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We are having so much fun this year in Club! For those of you (you know who you are) who have stumbled across this blog for “Fruit of the Spirit”, I post these links to consolidate a few posts from my ministry blog for you to glean ideas. I’ve tried to be faithful in posting what we’ve been doing for parents to be informed as well as for future reference, but seeing as how we haven’t covered faithfulness yet, I’ve missed a couple. Maybe during the faithfulness month I’ll go back & catch up.
So far, we’ve talked about love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, & goodness. For helps on the verses, go here for the love verse, here for joy, & here for patience.
One cool thing that was added over the snowy weeks in January (kindness was cut short due to all the missed weeks) are the links for hymns found in the column to the left on the Pass the Baton blog. Originally, I was going to get a CD made of our church pianist playing & perhaps me or a few others singing the hymns to give each family a copy of all nine hymns we are focusing on this year in conjunction with each fruit. Didn’t happen. MIDIs are second best, but at least an option.
The experiments have sure been fun. Now keep in mind, these were chosen for their fun factor & I kind of loosely added the hook to the fruit of the Spirit, so some are a bit of a stretch but fun, you have to admit. We added these to the schedule when we found the children were finishing up their awards choices in record time & we needed to keep them quiet for ten or fifteen minutes while the prayer & verse groups finished up. Another very good outcome of the experiments has been that every child takes home something on awards night, even those who forgot to bring their notebooks or who didn’t get any of the assignments completed for the month. We have a few kids with no support at home, so this is especially important for them…
For peace, we made beakers of goo. God can give us peace in the storms in our lives just like the liquid turned to solid. He is our solid when everything around us feels shaky. For patience we made insta-snow. Be patient – snow is coming! For kindness, we made sun bead bracelets. When we are kind, it changes everything around us. We can be cold & white, or warm & color our world around us with kindness. For goodness, we did the petri dish. (See the blog for the goodness connection.) For faith, I’m planning this, but on a much smaller scale obviously. It takes faith to walk on liquid & trust you won’t sink, just like Peter on the water looking to Jesus. For gentleness, we’ll fill test tubes with oil & water. This is a generic fruit experiment. Just as oil & water don’t mix, so blessing & cursing don’t come from the same mouth, And good & bad fruit don’t come from the same tree. And for self-control, we’ll fill large petri dishes with candy (or this) without eating any! Then they can take them home.
More links will be added as the year winds down. I hope to have all the fruit in this post with links at the end of the year.
To be edited over the next few months…
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-Control
I’m so excited! First of all, I never thought I’d be able to have another year like this last one in Club. The science stuff is turning out to be a real blast & the kids are learning so much about the Fruit of the Spirit & living under His control.
For next year, I’ve been mulling a few ideas around in my head, but there are several really good things out there I want to teach – how to decide & pull it all together? Came up with something I think will be perfect this morning!! I’m going to put this, this & this together to do a year on Building a Strong Foundation. We have two guys in our church who are working on an evangelistic wood workshop at their home. Already talked to one about coming in to do a couple nice wood projects with the kids. If we used the craft time once a month that we have now & ended up with two really nice wooden projects the kids did for the year, that’d be great (sand one session, hammer another, paint another). Like a birdhouse with “If God cares for them, how much more…” or something like that painted on the roof? Not that, but you get the idea. Any ideas out there? I’ll be thinking.
Here’s the basic layout for the year…
September – Truth – Talk about the 4 C’s (Consider the choice, Compare it to God, Commit to God’s way, & Count on His protection & provision), a Biblical worldview & what truth is. How do we know what is true?
Truth Chronicles = Here Am I & Truth Be Told.
Musical Songs = Do Right & Moment of Truth.
Hymn = My Hope Is Built…Solid Rock
October – Design – (self-acceptance) We were made, not by chance. We are designed to be a temple of the living God! Awesome!
TC = Science Club.
MS = You Are a Temple
H =
November – Authority – (inward peace) God set up a natural order to things. Everything works best when we get under that God-given authority. Talk about the Trinity, family structure, etc. God placed.
TC = 3 in 1.
MS = God Rules
H = Trust & Obey, Doxology
December – Responsibility – (clear-conscience) We’re accountable to God for what we do. Government only works when citizens take personal responsibility. There are consequences otherwise. We need to be “self-governing”/have self-control.
TC = Kidsboro 1-3.
MS = Fair Play & Responsibili-bili-bility
H =
January – Suffering – (joy) We are to forgive “seventy times seven”. True joy comes when we learn how to forgive as we have been forgiven.
TC = the rest of Kidsboro.
MS = 70×7
H = What a Friend We Have In Jesus
February – Ownership – (security) Nothing we have is really our own. Everything we have & are is God’s. Talk about giving up “our rights”.
TC = In My Image.
MS = Trust & Obey
H = I Surrender All
March – Freedom – (purity) When we forget that we are not our own, and start following our own desires, there are consequences. So many times God’s ways are opposite of the way we think. True freedom comes in enjoying the desire and power to do what is right, rather than claiming the privilege to do what I want.
TC = Stepping Stones, 1 & 2.
MS = You Are a Temple
H =
April – Success – (purpose) Each of us were made for something special. We must let God shape us into people of character to be usable.
TC = Final Call.
MS = All Comes Down to Love
H = Stand Up, Stan Up For Jesus
May – Wisdom – Wrap it up. It’s one thing to have knowledge, but wisdom puts it all together & into action. Do the musical Truth Works!
I am especially excited about this family devotional that goes along with everything we’ll be talking about. It’s about knowing right from wrong. I’m hoping to get a CD with the Truth Works! musical & a copy of this devotional to every family this year.
Anyway, this is just an overview to get my thoughts down. Now I can start dreaming about the details! Hymns to teach with it, theme song (Donut Man’s “Master Builder” is perfect along with the “The Wise Man Built His House Upon a Rock…”), wood shop projects, etc. etc. Love it!
This last month in Club we have been working on memorizing Philippians 4:4-7 as our JOY verse. Here’s a few helps we came up with to get it deep in our minds so God can let it’s roots grow deep in our hearts…
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!”
- We sing a song about that. That helps us remember the start.
Next, stroke your hand like a little kitten…
“Let your gentleness”
- Remember us stroking our hands last year to help with “for I am gentle and lowly in heart & you shall find rest for your souls”? This is to remind you about gentleness, too. Be gentle petting that little kitty.
“Be known to all men.”
- Point to your head for known.
“The Lord is at hand.”
- Stick your hands out in front of you.
Next shake your head for no. Remember NOT to do the next thing…
“Be anxious for nothing”
- NOTHING!! We are not to be anxious. Period. Shake your head, wag your fingers, no, NO!
“But in everything, by prayer & supplication…”
- Put your hands in the praying position.
“and with thanksgiving”
- !! Don’t forget this part! Put your hands up & wiggle them in praise! Note: this doesn’t say”BY Thanksgiving” or “UNTIL Thanksgiving”! We had two little guys rub their tummies thinking all about that turkey coming up next month. WITH. It’s WITH thanksgiving (little t).
“let your requests be made known to God.”
- Point up to God to Whom you tell what you need.
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding”
- Say the first part kind of quickly, then say “all” really drawn out.
“will guard your hearts”
- Put both hands on your heart.
“and your minds”
- Put your hand to your head.
“through Christ Jesus.”
- It’s all because of Him. PTL!
Keith went down to Kentucky to train in The Truth Project last year. Since then, our church has had several Truth Project groups, both adult and teen. It is a must for any college bound teen and their parents! This is a great series to have a middle schooler start going through probably once a year to get grounding in the basics before heading out into the world. My parents did that for me with the Gothard seminar from seventh to twelfth grade & I’m so glad they did. It takes a few hearings to let it really sink in. I found I learned new things each time I went. That’s what The Truth Project is like.
We had heard they were going to be working on a children’s version & I have been waiting with anticipation. IT’S HERE!! Adventures in Odyssey’s new CD set is The Truth Project for children – The Truth Chronicles. Can’ wait to get my hands on it! Nate listens to AIO literally every time he works with his Legos & if you know him at all, that’s pretty often. I’m ordering a copy for our church library & will try to write a review when we’re done listening.
We are working together on memorizing 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a in Club & at first read, it looks like just one huge list. How can I every remember all those things?! the kids think. I’ve got a few helps for those who are interested…
“Love is patient, love is kind.”
- point with both hands to the left for these first two. These tell us what love IS.
“It does not Envy, it does not Boast.”
- point over to your right now with both hands. These two are the opposite of what love does. It’s NOT what I want to be, B.E. Turn “be” around to remember the E word comes first & then the B word. Envy is first, then boast.
Now comes a group of four “it is not”s…
“It is not proud“
- Stand up straight & haughty, smug.
“It is not rude“
- Kind of stick your tongue out when you say this one!
“It is not self-seeking“
- Use your hand to shelter your eyes like you’re searching for something (looking out for number one).
“It is not easily angered“
- Stomp your feet & shake your fists.
“It keeps no record of wrongs”
- Pretend like you are writing in air. Imagine writing in a ledger (record keeping book).
Now you have the first half down!! Ready to learn the second half? It starts out with a sing-songy sentence. There are two parts to the sentence. The first part has two Ds in it that are close together. That’s how you know what comes first…
“Love Does not DElight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”
- Stress the “not”, “evil”, “joices”, and “truth” to keep the beat.
Now we’ve got another list. The list has four things in it. The first and last start with P, while the two in the middle are TH. To remember what comes next, right after the sing-song part, I think about that pelican we’ve talked about in class. He gives and he gives and he gives without thinking of himself & what he’ll get out of it. One of the ways he gives is by covering up his or her eggs & protecting them from the hot sun. That pelican reminds me…
“It always Protects”
- Hunch shoulders & spread arms like wings to cover up those little pelican eggs.
“always Trusts”
- There’s the T word.
“always Hopes”
- And the H word.
“always Perseveres”
- And finally, the last P word in the list.
We wrap it up with the “toughest part”…
“Love never fails!”
Now that you have God’s definition of love locked up in your brain, let it remind you whenever problems with your siblings or others arise. What’s wrong? Think through your lists. Chances are, you are boasting, or envying someone, or you need to trust, or protect the other. Jesus tells us to love others as He has loved us. We only know what love is because He first showed us love! (Our hymn- Oh, How I Love Jesus)
Try putting “God” in everywhere the word “Love” appears. It works! The Bible tells us “God IS Love” so you can say God is patient, God is kind. He does not envy. He does not boast. He is not proud, He is not rude, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered. He keeps no record of wrongs. He does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God never fails!!
Yeah!! I spent a few hours last night on line looking for decent but cheap lab coats for our Club next fall but the best I could find were 15$ not including shipping. Bummer! I had given up & figured we’d just go with two or three coats & share instead of each of the twelve workers getting their own to wear. Then, I stopped off at The Salvation Army. BINGO!! I had no idea they had lab coats – a whole rack of them! So, I took my pick of ten to let people try them on & then I’ll mosey back on another Wednesday (half off day) to get the remaining few needed sizes to make sure everyone gets one that fits. I am so excited!! Most of them still have tags hanging off of them. And we got 10 for 32$!! Thank You, Lord. We’re going to have a really fun year.
Oh, I also got a lot of fun stuff to decorate & play with from Steve Spangler. I especially loved these, these, and these. And of course, we have to have a plasma globe & a bobbing bird, too. I figure at at the end of the year, we can give these out as prizes.
Now all I have to do is order those crazy wigs & wacky glasses for our two mad scientists (object lesson teachers), & pick out some more fun awards. That and make a gazillion copies of the notebook stuff to put into the kids’ lab notebooks & we’ll be set for the new year of learning & growing. It’s coming right along.
I love writing curriculum – organizing what God’s teaching me into lessons to share with the kids on Wednesday nights. Plus, when I work ahead, I can have a team work with me & share/implement ideas. Anyway, this next year, I will be a bit of a “Johnny nine note” – it’s already started. Everywhere I look I see the Fruit of the Spirit. It was that way last year with sheep, though, & the year before with military & spiritual warfare.
This week, I am trying to get the definitions down so the kids (& I) can have them firmly in our minds throughout the year. This is yet another bonus to working with kids. If it’s boiled down to where a child gets it, the adults will most likely be able to as well.:) The Fruit of the Spirit is a lifelong project for me, so the sooner I can boil it down for frequent meditation the better. I want this stuff sunk way down deep in my heart, and the kids’.
Here’s what I’ve got for definitions so far. I share this so if you all have ideas, changes, input, please comment!
Love – (vs. selfishness) “Giving to others without worrying about what I get out of it.”
Joy – (vs. self-pity) “The automatic enthusiasm of my spirit when I am in fellowship with God.”
Peace -(vs. anxiety) “Building my life around that which is eternal & can’t be destroyed or taken away.”
Patience – (vs. intolerant) “Accepting a difficult situation as from God without giving a deadline to remove it.”
Kindness – (vs. indifference) “Investing whatever is necessary to help those in need.”
Goodness – (vs. impurity or hypocrisy) “Eagerly doing what is right, even when no one is looking.”
Faithfulness – (vs. unreliability) “Confidence that God always keeps His promises & being dependable like He is.”
Gentleness – (vs. harshness) “Quietly putting God’s love into action.”
Self-Control – (vs. self-indulgence) “Rejecting my own desires & doing what is right.”
Well, I’m getting pumped up about next year’s Club curriculum. I know, if you’re not a teacher at heart, it won’t make any sense. Just like the feeling of satisfaction & anticipation I have when making out weekly lesson plans, or the thrill that comes at the smell of a fresh box of crayons & brand spankin’ new school supplies. We’re an interesting breed, we teachers.
Anyway, next year’s topic will be the Fruit of the Spirit (highlight one each month) & it seems increasingly clear I need to go with a science theme. This year’s theme has had good discussions & lessons (sheep), but I knew the theme would be weak (Australia) because I didn’t have a “uniform” to put on each week to get the kids excited & focused. I mean, I could’ve dressed up like Crocodile Hunter, but I’m not good at pulling that one off. Plus, for awards, we’ve been using the Aussie hats for pins which I knew would be a bit distracting, but good for a change. Plus, that gave them some kind of “uniform”/costume each week. The one thing I need is a “catchphrase” like, for the military theme, we had B.O.O.T. Camp (Biblical Outlook & Outreach Training) & for the ten commandments, we had a cowboy theme with “It’s the Law, Pardner!” This year, we didn’t have that & it makes a big difference. Any ideas on how to hook science & the fruit of the Spirit together? It took us a month, but that cowboy theme came & was a good one. Here’s hoping a science one pops up soon. Nate suggested something to do ith the periodic table or a formula, like HS = L + J + P, etc. Maybe something could be done with that idea.
For the science year, Mom gave me three Bible object lesson science experiment books that look great! There are two guys in our church who I need to get these to & ask if they’d be willing to work up an experiment for us as a “mad scientist” guest each month. Anyone have ideas on names for these guys? When we did the cowboy theme, they were “Slim” & “Shorty”. _____ _______ the Science Guy or Dr. __________?
The kids have been getting SO much better at taking sermon notes each week! I love it. I need to find someone who’d be excited to take that on as a ministry – to jot notes of encouragement to those who took notes each week, & buy nice stickers & comment diligently. I have been increasingly swamped in this area & not getting the notes of encouragement written as consistently as I’d like. Instead of the 8 cent spirals we’ve been using to get us started down this note-taking road, I want to issue each child a “Lab Book” next year – one of those half size three ring binders – so we can just hole punch the notes & stick them in each week with the other Club stuff. Maybe have tabs – I know I loved those colored tabs as a kid! – to organize their notebooks. I need an anachronism for these books, like “Learning About B_______” or something. Ideas?
The teachers are each going to have lab coats to wear in class & the awards I’m thinking will go on canvas book bags where they can put their Bibles & notebooks & verses to keep. Award pins are becoming increasingly easier to come by. Oriental Trading has star pins with ribbons that look cool & there are crosses with jewels on them. I’m looking into those “Croc” pins the kids put on their shoes? Never actually seen one close up. I wonder if those could be used as rewards & stuck on canvas bags? I’m thinking of revamping the award booklet, too for next year & just handing out monthly “lab experiments” or some such thing. Basically do the same award system, but instead of giving them all the award options in a booklet at the beginning of the year, give them one or two they could work on a month as a group. They are getting the idea with the booklets now, but it has taken them half a year to really look at the thing & start working on awards – too overwhelming?
We need ideas on verse packets. The leather wallets we used this year were great! The key rings last year were convenient (the kids always brought them because they were hooked on to their bags) but became horribly tattered by the end of the year. Any ideas on verse packets that tie in with science? It doesn’t have to, but whenever you can, it makes it fun.
For most of you, I realize this is a totally boring post, but I’m throwing it out there because this is what’s on my mind a lot lately & will continue to be until summer when the baby takes center stage. If you have any brilliant ideas that you could toss in to the pot, please do so! I hope to have this all wrapped up & ready to hand to teachers by June.
Any of you doing Group’s VBS this summer might have some great suggestions you come across. Looking forward to seeing the summer’s Power Lab play out.
