Adult Bible Study - We will be discussing the theology of the lesson from an adult perspective and then focus on the faith messages appropriate for the children. This is an important part of your lesson preparation. It will help you find the right words to answer some tricky faith questions put forth by our children. Preparation for the study will be to read scripture passages for your workshop. We will not be discussing specific workshop lesson plans. For that you may call the author directly.
Journal Time The children will write in their spiritual journals at the end of the workshop. This step in the lesson allows the children to focus on what has been learned and brings closure to the workshop lesson. Be prepared to have the children respond and reflect on the workshop lesson. Younger children will journal with pictures, progressing through the years to concrete responses and eventually to more abstract responses. It is hoped that writing about their faith will help in clarifying what faith means personally. The shepherds will help in encouraging ideas and concepts onto paper. The shepherds have a journal folder for each child. On the last Sunday of the unit, staple the journal sheets together and send them home with the children to show their parents.
Lesson Plans We write them but you own them. Please feel free to exercise your judgment and creativity when conducting the lessons. Basically, we ask that you follow the format, and deliver the key concepts through the planned activity. Variations on how you execute that activity are encouraged. If you radically change an activity, please call the author to discuss. You will need to decide how best to adjust the lesson for older and younger students. Keep the children active and involved in activity. Do what works for you and the children.
Extra help Some holiday weeks or particular lessons may need extra help. Please call on a friend or your spouse to be an assistant. An extra pair of hands may help.
Bibles Use them! We ask the children to bring their Bibles every week. If we want to encourage this, we need to use them. Ask the children to read the Bible passages from their Bibles. Be sure to have extras on hand.
Key Bible Verse for this lesson Each Rotation will have a Bible memory verse that is introduced in the Great Hall assembly. There might also be a scripture verse specific to your lesson. We are trying to encourage familiarity with key scriptures. Please reference one of these verses in your lesson. Ask the children to recite it. Display it in a prominent place in the room on the whiteboard, a poster board, 8x10 sheet of paper.
Room Set-up - Make sure you have all the supplies that you need. Display your Bible verse in a prominent way. The Total Life Center and other community groups use the rooms during the week. Don’t leave teaching materials on the walls in the Total Life Center rooms. We hope things are left as you expect them from week to week but coming a few minutes early and checking will relieve stress and allow you time to recover should you need it.
Activity Sheets You will want to ensure that the children have some activity sheets (crosswords, word searches, acrostics) to keep them busy if the lesson ends early. You can find resources in the library that are available for copy or make your own.
Music Please use every opportunity to allow the children to listen to Christian music. You might have some playing as the children enter, as background when appropriate or meditative soft music as the children are writing in their journals. Bring your own or submit a request to the CE committee (office workroom) for specific CDs and we will purchase.
Substitutes We hope that you have scheduled your unit at a time when you can fulfill the 5 week commitment, but we know that unexpected events happen. In this case, you will need to find your own replacement. The primary substitutes are other workshop leaders who have some experience in your workshop room. Next, call other workshop leaders. Finally, call the author for other possible suggestions.
Supplies General supplies are kept in the pantry cupboard of the old kitchen. Supply bins for Good News and Antioch Arcade are located in the Praising Puppets cupboards. Apostles Playhouse bin is on the stage. If you need to purchase supplies for your workshop, please submit an expense voucher with the receipts to the CE mail box in the church office. Receipts under $50 do not need prior approval.
Your Child The schedule of 5 weeks and 6 workshops, means that each class misses one of the workshops per unit. Please look at your child’s schedule for the unit you are leading and if your child is not planned for your workshop, please invite him/her to attend one of the workshops with another class. Just let the Shepherds know where your child will be for that Sunday.
Name Tags Please make sure every child and adult in your class has a name-tag. Please be sure to wear one yourself.
As Shepherd of your class, you have a great responsibility; and you are very important in the process of transformation in our kid's lives. Your primary job is to love the kids and get to know them. Get to know what they like, what they're good at, what is going on in their lives - the highs and the lows.
We want you to be involved with the kids in the lessons during workshop time. A flyer is available for each rotation unit, explaining the key concepts to be learned and a glimpse of the workshop activities. Although you will not be presenting the lesson, you are urged to take an active part in the class, reinforcing the faith messages and encouraging the children. You are also to help with classroom discipline.
Your responsibilities are:
Other Notes:
Shepherd Pairs our experience has shown that it works best when both shepherds are present on a regular and consistent basis.
Crowd Control You may need extra help, especially in the beginning weeks of Faith Quest and on weeks that you can expect high attendance. Please call on the parents of the children in your class to help.
Shepherd’s Tote Bag Things you should keep in your Shepherd’s Tote bag: NAME TAGS (yours and the children’s, some blank ones for visitors), Journal folders, pencils, pens, markers, a couple of scissors, tape, etc., the rotation schedule, your roster, spare Bible, Bible Trivia questions (for those vacant moments). Tote bags are stored for the week in the pantry of the old kitchen.
Post Cards - The church office will stamp and mail postcards for you Happy Birthday, Welcome, We missed you! With advanced notice, the office can provide address labels for your roster if you want to do a class mailing.
Flyers At the beginning of each unit of study, the children will receive a flyer to take home. This flyer briefly describes the Bible story and offers suggestion for family reflection and prayer.
Supplies Supplies and Shepherd tote bags are kept in the pantry cupboard of the old kitchen. If you do not see what supplies you need, please call the lead shepherd. You may also request supplies by putting a note in the CE children’s mailbox in the office.
Name Tags To replace lost name tags or obtain one for a regular visitor fill in the request form and give it to the lead shepherd. Use stick-on name tags for visitors.