Learning Ideas

LEARNING IDEAS TO SHARE

from

OUR SAVIOR'S LUTHERAN CHURCH

CAMDENTON, MO 65020

I. Vacation Bible School Reunion

This year on January 25, 1997, we scheduled an all day reunion for our vacation Bible school children. We had an all day session from 9 AM to 4 PM with lunch provided. We added a film to follow lunch for all of the children. Otherwise, we followed the same type of schedule as the half-day scheduled for summer. We basically doubled the activities for the day with the exception of class time which we cut to include the movie. It was wonderful.

We had an opening with Icthus, who was the summer mascot, in a play to review the summer lessons. Teachers selected their choice of stories from summer or new stories at their discretion. We had music, snacks, games, story time, crafts, and music.

We felt that this reunion increased interest for this coming summer, as well as bringing us together for a renewal and sharing of faith. The staff and children felt it was a great success.

II. Community Christian Children's Choir

We have a small congregation and a small number of children at Our Savior's, so in the fall of 1994, we decided to invite any community children who were interested to join a children's choir. Letters (1,575) were distributed through the local school system in grades one through six. We had only 22 children interested during that first year. In 1995, we had only 15 children. This year, we have 26 children.

We pick the children up immediately after school and bring them to church. We have a schedule of sorts. First, the children have a snack, usually kool-aid and fruit with crackers and peanut butter, or something similar. We have tried a variety of hot and cold snacks (pizza, hot dogs, nachos, etc.). After the snack, we sing a variety of songs, including some from vacation Bible school. We take a drink and bathroom break after about 1/2 hour. Then, we sing again until parents arrive to pick up the children.

We meet the first and third Mondays of each month from October through April. We sing in a local follies which is now scheduled in the fall. We go to a local nursing home to sing carols at Christmas time, and we usually take a treat for the older people. We also sing at any of the local churches that invite us, especially those of the children involved in the choir. We also have an end-of-the-year program on a Sunday afternoon in May with snacks, of course.

This is especially great for small churches and may help bring in new families who have no church, but are interested in finding one. Of the present number of children we now have at Our Savior's, 16 have no home church.