A weekly evangelism program for pre-schoolers and their carers
Penny Morrison
Contents
I
Welcome to DynaMites Music ....................................................4 Why a music program? How the program works Why music? Who is it aimed at? What biblical material is taught?
The basics of a music group ......................................................7 Teaching music Parent involvement Form a leadership team Group experience Group management
Resources .............................................................................................9 Term 3 Term 4 Suggested equipment and sources
Program guide: Year 1 ...................................................................19 Term 3 outline Term 4 outline
Weekly program for Terms 3 and 4 ........................................22 Setting up the room Dancing Unaccompanied singing and story time Parachute Percussion instruments Scarves Hokey Pokey Chairs Musical chairs Pass toy animals around the circle Slide whistle In general
Alphabetical list of songs ........................................................48 Extra ideas for smaller groups and older groups........57 Song words and actions ..............................................................59
We have wonderful stories of Jesus to tell the children and adults who join our group. I could never grow tired of telling young ones about Jesus calling the children to himself, and seeing the children repeat these stories through rhymes and songs. In Terms 3 and 4 we also learn that God made animals, and gave us families to care for us. Our families love us very much, but God loves us even more! Have fun singing, dancing, jumping and jingle-belling your way through Terms 3 and 4 of DynaMites Music.
Why a music program? Many churches run playgroups, which provide the opportunity for church members to make friends and invite them to a Bible study group held at another time. With many parents of pre-schoolers working at least part-time, this outreach strategy is becoming more difficult. Parents often have extra demands on their time, such as swimming lessons and speech therapy. They may be interested in trying out a Bible group, but they are also time poor. Church members also struggle to get involved in two groups, even though evangelism and Bible study are both high priorities in their lives. How can they make new friends and involve them in a group where they can learn more about Jesus while spending quality time with their little ones? A music program for young children and their carers is an effective and enjoyable way to combine making friends, spreading the gospel and reading the Bible with a group.
4
How the program works The DynaMites Music program is for 0–5-year-olds and their parents or carers. It involves: •
30–45 minutes of music activities, followed by morning tea for both children and adults, and a 1–1½ hour Bible group while the children are cared for in a creche
•
well-known songs plus a few songs about God each week.
There are four terms in each year of the two-year DynaMites Music program. This manual covers Year 1 Terms 3 and 4. Terms 1 and 2 are covered in Book 1, which is also available from www.cepstore.com.au or your local Christian bookstore. Why have a Bible group on the same morning? This format provides you with the opportunity to meet and get to know unbelievers, tell them about Jesus and give them an opportunity to learn more and grow as Christians—all on one morning of the week! This has an advantage over a typical playgroup because we don’t need to invite parents to come to a separate event to hear more of the gospel. A music group is more appealing to some people than a playgroup because many parents want to take their children to educational activities. The DynaMites Music format also reduces the need for one-off events which sometimes drain resources. When evangelism is a weekly activity, the resources for running and advertising the program are used more efficiently. People who may not have made it to a one-off event are often able to reschedule their The transition timetables to fit in a regular activity. The transition from attending the music program to joining a Bible group is easier than deciding to attend another event or program. If the participants have gotten to know the leader and other members of the group and know their children will be happy, it is a relatively small step to stay on for a Bible group, even if they have never read the Bible before.
from attending the music program to joining a Bible group is easier than deciding to attend another event or program.
Often it is the children who beg to stay longer, resulting in a mum, dad or grandparent trying out a Bible group for the first time. Even children with separation anxiety can find it easier to say goodbye when they have spent the previous hour in the hall doing a fun activity with a special adult. Parents who work on other days may be happier to put their child into creche if they have spent quality time with them that morning. Hearing the gospel taught repeatedly, with opportunity for discussion, is more effective than hearing it only occasionally.
Why music? Many activities, including craft and exercise, may well appeal to people without pre-schoolers when combined with morning tea and Bible study. But a music group has one distinct advantage over these other types of activities. The parents and carers attending the group hear a snippet
Welcome
|5
of the gospel every week through the programmed songs and stories. Other activities don’t naturally provide the opportunity to proclaim Jesus. Singing songs each week plants the gospel in the minds of the participants as well as their children. As parents hear a little bit of the gospel every week, they become increasingly interested in hearing more.
Who is it aimed at? Although a music group appears to be a children’s ministry, it’s primarily a ministry to parents. Of course we do want young children to hear the gospel, but this is a secondary aim of this program. Our primary aim is for women and stay-at-home dads to hear the gospel in the music group, join a Bible group to hear more, and eventually become a follower of Jesus and continue to grow in him.
What biblical material is taught? The Bible can be summarised in these two statements: that God made us and that we can know him through Jesus. The program expands on these points, but it is helpful to have a simple summary of what you aim to teach participants. In doing so, it is hoped that you will whet their appetite for more.
Bible groups Short Bible studies can be encouraging and challenging to Christians, while making the gospel clear to visitors. The Youthworks New Believer Series, Eight People Meet Jesus and Eight Surprises and Stories by Jesus, are useful study books to begin with. These are inexpensive and readily available from www.cepstore.com.au Be sure to tell visitors that there is a Bible group after morning tea and that they are welcome to come, even if they have never been to that sort of group before. Briefly describe what you do in the group. Assure them that it’s OK if they choose to go home before the Bible group begins. I prefer the name ‘Bible group’ over ‘Bible study’, as the word ‘study’ tends to give the impression that the group will be formal and academic. Of course, we do study the Bible, but we want to make our groups welcoming for those who have never read the Bible before. Think through how to explain what you do in your group, and how to make a visitor feel comfortable. I was once in a group where a leader said, ‘Let’s go around the group and get prayer points’. A visitor responded with ‘Oh, I didn’t realise that we get points for praying’!
6
Year 1 Term 3
Week 1 Jesus (loves the children)
1. Dancing ‘Jump if you feel you want to’
Book: ‘Jesus and the children’ in Read with Me Bible for Toddlers pp. 240–247 or Jesus LIttle Book: Jesus Meets Zacchaeus by Natasha Percy
‘You can stamp your feet’
‘Der gloomph’
‘Rock-a-bye your bear’
‘Jairus’
‘Alice the camel’
(Extras: ‘Bananas in pyjamas’, ‘Baa baa black sheep’)
(to recorded music)
‘Looking for friends (Zhao Peng You)’ (Extras: ‘Everybody is clever’)
2. Percussion instruments
‘Jesus loved the people’
5. Scarves
(tapping sticks/claves)
‘Jesus loves me’
Play with recorded music:
6. Parachute
‘Ponies’ ‘Zacchaeus’
‘Walking with the parachute’
(Extra: ‘Japanese rain song’)
‘Where o where are all the children?’
‘Motorbike song’
‘Up and down’
3. Unaccompanied singing and story time ‘Twinkle, twinkle, little star’ ‘Two fat gentlemen’ ‘Three cheeky monkeys’ (Option: use finger puppets or felts) ‘The best book to read’
28
4. Slide whistle
Year 1 Term 3
Week 2
Jesus (walked on water)
1. Dancing (to recorded music)
4. Unaccompanied singing and story time
‘Alice the camel’
‘Twinkle, twinkle, little star’
‘Move’
‘Two fat gentlemen’
‘Looking for friends (Zhao Peng You)’
‘Three cheeky monkeys’ (Option: use finger puppets or felts)
(Extras: ‘Everybody is clever’)
2. Percussion instruments (mixed) Dance to recorded music: ‘Funga Alafia’ Freeze when the music stops and swap instruments.
3. Percussion instruments (tapping sticks/claves) Sing unaccompanied: ‘If you’re happy and you know it’ (tap your sticks) Play with recorded music: ‘Ponies’ ‘Zacchaeus’
Felt story: ‘Jesus walked on water’ from The Beginners Bible in Felt: Miracles of Jesus or Read with Me Bible for Toddlers p. 318 ‘Rowing together’ ‘The best book to read’ ‘The wheels on the bus’ (Extras: ‘Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck’, ‘Baa baa black sheep’)
5. Slide whistle ‘Jesus loved the people’
6. Parachute ‘Rowing together’ ‘Walking with the parachute’ ‘Where o where are all the children?’ ‘Up and down’
(Extra: ‘Japanese rain song’) ‘Motorbike song’
Weekly programs
| 29