Hey Ian,
I have done the workshop rotation model with our entire congregation on three occasions. Some context: in our case the Sunday School takes over the service once a year in June where the kids do the service. On three occasions, I called them "Freaky Sunday," a fun spin on the movie "Freaky Friday" were Jamie Lee Curtis' character switches bodies with her daughter. I remind the congregation of the movie and then inform them, when I snap my finger, the kids will become adults and the adults will become 8-9 year olds, and I hope well behaved ones! LOL
Note: I never give any warning to the congregation in advance, they don't know what we have planned until they arrived at church that Sunday. Only complaint I ever had, said in jest by my husband, "that if he had known he'd have to perform in a skit in front of everyone, he'd have thought twice about coming!!" LOL I know there were others who panicked at the same thought, but I don't believe anyone refused, even those others who weren't comfortable getting up in front of others.
Adaptations:
We use portions of our May rotation workshops, the kids practice the first Sunday in June at being the teacher (of their workshop) with teacher's as students. The kids are divided up between workshops, older and younger combined to work together. Their workshop choices are taken into consideration when planning.
As it was for only 1 hour, we sometimes varied how we did it. Adults were assigned to groups, those groups were given specific workshops and order they would rotate through:
- 4 minute opening, four-10 minute workshops, and a 4 min. closing (2 minutes for moving between workshops).
- 5 minute opening, two-20 minute workshops, and 10 minute closing (if we did skits in drama, they all performed at the closing).
- How many workshops we had depended on our expected number turnout to keep them small and manageable for the kids (teachers).
Note: it didn't matter if timings ran over, as we always provided lunch afterwards.
We've done: Pentecost, Books of the Bible, and Fruit of the Spirit.
It was always a hit and everyone participated in the activities, even given they were based on the same material I had used with the kids. Adults thoroughly enjoy "kid guides by their sides" in the computer workshop and kids love being the teacher, same went for the other workshops. We have used: Art, Games, Computers, Cooking, Drama, Music, and Movie. Will depend on the story you are doing, the resources available, room size(s), when doing your planning.
I did it because I wanted the congregation to see what the Rotation Model was all about, how we used our rooms, and to connect the generations.
