Jesus’ Friends Jesus’ Love God’s World NG SEEDS OF F ANTI AITH OOD PL IN EARLY CHILDH Spring Quarter 2017 Practice Makes Perfect ............................................ 2 5 Essentials for the Pre-Primary Classroom ................... 3 Pre-Primary Resources ............................................ 4 Basic Supplies for Pre-Primary Teachers ...................... 5 Getting Started! ..................................................... 6 Leading a Young Child to Christ.................................. 7 Jesus’ Friends UNIT 1 OVERVIEW........................................................ 8 March 5, 2017 Dorcas Helps Others ...................10 March 12, 2017 Peter and John Help a Lame Man ... 18 March 19, 2017 Philip Tells about Jesus .............. 27 The Doctrinal Basis of Our Curriculum March 26, 2017 Lydia Serves God’s Helpers ......... 36 A more detailed statement with references is available upon request. Jesus’ Love • The verbal, plenary inspiration of the Scriptures UNIT 2 OVERVIEW ..................................................... 44 • Only one true God April 2, 2017 Jesus Teaches the People............ 46 • The Trinity of the Godhead • The Holy Spirit and His ministry April 9, 2017 Jesus Goes to Jerusalem ............ 55 • The personality of Satan April 16, 2017 Jesus Dies and Lives Again .......... 64 • The Genesis account of creation • Original sin and the fall of man April 23, 2017 Jesus Meets with His Friends ....... 73 • The virgin birth of Christ April 30, 2017 Jesus Tells Peter to Serve Him ..... 83 • Salvation through faith in the shed blood of Christ May 7, 2017 Jesus Goes Back to Heaven ..........92 • The bodily resurrection and priesthood of Christ • Grace and the new birth God’s World • Justifi cation by faith UNIT 3 OVERVIEW ..................................................... 101 • Sanctifi cation of the believer • The security of the believer May 14, 2017 God Makes Day and Night, Sky, • The church Land, and Plants ..................... 103 • The ordinances of the local church: baptism by immersion and May 21, 2017 God Makes Sun, Moon, and Stars, the Lord’s Supper Fish, Birds, and Animals............. 112 • Biblical separation— ecclesiastical and personal May 28, 2017 God Makes People .................... 121 • Obedience to civil government • The place of Israel • The pretribulation rapture of the church • The premillennial return of Christ • The millennial reign of Christ Regular Baptist Press • Eternal glory in Heaven for the righteous 3715 North Ventura Drive • Arlington Heights, Illinois 60004-7678 Spring 2017 • Vol. 64, No. 3 • © 2009 by Regular Baptist Press • Printed in U.S.A. • Eternal torment in Hell for the wicked Janis Salzman, Editorial Manager • King James Version Practice Makes Perfect What would you do if you saw a student trying to glue Encourage Practice paper fl owers onto a card project, but there is more glue Use these teaching practices to help your students on the table than on the card? Instinctively you might develop their skills. offer, “Here, let me do that for you.” When you come to • Start with what students already know. If the a child's rescue, you may think that you are helping students can write a few letters of their names, let them him—not to mention saving time, preventing a mess, write their names on their papers. You can write their completing a task, and making his craft presentable. names below their writing. But what is the child learning from the experience? • Help students experience success. Give chil- He is learning that you can do it better than he can, and dren age-appropriate responsibilities. Be realistic about therefore, why should he try to do it when someone else what they can do. Pre-primaries can hand out snacks, is more successful. Doing projects that require the same but they probably can’t pour drinks without spilling. skill set is an ideal way for pre-primaries to learn. When you sweep in to perform tasks for them, you are cutting • Build skills step-by-step. If students have dif- short their learning experiences. fi culty doing actions while singing, help them learn the song’s words before gradually adding movement. Value Practice • Show, not tell. When teaching a new skill, show Practice helps pre-primaries develop coordination. students how to do it. Children often learn better by The children gain knowledge rapidly, but their eye-hand watching than by listening. coordination often lags behind their thinking ability. • Assist with verbal clues. Instead of doing a task This gap between knowledge and coordination is frus- for students, give them suggestions; for example, “This trating for parents, teachers, and pre-primaries. Practice card is long and skinny. Try folding it the other way.” does make perfect. The more students have the oppor- • Be fl exible. Students may take more time to fi n- tunity to use their hands and bodies, the better their ish a task than you anticipate. To a young child, doing coordination will become. the project is just as fulfi lling as fi nishing it. Bible time is Another advantage of encouraging students to do a priority, but avoid too rigid a schedule. more on their own is that they will have opportunities • Stop before frustration. Young children get to become more responsible, cooperative, and teachable. tired and hungry. Don’t push them to “try again” if you Some students have a tendency to be dependent. If you sense they are reaching their limit. Accept their efforts continue to rescue those children in their attempts to and express appreciation to them for trying. perform certain tasks, they will always ask for your help. Encouraging pre-primaries to “try” takes time and When children face diffi cult tasks and persist to complete patience. Pray for your students. Ask the Lord for wisdom them, they learn how to problem solve. By giving your as you plan your Sunday School lesson and interact with students responsibility at an early age, you are helping students. The Lord can use you to give pre-primaries a them develop positive lifetime patterns. great start in loving Christ and living for Him. 2 Essentials for the Pre-Primary Classroom Have you ever heard the expression “the tyranny of to move; e.g., sing action songs, march around the room, do the urgent”? That phrase describes what happens when stretching exercises, use action rhymes, act out the story. immediate needs scream for attention. In managing the crisis of the moment, important areas may be overlooked. Essential A routine “The tyranny of the urgent” often takes place when #3 Children thrive when the classroom has order. working with young children. It’s easy to overlook the Establish the basic layout of events during your Sunday essentials that provide a positive learning environment. School time and stick to that sequence. Once you discover Take some time to refl ect on the following essentials. Are the best way to distribute handcraft materials or to clean they part of your classroom? up, repeat the procedures from week to week. Children will soon learn to anticipate what they should do next. Essential A Spirit-fi lled teacher #1 What motivates you to teach? Do you teach to Essential The right supplies get recognition, to fulfi ll a duty, or to get “warm fuzz- #4 Adequate and appropriate supplies can make ies” from the children? Hopefully, you teach because you the difference between having an organized classroom or love children. That love comes from God (1 John 4:7). sheer chaos! The social skills of waiting for turns, shar- How is your love relationship with God? Are you reading ing materials, and allowing others to have fi rst choice are His Word, talking to Him during the day, and obey- diffi cult for young children. Think through your Sunday ing His teachings? If so, your patience, kindness, and School session. Does each student have a chair and table understanding will show through as you work with the space? Do you have extra handwork pages for visitors? Is children. Another factor to consider is your need for rest. the supply of crayons, Play-Doh, and glue sticks adequate Are you pacing your schedule on Saturday so that you for your class? Can you locate supplies quickly and con- will wake up refreshed on Sunday? veniently? Many behavior problems disappear when children have the supplies they need in hand. Essential A child-centered approach #2 A gap exists between an adult’s perception of Essential A well-prepared plan the world and a young child’s outlook. Put yourself in #5 This essential seems to be a given, but it may the children’s shoes and plan your Sunday School time be shortchanged in the busyness of your personal life. accordingly. Do you have a plan for when the children fi rst walk • Attention span. As you know, the children’s atten- through the door until they leave the room hand-in-hand tion span is short! Plan accordingly. with their parents? Your RBP teacher’s guide walks you • Visual fi eld. Place your wall hangings and bul- step-by-step through the Sunday School session. Are you letin board displays on the children’s eye level. For your familiar enough with the plan so that you do not have to displays, choose bright colors and objects that children refer to it often? You may want to change the plan to fi t enjoy; e.g., animals, people, food, toys, etc. your particular group of students. If so, make sure you • Eye-hand coordination. Pre-primaries’ small motor know what you are doing and when you are doing it. Jot coordination is still developing. Rejoice in your students’ down your classroom routine on a notecard and keep it participation rather than the appearance of their fi nal with you. products. Go back to the basics of teaching—and enjoy a • Activity level. Plan activities that allow your students well-managed classroom! 3 Pre-Primary Resources Your Bible PLANTING FAITH Pre-Primary Teacher’s Guide SPRING QUARTER 2017 (2290) Order one guide for each superintendent and teacher in Sunday School and Church Time each quarter.