Articles and Specials in this Newsletter A Love Story Spread Love Diamonds From Proverbs  Praying Kids  Spread Love Puppet Skit Parents Like Valentines Too! We Love Families Celebration Clean Heart  Greatest Commandment  Say "I Love You" to Workers  Kick Off the New Year Right Train'em Right Bible Curriculum for Preschoolers   Appreciation CD

Do your teachers groan and mutter "Not Another Meeting!" I’ve been there too. I have seen teachers that desperately needed to develop better teaching skills and discouraged teachers that needed fresh inspiration, but when I planned a teacher training session they didn’t show up. As a matter of fact, very few people showed up. Why don’t people come when you have a teacher’s meeting? Why? Over the years I have discovered a few answers to that question. Teachers are incredibly busy people. They are trying to juggle all the responsibilities of life and sometimes one more meeting is more than they can handle. Poor attendance can be attributed to the following factors: 1. To be painfully honest sometimes teacher feel that teacher meetings are a waste of time. And often they are! 2. They don't benefit the teachers. Sometimes leadership doesn’t have a clue what the teachers really need.  3. The time and location of the meeting is not convenient 4. Lack of child care. 5. Lack of vision. The teachers don’t see the need of another meeting. 6. Boredom. Often meetings can be disorganized and uneventful. Look at your last meeting through the eyes of your teachers? Did it meet their needs? Was it interesting? Did the teachers leave feeling they were a valued part of a team that was really making a difference in people’s lives? If your last meeting was a disaster or even average (in their opinion) it will be much harder to get them back. Let’s look at some strategies that can transform your meetings from a boring meeting to a teacher celebration. Never have monthly teacher meeting just to say you had one. If you have well equipped, motivated, excited teachers then you don't need a monthly meeting. Before scheduling any meeting ask yourself these questions. 1. Is there a need or purpose for this meeting? “We’ve always had monthly teacher meetings” is an excuse not a purpose. There must be opportunity for the Christian Education Director or leader to pour vision into the teachers. Teachers need to be validated. Teachers need to feel that they are part of a team, not a lone ranger in a class in the basement. Meetings can be an opportunity to stir your team to excellence. But the meeting must be filled with purpose, excitement and relevant content to move the team to excellence.  2. Is there a better way to meet this need? a) Do you have a Master Teacher Training program in place? This eliminates the need for numerous meeting which would otherwise be necessary because new teachers are being trained by a master teacher that already has the heartbeat of the leader. b) Can the teachers check out videos or CDs that cover that aspect of training? Is there a book you can give them to read? (Click here: Teacher Training Resources) c) Can the information be communicated via Phone Tree call, email or a newsletter? When a meeting has passed the acid test of need, purpose and goal let’s look at timing. a) Can this meeting be held prior to something that is already scheduled? This eliminates people having to get out an extra night. b) Can the meeting take place during a regular service time slot such as Sunday School, Wednesday night or Sunday evening when child care is provided and they are already in the habit of attending. c) If you need a longer time slot than coming early will provide…What night works the best for the majority of your team? d) Plan the event far enough ahead of time to advertise it well. Don’t call it a meeting. “Meeting” automatically communicates boring! Call it a Teacher Celebration. Communicate effectively that this will be an event that will make a difference in their teaching. Develop a theme. We have done that for you with our Teacher Celebrations. Advertise. Advertise. Advertise. Be creative with your advertising. The invitations should fit your theme. Find some “crafty” (you know what I mean folks that like to do crafts) people, preferably some that do not work in children’s ministry to make your invitations and get them in the mail. Invite each teacher personally. Divide the complete teacher list and give to volunteers to call the teachers. Or have the department heads or lead teachers call all their volunteers. It would be a good time for the department heads to check on their teachers to see how things are going in the classroom. If your church has a phone tree system, use it. Be sure the invitation is warm, loving and upbeat. Communicate that this celebration is going to be packed with vital information, food and fun! ADVERTISE. Put up posters where the teachers will see it. Add your teacher celebration to the Power Point announcements that are used in the auditorium. Let me reemphasis…advertise, advertise ADVERTISE. Impact the teachers with the information that there is going to be fun, food and facts. The celebration. • Use decorations that fit your theme. • Have refreshments that fit the theme. • Kick off your celebration with an icebreaker game. • Keep the meeting moving. This requires lots of organization. • Inspire them. • Impart vision. • Be creative with your presentation. Have skits. Use videos and visual aids to impact your audience. • Make it relational. Relationships are important. Help them get to know one another. •Give away door prizes. • Be punctual. Start on time. End the meeting exactly when you promised you would. If you said 7:00 until 8:30 then end the meeting promptly at 8:30. Those that want to fellowship longer can do so, but keep your word.   • If you must make any announcements be sure they are brief. Put the announcements in writing and let the teachers read them when they get home. • Don't make the celebration last too long. If you have the meeting on a Friday night, you can use a longer time slot than a weeknight, especially if you have a light meal. • Inspire them. Have something purposeful to say. Use videos, special speakers and visuals. We have a good selection of videos for inspiration and developing skills. Click here to see a complete list. Add little treats from Steve Greer’s Appreciation CDs. Gift certificates to restaurants are always welcome. Teaching CDs is a great way to invest in teachers.   Show your teachers how much your appreciate them with a CD that will encourage, inspire and motivate them to do a better job.   DV:TR Train'em Right DVD  PC:TR Train'em Right  CD DV:TRD Train'em Right 13 minute devotion on Commitment DVD   Give this CD as a Valentine gift to your teachers and save money when you order 10 or more.  PC:TRS Train'em Right  CD or Make the Bible Come Alive  Make the Bible CD This year I hope you’ll take the opportunity to Stop, Drop and roll to make this thanksgiving really special for your staff. Let Us help you with your next teacher’s meeting. Show one of our DVDs at your next teacher’s meeting. We have a great selection of DVDs that will inspire and equip your teachers to be more successful in the classroom. Most of them are 45 to 55 minutes in length. We have produced a shorter 13 minute DVD that is great for those times when you need a devotion instead of a training time. Train’em Right Commitment is a powerful teaching using the story of Rizpah and the building of the Brooklyn Bridge to communicate the importance of commitment. This DVD is only $9.95. It is taken from the full length Train 'em Right DVD. Kick off your New Year Right! with savings on Mining Wisdom Curriculum   The Bible is God speaking to mankind. In most classes the Bible is NOT an exciting, relevant book. Are your student in love with the Bible or do they simply endure it until you do something fun?  Mining Wisdom curriculum can help your students discover the Bible is a wonderful treasure- more valuable than diamonds. Do the children in your class realize that? In most classes the Bible is NOT an exciting, relevant book. It is time for us to do more than just talk about the Bible. It is time to dust it off and put it to work in our lives.  Mining Wisdom will help your students realize what God's Word can be in their lives: Commandments not Suggestions, Eternal, Wisdom; Light, Gives Light, Will Never Fail, Cleanses Us, Jesus, Healing, Salvation, Victory Over Sin, Inspired. These lessons use Bible stories that are fresh and relevant to your class such as Habakkuk's Watchtower Encounter, Obadiah's Bad News, and Ten Commandment Encounter. This unit compares mining minerals from the earth and mining nuggets from your Bible. Your class will love digging in their Bibles with Aristo Rat as their guide. The puppets or actors from the mine will teach an overview of every book in the Bible and illustrate it with a florescent memory symbol. The curriculum is packed with fun characters, strong object lessons and great stories that will impact your children with a deeper love for the Bible. This unit compares mining minerals from the earth and mining nuggets from your Bible. The object lessons are fascinating illustrations using diamonds, rubies, gold, pyrite and all sorts of rocks.  Your class will love digging in their Bibles with Aristo Rat as their guide. The puppets or actors from the mine will teach an overview of every book in the Bible and illustrate it with a florescent memory symbol that helps them visualize the theme of every book in the Bible. Your class will meet Goldie, the Rock Hound, who discovers a treasure more valuable than gold and diamonds, and Ding Bat and Sylvester the Snake that want to steal her treasure; Professor Von Cluck trying to perfect his time machine to find Moses, Koo Koo Bird that is Koo Koo for God's Word and the Old Prospector. This exciting, action packed unit illustrates true wisdom is only found in God's Word.    The 13 complete lessons include: 13 Bible Stories 16 Character Stories  43 Drama/Puppet Skits  13 Crafts  42 Object Lessons  Books of the Bible Memory Symbols  Bible Reading Charts  Puppet Patterns for Koo Koo Bird, Ding Bat & Sylvester  Bulletin Board Pattern  Mining Set Pattern. You'll want to use this unit again and again.  Complete Kit Product # M Kit contains: Teaching Unit (Click here to see description of contents of teaching unit)  Visuals for stories are now on DVD. You can tell the stories and use the DVD for the visuals.  Black light Head of Christ  Memory Verses are now on DVD  Memory Symbols are now on DVD.  Professor Von Cluck skit book  Mining Wisdom Pre-Recorded Puppet Skits to use for your puppets to mime the skits. Your puppeteers don't have to come up with the voices. It's already pre-recorded for your actors.  Mining Wisdom Patterns  Rod Puppet Patterns Even if you don't have a puppet team you can involve the children with these simple paper rod puppets for the children to move as the skits are played. No moveable mouths on these paper puppets. Just attach them to dowel rods or paint sticks. Or make them large and out of foam to use under black light. Mining Wisdom Complete Kick off your New Year Right! with savings on Bible Story visuals Bible Felts Large Bible Felts Small   Kick off your New Year Right! Save money on puppets. Set of 6 people puppets Select your own 6 puppet set. Click here for more details.   A Clean Slate During the New Year and slightly before you probably have heard or talked about starting the New Year with a clean slate. While it is true the old calendar is discarded and a brand new one is used we don’t get to start fresh just because a new year begins. (show the slate) You must deal with the sin issue before you can truly have a clean slate. Because all mankind has a nature to sin, it doesn’t take long for the slate of your life to be filled with sins. The Bible says we have all sinned. Sin is knowing to do good and not doing it. No matter how sweet you are, you have sinned. No one had to teach you how to sin. It comes natural. We inherited that nature to sin from Granddaddy Adam. Everyone, and I mean everyone, has sinned. (Romans 3:23 (Begin to list sins on the slate.) Maybe it is something like taking money that doesn’t belong to you or telling a lie. (Ask the students to help you name some sins.) The slate started out clean, but it isn’t clean anymore. It is full of sins that I don’t want here. Because we can’t always see the immediate results of sin, we often think sin doesn’t hurt us. But that isn’t true. Sin robs you. Sin erodes your values and character. Sin destroys lives, families and nations. Sin kills. But worse than all these consequences of sin, the Bible says “the wages” or the payday for sin is death or eternal separation from God. (Rom.6:23) We can’t erase our slate. We can’t wash our slate. We are helpless to clean ourselves. But God knew we would sin. He made a plan at the very beginning in the Garden of Eden. He explained it when Adam and Eve sinned. (Gen 3:15) God promised to send Jesus to pay the penalty for sin. Jesus paid the price of the sins of the entire world when He died on the cross. When you ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and come into your heart, he erases all your sins. ( Lift plastic sheet.) They are gone forever. There will be times, even after you are born again that you will sin. When you sin (Write “SIN” across all the page.) ask Jesus to forgive you of that sin. (Lift the plastic sheet to remove the word.) Ask Him to help you not to do it anymore. Turn away from your sin. (Write “TURN”) Repentance means, turn away and go in the opposite direction. You must choose to obey God’s Laws instead of what you feel like doing. Yes, you can begin with a clean slate. It is more than a new calendar, it is a new way of thinking, living and loving. A clean slate is possible through Jesus Christ. Copyright 2005 Let Us Teach Kids All Rights Reserved. You can order the 5” X 7” clean slate and story.   O:SLATE To register for the free newsletter type your email address here. © Copyright 2006 Let Us Teach Kids 1453 Otoes Pl.; Jacksonville, FL 32259 904 287-2869 www.letusteachkids.com.

Show your teachers you love them in a creative way this Valentine   King of Hearts Magic Trick Show your teachers you appreciate them with Teaching CDs! Did you know that we have all of our training series in CD now for only $4.95 each. Show your teachers how much your appreciate them with a CD that will encourage, inspire and motivate them to do a better job. Featured CD Train'em Right . Preschool Curriculum 3 different units to choose from  Interactive Curriculum includes Split Track CD & Hand Motions! Features: * Crafts * Games * Snacks * Object Talks * Devotions * Skits * Bible Life & Customs * Bible Lessons * Lyrics & Hand Motions * Worship Ideas. REPRODUCIBLES with easy to use materials for Preschool Bible Pre school Curriculum    for lesson book and CD for pre-schoolers.

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