Kidzone Off-Roading

A few months ago I volunteered to help teach Sunday School....in our little church there are only three classes~ baby nursery, 3 yr through kindergarten, first through 5th grade. I don't fit with the nursery. Need to productively teach, not just hold babies and keep toddlers amused. I'd do okay with the middle group, but Keri does such a wonderful job, so I'm not really needed there.

I've landed in the upper group. At first it felt a little like treading water in class 5 rapids, but it's/I'm better, now. Now, we work like a unit most of the time. These are not traditional church kids. They think and answer like kids, not church kids. I'm in favor of both. I'm a former church kid, "correctly" trained in the right answer. The real kid answers challenge me and keep me on my toes.

A word about the curriculum. It's canned. That makes the variation of teachers [3 of us rotate weeks] less disruptive for the kiddletts.

So, I said we worked like a unit most of the time. Oh, you need to know that the class size and composition varies a lot. Several of the kids are with the Other Parent every other week. If I'm teaching every other week, I may not see these kids at all. For most, church is another option for Sunday. If something better comes along, we'll do that instead.

There's lots more to share about class and what we cover. I may get to that another time, but I want to tell you about today. The lesson was about "Count the Cost." The DVD teacher explained that committing to becoming a Christian wasn't just happy, happy, happy, always right answers all the time.....so count the cost before you commit. Being a Christian is going to land you in uncomfortable places and unpopular places and ugh. So, sign right up!

Um....NO. If that's all you say, the obvious answer to real kids is "Hooray, I just got my Sunday morning back! Forget this church stuff." I previewed the lesson, talked with Ken and Keri [pastor and mrs. pastor] and Ken said, "Well, just go off road. I trust you to teach them."

Well, thanks for the confidence....

So, I played the canned lesson but stopped the DVD and editorialized several times.

I explained the three parts of the God family. In our family there were grandparents, parents, kids. In God's family there is God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit. YOU have three parts: body, soul, spirit. Then there was this super demonstration with oil, water, and Alka Seltzer....Alka Seltzer energizing your spirit...er...um....water......I can tell you more another time.

Told them everybody has hard times, not just Christians. Everybodys dog dies. [One kid said she didn't have a dog...You understand what I mean, right? ... Oh, uh, yes.] We made paper wads from a full week of newspapers. We had a wiffle ball [YOU are the wiffle ball] We had a plastic bin. [heaven] We had a clear shower curtain. [covering of the Holy Spirit] We all threw paper wads at the person walking across the room to get themselves to heaven. Troubles come.....Shit happens, in the vernacular and unSunday School speak. The choice is whether to sign up and get the protection of the shower curtain/Holy Spirit or not. They got it.

I love these kids. I love teaching. I love to see the "Aha!" I love being guided into the creativity to teach. Every other Sunday morning is hard work, good fun, and so rewarding.