This Saturday, February 24th, 2018, The Scripture Lady has the great privilege of sharing 3 children’s ministry workshops at the Children’s Conference hosted by Calvary Chapel of South Bay in Gardena, CA. She will also be sharing workshops at this year’s ACSI Early Education Conference on March 10th. Come and join her!
One of my favorite events of the year to share my children’s ministry workshops is at the Children’s Conference hosted by Calvary Chapel of South Bay in Torrance, CA. Pastor Stef Mitrano and his team are wonderful and I have seen this conference grow bigger and bigger each year.
This year I will be presenting the following 3 children’s ministry workshops:
- How to Have a Dynamic and Disciplined Sunday School Class
- It’s Bible Time for Your Preschoolers
- A Bonanza of Bible Review Games
“How to Have a Dynamic and Disciplined Sunday School Class” allows me to share my 3 main principals that I believe should be the foundation of any children’s ministry. After prayer, your program should faithfully follow these guidelines:
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- Make sure you are well prepared for your class.
“Show me a teacher who has an orderly, attentive class, and I’ll show you a teacher who is well prepared. Show me a teacher who has discipline problems, and I’ll show you a teacher who has not taken the time for proper preparation.” (From I Can’t Wait Till Sunday Morning! by Ed Dunlop)
Ed Dunlop – “The teacher who fails to prepare, prepares to fail.”
As I stand here before you, I guarantee you that if you come to your class well prepared you will eliminate 90% of all your discipline/behavior problems. Why can I say that? Because I’ve seen it work over and over again in my own ministry and in others’ ministries.
- Include GREAT visuals.
“Visual aids are powerful teaching tools. The teacher who attempts to teach God’s Word without them is minimizing his own effectiveness, short-changing his students, and actually working harder than he has to! It’s easier to hold the attention of 500 students by using good visuals than it is to try to hold the attention of 15 without them.” Ed Dunlop
So, what can visual aids do?
#1: They can grab the attention of your children.
#2: Visual Aids can help your kids’ understanding
- #3: Visual aids can cause your children to remember the lesson.
- Have clear boundaries for your children.
A. Establish firm rules such as:
1. Listen to the teacher. Ask the children to “put on their listening ears.”
2. I will give one warning for inappropriate behavior. The second time I need to say something, you will be asked to…
B. If the child is still having difficulties:
1. Try to assess why.
2. Try presenting him with sensory items such as squeeze balls, rice bags or leg bands that go around the two front legs of a chair that gives the child a movement he can do with his legs.
3. Use a “time out” as means to change behavior, not as a punishment.
4. Always stay in good communication with the parents, extending grace and patience.
5. Give the child a “one to one” helper.
C. If the behavior persists week after week, consider the following…
1. Ask permission to take the child out to lunch. Get to know him and he will get to know you. Relationship is key!
2. Call him on the phone during the week. Find out how he is doing. Get him excited for what’s coming up on Sunday.
Please be willing to try these activities before a bigger consequence such as a time out. If you do a time out, tell the child why he is in time out. Have a kitchen timer that you will set. When the bell goes off, invite the child back into the group with grace and acceptance. Use your calm and loving voice. Wrong behavior does not necessarily mean sinful behavior. Do not expect or even demand perfection from your children. They are going to get it “wrong” a lot of the time. They are beginning learners. Remember, you have 20, 30, 40 plus years on them. Be patient and enjoy where God has them in this time of their lives. He is patient with you even after all these years!
- Make sure you are well prepared for your class.
I will also be sharing children’s ministry workshops at this year’s ACSI Early Childhood Conference on Saturday, March 10, 2018. I look forward to ministering to the great teachers who serve our preschoolers day in and day out.
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