Issue #2 - January 10, 2011              For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. ~ Jesus  

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1) SSTN Anniversary
2) Encouraging Attendance 
3) Encouraging Attendance 
4) Look...

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5) Our Mission: "Children"
6) Encouraging Attendance 
7) Encouraging Attendance & Parents
8) Caused to Remember & Inspired
9) Encouraging Attendance 

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1) SSTN Anniversary

Happy 11th Anniversary SSTN Friends & Support Partners! On January 10, 2000, SSTN began with 65 teachers subscribed. Now, eleven years later, there are over 33,000 members who share ideas and questions with one another. We all have our own unique ministry and story to tell. For those who have shared ideas, thank you for your willingness to help others. For those who haven't shared, don't be shy, you have something to contribute too! YOU make SSTN a success!

To celebrate our eleven years on the internet, we are offering an 11% discount on our Bible-4-Life resources at:
http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/Bible-4-life.html 
When checking out, use coupon code:  SSTN11YRS
Offer good for one-time use through Sat. 1/15/2011.

Take a moment to thank God for what he's accomplished in our ministries! And please invite your friends and coworkers to join us in the next 11 years of working together!

Blessings to you in your ministry to children!
Sarah Keith <><
http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com

2) Encouraging Attendance

My husband and I taught 6, 7, & 8th grade Sunday School for 21/2 years. We would plan outside activities for the students on days other than Sundays. At this age the students would love it when they saw us at their schools. If the schools will allow outside 'guests' to come have lunch with students, get the students schedules and meet them for lunch at their schools. Yes, If you work this might pose a problem.

Go to a movie with them. Have everyone meet at the theater and watch together. My children's 2nd grade teacher did this and they remember it to this day.

Sit with them in church. Do a mission project with them on one of their days off.

You could go to local sporting events as a Sunday School class. They love it when you go to activities that they are involved in outside of Sunday School. They get to know you as a friend and not just someone you see on Sundays, and we know that students always want to visit friends.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

Beth Garvin <'(((>< 
"Faith is not believing that God can. It is knowing that God will."

3) Encouraging Attendance

I send letters to all my kids each week and then have small projects like collecting canned food and of course, "Pennies for Jesus" for His birthday. This gets the parents involved nancyk803@yahoo.com

I Love you
Nancy

Christ is all we need!!!!!!!!

4) Look...

Look back and thank God.
Look forward and trust God.
Look around and serve God.
Look within and find God!"

God Bless
Kathy
 

5) Our Mission: "Children" 

"I am a minister. I minister to the largest mission field in the world.

I minister to children.

My calling is sure. My challenge is big. My vision is clear. My desire is strong. My influence is eternal. My impact is critical. My values are solid. My faith is tough. My mission is urgent. My purpose is unmistakable. My direction is forward. My heart is genuine. My strength is supernatural. My reward is promised. And my God is real.

In a world of cynicism, I offer hope. In a world of confusion, I offer truth. In a world of immorality, I offer values. In a world of neglect, I offer attention. In a world of abuse, I offer safety. In a world of ridicule, I offer affirmation. In a world of division, I offer reconciliation. In a world of bitterness, I offer forgiveness. In a world of sin, I offer salvation. In a world of hate, I offer God’s love.

I refuse to be dismayed, disengaged, disgruntled, discouraged or distracted. Neither will I look back, stand back, fall back, go back or sit back. I do not need applause, flattery, adulation, prestige, stature or veneration. I do not have time for business as usual, mediocre standards, small thinking, outdated methods, normal expectations, average results, ordinary ideas, petty disputes or low vision. I will not give up, give in, bail out, lie down, turn over, quit or surrender.

I will pray when things look bad. I will pray when things look good. I will move forward when others stand still. I will trust God when obstacles arise. I will work when the task is overwhelming. I will get up when I fall down.

My calling is to reach boys and girls for God. It is too serious to be taken lightly, too urgent to be postponed, too vital to be ignored, too relevant to be overlooked, too significant to be trivialized, too eternal to be fleeting and too passionate to be quenched.

I know my mission. I know my challenge. I also know my limitations, my weaknesses, my fears and my problems. And I know my God. Let others get the praise. Let the church get the blessing. Let God get the glory.

I am a minister. I minister to children. This is who I am. This is what I do."

By Roger Fields
Copyright 2011

6) Encouraging Attendance

It's getting difficult to encourage children to attend church when their own parents or family members do not hold church high in their own lives. Idea to get the whole family involved that works for me as a Sunday school teacher and new superintendant....

Write letters to parents introducing yourself, who you are to their kid and what your goals are for bettering their lives and that you need their help to do so by encouraging their child.

Send home trivia or games that the child will need parents help to complete and bring back. Most families love game night, what a great spiritual way to bring the family together with fun facts and prizes for the child to return the paper or just keep as a take home paper.

For attendance for children and even adults that work are prizes at the end of the month for perfect attendance or just recognition. Certificates, drawings or little award ribbons are low budget or make your own home made certificate (for those creative minds).

For the kids, we have Sunday school bucks. For bringing offering, memorization, Bible, visitor, participation and themselves. Each category are priced from low to high and they have wallets to place their money. At the end of a quarter or a month, the church donates little prizes and gifts that the kids use their earned money to buy at the Sunday school store. Some of the items donate they purchase for upcoming events for someone special. Like mothers day or fathers day, grandparents day, birthdays and the like. Truly makes a child feel great when they buy something for someone on their own.

Hopes this helps and encourage someone. Prayer is the key to many unopened doors. Blessings to you.

Florence

7) Encouraging Attendance & Parents

Encouraging Attendance:
We are keeping an attendance log for our kids and at the end of the month we count how many Sundays they have attended. Whoever has perfect attendance gets a gift. It is something very small (maybe some crayons or stickers) but we wrap it in colorful paper and present it to the parents when they pick up their child. We make a big fuss about congratulating the kids. We add a card that says "Congratulations on your perfect attendance!" It has helped us because now some parents regret it when they are not able to get the gift because they missed one week.

Encouraging Parents:
During one month (4 Sundays), we distribute small cards with short verses (according to the age of the child). When the parents arrive on the second Sunday, both the parents and the kids have to recite the verse that we distributed on the first Sunday. On the third Sunday, they recite the second one and so on until we end the month. We keep a check list where we mark each parent/child that recited it well and at the end of the month we give them a prize.

I hope that these ideas help other teachers. May God bless you lots for your effort in helping all the teachers that are benefited by your work.

My best wishes for you.

Aida Del Valle De Lopez
aidadelopez@yahoo.com.mx

8) Caused to Remember & Inspired!

Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Thank you for the song: Thank You, from Ray Boltz. What a powerful message. My mind was going back and remembering so many contacts, VBS, Sunday School, Camp, Outreach through Missionaries, over many years. What a blessing! Yes the tears came. I am impressed now more than ever with teaching the truths contained in God's Holy Word - the Holy Bible. Mary

 

9) Encouraging Attendance

>Does anyone have any great ideas of how to encourage attendance to Sunday school? ...Thanks, Barb 

>> from SSTN: Parents who do not see the value in bringing their children to church or teaching the Word to them, have a spiritual problem that a new program or "jazzed-up" idea won't solve. That isn't to say that we don't do all we can to make our ministries the best and most exciting programs they can be. However, this situation should be addressed with your pastors, elders and deacons. Your parents/adults need to be learning about the importance of worship and Christian education "Sunday school." They are not the same and shouldn't be substituted one over the other. ALL ages of people need both. Worship is giving back to God the honor and respect that is due him. Whereas, Christian education is receiving from God, so that we can be and make disciples. If I've been harsh in my reply or misunderstood your request, I apologize in advance... Sarah Keith <><

Yes,  I think you were a little "harsh". We, as teachers ARE fighting a spiritual battle. Most of us realize that, but it is a problem we all face and have to deal with as best we can. I too, would like some solutions to encourage consistent attendance. It is frustrating at times when you pour your heart & soul into your class and the kids don't come. We have several kids where the parents don't attend, so it is up the the kids to want to attend.

--from SSTN: I agree that it is frustrating that--after planning and preparing--children don't come, which is why I believe it is a problem that needs to be addressed church-wide, not just within children's ministry. This was the point I was attempting to make.

Kindly,
Sarah Keith <><

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