Creative Names for Sunday School and Rotation Workshops: List 2

...With photos from our Workshop Photos forum

Part of the fun of the Workshop Rotation Model is redesigning your Sunday School classrooms and hallways to make them a lot more kid-friendly and inviting.  The five "core" workshops most Rotation Sunday Schools have are:  ART, DRAMA, VIDEO, COOKING, and GAMES. The rooms that house those workshops get decorated and outfitted to facilitate those teaching mediums. What you "name" each workshops, however, is entirely up to you, and as you will read, there are lots of creative ideas out there.

The following photos are of "Art" Workshops where the Bible story activity is... Art!  But notice the two different creative names:  "Creation Station" and "How Great Thou Art" Studio.

See a video about the Workshop Rotation Model

posted by: Bebe Walton from: 1st United Methodist, N. Little Rock, Arkansas

Cruisin' Christian Adventures; our theme is a cruise ship and each room is a "port-o-call", computer lab - Safari-net, T.V. studio - Paradise Productions, arts & crafts - Carpenter's Cape, music & movement - Choral Reef, drama/puppets/storytelling - Imagination Island, movie theater - Cinema on the Mount; our teachers are Helmsman and our shepherds are Pursers.

posted by: Sue Campbell from: Redeemer United Methodist, DeWitt, MI

Our program is: Kingdom Quest. Workshops include: Taste of Heaven (cooking), Thou Art (art), Kingdom Theatre (drama), Temple Tales (storytelling), JesusSaves.com (computer), Reel to Real (movie), Gospel Games (games), Bible Connection (Bible skills). Did a special sewing workshop (made Bible covers): Sowers of the Word.

posted by: Dixie Hendirx from: Westminster Prebyterian Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

We call our program "Kingdom Quest" (A childs journey in faith) Our rooms are: MoJo's cafe (Moses&Joseph-art and cooking), Biblelinks.com(computer, games science); the Promise Land(Storytelling, geopgraphy, history), Crusaders Theater and Celebration Island (Music/Movement/games)

posted by: Matt Carver from: Faith United Methodist, Webster City, IA

Faith Villiage

• A/V room - Coliseum Cinema
• Computer - Creation Computing
• Art - Garden of Eden Art
• Drama - Apostle Productions
• Games - Galilee Games

posted by: Debra Topp from: Parkway Heights United Methodist Church, Hattiesburg, MS

Our children's area occupies a second floor having 6 workshops and a storage/resource center, hence the name "The Upper Rooms".

Workshops include: Parables and Productions (storytelling), Reel Revelations (video), How Great Thou ART, Mega Bible Bytes (computers), and Muffin's 'n Marvels (cooking and science). The Courtyard serves as our gathering/ praise and worship space.

posted by: Kim Moran from: Christ Episcopal Church, Kennesaw, Ga.

Our theme is a biblical village; the kids choose the name - "Disciple Village". Our workshops are Thou Art (carpenter's shop for art); Scrolls & Such (Scribe's library for computers/games/science); Holywood (movie tent); Temple Time (temple theme for storytelling/bible study); The Peter & Paul Playhouse (drama) and Mary & Martha's Cafe (kitchen).

posted by: Alicia Jones from: First United Methodist Church, Muncy, PA

Our program is called "Promised Land." Our stations are "thou Art", the "Ark-ade", "Holy Word Studios", "The Oasis", and "Wesley Forest" The kids love the rotation method!

posted by: Sue Brammer from: First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Dillon, MT

For our first year we wanted something unforgettable: "W.A.C.K.O" - for "We Are Christ's Kids On-a-mission". The rooms are: Art-Creation Station, Movies-Holywood Theatre, Games-Abundant Life Arcade, Cooking/Food-Solid Rock Cafe, Storytelling-The Tent.

posted by: Marti Redden from: Red Bank United Methodist , Chattanooga, Tennessee

We call our rotation model Fountain of Faith. Our Story room is Garden of Faith our Science is Faith Explorations our Music is Shake Rattle and Soul our Cooking is Heavenly Scents, our Art is Colors of Faith our Video is Cinema on the Mount.

posted by: Cristie Kearny from: Church at the Center, Seattle, WA

We call our Sunday School "CELEBRATION STATIONS"

Art=THOU ART
Cooking=LOAVES&FISHES CAFE
Music=JOYFUL NOISE
Worship=ALPHA&OMEGA
Geography=DAMASCUS ROAD
Carpentry=JOSEPH&SONS
Games=NOAH'S ARKADE
Theatre=ACTS
Movies-HOLYWORD STUDIOS
Creative Writing=STONE TABLETS
Science=LAZARUS' LAB
Service=GOD'S HANDS
Textiles=FAITH WEAVERS
Storytelling+PARABLE PAVILLION.

posted by: Karen Aytes from: Old St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Charleston, SC

We call our program God's Story, Live!

Our workshops are: How Great Thou Art; Parables, Puppets and Prophets; Bibelwood Video, Agape Arcade, Make a Joyfyul Noise, Daily Bread. Our preschool section is God's Kids, Live!

posted by: Amber Austin from: FBC Miami, Miami, OK

Our Sunday School is now called Kid's Central Station.

Our theme verse is Proverbs 22:6 Train your children in the way they should go...
so we have a train theme.

Our workshops are movies- Reel Railroad, Games- Game Junction, News- FBC TV, Art & science- Creaction Station, Drama- Drama Depot.

posted by: Rebecca Mauldin from: Pinson United Methodist church, Pinson, AL

We call our rotational Sunday School "Camp J.C." (Jesus Christ)
Our computer room is Hi Tech Mountain, Our movie room is Lakeside Theatre, our storytellling/drama, Campfire Tales, our art room is the Craft Shack and our science/ cooking is The Canteen.

posted by: Shelley Rempel from: Living Hope Christian Fellowship, Delta, British Columbia

Our children's ministry for ages 6 to 10 is called Faith Finders. We have four workshops - Saints Stage (drama and sometimes movies), Potters Workshop (arts & craft), Olympic Way (games) and Discovery Den (cooking, science, movies).

posted by: Debbie Fisher from: St. Alban's Episcopal Church, Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Program name is Our PLACE (Peace, Love and Christian Education); 4 workshops are Parable Place, Thou Art Gallery, St. Alban's Playhouse, and our movie theatre is Show Me Cinema (a play on the fact that we got the seats from an old theatre in Missouri!)

posted by: Sherry McCurley from: First United Methodist Church, Miami, OK

The GAP - God's Awsome Place. Our kids came up the name.
Our different workshops are: God's Jungle Gym (music/rec),Bible Times (storytelling), Solid Rock Studios(puppet/newcast), Star of Wonder Labs (art/science), Garden of Eatin' (cooking/art), Circuit City (computer), Holy Word Theatre (video), Our Neighborhood (3&4 year old room)

posted by: Mary Deykes from: Garden City Presbyterian Church (GCPC), Garden City, MI

What do you call your workshops and/or Sunday School?

We named our Sunday School "Welcome to the G.A.P.(God's Always Present)".

Some of our class rooms are Jonah's Workshop (art), Noah's Arcade (music & games), The Gathering Place (Drama, Puppetry, & Bible stories),The Two Fishes Cafe'(cooking)and The BC to PC Bridge(computer room).

posted by: Carol Bowe from: Porterfield United Methodist Church, Albany, GA

Our elementary rotation Sunday school is called K.O.O.L (Kids Of Our Lord)
We have a movie theatre/broadcast setting. Our workshops are called: A.O.L. (Almighty On Line)--computer; Creation Station--art/science;K.F.C. (Kids For Christ) Cafe--cooking; J.A.M. (Jesu

posted by: Deseri Peterie from: Salt City Rock, Sandy, Utah

Our program is called "Rock the World Tours". We have 2 rotations going at the same time-younger & older. Their "destinations" are: Fishermen.Net, Holyword Theater, Garden of Eat'n, Adventureland and Creator's Studio.

posted by: Warren Clifton from: St. Luke's United Methodist Church, Shreveport, LA

What do you call your workshops and/or Sunday School? Praise Planet - Where Kids Come to Rotate Around the Son! Wanted to be sure that Christ is at the center of everything that we do with Sunday School. Also wanted to incorporate language that said something about the method of instruction -- rotation workshops. Has been a big hit with children. Now exploring workshop ideas for Adult Sunday School.

posted by: Troy Smythe from: Broadway United Methodist Church, Indianapolis, IN

Our name is Rock the Boat and we have a beach theme.

Jonah's Whale of a Tale (Drama/storytelling, Mary and Martha's Cooking Cabana (Kitchen), Noah's Art (Art-thanks to 1st UMC South Bend), BUMC-New Hope News (News/media), Beach Babies (Nursery)

posted by: Rachel Krakowsky from: Lighthouse Church, Alsip, IL

We call our WoRM program Kidz Quest in conjunction with our Contemporary Children's Worship Service called Kidz Jam. The classes we have are Creation Station (Art), Heaven.com (comp), The Coliseum (Drama), Treasure Cove (Games), The Tent (Bible Skills & Activities) and the one that is still being worked on is going to be HolyWord Studios (Multimedia).

posted by: Carol Barrett from: Fairfax Presbyterian Church, Fairfax , VA

We call our workshop Sunday School, "Great Explorations", using a floating balloon as our logo.

posted by: Linda Woltz from: Sunrise Christian Fellowship, Edmonds , WA

Our Sunday School program is Bible TREK: Teaching, Reaching and Engaging Kids with God's Word

We began our rotation program last October, and it has been amazing!

posted by: Linda Woltz from: Sunrise Christian Fellowship, Edmonds , WA

Our Bible TREK Workshops: Art Quest, Adventure Oasis - Games and Bible Skills,Base Camp - Bible Story,Mountain Top Movies, Exploration Station - Science,Trailhead Café, Pathway Playhouse

posted by: Missy Shannon from: Paradise Lutheran Church, Paradise, CA

We call our Sunday School "The WORM" and use the WORMY logos from rotation.org.
The workshops, Art: Art Oasis, Computers: Night Sky Lab, Games & Bible: Inspiration Room, Video: Dreams & Visions Theater, Drama: HolyWord Studio, Outdoor Classroom: WORM Garden, Kitchen: Rachel's Camel Stop

posted by: julie from: immanuel ucc, indpls, in

We Call our's Holy City on the Hill.
We have names for individual rooms ie Joseph's Carpentry and Crafts. Our small hall gathering area is called Jericho Junction. etc.

posted by: Amy O'Neil from: First Presbyterian Church, Gloucester, Virginia

Our WoRM program is called Faith Village.

Our workshops are as follows: Art (Noah's Art), Cinema (Holywood), Computer (Hardrive Cafe), Drama (Godsway), and Music (the Final Note).

posted by: Sandra Borgschatz from: Trinity Lutheran Church, Wanamingo, MN

TRINITY TRAIN!--Jump on Board with Jesus! We went a train theme so everyone was on the "right track" with Jesus! We have Creation station (Art/Cooking);The Boxcar(AV);Drama Depot (Drama/storytelling); Switchboard (computers); All-a-BOARD (games); Grand Temple

posted by: Mary Stough from: KirkWood Presbyterian Church, Yorktown, VA

We call our program "W.O.W" (the Way Of the Word).
Our workshops are "Acts of the Apostles" (drama), "Creation Station" (art), wow.net (computer), WKPC-TV (video), and "The Game of Life in Christ (games). We also use the church kitchen as "The Bread of Life Cafe" and other areas in and outside the church as special rotation sites.

posted by: ROY RODGERS from: EYLAU UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, TEXARKANA, TX

We call our program "Faith Explorers".
We converted our upstairs to Potters Workshop, StoryTeller Tent, Puppet and Broadcast Studio, and Movie Room.

posted by: Debbie Brimacombe from: St. Paul UMC, Largo, FL

Ours is called SonShine Junction Bible Adventures.
Workshops are: Mary & Martha' Dining Car (Cooking), Jericho Junction (Drama), Gethsemane Games (Games), Holyword Theater (Video), Imagination Station (A&C), and Lazarus Lab (Science/Math)

posted by: Mary Lindsay from: Unity Church of Christianity, Houston, TX

Our program name is "World Of Wonder" WOW, as in "bring your kids, we'll W.O.W. 'em!"
We call our workshops CENTERS and they are; Holywood (AV), Creation Station (Art), Jammin' Jubilee (Music & Movement), Acts 1 Scene 2 (Drama/Storytelling), Noah's Ark-ade (Games) and Garden of Eatin' (cooking). We call our 'teachers' WONDER GUIDE and we call our workshop leaders CENTER LEADERS. Each child is and EXPLORER issued a 'passport' instead of a nametag as they Wonder from center to center.

posted by: Lori Lewis from: Morton First Presbyterian, Morton, IL

We are KFC ~ Kids for Christ!
Our workshops: How Great Thou Art, Solid Rock Cafe, GospelMax Theatre, Psalm & Song, Church Mouse Pad, and Imagination Station

posted by: Jinger Looper from: Beaver United Methodist Church, Beaver, Oklahoma

Our Sunday School is known as the Hall of Heroes.
Our hallway (and doors) are painted with several of the Heroes of the Bible including: John the Baptist, Jonah, Samuel, Paul, Esther, and of course Jesus. The inside of each of our 4 rooms include murals of Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus.

posted by: Jennifer Brey from: Crossroads Community Church, South Windsor, CT

We held a name contest with the children. They came up with "Race for Faith" as the new kids church name.
We have Mountain Top Movies (video), Creation Station (art), Garden Theatre (drama), God Rock Cafe (cooking)and Discovery Den (Science). Most of the names we got from other churches. Thanks!

posted by: Marian Shelton from: First Presbyterian Church, Myrtle Beach, SC

Our church is just blocks from the Atlantic. We went nautical, and named our rotation classes The SS Adventure Ship(SS for Sunday School.) We have The Art Galley, The 7-Seas Cinema, The Tech Deck (computer lab) and The MESS Hall for Multiple Experiences in Sunday School. Bon voyage, mate!

posted by: Laura Whitmore from: Southport Congregational church, Southport, CT

We call ours "Sunday Scramblers" and have an amusement park theme throughout the year.

Apostle's Art Arcade, Goliath Games, Moses' Music Tent, Simon's Service Center, Under the Big Top (Storytelling), Diciple's Drama Den, etc

posted by: Regina Jeffers from: First United Methodist Church, New Carlisle, OH

Our Children's Sunday school is called "The Oasis".
We have within the Oasis...The Marketplace, Mary & Martha's Bed and Breakfast, Genesis Theatre, Making Disciples Carpentry Shop, and www-JESUSatyourfingertips-GOD.

posted by: Becky Boss from: Bloomfield Hills Baptist Church, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Promiseland Workshops (picked by the kids: Creation Station, Starlight Cinema, Parable Productions, Bible Quest, and Rays of Light which is our reflection week where the children write in their journals @ the rotation.

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We call our program "The Lighthouse"
Our centers are: Bright Stars Drama; Sunbeams to Heaven Computer Lab; Moonlight Melodies (music); Stained Glass Art; Starlight Cinema; Light Unto My Path Games and Light My Fire Cooking. -Shirley Ray.

We chose "God's Promised Land." Each room has the name of a person from the Bible - no real theme - e.g., Computer room - "Paul's Cyber Journey", Storytelling - "Mary and Martha's Bed and Breakfast" (a favorite name amongst many programs, we've noticed), A/V - "Ruth's Show of Faith", Art - "The Carpenter's Corner", drama - "Daniel's Den". -Jayne Pauley

Posted by Neil MacQueen in 2001:

And the #1 name for Rotation Sunday School is...."Sunday School"

Bible Caravan, wilderness, oasis themes are also popular, as is Bible Discovery Zones.

I just visited one called "God's Galaxy." It had an outerspace theme for its workshops.

We have named our WORM program at Harvest Christian Fellowship "Welcome Aboard" because our theme is based on Noah's Ark. Each group is called by the name of an "animal":sharks, tigers, geckos, eagles. Our rooms are named for areas of the earth these animals came from: Theater Under the Sea, Abraham's Abode (a desert oasis), etc. --Jan Harrington

The name of our effort will be BIBLEVILLE.
The classroom exteriors will reflect a small town. The AV room will be the Disciple's Drive-In, with a theater marquee above. Drama/puppetry will be the Parable Playhouse--we're thinking of a velvet remnant hung as a curtain to suggest a theatre. Art/music will be Creation Central (our church is Central UMC), and it will reflect a train depot. Bible Skills and games will be the Apostle's Attic, and the exterior will look like a house. Of course all of this is subject to change! --Dana R.

Our church is named St. Paul's United Methodist Church so we are calling ours St. Paul's Journeyland. Each workshop room is named after one of the town's Paul visited on his missionary journeys--Athenian Amphitheater(drama), Antioch Arcade(Bible skills, games, and computer lab), Damascus Road-house(video), Ephesian Craftsmen(art), Corinth Condo (Palenstinian House), Corinthian Tentmakers (Priscilla and Aquila's tent), Lyrics of Lystra  (music), and Macedonian Mess (kitchen). The workshop leaders are called "tour guides" and the "companion" travels with each class to the workshops. -- Mary Barrows

We came up with lots of creative sounding titles, but tried each one out by imagining one of our 4th or 5th graders saying to each other "Hey, are you going to "_______" today?" With that in mind, we realized that it had to be a one or two syllable word or phrase. We finally agreed on "Pathways to the Promised Land", realizing that conversationally, it would always be referred to as "Pathways." Maybe not too exciting, but it caught on really quickly and has already replaced "Sunday School".

We named our program "FAITH TREK- A Journey of Faith."
The logo has the words FAITH TREK written within a stream of stars leading to a cross. For the names of our rooms, we borrowed some and were creative about others. Our church is Christus Victor Lutheran, so our A.V. Room is the "C.V. Cinema", the art room is "Thou Art! Studio", our Bible skills and games room is "Daniel's Den", the computer room is "The Church Mouse" and the puppet/drama room is "Praise Him! Playhouse". For us, each room has been designed with a 'Unique Feel.' --Valerie Z.

"Bible Adventure Zone". --Dena Kitchens

Our program is called The D.O.C.K. (Disciples Of Christ's Kingdom). We had dock posts made for our entrance and hung fish net. Our rooms are Noah's Art, Seaside Cinema, Paul's Players and Tryphena and Tryphosa's Temple Room (get out those Bibles and find those two!)

We tried to tie our theme in with our church's Mission Statement. --Wendy

We are in our second year of rotation model, and use the name of "Abraham's Kids." The workshops are called: Revelations(story telling); Creations (art); Chronicles (theater); www-Bible-com (Computer lab); Acts (drama). --Dub Koon

Our WoRM Sunday School is called the G.R.E.A.T. Adventure (God's love, Reaching, Exciting, Assuring, Transforming) .

Our workshops have the following names: Cooking - Solid Rock Cafe, Drama - Sunday Morning Live, Art - Raiders of the Lost Art, Theatre - HolyWord Theatre, Bible games/skills - Bible Quest, Computers - CyberSpace. -Paul Derden

"Time Travelers"
Art Ark: painted to simulated being on the ark. King James Theater: a drama/puppet room designed like and Elizabethan theater. Temple Time: a storytelling room complete with the Holy of Holies, prayer rugs and prayer shawls. Good News Drive In: an audio/visual room with murals on three walls. Bytes from the Bible: computer room with 4 computers and 2 printers. --Jana Kinnersley, Milledge Avenue Church, Athens GA

Our program is called "The Orchard" and it's based on the Fruit of the Spirit.

Each classroom is named after a fruit: Strawberry Cinema (video), Apricot Art (art), Coconut Kitchen (cooking), Pineapple Playhouse (drama/music), and Mango Museum (Bible skills). Each age group of children is named after one of the fruits of the spirit and something you would find in an orchard: Love Bugs, Kind Caterpillers, Joy Birds and Gentle Giants (the giants are people found in the orchard!) - Noreta B. Lakeland, Florida

Pathways Sunday School
- Boonton United Methodist Church in Morris County, NJ --Janet Saulter-Hemmer, CRE