E-Connections
The
Newsletter for Christian Educators and Youth Ministers
From the Commission for
Educational Ministries, MACUCC
August -September
2008
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This month's biblical
passage:
"having then gifts differing according
to the grace that is given to us, let us use them"
Romans
12:6
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| Upcoming Programs and
Events
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"LEARN" from
home
The Local Education and Renewal
Network (LEARN) provides local access to the learning
resources of the Andover Newton community. LEARN is a
partnership initiated by Andover Newton in order to provide
education and renewal experiences for both laity and clergy.
It tailors its offerings to meet specific needs related to
both topic and
delivery.
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| HELP US HELP YOU (please)
Upcoming in two future emails:
CE & YM
Survey: WE NEED YOUR HELP. We have
programs, events, groups and resources to support your mission
as Christian Educators and Youth Ministers and help
you build upon the covenant between the Mass. Conference
and your church. CORI
Survey. Is your church certified by the
Criminal History Systems Board to perform CORI's? Look
for a survey in your email this fall.
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Jesus the Role
Model
Jesus is the prime example of a good teacher. All
of us are called to ministry as part of our baptism. Teaching
is a true calling and preparing the teaching ministry staff is
vital. It is important that each of us is equipped for
the call that we answer. Teacher orientation and ongoing
communications and training sessions should be scheduled and
be part of the staff's call to ministry. Teaching is a
covenantal relationship with God, the church and the students
with whom the staff is working. Have a teaching staff
"job" description i.e. the church will provide
curriculum, supplies, clean classrooms, training experiences,
leadership and resource persons, and ongoing prayer and
support. The teaching staff will use the curriculum,
prepare and be in the classroom on their team teaching Sundays
or call a substitute, know their students and attempt to
recognize their needs, attend training events whenever
possible, etc. Dedicate and commission for
ministry the teaching staff during worship making sure that
the entire congregation is mentioned as part of this special
and faith forming ministry. The dedication becomes a
"teaching opportunity" to remind all members that each are
mentors in faith to one another, young and old
alike.
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Kick Off
Will there be a time for families to come to the
church and register their children for the church
school? Choose a Sunday in September or an evening
during the week and hold registration and create your
own sundae Sunday. Or perhaps you would prefer to
have a registration breakfast or luncheon. Invite
everyone through the church's newsletter, e-groups, and
send individual postcard invitations to each
family. Advertize the event in your local
newspaper and put it on the local cable network. Make
sure teachers are present to meet the children and their
families. Have registration centrally located and easily
available for guests and visitors as well as for new
families. Good signage should be strategically placed
directing people to registration. Have the
curriculum to be used out and available in each child's
classroom. Make your Christian education mission
statement visible both in words and by the practices
that are being experienced. Have calendars,
brochures and materials available for the upcoming
church school year. Create an information packet for
families about the policies and procedures that are in
place for the church school (i.e.) pick up procedures
for children, discipline policy, media/electronic
equipment use, field trips, two adult rule, incident
reporting forms etc. Use this as an
intentional time to make everyone welcome. Celebrate
this as a reunion time and a special event.
Utilize registration to build energy and enthusiasm for
your children's ministry.
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Clean Up
Be sure that every classroom is clean, neat and
looks ready and welcoming. Have bulletin boards
covered with fresh paper. Dust and wash the tables
and chairs. Make sure the curtains are crisp and
clean. Clean the carpets. Arrange the
bookshelves neatly. Have all the supplies fresh and
waiting for use. Check all the equipment that it is
working properly. Throw away broken crayons, dried up
magic markers, glue sticks and paste. Have fresh
stacks of colored and white paper available as well as
staplers filled and scissors ready. Put up fresh
posters and have signs saying "welcome, glad you are
here". If you have different learning stations in
the classroom, make sure signs are decorative and well
placed. Make sure the worship center is prepared
with the right liturgical color and that a bible and
offering basket are there. Place a new Christ
candle in the middle of the worship center. Have a
first aid kit in every classroom as well as an
evacuation
plan.
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Money Talk
Too often children's offering is not connected to
the lesson or to worship and therefore the understanding
that they are called to respond to God's abundant
goodness and grace through their time, talents and money
is lost. If the children's offering is taken
during worship separately from the worship offertory
time, it is important that the children are clear that
their offering will be joined with the adult's offering
later in worship. They should be made aware over
and over again, that later in worship, their offering
will also have a prayer asking for God's blessing upon
it and that it will be used for the ministry and mission
of the church. If the children's offerings are collected
during church school class, then time should be set
aside for the collection of their gifts. The class
can sing the doxology together and they can read a
prayer each week following the collection. If they have
forgotten their offering ask the child to hold the
offering basket and to pause, and while holding the
basket silently think of something they can do as a gift
for a member of their family or a friend.
Children can make stewardship pledges beyond money
by offering to bring cans of food for the food drive
each month, offering to participate in the church
school's mission and outreach programs, and offering to
do something for others. Be sure that the teaching
staff is trained to talk with children about
stewardship, how the church uses their donations and
that they often thank their class for their generous
gifts and
offerings.
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Contact
Information
Cindy Bolton, Administrative Assistant, Christian
Education and Youth Ministries, boltonc@macucc.org |
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