The
outreach to the international community is:
A ministry of Gospel-centered friendship
A ministry to fulfill a need: English practice, isolation loneliness,
cultural
awareness, etc
One
of the greatest avenues for creating relationships with the internationals
in our communities is through a ministry to the children.
Offering classes for English practice and Bible study has proven to
be an excellent avenue for becoming active within the international
community and is giving Christians the privilege of sharing the message of
God's love.
Many
spouses/grandparents live in university housing and spend their days caring
for children. The children's
classes offer an opportunity for a "place to go" for both the
caregiver and the child. A
"Moms (dads, grandparents, babysitter) and Tots" class actively
involves both the parent and child in the same class.
Another model for older children and parents is to offer separate
classes for the children and parents at the same time.
The parents' study coincides with the children's Bible lesson.
Beginning
Beginning
a children's class is an avenue into the international community, helping
develop Gospel-centered friendships and fulfilling a need.
Step
1: Identify a family
with a child(ren) and develop a personal relationship with them.
Step
2: Ask permission to begin
a class in English. Explain
that the teacher will do typical American songs, finger plays, games, etc.
and share a Bible story and art project at each 4560 minute meeting.
Step
3: Set a time and place for
the first class. Encourage
the friend to invite others with young children to attend.
It is okay to begin with one child and one parent!
If the class is done well, others will certainly be invited to
share in this wonderful American experience.
Step
4: Prepare for the first
class
!
Class
Groupings
Moms
& Tots 18 months to 2 years
Preschool 2- and 3-year-olds
Pre-kindergarten 4- and 5-year-olds
Kindergarten through 2nd grade
1st3rd grade
2nd5th grade
It
is important to be flexible. The
class needs to fit the children, not the children fit the class.
Teacher Qualifications:
-
Needs to have the gift of teaching young children
-
Lives a life that reflects the love of Jesus to others
-
Friendly, energetic, creative, flexible
-
Sees this opportunity as a personal ministry
Basic
Materials & Equipment:
-
Container for carrying supplies. (A
Rubbermaid storage container is sturdy.)
-
Vinyl table cloth to make a "classroom."
-
Flannelgraph made from a large embroidery hoop with flannel stretched
across the frame.
-
Cardboard squares (12"x2") for writing and coloring boards.
General
Supplies:
-
Crayons (box of 8)
-
Scissors for children
-
Pencils
-
Glue, stapler, Scotch tape
-
Markers
-
Construction paper
-
Art items (feathers, yarn, toilet paper tubes, styrofoam trays, glitter,
etc)
-
Stickers (religious or theme-related)
-
Rubber stamps
(Half
gallon milk jugs with an opening cut out on the side works well as a
storage organizer.)
Exploring
Materials: (Appropriate to the age and developmental level of the
children)
-
Puzzles
-
Playdough with rollers and cookie cutters
-
Books
-
Manipulatives (items for counting, sorting, etc): pegboard, figures,
clothespins, pompoms, tiles
-
Games: bingo, alphabet, number, Jesus, lotto, Candyland, Go Fish, etc
Make
sure that all items are large enough not to be swallowed by the younger
children!!
Bibles:
(For preschool classes and up)
The
Beginners Bible,
Questar Publishers, Inc., Sisters, Oregon
The
New Adventure Bible, (NIV
study Bible for kids) Zondervan
Resources
for "Gleaning" Ideas:
Together
with Jesus Sunday
School curriculum for parents and two-year-olds.
CPH
Gospel
LightLiving Word Curriculum
Easy English and visual presentation for all levels.
Gospel Light, Ventura, CA
Get
Ready, Set, Grow! A
preplanned calendar of preschool activities. Fearson Teacher Aids, Carthage, IL
Visit
your Christian bookstore and teacher supply store to find teacher helps for
teaching, arts, storytelling, etc.
Local
garage/rummage sales can provide you with all kinds of resources.
Remember to be selective since you will also need a storage place.
Typical
Class Schedule
The
amount of time spent in each area depends upon the level of the children.
Younger children need more activity/movement time.
The older children spend more time in Bible study and arts/crafts
projects.
1015
minutes Activities
(free choice) and interaction time (coordinated with Bible story theme)
510
minutes Welcome
(Action/Movement Songs and finger plays)
515
minutes Bible
story time
510
minutes Art/craft
activity (coordinated with Bible story theme)
5
minutes Goodbye
(Song, prayer, etc.)
The
host parent makes the decision to offer a simple snack or not.
Eating does provide for excellent fellowship, but the food can be
messy. The parents of the
younger children also arrange for the meeting place.
The older children offer their apartments with parental permission.