Have you seen this floating around social media? I saw it in several places this week. Teachers created it for those who teach. We are teachers! We teach the love of God, and we teach the Bible stories of the Old and New Testaments. We need to keep this in mind when we plan activities, choose the curriculum we are teaching. We must remind our volunteers that what we would generally expect from a class will likely not be seen for the next year or two. Each year of a child's education builds on the previous year.

In an average year, children's Christian education is interrupted due to spotty attendance in the school year. Still, we usually can make that up during a hefty dose of Vacation Bible Camp. Our churches were closed most of 2020, and 2021 has limited much of our regular contact with our children and families.

Two weeks ago, I was teaching a group of sixth-graders for Confirmation. I asked them who knew the story of the Good Samaritan? Out of the class of twenty-five, only five kids knew the story and didn't know it well! I was shocked! I am a regular teacher of children in church, and the story of the Good Samaritan seems to be the one consent Gospel message taught. Is it possible they forgot, sure? Is it possible some of the kids never came to church regularly until it was time for Confirmation, some for sure? In all my years of teaching, those exceptions would be valid. But never have I taught a group of sixth-graders with such a significant gap in their schema of Bible stories.

Where do we go from here? We keep doing our job. We support teaching parents that Children's Ministry is a gift of storytellers for their children. We tell the Bible stories passed down through the generations, and they learn how to serve others. We tell the stories of grace, hope, peace, and love. Remind parents that when the church and the family work together, we help our children learn how to love and be loved by God.

Last month, I attended the A Time for Children conference with Rev. Dr. Leanne Hadley with friends from the North Texas Conference. She shares this lovely idea that you can use in any worship, but you may want to introduce it during this month's Children's Sabbath on Oct. 17, 2021! Not all children participate in Children's Sabbath, especially families visiting for the first time. Make lots of these Praise and Prayers shakers for the congregation. Make the prayer small and laminate it to hold up for the praise and is still readable for the blessing.

Leanne asks a child to demonstrate for the congregation before worship begins. Anyone who would like to shake and move along with the worship music is encouraged to do so. Let the child show how to wave, bounce, and sway the ribbons. When it comes to opening prayer, ask that same child to lead the congregation in praying the Praise and Prayer Ribbon prayer by reading together the prayer while touching the corresponding color in the prayer.

Check out this easy and fun fall decoration you can make with children in your ministry for their classroom or church hallway.

Paint large canvas dark blue. Add tree branches and a moon. Once it is dry, have some volunteers help children pick a color, paint their hands, and stamp it on the branch. Have the volunteer print the child's name near their handprint. Once dried, add some multi-sized googly eyes and an Owl beak.

You quickly have fun fall decor that will have the children and their families looking for their owl.

If you have a large nursery or an Early Learning Center, you could read this book about Owls being scared and wanting their parents. Share with them how fear is normal, and God is always with us even when our adult is not.

In August, I was able to visit Highland Park UMC in Dallas, TX. It is always fun to visit churches and see new ways of doing things. Here is an Ipad Kiosk that allows participates to add their phone number to check in for attendance. I believe they created a repeatable Google document that would collect the phone number matching with a name in the spreadsheet. Once a person typed in the number, an empty number box would appear for the next person. This Kiosk makes for fast and easy data collection without long lines at the door.

Also, notice the QR code attached to the Kiosk. New people can scan and quickly sign up and share contact information to register for the class.

Just some great technology is making information and check-in a more manageable process!

Poet and author Amanda Gorman just released her very first children's picture book. She poetically combines culture and caring for our community into a lovely picture book. I could see a Children's Minister and a music director teaming up to get creative with this book and a group of children for worship. If you have a Children First worship, it would be a lovely theme for First Sunday worship.

It is good to have choices. I have multiple copies of different children's Bibles because I like how particular Bible stories are told in the various collections I own. Glenys Nellist, with her publisher Zondervan, continues the journey to "wonder" through the Bible with children. The illustrations are beautiful, and Glenys offers some lovely Old and New Testament stories any adult would enjoy sharing with the children in their life.

The author Tanya Campen takes all the research we have been given and tests the application in this book. She finds the "Wonder" approach and Godley Play curriculum to greatly reach children with the four-piece process.

Dates to remember: