One more time: “Jesus has healed us.”

One of the ten lepers when he realized Jesus had healed him, turned around and went back to where Jesus was. He was so grateful for what Jesus had done for him that he knelt at Jesus’ feet and said: “Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Jesus.”

Let’s say that together: “Thank You, Jesus! Thank You, Jesus! Thank You, Jesus!”

Jesus said: “Stand up. Go on your way now. Your faith has made you well. But didn't I heal TEN lepers? Where are the other 9?

PRAYER: Perhaps some of the children would like to thank Jesus for things He has done for them and/or their families recently.

SONG: “It Is Good” (…to give thanks to the Lord) from 15 Singable Songs album

BIBLE VERSE: “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1).

ACTIVITY TO LEARN VERSE: “Let’s Pretend”
Preparation: Post the scripture verse for all to see.
Activity: Lead the children in reading the verse in segments.
Segment #1: “Give thanks to the Lord.”
Segment # 2: “for he is good.”
Segment # 3: “his love endures forever”;
Segment # 4: Psalm 107:1).

Read each segment 3 times in unison before adding another segment. Now remove the verse and play “Let’s Pretend.”
Leader says: “Let’s pretend to be robots and say the verse together; let’s pretend we’re in a library and whisper the verse together; let’s pretend we’re telling the verse to someone who can’t hear very well.”

CRAFT:
Bible Verse Poster Materials Needed
Colored construction paper
the Bible verse printed on white 81/2” x11”
glue
scissors
crayons
washable magic markers

Activity: Have the children mount the scripture verses on construction paper and then decorate. Encourage them to take them home and mount them on the front of their refrigerators and read to their family before the evening meal each day the next week.
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Cool Off

Lesson Theme: Self-control

Through clenched teeth King Saul angrily shouted to his soldiers: "I want you to find David and kill him!"

David, who killed the Philistine Goliath, was now an awesome soldier in Saul's army and popular with the people. Everyone loved David which made King Saul jealous -- VERY, VERY jealous!

Jonathan, David's best friend and also Saul's son, helped David run away from the dangerous situation. In the wilderness where David and his men decided to hide, there were caves. He and his men stayed in the back of the cave, so as not to be seen.

One day, without realizing anyone was in the cave, Saul went in. David's men thought this would be the perfect opportunity to kill King Saul. But David told his men to cool off. He used self-control and did not harm the king.

At another time, David saw Saul when he was sleeping but he chose obedience to God and self-control rather than revenge.

Discussion Questions:
 1. What is self-control? (Making choices which please God; saying “Your way, God, not mine!)
2. What are examples of positive self-control choices? (Not letting hurtful words pop out when angry; thinking before hitting someone)
3. What is something you can do every time you need to make an important self-control choice? (Pause and pray)

Action Step: Every time this week when you need to cool off and use self-control, how about saying: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 -- Dear God, help me think about this again!

Bible Verse: “Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32, NIV).

Suggested Song: “Gimme Self-Control” (In My Garden album)

Tips For Effective Story Telling

Carefully choose your story. Does the story have a strong point, idea or theme? Do the characters appeal to the age group? Is the vocabulary appropriate for your age level? Is the length suited to the age? (Rule of thumb: Attention span is about one minute more than the age.) Does it hold your interest? If so, it will probably hold the pupils attention!

Practice profusely. Read the story over and over so it becomes second nature to you. Picture the story and scenes in your mind. Think about the characters and their respective traits. Make the characters of the story come alive through your voice and expressing emotion. Vary the inflections of your voice to give meaning. Practice projecting your voice. Everyone should be able to easily hear. Tell the story aloud to yourself over and over IN FRONT OF A MIRROR! Make eye contact with yourself! Do not concentrate on memorizing word for word -- although you should always know your first and last lines by heart for a comfortable start and finish.

Be creative and have fun! Don't tell your stories in the same, old way every time. Use your imagination. Have fun with your presentation. Be creative. Whenever possible, allow the children to become involved. Don't be afraid to use puppets.

Let your nervousness be a plus. Breath deeply before starting. A certain amount of tension will help make your story telling come alive.

Have everyone's attention before starting. Wait quietly. Never raise your voice to speak above the noise.

Look directly at the children, including all members of the group. Don't look over the heads or out the window! Take in the whole group.

Hold your Bible when telling a Bible story. Helps the children associate the story to scripture. (You can Tuck your notes inside!)

So You Want to Lead Music: Part 3

Variety of Methods in Teaching
Be creative in the ways you teach a song. Sing it slow. Sing it fast. You can even sing it in different accents, just for fun! (Try singing it with an English accent, then put a cowboy hat on and do a Southern accent!) Have a contest with one side of the room versus the other side of the room, to see who knows the hand motions and words the best. You might consider using a song to encourage the children to move on to a new activity. For instance, a particular “clean-up” song makes the task more fun rather than a chore. They are challenged to complete their task before the song ends.

Don’t Give Up On the Quiet Child
Don’t worry about the child who won’t participate or sing. Often the quiet child may still be absorbing everything you are singing or saying, and sometimes the worst thing you can do is draw attention to them. Don’t take their lack of participation as disinterest. Simply smile at them and reinforce their presence.

Realize that Affirmation is Key
We all respond to encouragement. When the children are really singing out, let them know they’re doing a great job. For instance, when they are worshiping you might want to say, “I know that God is blessed by your pretty and worshipful voices!”

Minister Beyond the Classroom
Have the children perform the songs for their parents—not only will teachers and families enjoy it, but the children’s confidence will get an extra boost as well. Allow the children to share their talents in different settings such as at a local senior facility where they will be very much appreciated. You can even create your own special program by choosing songs with a theme and integrating Scripture. If you are using a split-track CD or cassette tape, set the balance so the children’s voices will be featured.

Be Confident and Enthusiastic
Never apologize for what you don’t know, but instead try to approach each lesson with confidence. Whenever possible, speak the children you are teaching at their level, bending down or kneeling if necessary. And remember, whatever you feel you might lack in musical ability, you can often make up for in enthsusiasm.

Remember, whether you are gifted musically or whether you think the only thing you play well is a CD player, even YOU can foster growth through music. There are so many teachable moments that allow God to work beyond what we ever can imagine, Singing together can not only build a child’s self esteem but can be the best way to connect our children in a time of worship and praise, Plus, we all know the great environment music can bring to any classroom. How can you not have fun singing? After all, “ the joy of the Lord is our strength.” So most of all remember the gift that God gave us through music and don’t forget to have fun!

So You Want to Lead Music? (Part 2)

Evaluate the musical style: Younger children prefer easy-to-sing style songs. But don’t sell the children short---you might be surprised at how much a preschooler can learn. Often times a song that has a phrase the teacher sings and the children repeat is a good way to introduce a new song. Even at a young age children may have developed a strong preference for specific musical styles. From classical to country to pop to calypso, including a variety of styles helps engage more children.

Remember that learning the lyrics is as important as anything. This is not an area a teacher can “wing it” and hope for the best. A lack of preparation is not only flustering for a teacher, it short changes the children and robs them of a chance to enter in wholeheartedly.

Now that you have evaluated your lyrics and musical style it’s time to sing with your children! Presented here are some guidelines or tips to help you as you lead and a receive the most out of your musical time.

Introduce only one new song at a time—even if they are wonderful songs. It’s work to learn new music and lyrics, and worship time shouldn’t be hard work for children. Plus, when we’re focusing on learning new material, it’s hard to focus on God. Be careful not to overwhelm children with too many new things to learn at one time.

Teach the song in child-size bites.
You may be tired of hearing the same song over and over, however, many times the children can’t get enough of certain songs . When I do my family concerts, though I have many new songs I would like to sing, the most requested song is still a song about God’s creation called, “Hippopotamus.” The repetitive nature and descriptive hand motions bring the children to their feet learning God’s word and having fun at the same time. Also, be sure to incorporate a mix of “old favorites” and new songs so children have some input into the music time, too.

Use a CD/Cassette Player/Split Track
If you’re using a split-track CD or music tape check to see if you have a left and right channel on your player. You can use this to change the amount of vocals and or music in background. This will encourage the children to sing out and it frees you up to do the hand movements and participate with them.
Don’t underestimate proximity and environment

Children love to be close to the action, especially if you are playing an instrument. In a small group have them gather around you for your “circle time.” You might even want to bring a child up next to you and have them help you lead. This can be inviting for those children who love to participate.

So You Want To Lead Music (Part 1)

Why is it that we can’t remember where we put our keys yet we can remember a song we sang as a small child? We can all go down “memory lane” from the songs we learned at a young age. I remember learning “Deep and Wide” from my Sunday School teacher as a little girl. I loved doing the motions and feeling a sense of accomplishment singing along. Little did I know that I was learning directional cues, spiritual concepts and having fun at the same time. Perhaps, as teachers, we’ll never know how these simple songs that we teach can truly impact these little lives for years to come. That is why I have been singing and leading young children in many different capacities for over 20 years.

Leading music with young children can be such an enjoyable experience and continues to be a valuable tool in our teaching experience. Sometimes it is the missing link in our classroom, I have seen a child that has separation anxiety (after their parent drops them off for school) able to be calmed through a simple praise song. Music can change a mood, calm a child’s fears or set the tone for the rest of the day. Songs will live in a child’s heart for years to come as well as affecting a child’s growth and development. On a much lighter side, it makes even those of us who are non-musical want to sing. Plus music is fun!

We all know that the real source of music and movement. Music delights our God, Rev. 5. In the same way that King Saul was pleased by David’s harp, Psalm 149 describes God delighting in His people as they worship and praise their creator. He has given us voices to sing and feet to dance! Plus, there is music in Heaven. John describes the throne room of God in the book of Revelation as he paints an incredible picture of elders bending before the Lamb singing a “new song.” Music is a form of expression from the creator Himself.

That is one reason your teaching time will be richer if you include a musical component, Another reason is that music makes Scripture passages memorable~ add a tune to a verse you want children to learn and they’re likelier to remember it.

Many of us, though, feel that we are not very musical and only “make a joyful noise” as the Bible says. However, I have seen the most non-musical person able to do wonders teaching and leading God’s word in song. Remember, that your voice probably sounds fine to the children listening and a leader’s enthusiasm will more than compensate for any shortfall in musical training or aptitude.

Preparing the music 
What do you want to accomplish with your time of music? Burn off energy in a fun, expressive way? Help children memorize a Bible story or scripture passage? It’s important to select music with your purpose in mind. When selecting music to accompany a Bible lesson, be intentional about the themes and mood of songs you select. Carefully use music that reinforces the point of your Bible lesson. It’s easy to let twenty minutes slip away doing fun motion songs only to discover there’s no time left to teach.

Introducing the songs by reading and briefly explaining scripture passage helps children make the connection between what they’re learning and what they are singing. Don’t assume the connection will be obvious---even to adults!

In addition to meeting your purpose, music must be age-appropriate. When it comes to selecting the appropriate songs, keep two things in mind:

Evaluate the Lyrics: Don’t assume that just because the song is for “preschool age” that it is necessarily right to sing. Choose songs that include few words or simple repetitive phrases. Songs that tell stories are usually great for young children, and they love to sing songs where they can move and express themselves through motions. These type of songs will help the children with other skills such as directional cues. For instance, “My God is here,” point to the ground or, “My God is up high,” point to the ceiling.