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Teaching Tips

The Power of a High Five

Some kids need a physical touch to feel loved. These are usually the ones that try to snuggle up against you or try to sit on your lap or that hug you and won’t let go. They need attention. They need physical touch. They need to feel loved. But in our culture it’s extremely important to have specific boundaries for physical affection. For example, if I am sitting down and a child sits on my lap, I will immediately stand up and give them the chair. If a child approaches me to initiate a hug, I will turn my body sideways to give them a side-hug. For children that are especially touchy, use a high-five. Try to see them before they see you. Become the initiator. Call them by name and say, “Give me five!” Also look for ways to genuinely compliment them and build them up. By doing so, you will meet their emotional needs; with the high-five, you will be giving them frequent physical touches in a safe and appropriate way; and the high-five also draws a boundary line. It meets a need but also creates a distance for those who might be overly clingy.

For Leaders

You Can Only Give What You Have

Read 

The story is told that when Berlin was being divided into East Berlin, controlled by the Communists, and West Berlin, part of the free world, a group of East Berliners dumped a whole truckload of garbage on the west side. The people from West Berlin thought they’d pick up all the garbage, put it on a truck, and dump it back on the east side. Then they decided that wasn’t the way to handle it. Instead they filled a dump truck with canned goods and other non-perishable food items, went over to the east side, stacked it neatly, and put a sign beside it. The sign read, “Each gives what each has to give.” 1 

The point for us here is clear: We can only give what we have…now, we’re not talking about money or canned goods, but something much greater. You can only lead others to where you have already been. You can’t give your students spiritual depth and understanding if you don’t already have that spiritual understanding. You can only give the discipleship that you already have. 

Reflect

But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. (Jude 1:20 NLT) 

Respond 

One of God’s purposes for you is discipleship. How well are you growing? Are you continuing to advance forward? Are there things in your life that are stunting your growth? What is your plan for discipleship and a closer walk with Christ? 

Your thoughts?

Remember 

Growing takes time and is a process. God takes seven hours to grow a mushroom but seventy years to grow an oak tree. Which do you want to be? 

1John Maxwell, Be All You Can Be (publisher, date, and page unknown).

Family Devotions, Family Fun

Goodbye Sins

You Will Need: 

  • Water
  • Salt
  • A microwave or stove
  • A pan or bowl with a lid
  • A Bible marked at Romans 5:8

STEP 1

Add some salt to water and take a taste. 

ASK—How did it taste? (Pretty nasty, huh?)

SAY—Salt water tastes bad and if you drank a lot of it, it would make you sick. Salt doesn’t belong in drinking water and sin doesn’t belong in our lives.

STEP 2

Heat the water on the stove or in the microwave until it boils. 

STEP 3

Remove the water from the heat source (This is something an adult should do) and put a lid on it. Let it sit for 30 seconds to a minute and then remove the lid. Wait until the water on the lid cools and then take a taste. The saltiness is gone. 

SAY—Just like the salt disappeared, when we ask Jesus to forgive the wrong things we’ve done (our sins), He takes them away too.

Read Romans 5:8 from your Bible.

SAY—We can say yes to Jesus and give our lives to Him and follow Him every day because He loved us enough to die for us and then He rose from the dead.

PRAY—List prayer requests and thank Jesus for dying to pay the price for our sins so that we could be forgiven. 

Fun Stories

If Your Sandwich Could Talk

What if your sandwich could talk,

And it grew legs and then it could walk?

Then arms grew out each side,

And it wanted to run and play and hide?

Would you share your toys with him,

And let him be your friend?

Would you share with him your kazoo,

Even though he’s different from you?

Or would you call him names and be mean,

And not let him jump on your trampoline,

And not invite him to your birthday too,

Just because he’s different than you?

You’re a person with a body and a head,

And he’s a sandwich with two pieces of bread.

You’ve a neck, a chest and a belly.

But he’s full of peanut butter and jelly.

How could the two of you ever get along?

But does that mean it’s okay to treat him wrong?

And if he bothered you and you were hungry that day,

Would you eat him to make him go away?

Yes, this is silly—I know that it is true,

But in life you’ll meet people who are different than you.

And although I doubt you ever really meet,

A peanut butter sandwich walking down the street,

Just remember the point of what I am giving

And always do right, as long as you are living.

Obedience

Someone who is obedient does what is right even if everyone else is doing what is wrong. So the next time your friends say something mean about someone who is different than you, remember how Jesus wants you to treat others. Jesus said in the Bible in Matthew 7:12, “…whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them.” In other words, treat others the way you want them to treat you.

Read the Bible

D.I.V.E. DEVOTIONS – MARK 10:1-52

Dig In
–Dig in and enjoy God’s Word. What should I read in the Bible today?

Answer these questions each day…

Insight
–What did you see? What did you hear?

Value
–What did you learn? What should you do?

Examine
–Examine yourself as you pray. What will you pray?

Teaching Tips

Sending Pictures as Postcards

During events or during regular church times, take pictures of your students, especially close up face-shots and pictures with their friends. Tell them to make a crazy faces, to smile big, and so forth, but don’t tell them what the pictures are for. Develop the pictures in a 4×6 inch size.

Add your church name and address to the format for sending pictures as postcards and print it on a full-page label sheet. Cut these out, write a note on them, and then stick them to the back side of the pictures…and, just like that, you now have a postcard with your student’s picture on it that the post office will deliver. Just be sure to put the right postage on it. Parents and students alike love these.

(NOTE: If you stick the labels and then write a note once they are attached to the pictures, your writing can make an impression that will show through the pictures. So, always write the note, then stick the label.)

Sample label format that you can edit – Click HERE.