When we plan and prepare for Sunday School—be it for adults, high school youth, or children—we know the first step is prayer. It is foundational for all curriculum choices, programs, and activities.
Our small church, situated under the towering James River dam,
“My favorite part of the Christmas program is afterwards, when we get to open gifts!” Her eyes danced with anticipation, though our program was still weeks away. At first, I was a little disappointed. Why wasn’t the child more excited about the songs and the message of Jesus in the program we had been practicing week after week? And
Diane Brubakken, who has served as AFLC Parish Education’s administrative assistant for 14 years, has accepted a new position with AFLC Home Missions. We are deeply grateful for all Diane’s work to support Parish Ed in making trustworthy, biblical materials accessible to our congregations and for her helpful service to our customers. To honor her contributions to this ministry, we asked her some questions about her time with Parish Ed.
Jane Quanbeck and Marian Christopherson, Sunday school teachers at New Luther Valley Lutheran Church, McVille, ND, share how “opening chapel time” has shaped their students and helped them engage more deeply with Scripture, missions, and prayer. Read their responses in our interview below.
♫Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so!♫ Do you remember the first time you heard that song? It may have been in cradle roll. If you grew up in a Christian family or going to church, God may have been writing this biblical truth on your mind and heart since infancy. Children are never too young to hear the beautiful truths of Scripture spoken, sung, and prayed.
God’s forgiveness is one of the most essential truths for children to internalize. Read below how Marian Christopherson has taught this idea to her Sunday school students at New Luther Valley Lutheran Church.
“The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him and delivers them” (Psalm 34:7). This is one of the Bible memory verses shared recently in online Sunday School.
“Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today” (Exodus 14:13 NASB).This is a verse we have been memorizing with all our Sunday school children during this time we have not been able to physically meet together. Scripture memory is one thing we do during our regular Sunday school openings,
“I’m going to sit right in the middle, so I don’t miss a thing!” This was the comment from one of my Sunday School kindergarten students as I set up my shadow puppet screen to tell that Sunday’s Bible story. Today’s kids are bombarded with visual technology at home, at school, and even in the car. What can we do as Sunday School, VBS and Kids Club teachers that will keep our students engaged and excited to come and learn about the God and Savior of the Bible? My answer – there are lots of ways! Here are seven of the twenty-some methods I use.
We have used Betty Lukens Flannelgraph Deluxe Set on three continents. In each place, we have found it to be an effective Bible story teaching aid. The figures are brightly colored, the scenery back drops beautifully designed, and the amount of material for the dollar is well worth the cost. The stories are laid out in the guidebook, along with the numbers of each flannel figure needed, including the backdrop and scenery items.
Do you know . . . how the Bible came to be, what daily life was like during Bible times, or what the Jewish festivals were all about? These are just a few of the questions answered within Kregel’s Pictorial Guide series. As you can see from the list below, with so many books available within this series it might seem overwhelming at first. However, each short booklet provides simple, colorful insights to a variety of biblical topics, making each of them very interesting for both older kids and adults.
“My group isn’t outward focused enough! They don’t know much about the Bible! Our discussions always seem so shallow!” Thus, Trevin Wax, author of Gospel-Centered Teaching summarizes the concerns of Bible teachers everywhere. Modern Christianity tends to counteract these concerns by reinventing either the teacher or the curriculum in order to reengage the student. Wax presents a different, thoroughly biblical approach. He argues, “Get the message right, and God will work through a variety of methods. But miss the message, and the best methods in the world won’t bring about transformation” (p.7).
