Newsletter 19
Newsletter 19.
Contents.
Teaching Tip 5 - Developing good habits.
A. Teaching children how to make right choices.
O.L. 46 - Making right choices.
O.L. 47 - Choosing the right friends.
B. Teaching children to be generous givers.
Things Kids say.
Welcome to my latest Newsletter. I hope you find something here of benefit to your ministry. Thank you to all the recipients who have taken the time to comment on, or thank me for my mailouts. It is always good to hear of my material being used by others.
Please keep me informed of any change to your email address! If you are reading this, then I am probably "preaching to the converted." But each time I send out a batch of Newsletters, I would say that between ten and twenty are returned as "undeliverable." This is, I understand, for three main reasons. Either the recipient's email quota is full, they have switched off their computers, or (most likely) they have changed their email address. So, if you do change your email address, please let me know.
Maurice Sweetsur
Teaching Tips.
5. Developing good habits.
A. Teaching children how to make right choices.
As parents, or teachers, it is quite natural for us to want to warn children of the possible consequences of making wrong choices. In some cases "the wrong choice" is obvious. However, in others, e.g. Halloween activities or watching 'Harry Potter' films, Christians disagree on what "the wrong choice" is.
Rather than 'laying down the law' and often appearing to the children to be spoil sports, a far better approach is, I believe, to concentrate on teaching children to find out what God's will is for themselves. And of course, if they do that, they will make the right choice.
Here are four ways to guide children into making right choices. These apply to all choices they have to make, but we will use 'Halloween' as an example.
1. The popular W.W.J.D. (What Would Jesus Do) bracelet is a good place to start. Ask, would Jesus go to that Halloween party, or go knocking on strangers doors for 'trick or treat' ?
2. What does the Bible say ? This is our Instruction book for life. If the Bible approves or forbids something, that is the end of the argument. Halloween is not mentioned in the Bible of course, because it was written earlier. The Bible does say, however, that we should avoid all kinds of evil. The question then is "Are the Halloween activities, as we know them today, evil?"
3. Ask more mature Christians for their opinions, beginning with your Parents or Bible teacher. As we have seen, however, these may sometimes differ.
4. Go directly to God, and ask Him what He wants you to do. Colossians 3.15 says "Let the peace of Christ rule (be the Umpire) in your heart." If we are about to make a wrong choice, God will remove His peace from our hearts as a warning. Teach the child that God will make His will known to them if they ask him through the presence or absence of His peace. Having prayed first, they should then ask themselves "Do I feel good about going to that Halloween party, or do I feel uneasy about it?" "Is there a presence or absence of peace, when I think about it?" Emphasise to the child that they must approach God with an open mind. If they have already made up their mind to go to the party, and simply want God's approval, He is unlikely to speak to them. If, however, they genuinely desire God's will and have the attitude "Whatever you say Lord, that is what I will do," then He is well able to guide them into making the right choice.
A good way to summarise this teaching is to write out the word "S T O P" on a board or card. Explain that :-
S = Stop. Before you make a decision - Stop.
T = Think. Think "What Would Jesus Do" if He was me?
O = Obey. Obey what the Bible says.
P = Pray. Pray and ask God to make His will known to you.
Object Lesson 46 - Making right choices.
Ask for a volunteer to come out and be tied to a chair with a piece of rope. Ask for a second volunteer to come out and make an important choice.
Produce a glass of water and a sweet (or other suitable reward). Explain that their choice is " In return for this sweet, will you throw this glass of water in the first volunteer's face? He/she is powerless to stop you, because they are tied to the chair." If they refuse, begin to increase the 'reward' on offer - 2, 3, 4 sweets, 4 sweets and a chocolate bar!
If your volunteer refuses to throw the water, tell them they have made the right choice. No matter what 'reward' was on offer, it would always be wrong to throw water in someone's face. State that the Bible teaches us that if we make the right choices here on earth, we will be rewarded in heaven. Give them their reward of sweets and chocolate bar.
If your volunteer says they will throw the water, tell them they have made the wrong choice, and give the 'reward' to their intended victim instead.
Note. It is probably better to choose a girl as your second volunteer as, in my experience, most boys are willing to throw water in someone's face, even in return for one sweet!
Object Lesson 47 - Choosing the right friends.
It is important to teach older children especially about the importance of choosing the right sort of friends.
Preparation. Take two pieces of plain white paper, and smear one with a dark jam (e.g. blackcurrant).
Application. Explain that the 'clean' paper represents them (hopefully), and the 'dirty' paper a friend who does wrong things and gets into trouble.
Ask "What will happen when I rub the two pieces of paper together? The possibilities are :- 1. The clean paper will stay clean, and the dirty paper dirty. 2. The clean paper will make the dirty one clean. The dirty paper will make the clean one dirty."
Most children will realise that the third possibility is the correct one. Demonstrate this by rubbing the papers together.
Conclude by saying "This is usually what happens if you choose a friend that does wrong things - some of their 'dirt' is likely to rub off on you."
B. Teaching children to be generous givers.
I know that Christians differ in their attitude to, and practice of tithing, but I am sure we are all agreed that we should be generous givers. The question is, how can we teach our children to be generous in their giving, both to their church and to other good causes?
If children are asked to give more money to Sunday school (for example), they are most likely to just go and ask their parents for more so they can pass it on. But this has no long-term-value at all.
Our task is not to increase the Sunday school income, but to teach children to be consistent, generous givers. The best way is to teach them, not to ask their parents for more money, but rather set aside a proportion of their normal pocket money each week to give to God's work.
This approach may actually result in an initial reduction of Sunday school income (without mum and dad's contributions), but the long-term benefits, both for your Church and for the children will be immeasurable.
I came upon a very simple object lesson on giving on www.kidology.org (Four give away one equals 8).
Basically, you take a piece of paper, and say you are thinking of giving away one of the four corners. You are concerned that if you do so, you will have less corners for yourself, but decide to give a corner away anyway. Cut off a corner, and give it to someone. What has happened? You now have five corners, and the person you gave the one corner to has three! You could continue, giving away more corners, and the people you give them to, in turn, giving some away. This is God's way of working. The more you give, the more you have!
THINGS KIDS SAY (Taken from a Kidsreach bulletin).
Dear Pastor, I would like to go to heaven someday because I know my brother won't be there. Stephen. Age 8
Dear Pastor, I know God loves everybody but He never met my sister. Yours sincerely, Arnold. Age 8.
Dear Pastor, Please say in your sermon that Peter Peterson has been a good boy all week. I am Peter Peterson.
Sincerely, Pete. Age 9
Dear Pastor, My father should be a minister. Every day he gives us a sermon about something.
Robert Anderson, age 11
Dear Pastor, I'm sorry I can't leave more money in the plate, but my father didn't give me a raise in my allowance. Could you have a sermon about a raise in my allowance?
Love, Patty. Age 10
Dear Pastor, My mother is very religious. She goes to play bingo at church every week even if she has a cold.
Yours truly, Annette. Age 9
Dear Pastor, I think a lot more people would come to your church if you moved it to Disneyland.
Loreen. Age 9.
Dear Pastor, I liked your sermon where you said that good health is more important than money but I still want a raise in my allowance.
Sincerely, Eleanor. Age 12
Dear Pastor, Please pray for all the airline pilots. I am flying to California tomorrow.
Laurie. Age 10
Dear Pastor, I hope to go to heaven someday but later than sooner.
Love, Ellen. Age 9
Dear Pastor, Please say a prayer for our Little League team. We need God's help or a new pitcher. Thank you.
Alexander. Age 10
Dear Pastor, My father says I should learn the Ten Commandments. But I don't think I want to because we have enough rules already in my house.
Joshua. Age 10
Dear Pastor, Who does God pray to? Is there a God for God?
Sincerely, Christopher. Age 9
Dear Pastor, Are there any devils on earth? I think there may be one in my class. Carla. Age 10
Dear Pastor, I liked your sermon on Sunday. Especially when it was finished. Ralph, Age 11
Dear Pastor, How does God know the good people from the bad people? Do you tell Him or does He read about it in the newspapers?
Sincerely, Marie. Age 9
Contents.
Teaching Tip 5 - Developing good habits.
A. Teaching children how to make right choices.
O.L. 46 - Making right choices.
O.L. 47 - Choosing the right friends.
B. Teaching children to be generous givers.
Things Kids say.
Welcome to my latest Newsletter. I hope you find something here of benefit to your ministry. Thank you to all the recipients who have taken the time to comment on, or thank me for my mailouts. It is always good to hear of my material being used by others.
Please keep me informed of any change to your email address! If you are reading this, then I am probably "preaching to the converted." But each time I send out a batch of Newsletters, I would say that between ten and twenty are returned as "undeliverable." This is, I understand, for three main reasons. Either the recipient's email quota is full, they have switched off their computers, or (most likely) they have changed their email address. So, if you do change your email address, please let me know.
Maurice Sweetsur
Teaching Tips.
5. Developing good habits.
A. Teaching children how to make right choices.
As parents, or teachers, it is quite natural for us to want to warn children of the possible consequences of making wrong choices. In some cases "the wrong choice" is obvious. However, in others, e.g. Halloween activities or watching 'Harry Potter' films, Christians disagree on what "the wrong choice" is.
Rather than 'laying down the law' and often appearing to the children to be spoil sports, a far better approach is, I believe, to concentrate on teaching children to find out what God's will is for themselves. And of course, if they do that, they will make the right choice.
Here are four ways to guide children into making right choices. These apply to all choices they have to make, but we will use 'Halloween' as an example.
1. The popular W.W.J.D. (What Would Jesus Do) bracelet is a good place to start. Ask, would Jesus go to that Halloween party, or go knocking on strangers doors for 'trick or treat' ?
2. What does the Bible say ? This is our Instruction book for life. If the Bible approves or forbids something, that is the end of the argument. Halloween is not mentioned in the Bible of course, because it was written earlier. The Bible does say, however, that we should avoid all kinds of evil. The question then is "Are the Halloween activities, as we know them today, evil?"
3. Ask more mature Christians for their opinions, beginning with your Parents or Bible teacher. As we have seen, however, these may sometimes differ.
4. Go directly to God, and ask Him what He wants you to do. Colossians 3.15 says "Let the peace of Christ rule (be the Umpire) in your heart." If we are about to make a wrong choice, God will remove His peace from our hearts as a warning. Teach the child that God will make His will known to them if they ask him through the presence or absence of His peace. Having prayed first, they should then ask themselves "Do I feel good about going to that Halloween party, or do I feel uneasy about it?" "Is there a presence or absence of peace, when I think about it?" Emphasise to the child that they must approach God with an open mind. If they have already made up their mind to go to the party, and simply want God's approval, He is unlikely to speak to them. If, however, they genuinely desire God's will and have the attitude "Whatever you say Lord, that is what I will do," then He is well able to guide them into making the right choice.
A good way to summarise this teaching is to write out the word "S T O P" on a board or card. Explain that :-
S = Stop. Before you make a decision - Stop.
T = Think. Think "What Would Jesus Do" if He was me?
O = Obey. Obey what the Bible says.
P = Pray. Pray and ask God to make His will known to you.
Object Lesson 46 - Making right choices.
Ask for a volunteer to come out and be tied to a chair with a piece of rope. Ask for a second volunteer to come out and make an important choice.
Produce a glass of water and a sweet (or other suitable reward). Explain that their choice is " In return for this sweet, will you throw this glass of water in the first volunteer's face? He/she is powerless to stop you, because they are tied to the chair." If they refuse, begin to increase the 'reward' on offer - 2, 3, 4 sweets, 4 sweets and a chocolate bar!
If your volunteer refuses to throw the water, tell them they have made the right choice. No matter what 'reward' was on offer, it would always be wrong to throw water in someone's face. State that the Bible teaches us that if we make the right choices here on earth, we will be rewarded in heaven. Give them their reward of sweets and chocolate bar.
If your volunteer says they will throw the water, tell them they have made the wrong choice, and give the 'reward' to their intended victim instead.
Note. It is probably better to choose a girl as your second volunteer as, in my experience, most boys are willing to throw water in someone's face, even in return for one sweet!
Object Lesson 47 - Choosing the right friends.
It is important to teach older children especially about the importance of choosing the right sort of friends.
Preparation. Take two pieces of plain white paper, and smear one with a dark jam (e.g. blackcurrant).
Application. Explain that the 'clean' paper represents them (hopefully), and the 'dirty' paper a friend who does wrong things and gets into trouble.
Ask "What will happen when I rub the two pieces of paper together? The possibilities are :- 1. The clean paper will stay clean, and the dirty paper dirty. 2. The clean paper will make the dirty one clean. The dirty paper will make the clean one dirty."
Most children will realise that the third possibility is the correct one. Demonstrate this by rubbing the papers together.
Conclude by saying "This is usually what happens if you choose a friend that does wrong things - some of their 'dirt' is likely to rub off on you."
B. Teaching children to be generous givers.
I know that Christians differ in their attitude to, and practice of tithing, but I am sure we are all agreed that we should be generous givers. The question is, how can we teach our children to be generous in their giving, both to their church and to other good causes?
If children are asked to give more money to Sunday school (for example), they are most likely to just go and ask their parents for more so they can pass it on. But this has no long-term-value at all.
Our task is not to increase the Sunday school income, but to teach children to be consistent, generous givers. The best way is to teach them, not to ask their parents for more money, but rather set aside a proportion of their normal pocket money each week to give to God's work.
This approach may actually result in an initial reduction of Sunday school income (without mum and dad's contributions), but the long-term benefits, both for your Church and for the children will be immeasurable.
I came upon a very simple object lesson on giving on www.kidology.org (Four give away one equals 8).
Basically, you take a piece of paper, and say you are thinking of giving away one of the four corners. You are concerned that if you do so, you will have less corners for yourself, but decide to give a corner away anyway. Cut off a corner, and give it to someone. What has happened? You now have five corners, and the person you gave the one corner to has three! You could continue, giving away more corners, and the people you give them to, in turn, giving some away. This is God's way of working. The more you give, the more you have!
THINGS KIDS SAY (Taken from a Kidsreach bulletin).
Dear Pastor, I would like to go to heaven someday because I know my brother won't be there. Stephen. Age 8
Dear Pastor, I know God loves everybody but He never met my sister. Yours sincerely, Arnold. Age 8.
Dear Pastor, Please say in your sermon that Peter Peterson has been a good boy all week. I am Peter Peterson.
Sincerely, Pete. Age 9
Dear Pastor, My father should be a minister. Every day he gives us a sermon about something.
Robert Anderson, age 11
Dear Pastor, I'm sorry I can't leave more money in the plate, but my father didn't give me a raise in my allowance. Could you have a sermon about a raise in my allowance?
Love, Patty. Age 10
Dear Pastor, My mother is very religious. She goes to play bingo at church every week even if she has a cold.
Yours truly, Annette. Age 9
Dear Pastor, I think a lot more people would come to your church if you moved it to Disneyland.
Loreen. Age 9.
Dear Pastor, I liked your sermon where you said that good health is more important than money but I still want a raise in my allowance.
Sincerely, Eleanor. Age 12
Dear Pastor, Please pray for all the airline pilots. I am flying to California tomorrow.
Laurie. Age 10
Dear Pastor, I hope to go to heaven someday but later than sooner.
Love, Ellen. Age 9
Dear Pastor, Please say a prayer for our Little League team. We need God's help or a new pitcher. Thank you.
Alexander. Age 10
Dear Pastor, My father says I should learn the Ten Commandments. But I don't think I want to because we have enough rules already in my house.
Joshua. Age 10
Dear Pastor, Who does God pray to? Is there a God for God?
Sincerely, Christopher. Age 9
Dear Pastor, Are there any devils on earth? I think there may be one in my class. Carla. Age 10
Dear Pastor, I liked your sermon on Sunday. Especially when it was finished. Ralph, Age 11
Dear Pastor, How does God know the good people from the bad people? Do you tell Him or does He read about it in the newspapers?
Sincerely, Marie. Age 9
posted by Maurice Sweetsur @ 1:25 AM
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