The following article was submitted to Rotation.org by Jaymie Derden, Volunteer and Elementary Coordinator, Wednesday Night, AOK leader, and volunteer teacher at State Street UMC, Bristol, VA. It was originallly sent to members of Jaymie Derden's church...

You've probably heard a lot about the G.R.E.A.T. Adventure. Maybe you¹ve been by to see our colorful, interesting rooms. Perhaps you¹ve even taught a rotation or two. Maybe you¹ve done your "time" in Children¹s Ministry and don¹t really understand much about what¹s happening in the Children¹s Wing these days. Maybe you¹ve even wondered if all this fancy stuff -- new design, bright colors, painted scenes, computers, etc. is really working. Or is it all just a bunch of fluff?

That's a good question! I felt confident that the G.R.E.A.T. Adventure would be a success, but whenever you embark on a new venture there is risk involved. Would all the time, effort, and money pay off? Would it work? Or would it ultimately fizzle, leading us back to "sit here and fill out this worksheet" and pretty much empty classrooms? All the confidence in the world doesn¹t replace thorough evaluation. So . . . because I think you deserve an answer to that question, here goes:

What the numbers say so far:

• Our total attendance is up 97% over last year. Attendance of enrolled children is up 70%.
• We have added 8 new children to our rolls.
• Six children who were on our rolls before, but never came, are now attending regularly.
• The number of visitors to our Sunday School has doubled.
• The number of adults involved in children¹s Sunday School has increased by 260%.

The rest of the story.... OK, so the numbers are pretty impressive. But there¹s more to this story than just the numbers. What are the children really learning? Do they remember from one week to the next what was discussed? Are they able to apply that learning to their everyday lives? These are the questions we really need to answer.

When we decided to pursue Workshop Rotation Model (WoRM) Sunday school, we accepted the fact that we would be teaching less content (you can only teach 10-12 stories a year in this model). The trade-off is, hopefully, better retention and deeper understanding of what you do teach. Because of this, we are forced to carefully consider and be very intentional in our lesson choices. (that¹s a good thing!) What are the most important faith stories for our children to know? When is the best time of year to teach them? And then the BIG question: how do we know if they¹re learning anything?

We evaluate each rotation. I informally talk to teachers, shepherds, parents and kids as well. I have purposely taught several times this year to evaluate for myself. Here's what I¹m finding:

• Children are excited about being here. Some even come back early from vacation just to come to Sunday School!
• They all have their favorite workshops (and their not-so-favorite ones) and that¹s ok! They do best when they are engaged actively.
• Our discipline problems are minimal.
• The children remember the main points of the stories. Those who attend most or all sessions in a rotation remember many of the nuances and subtle points as well.
• They are making connections when stories contain similar elements (for example: Mary rode a donkey to Bethlehem and Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem; white linen strips were used to wrap baby Jesus, the crucified Jesus, and also to wash the disciples¹ feet; prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament were fulfilled in the New Testament, etc.)
• The first and second graders are beginning to learn some Bible basics (New and Old Testament, gospels, Psalms, etc.)
• The third through sixth graders are getting comfortable looking up scripture and using their Bibles and concordances.
• Families report that their children are learning. For instance, one mom said that her daughter saw a fishing boat while at the beach and remarked, "Mom, look! ,...that reminds me of Jesus telling his disciples to follow him and fish for people."

Is it working? You decide! As for me, I am excited about what I see happening in these few short months! I am reassured that God is indeed at work here among our children. I hope you at home are also seeing increased retention and depth of understanding in your children and a growing faith.

What can you do to help the G.R.E.A.T. Adventure be even better?

• Share your thoughts, experiences, constructive criticisms, etc. with me or a Children¹s Council member.
• Talk to your children about what they are learning.
• Help them memorize each rotation¹s memory verse.
• Check out our "wish list" and choose a way to help.
• Volunteer to teach a rotation and see for yourself how GREAT this adventure is!
• Be a shepherd this summer to give our shepherds a well-deserved break. (see note in this newsletter!)
• Make sure your children bring their Bibles each Sunday!
• And most of all, please continue to pray for God¹s blessings on our Children¹s Ministry here at State Street.

Thanks! Thanks for all you do to support our ministry. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to share your children¹s excitement as they discover more about God¹s miracles each day and claim His promises for themselves. Thanks for allowing me to love your kids and be so blessed by them! --Jaymie Derden