Posted By: Steve and Brenda Klusmeyer <sklusmeyer@yahoo.com>
Trinity Nazarene, OK City
Date: 10/19/99
In Response To: job descriptions request @ The Ideas Exchange Message Board
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. We want you to be involved with the kids in the lessons during workshop time. A presentation outline for each workshop is attached so that you can prepare in advance to participate in each class session. Please check the rotation schedule, also attached, to see which workshop your class will be attending each week. Although you will not be presenting the lesson, I want to urge you to take an active part in the class. I would encourage you to be familiar with what will be happening each week. You might want to contact each Workshop Leader to see how you can be involved in the presentation.
As Shepherd of your class, your responsibilities are:
1. Taking the roll - This needs to be done quickly, with as little interruption to the workshop as possible.
2. Contacting students, both absent and present – Absentees and new visitors should be contacted within 48 hours. Contact should also be made regularly with those who come all the time. Postcards are available in the resource room. Take time to fill these out during the Sunday School hour or take some home to work on in the afternoon. Give them to either the Children's Director or myself. We will turn them in to the Church Secretary who will mail them on Monday.
3. Reflection Time – After the workshop leader finishes the lesson (should be around 10:00), take about 15 minutes as a time of interaction with the kids. Workshop Leaders may choose to stay, but you will lead this time of discussion and reflection. As a Shepherd, use this time to build on the relationship you have with your class. The student’s Prayer Journal will be used during this time to review the lesson and discuss how this workshop ties together with previous workshops in the rotation. The Prayer Journals will be kept at the church and should not be sent home with the kids. They will be saved each year and presented to the students when they promote to 7th grade. Also use this time to give the children their snacks and take-home papers.
4. Get to know your class - You are the most important contact our kids have with the church. Your nurturing, loving and caring spirit will reach both the children and their families for the Lord. Phone calls, cards, and letters go a long way in encouraging our kids. Be aware of birthdays and other special events in their lives. The church provides many planned activities throughout the year; but you might consider planning activities just for your class.
5. Pray – For your students, for the other workers, and that God will use all of us to share His blessings with those placed in our hands.
As Shepherd of your class, you make a big difference in reaching them for Jesus. You are not just communicating your love for them; you are an extension of His love. "If you are planting for a year, plant grain; if you are planting for a decade, plant trees; if you are planting for a century, plant people." - Old Chinese proverb
- Guidelines revised 10/17/99
Suggested Resources for Cooking Workshops
(Gleaned from a discussion at the Ideas
Exchange held late '99)
==Group has a book by Dennis and Lana McLaughlin called Fun Food Devotions for Children's Ministry. The set up is wonderful It has matching scriptures and ideas using food for experiments, crafts, games and service projects (all edible by the children, of course!). At the back of the book, there is a scripture index and a subject index, so you don't have to go through the whole book when you are looking for ideas.
==Try out "The Good Book Cookbook" by Nancy goodman, Robert Marcus, and Susan Woolhandler. ISBN 0-8007-1706-6 Published by Revell, a division of Baker Book House Co.
==I have found a book that I am planning to use. It is "incredible edible Bible fun by Nanette Goings
==Here are a couple of books that hold wonderful ideas and recipies
- A Biblical Feast: Foods from the Holy Land by Kitty Morse(Ten Speed Press ISBN 0898159652)
- Feasting with God: Adventures in Table Spirituality by Holly Whitcomb (United Church Press ISBN 0829811532)
- The Jewish Kitchen Editor Judy Jackson, Chartwell Books ISBN0785806393
- Jeff Smith's Frugal Gourmet Keeps the Feast, Wiliam Morrow & CO ISBN 0688115683 This book is available from Cornerstones for 1/2 price www.cstones.com
Hope these resources add some spice to your life -Mary Jane Huber
Science Workshops...."Matters of Faith" resources....
Amazing Science Devotions for Children's Ministries by Group Publ. Co..
Simple Science Object Talks, by Heno Head, Jr (Standard Publishing)