Friday, April 24, 2009
Some Affirmation
On Easter, parents of one of our Bridge 45 kids thanked me for what I had taught the week before (see my last blog post). The dad had been in the room because he's in training to become a small group leader, and had appreciated all that was shared with the kids. He and his wife were telling me it completely affirmed what they are teaching their son, and they appreciated the opportunity for him to see it's not just his parents who think that way. They commented on how hard it can be to have higher standards for what your child watches on TV or video games they play. I was so proud of that mom to hear her say that she always asks what movies will be played at sleepovers her son goes to. If she doesn't approve, she'll offer to provide a different movie. She's received some flack for being a "strict" mom. I wish we had more parents like her! It was nice to be affirmed that these parents appreciated what we're teaching. But more than that, I'm so glad I could back them up. After all, isn't that what we're supposed to be doing?
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
A GREAT Sunday in Bridge 45
I had such a great time teaching in Bridge 45 on Sunday. It was the first week of the last unit of the school year. I can't believe we're entering the final quarter of this curriculum! It seemed so far off when we started planning last spring. What made this week great wasn't the fact that I taught it. Or that it shows that what we've started really works. What made it great was the response from the kids.
This unit looks at who we are in Christ--both individually and as a part of the church body. For the opening week, I took them through looking at how God has been present in their lives (whether or not they realized it) and then looking forward at how they can honor and obey God in what they'll face in the future. Philippians 4:8 and Jeremiah 29:11 were our passages. To view a complete teaching outline for this lesson, click here.
In looking forward at what they'll face in the future, or may even be facing right now, I used a list from the book, "Leading Preteens," by Patrick Snow. (If you haven't read this book yet, I highly recommend it!) The list covers what preteens today are facing. These are:
This unit looks at who we are in Christ--both individually and as a part of the church body. For the opening week, I took them through looking at how God has been present in their lives (whether or not they realized it) and then looking forward at how they can honor and obey God in what they'll face in the future. Philippians 4:8 and Jeremiah 29:11 were our passages. To view a complete teaching outline for this lesson, click here.
In looking forward at what they'll face in the future, or may even be facing right now, I used a list from the book, "Leading Preteens," by Patrick Snow. (If you haven't read this book yet, I highly recommend it!) The list covers what preteens today are facing. These are:
- the fragmentation of the family
- knowledge and exposure to sexuality
- technological advances
- knowledge and exposure to violence
- neutral moral and religious values
As I asked the kids questions like, "How many of you have friends who have a boyfriend/girlfriend?" "How many of you know someone who likes to watch gross movies where people kiss too much, or look at naked pictures?" "How many of you have a cellphone/Ipod/computer in your own room/TV in your own room?" "How many of you have seen a fight in real life?" "How many of you have played video games, or are friends with someone who has, where there are blood and guts shooting everywhere and body parts getting cut off?" "How many of you have friends who don't believe in God and like it that way?" "How many of you have friends who cheat/lie/disobey parents/steal and are proud of it?"
According to their responses, our kids have been exposed to these things way more than I even anticipated. They seemed to really appreciate the acknowledgement that life is not easy. We then looked at how we the Bible really does address these things. I ended the lesson by having them look at the list of whatevers (true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy) and write down one that they need to work on doing better at, as well what part of their life it is that needs that improvement. I then challenged them to share that with their small group, to ask for their prayer for it, and be open.
Several small group leaders later told me that they personally needed to hear that message (I love it when God teaches both the kids and the leaders!). But not only that, their kids shared at a deeper level than they'd seen all year. One leader compared her group's discussion to what she'd expect from middle school students.
It was a great Sunday. Despite the great discussion, if all that came from it was one or two kids choosing to live differently, evaluate their choices in a godly way, and stand up to their friends, it was effective. I can't wait to hear how the future weeks' small group discussions go!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
SPECS
Last week at Conspire, I spoke in the breakout session, "The Grade 4/5 Experiment." I shared briefly on a method we taught our kids for how to study a passage in the Bible. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember what all the letters meant (it was so frustrating!). So for all of you who were wondering, and those who know are intrigued, here you go:
Sin to Avoid
Promise to Claim
Example to Follow
Command to obey
Stumbling Block to Avoid
We showed our kids that just about every verse in the Bible (except those in the genealogies) will have at least one of these in it. They learned that the first step in understanding what the Bible is saying is to look for these. I heard from one mom that her daughter wrote these on a bookmark and uses it when she reads her Bible.
Sin to Avoid
Promise to Claim
Example to Follow
Command to obey
Stumbling Block to Avoid
We showed our kids that just about every verse in the Bible (except those in the genealogies) will have at least one of these in it. They learned that the first step in understanding what the Bible is saying is to look for these. I heard from one mom that her daughter wrote these on a bookmark and uses it when she reads her Bible.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Unit 4: Who I am in Christ
We purposefully didn't write Unit 4 back when we were creating the others because we wanted to see what worked with our kids first. A couple of weeks ago, Jared (Elementary Director), Caleb (Intern) and I met to plan out Unit 4. We realized that almost everything needed to change. Our original plan for Unit 4 was:
Unit 4—Who I am in Christ
Weeks 1-3: Testimony—hearing that of others and developing your own.
Weeks 4-6: The Church—how each of us fits within the church.
Weeks 7-9: Gifts and Service—the roles we each play in the church.
Our kids are developing quickly, however, they may not be ready to develop their testimonies yet. When I was in high school I struggled with not having a "good enough" testimony. I didn't have a dramatic conversion moment. I'd grown up in the church and asked Jesus in my heart at the age of 3. While I did have periods of more growth than others, I felt inferior to those who were able to present drastic before and after stories. Because of that, I want to see kids realize that there is a rich heritage that comes with growing up in a Christian home. To see that God has still worked greatly in their lives, despite a lack of obvious deliverance from a life of darkness.
We realized, though, that while this is an important lesson for Christian kids to learn, our 4th and 5th graders aren't ready for the depth we wanted to reach. Before we can expect them to write their testimony, we need them to recognize that God is and has been present in their lives. Now, section 1 of unit 4 is about helping them to see that God has been with them. To ask about time where they've moved, been lonely, scared, hurt, anxious, lost, afraid... and to see that God brought them through it. They can't develop a testimony unless they're able to first recognize God's presence in their lives.
The next section will look at their need for other Christians. We'll talk about what kind of situations they might face as they enter 5th grade or middle school--sexuality in their peers, their family breaking apart, changes in technology, violence (either in real life or media), people who don't know God and don't want to. We'll look at what the Bible says about these things and how God wants us to live. And finally, we'll talk about how important it is to have the support of fellow believers as we face these things. To have a small group that holds you accountable. To have leaders that you can honestly share with about what's happening in your life and get good feedback from. I'm excited to think of how this section will help guide our kids into their middle school small groups.
Finally, the third section will talk about how we fit into the church. That God gives us spiritual gifts and we are meant to use them. The students will take a tour of the church and see many of the ways people do use their spiritual gifts. In this section we'll also talk about unity as believers. What a great opportunity to address the rudeness our boys tend to show one another and the mean girls syndrome common among our girls.
I'm really excited about what a great conclusion to the year this will be!
Unit 4—Who I am in Christ
Weeks 1-3: Testimony—hearing that of others and developing your own.
Weeks 4-6: The Church—how each of us fits within the church.
Weeks 7-9: Gifts and Service—the roles we each play in the church.
Our kids are developing quickly, however, they may not be ready to develop their testimonies yet. When I was in high school I struggled with not having a "good enough" testimony. I didn't have a dramatic conversion moment. I'd grown up in the church and asked Jesus in my heart at the age of 3. While I did have periods of more growth than others, I felt inferior to those who were able to present drastic before and after stories. Because of that, I want to see kids realize that there is a rich heritage that comes with growing up in a Christian home. To see that God has still worked greatly in their lives, despite a lack of obvious deliverance from a life of darkness.
We realized, though, that while this is an important lesson for Christian kids to learn, our 4th and 5th graders aren't ready for the depth we wanted to reach. Before we can expect them to write their testimony, we need them to recognize that God is and has been present in their lives. Now, section 1 of unit 4 is about helping them to see that God has been with them. To ask about time where they've moved, been lonely, scared, hurt, anxious, lost, afraid... and to see that God brought them through it. They can't develop a testimony unless they're able to first recognize God's presence in their lives.
The next section will look at their need for other Christians. We'll talk about what kind of situations they might face as they enter 5th grade or middle school--sexuality in their peers, their family breaking apart, changes in technology, violence (either in real life or media), people who don't know God and don't want to. We'll look at what the Bible says about these things and how God wants us to live. And finally, we'll talk about how important it is to have the support of fellow believers as we face these things. To have a small group that holds you accountable. To have leaders that you can honestly share with about what's happening in your life and get good feedback from. I'm excited to think of how this section will help guide our kids into their middle school small groups.
Finally, the third section will talk about how we fit into the church. That God gives us spiritual gifts and we are meant to use them. The students will take a tour of the church and see many of the ways people do use their spiritual gifts. In this section we'll also talk about unity as believers. What a great opportunity to address the rudeness our boys tend to show one another and the mean girls syndrome common among our girls.
I'm really excited about what a great conclusion to the year this will be!
So Much to Say
I keep thinking of things I need to blog about on here, and then when I go to actually write, it all escapes me. I can't believe we're just three weeks away from starting Unit 4. That means we're almost done with our first year of Bridge 45! We've learned so much. I'm going to have to set aside time this summer to go back and make revisions to what we wrote.
So what are some of the changes I'd make?
-While our kids LOVED making videos of themselves (which we did in Unit 1), they might not be ready for the responsibility of it at the beginning of the school year. It was hard to get them to focus and actually present a worthwhile message. Unless you have a leader who's willing to strongly guide their group, the final product may not be what you expect. The end of the school year would be better.
-Small group based weeks have been the favorites of boys and girls alike. However, the leaders are finding it's helpful to have simple things to occupy the kids' hands while they talk. Some girl leaders have had their girls work on beading projects during their discussions. For Unit 4 (which we just planned), we gave suggestions for girl groups, and suggestions for boy groups. For example, the week the kids talk about how they fit into the church, the boy groups will be given a project to build out of K'nex. While they may not even realize it, they'll all play a part in the construction project as they talk about the role they play in the church.
-We need to write in fun. The students have a lot of fun during activity station time. And while we hoped that fun would naturally flow through the rest of the service, it can easily be forgotten. We now will write icebreakers into the curriculum, so the division leader doesn't have to come up with something on the spot.
-Our original plan for Unit 3 was to have the groups do service projects at our local Women & Children's shelter. After watching our kids, we realized that they weren't ready for this task. We had to change the activity before starting the unit. As much as we'd like to see our kids grow faster, that is one thing that can be saved for the middle school years. That's not to say they can't do other service projects, just not the one we originally thought of.
-When we looked at our scope and sequence, we realized that our plan for Unit 4 was also beyond our kids. Our original plan was to look at "Who I am in Christ," by helping them realize the value in growing up the church and understand that their testimony is still great even if they don't have a dramatic conversion moment. Since working with our 4th & 5th graders apart from the younger grades, we found that this topic was also too "middle school." Instead, we're taking the approach of being able to look back on situations in their lives and realize that God was with them. Then, to look forward to what kind of situations they'll face as they enter middle school and be prepared to take a stand for Christ. I'll have to blog more about this!
So those are my thoughts about where we've been and what I'd change. I am very pleased with how this year has gone. I'm excited to see how this program keeps growing, and the outreach that can be done through it.
So what are some of the changes I'd make?
-While our kids LOVED making videos of themselves (which we did in Unit 1), they might not be ready for the responsibility of it at the beginning of the school year. It was hard to get them to focus and actually present a worthwhile message. Unless you have a leader who's willing to strongly guide their group, the final product may not be what you expect. The end of the school year would be better.
-Small group based weeks have been the favorites of boys and girls alike. However, the leaders are finding it's helpful to have simple things to occupy the kids' hands while they talk. Some girl leaders have had their girls work on beading projects during their discussions. For Unit 4 (which we just planned), we gave suggestions for girl groups, and suggestions for boy groups. For example, the week the kids talk about how they fit into the church, the boy groups will be given a project to build out of K'nex. While they may not even realize it, they'll all play a part in the construction project as they talk about the role they play in the church.
-We need to write in fun. The students have a lot of fun during activity station time. And while we hoped that fun would naturally flow through the rest of the service, it can easily be forgotten. We now will write icebreakers into the curriculum, so the division leader doesn't have to come up with something on the spot.
-Our original plan for Unit 3 was to have the groups do service projects at our local Women & Children's shelter. After watching our kids, we realized that they weren't ready for this task. We had to change the activity before starting the unit. As much as we'd like to see our kids grow faster, that is one thing that can be saved for the middle school years. That's not to say they can't do other service projects, just not the one we originally thought of.
-When we looked at our scope and sequence, we realized that our plan for Unit 4 was also beyond our kids. Our original plan was to look at "Who I am in Christ," by helping them realize the value in growing up the church and understand that their testimony is still great even if they don't have a dramatic conversion moment. Since working with our 4th & 5th graders apart from the younger grades, we found that this topic was also too "middle school." Instead, we're taking the approach of being able to look back on situations in their lives and realize that God was with them. Then, to look forward to what kind of situations they'll face as they enter middle school and be prepared to take a stand for Christ. I'll have to blog more about this!
So those are my thoughts about where we've been and what I'd change. I am very pleased with how this year has gone. I'm excited to see how this program keeps growing, and the outreach that can be done through it.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Approach to Worship
The first song my older brother learned on the guitar was "Romans 16:19." Our bedrooms were next to each other, and through the walls, I would hear the same chord in the chorus pounded out over and over again. I grew to despise that song. Moving on to college meant my supposed departure from hearing over and over again how the God of peace will soon crush Satan... And then I started working in Morning Star's Children's Ministries. The song I had learned almost 10 years before was alive and well. However, I didn't see much worship happening through it. I saw kids jumping off of chairs onto the floor to act out how God will crush Satan. I saw them creating devil horns and forgetting to put them away when they moved on to singing about being excellent at what is good. Sure it was a fun song. Sure the kids loved it. But was it sending the kind of message we want during worship?
I'm a whole-hearted, passionate supporter of active worship with kids. I love doing the motions (which I actually consider more like dance moves in some songs we do). I love seeing the kids have fun while messages of God's supernatural power, His love for them, and His desire for relationship get stuck in their heads. I love watching kids choose to stand during a slow song with their arms lifted heavenward. And I love hearing from parents that their kids are singing our worship songs throughout the week.
But I'm not a fan of the times when the words we use or the motions we do distract from the purpose behind praising our Savior. This is why we've been very careful in the selection of songs we use in Bridge 45. With a live band, it's tempting to select the songs that provoke the greatest response. But is it really a response if our kids are getting obsessed with acting like a devil or pretending to puke (from a song I love--Trading My Sorrows--somehow, trading our sickness turned into faking throwing up)? So we're careful with the songs we sing. We make sure they use words our kids can understand. That the concepts sung about aren't beyond their understanding. And we stick to themes that don't open the door to less-than-worshipful behavior.
We're teaching these kids to respond to the Creator of the Universe through music, to cry out to God in times of need, and we're engaging a heart of worship. I'm really excited about the large group teaching in six weeks. We'll be looking at what the Bible says about worship--how it is a part of our service in Bridge 45, but also should be a description of their daily lives. I love that even though we're not singing it, we're helping these kids to "be excellent at what is good, and innocent of evil."
I'm a whole-hearted, passionate supporter of active worship with kids. I love doing the motions (which I actually consider more like dance moves in some songs we do). I love seeing the kids have fun while messages of God's supernatural power, His love for them, and His desire for relationship get stuck in their heads. I love watching kids choose to stand during a slow song with their arms lifted heavenward. And I love hearing from parents that their kids are singing our worship songs throughout the week.
But I'm not a fan of the times when the words we use or the motions we do distract from the purpose behind praising our Savior. This is why we've been very careful in the selection of songs we use in Bridge 45. With a live band, it's tempting to select the songs that provoke the greatest response. But is it really a response if our kids are getting obsessed with acting like a devil or pretending to puke (from a song I love--Trading My Sorrows--somehow, trading our sickness turned into faking throwing up)? So we're careful with the songs we sing. We make sure they use words our kids can understand. That the concepts sung about aren't beyond their understanding. And we stick to themes that don't open the door to less-than-worshipful behavior.
We're teaching these kids to respond to the Creator of the Universe through music, to cry out to God in times of need, and we're engaging a heart of worship. I'm really excited about the large group teaching in six weeks. We'll be looking at what the Bible says about worship--how it is a part of our service in Bridge 45, but also should be a description of their daily lives. I love that even though we're not singing it, we're helping these kids to "be excellent at what is good, and innocent of evil."
Friday, December 12, 2008
New Testament in Short
For those of you who don't have the time to watch the full version, here' the overview of the song on the New Testament. It pinpoints the four sections--The Gospels, History, Letters and Prophecy.
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