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Issue 47
RUTH
Th e Es ca p e Zacchaeus fr om Eg yp tCAIN&abel The Good Samaritan Jesus calms the storm Jesus heals the sick
God s Story, Our Story Stories are an important part of our everyday life. They help us construct meaning and communicate ourselves to each other. They give us ways to organise and make sense of the experiences we go through. They build authentic communities of shared meaning and values.
Bible stories are especially powerful. As we tell the stories of the Bible we contemplate our own stories with added clarity and discover new possibilities. Bible stories help us understand ourselves and our place in God’s world. We shape our lives through them. And as we pray and wonder about the stories we hear, God uses them to unsettle us and change the way we think. Our lives are transformed through the impact of Bible stories.
Welcome
All this means that Bible stories are an indispensable part of growing children’s faith - our children need to discover what God has done, is doing and will do in the world he loves. We want to encourage you to see Bible stories as an essential part of your programme. We’d like to inspire you to think about the way you tell Bible stories and make it a priority to tell them well and to help children reflect on them. This issue of the WAY2GO magazine has some handy hints to help you as you do this. May God’s Holy Spirit empower you, as you connect the good news of God’s story with the stories your children live out every day.
to the WAY2GO magazine. It’s full of ideas for people who work with children in their churches and local communities. Pull it out and pass it around.
Reggie Joiner says “Think about the possibility of having parents and leaders who are connecting with kids and teaching the same thing, at the same time, in an easily applicable way.”* It’s good to work closely alongside your families so that you can reinforce the stories the children are hearing together.
Excite. w Let families know ho grow n re ild to help their ch ops, sh rk wo spiritually. Run oks, use bo n loa , invite speakers newsletters etc.)
Exchangowewh.at
Let parents kn ich Bible you are doing and wh . Talk to them ing us are stories you tes home with and send regular upda m about what the children. Talk to the rk together. they are doing and wo Bible. Help families to own a
Encourage.
le that Promote the same Bib ories. st you use to tell your sponsor en oft Church people will en pray th d an Bibles for children en the giv e ar at for the families th Bible.
*Think Orange: Imagine the Impact When Church and Family Collide. p 137
When you are telling a story, the way you tell it can either bring it to life or turn it into a boring failure. Consider these points as you prepare and tell your story:
Be excited.
The Bible is a special book so let’s communicate that. Let’s expect our children to come face to face with God as we tell its stories.
Be clear.
Think about why you are telling the story. Pray and ask God what he wants to say to this particular group of children. Word your aim so that it is simple, clearly defined and relevant to the listeners.
Be realistic.
Take account of the age of your children and the world they live in. Think about their experience: are they church children or do they know very little about the Bible?
New Zealand’s Untold Story Step back into New Zealand 200 years ago and find out about the relationship forged between two incredibly different cultures – European and Māori. The Chronicles of Paki are a series of stories for 8-12 year olds about the relationship that developed between the missionaries and Maori in the 1800s. Each book tells the story of an outstanding individual who made a significant contribution to early New Zealand society. These are New Zealand’s untold stories. They are written and illustrated by New Zealanders to give children positive stories from our early history and help build a better understanding between two cultures that came together. The stories have been thoroughly checked by the relevant iwi and historians. Purchase the set of five books from SUNZ for $64.95. Find them at www.sunz.org.nz or freephone us on 0508 423 836.
chants
props use repetition drawings puppets
story bags
Be visible.
When you are telling a story from the Bible, have the Bible open in your hands or on the table. Show the children where the Bible story or a verse is. Refer back to an actual Bible at some point.
Be effective.
FREE FRE FREE FREEE
Here at SUNZ w e have programme mat erials to help you use each bo ok with your children. You ca n download these for free on our website anytim e.
1. Know the story well, particularly the main facts and the order of events. Write them down in summary if necessary. 2. Look out for new or difficult words and paraphrase them or decide how to explain them. 3. Prepare the story for telling so that it has: • An exciting beginning. • Action • A climax. • A short, clear ending.
Be thoughtful
Help the children reflect on the story afterwards. Use open ended questions and give them space to think about what God is saying to them through the story and a way to respond.
choose a different point of view
audience participation
technology
dress up as a character
actions
Reggie Joiner says “Think about the possibility of having parents and leaders who are connecting with kids and teaching the same thing, at the same time, in an easily applicable way.”* It’s good to work closely alongside your families so that you can reinforce the stories the children are hearing together.
Excite. w Let families know ho grow n re ild to help their ch ops, sh rk wo spiritually. Run oks, use bo n loa , invite speakers newsletters etc.)
Exchangowewh.at
Let parents kn ich Bible you are doing and wh . Talk to them ing us are stories you tes home with and send regular upda m about what the children. Talk to the rk together. they are doing and wo Bible. Help families to own a
Encourage.
le that Promote the same Bib ories. st you use to tell your sponsor en oft Church people will en pray th d an Bibles for children en the giv e ar at for the families th Bible.
*Think Orange: Imagine the Impact When Church and Family Collide. p 137
When you are telling a story, the way you tell it can either bring it to life or turn it into a boring failure. Consider these points as you prepare and tell your story:
Be excited.
The Bible is a special book so let’s communicate that. Let’s expect our children to come face to face with God as we tell its stories.
Be clear.
Think about why you are telling the story. Pray and ask God what he wants to say to this particular group of children. Word your aim so that it is simple, clearly defined and relevant to the listeners.
Be realistic.
Take account of the age of your children and the world they live in. Think about their experience: are they church children or do they know very little about the Bible?
New Zealand’s Untold Story Step back into New Zealand 200 years ago and find out about the relationship forged between two incredibly different cultures – European and Māori. The Chronicles of Paki are a series of stories for 8-12 year olds about the relationship that developed between the missionaries and Maori in the 1800s. Each book tells the story of an outstanding individual who made a significant contribution to early New Zealand society. These are New Zealand’s untold stories. They are written and illustrated by New Zealanders to give children positive stories from our early history and help build a better understanding between two cultures that came together. The stories have been thoroughly checked by the relevant iwi and historians. Purchase the set of five books from SUNZ for $64.95. Find them at www.sunz.org.nz or freephone us on 0508 423 836.
chants
props use repetition drawings puppets
story bags
Be visible.
When you are telling a story from the Bible, have the Bible open in your hands or on the table. Show the children where the Bible story or a verse is. Refer back to an actual Bible at some point.
Be effective.
FREE FRE FREE FREEE
Here at SUNZ w e have programme mat erials to help you use each bo ok with your children. You ca n download these for free on our website anytim e.
1. Know the story well, particularly the main facts and the order of events. Write them down in summary if necessary. 2. Look out for new or difficult words and paraphrase them or decide how to explain them. 3. Prepare the story for telling so that it has: • An exciting beginning. • Action • A climax. • A short, clear ending.
Be thoughtful
Help the children reflect on the story afterwards. Use open ended questions and give them space to think about what God is saying to them through the story and a way to respond.
choose a different point of view
audience participation
technology
dress up as a character
actions
SAVE THESE DATES Next year’s WAY2GO conferences are going to be held in the second term of 2015.
INVERCARGILL 9 MAY 2015 WELLINGTON 23 MAY 2015 AUCKLAND 6 JUNE 2015
They are a bit later in the year so that you and your team have time to get to know each other and the children you are working with before you come along and get trained together. There will be inspirational teaching and lots of amazing hands-on workshops to help you learn new skills. If you’re a new leader you can take the Children’s Ministry Certificate and if you’re an experienced leader make sure you check out our special advanced leadership track. And of course there’ll be heaps of other topics too. More info soon!
…Dunedin…Blenheim…Nelson…Silverstream…Karori…Auckland… Scripture Union has already been training in all these places and we would love to come to your place too. It’s easy to organise - just contact us at way2go@sunz.org.nz and invite us. You might like to think about one of these options: •WAY2GO FOCUSED – Children’s ministry training especially designed to focus on you and your church. There will be inspirational teaching and we will explore lots of practical ideas together. You choose the workshops and provide the venue and morning tea and we will do the rest!
You're growing kids and young people with faith
•YOU’RE LOSING US – Research shows half our church membership will probably leave in the next 15 years. Discover how to turn this around and do faith formation well with your children and young people. This workshop is for children and youth workers, but it is also for pastors, senior leadership and parents as well because this is a worrying problem and it will take all of us working together to fix it.
TOP TIPS This book explores what the Bible says about storytelling,
presents some basic principles and then gives loads of ideas on how to tell Bible stories with imagination and impact. You can buy it from SUNZ for $9.99 and it is well worth owning. Check it out along with our other resources at www.sunz.org.nz or free phone us on 0508 423 836.
Scripture Union wants to work with your church to create opportunities for children and young people to discover and follow Jesus, grow as leaders, and influence the world. Contact us and let us know how we can help you. Scripture Union in New Zealand – PO Box 760, Wellington 6140 way2go@sunz.org.nz – 0508 423 836 – www.sunz.org.nz