Workshop Rotation What Will it Be Like?		Station Preview Family Worship

All Aboard!!

Messiah Lutheran Church’s
Kingdom of the Son
Rotational Sunday School
(Sundays at 8:45 am)

Welcome to Kingdom of the Son,
a new Rotational Sunday school.
(Kiddie Kingdom is ready for PK2-Kindergarten!)

It’s interactive, It’s Hands-on, It’s fun!

And it’s Bible learning at it’s best.

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Workshop Rotation

Our church is using a new and exciting curriculum in the Children's Ministry. This teaching method is called the Workshop Rotation Model. It reorganizes the way teachers teach, not what they teach. Our Workshop Rotation will have the following creative, kid-friendly workshops: The Good News Depot (Storytime), Station KOTS (Music/Movement & Video), Christian Café (cooking), Noah’s Ark-ade (games), Imagination Station (Art) & Holy Word Studios (Drama & Puppets).

Children rotate by class into a different workshop each week for a six-week period. During that period of time, the Bible lesson they learn is the same in each workshop. Children love repetition and need it to remember their lessons. Because each of the workshops teach through a different style of learning, the children don't get bored. Instead, this multi-faceted approach enhances their learning process because children will relax, have more fun, get involved in a project, and get more time to think, and do, and discuss. Also, each class has a "shepherd" that will rotate with the class for the six-week period. This person will stay with the class during their hour.

As the children rotate, the teachers stay in their same workshop. They teach in the workshop of their strength and interest for the six-week period. Since they use the same lesson each week as the different grade groups move, the teacher really only has to plan the lesson once. Then in the following weeks, they make adjustments for the different age groups, using suggestions which are many times included in the lesson plan they have been given.

Each workshop has a time for children to use Bibles and read (or be read to) from the Bible, and a prayer time. The same memory verse and lesson objective is used in all workshops. No two rooms are alike, and they are changeable. From time to time, rooms can be converted into all sorts of exciting places.

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What Will Sunday Be Like

Every week with the help of a simple map or the greeters, you will sign-in your child(ren) (grades 1-6) in the “old sanctuary” just before 8:45 am. Your child will find the friendly face of his/her shepherd in the “old sanctuary” and sit with others from their class. At 8:45 am sharp, we will start worship, where we will share music and an opening prayer and announcements. Then at 8:55 am the classes and their shepherd will go their workshop for the week and have class with that workshop teacher. At the end of service, you will go to your child's workshop room and be able to see what they have done that day, and then sign them out. As a parent you will know where to find your child each week by the KOTS board schedule and it will be printed in our church bulletins.

If you have Kindergarten or younger students, you will sign them into their designated classrooms. PK3, PK4 and Kindergarten will be in the Christian Education wing and our PK2 with parent will meet in our new nursery. This grade level will stay in their classrooms the entire time, and use a “centers” concept that is familiar to early childhood learning to enhance this age group’s experience. The “K & younger” students will also have the same curriculum during the 6 weeks so sharing between family members can be enhanced as everyone learns more about the story.

I pray that this new teaching method, with its wide variety of experiences and information will stir the thoughts of God's children, and prepare their hearts for the Holy Spirit to produce the "I get it!" moment. For more information on the Workshop Rotation Model, go to their website at www.rotation.org. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 847-726-5161.

May God richly bless you and your family.

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Preview of Each Station

At the Good News Depot, kids will hear the story of this journey. In this “story time tent”, the story will be acted out, bible verses will be learned and kids will get a glimpse of what it was like to live during bible times.

At the Christian Café, something is always cooking for our travelers. That’s because they are doing the cooking, using the bible as a recipe book, or interpreting our story through cooking, this is a favorite with many on the journey.

At the Imagination Station, our travelers will be learning the story through an art project. With the opportunity to spend the entire class period on the project, our project can be more involved, and may include paint, pastels or other mediums while looking at some of the “masters” and how they interpreted our story.

At Holy Word Studios, there’s always a bit of drama. That’s because it’s our drama workshop, with costumes, skits, puppets and more, the story comes to life each week with our students as the stars of our production.

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Family Worship

Messiah offers a Jesus’ Kids time at every service: Sat (5pm) & Sun (7:30am, 9:00am & 10:30am) and we welcome families with children at every service!

Dear Parent:

One of the most joyful childhood memories I have was Sunday worship as a family. As they say in Scotland, "It was more felt that telt." It felt good just to put on my special dress clothes on that one day a week, because we were to "wear our Sunday best for the Lord" (nothing fancy-a white shirt and slacks). Regularly I met my parents after Sunday School and we usually took the third or fourth pew on the right side of the church. If the Pastor's sermon was a bit long, and it often was, I usually just let my imagination soar about all kinds of kid's concerns. They didn't have children's sermons in those days, so I created my own. I also learned all kinds of stories about God and His people during that one hour at Sunday morning worship with my family.

1. I learned humility and to "walk humbly with my God" as I saw my mom and dad bow their heads in prayer and kneel to receive Holy Communion.

2. I learned how to listen critically. I looked up into the eyes of my mom and dad as I struggled to understand God's word for our lives. We talked about the sermon after service. Sometimes we were pretty tough on the pastor's sermon; other times we thought it was great and told him so.

3. I learned how to be thankful to God. With my small hands I held the hymn book with the assistance of mom or dad. We sang joyfully. Sometimes off key... sometimes very off key...but we sang hymns of praise to our Creator. Today I know most of those hymns by heart. I am grateful to God because of those times together singing.

4. I learned generosity. I watched closely as my mom or dad placed the offering in the plate. Those were hard earned dollars, yet I could see a sense of joy in their eyes. They gave gratefully. They gave joyfully. I do the same today.

5. I learned how to pray. I prayed for the sick, for the problems in the world, for lost loved ones, and I prayed the Lord's Prayer. Prayer was instilled into every part of my person. I am closer to God today because prayer was so real and sincere in my childhood.

6. I learned the joy of Christian fellowship through all the loving hugs and "good mornings" as we shared coffee and coffee cake after service. Sometimes the light "chit chat" later involved the sharing of joys or deep burdens - but it always bound us together as brothers and sisters in the love of Jesus!

So again the question. Is it worth the effort taking the kids to worship? May you prayerfully and positively answer that question yourself.

-Pastor Chuck

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