Teacher Training Sessions
FOUR LESSONS ON BIBLICAL, EFFECTIVE METHODS OF TEACHING: FROM THE TEACHERS SPIRITUAL CONDITION, PERSONAL TALENTS AND ACQUIRED SKILLS, TO BECOMING THE TEACHER THAT IS CHRIST-LIKE SO THEIR STUDENTS WILL DESIRE TO IMMULATE.
Being the Best Teacher: Communicating with all your resources
Learn how to go from teaching to being a teacher. Being a teacher is not what you do but who you are. This can only be accomplished when one realizes that this calling is bigger than one’s self. Learn what ingredients are essential for the Lord to create the teacher that can glorify Him. Making a plan, personal preparation, how to make your point and taking advantage of the personality that God is developing in you is of utmost importance.
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Teaching like Jesus
Examine with us the teaching methods of Christ. Teaching under various physical conditions and to varied crowds, from the woman at the well to masses by the seaside, can be learned. Learn how He taught the willing and unwilling, the enemy of righteousness and the physically desperate. He demonstrated His ability to teach His message at a wedding, a funeral, a graveside, in a palace, a garden and before His own tomb, always accomplishing His spiritual goals. We will examine His use of symbols and the concrete to explain the abstract, His use of stories and parables, answering questions with questions, His use of Scripture as well as His visual aids and use of physical activities to make spiritual applications.
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Using Mystery in your Children’s Ministry
To teach effectively one must first grab and hold their students attention. In this session learn how to use the very special tool called “Mystery”. Mystery creates excitement and excitement creates an atmosphere for learning. In this class learn how to apply mystery to the many aspects of your children’s ministry.
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Visual Passion in your Ministry
2Ki 10:16, “And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.” In so many cases today children through adults see our lives in the ministry of teaching, preaching, soul-winning and ministry presentation as a passive desire to serve the Lord. It’s seen as carnal activity that produces short lived results or temporary emotional highs. A teacher or preacher with passion, a zeal and fervent desire to know God and please Him will produce a contagious environment. This is where individual motivation and church-wide involvement produces eternal consequences. Glory to our God, peace in our lives and measurable results to the ministry is the result of a visualized, Godly and passionate life.
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THE LABOR AND STEWARDSHIP INVESTED TO BRING IN CHILDREN TO CHURCH SHOULD NOT BE WASTED IN NOT HAVING AN EFFECTIVE JUNIOR CHURCH PROGRAM. THE BUS MINISTRY AND JUNIOR CHURCH MUST BE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN AND CO EXIST TO BEAR FRUIT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
An Effective Junior Church Program
Most churches have a Sunday morning Junior Church program but many are not effective. A Junior Church Program is a necessary service for the evangelization of lost souls and the edification of tomorrow’s church. Junior Church should not be a babysitting time while the “real service” is going on. In this session learn what key ingredients (passion, vision, mystery, timing, personnel, and variety) are necessary to have an effective Junior Church program.
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Steps for Building a Better Church Bus Ministry
Picture children running from all directions to climb aboard the church bus. No dragging kids to come to church, no begging or bribing. Real excitement that affects families, even neighborhoods. It can happen—it does happen in the bus ministry! If this doesn’t sound like your bus ministry, you can change that.
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Building Your Own Vacation Bible School
Building a program mentally, spiritually and physically for either edification or evangelization, or both, is no small task. The rewards from a great VBS program is a boost in morale among workers as co-laborers see a display of spiritual fruit that reconfirms a workers’ divine purpose. But before even starting, our goals must be decided. When, where and the type of VBS must be determined and your experienced and inexperienced worker base must be acquired. The type of program must be determined. A theme for the program and then a time line for getting lessons prepared, props purchased or built is your starting place. Your staff must be instructed and prepared. We will teach the various methods of approaching a daily schedule and why we do what we do to achieve the most of our time, talents and workers present. Size of church, lack of experience in workers and poor organization is not a valid excuse for not having a VBS program that will produce visitors, souls saved and young Christians who will grow in grace and knowledge because of your efforts.
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THREE CLASSES ON THE EFFECTIVE INCORPORATION AND USE OF VISUALS IN YOUR LESSON AS A TEACHER.
Using the Visual Filter When Developing a Lesson
Most teachers realize that there are a variety of visuals that can be used when teaching. The conscientious teacher also knows that a variety of visuals are essential when teaching. The challenge is knowing which visuals to use and where to use them in the lesson or message. This class is not designed to motivate the teacher or worker to use visuals, but rather to teach how, when and what visuals to use. Learn how the right visuals properly introduced at the right time produce the application of the desired truth.
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Using a Variety of Popular Visuals
In this class see how “Popular Visuals” can be utilized to make the point of any message clear. These are tried and true methods used in most churches today that have stood the test of time. These visuals can be used by any teacher and don’t require skill or talent. They may require limited time and practice. Some may over use a particular visual even though they are proficient at it. Learn how to add variety to your ministry by using these popular visuals.
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Using a Variety of Personalized Visuals
These are visual methods that are not used as often because they require not only work as in popular visuals but a level of skill or talent. In this class we will examine “Personalized Visuals” and the level of dedication, skill and labor required to become proficient at such visuals as Chalk Art, Gospel Illusions, Clowning, Juggling, etc.
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WE OFFER THREE CLASSES ON LEADING A CHILD TO CHRIST: FROM THE MOMENT THEY STEP FORWARD, ONE ON ONE PERSONAL CONTACT, TO BEING BORN AGAIN AND THE ASSURANCE AND RESPONSIBILITY OF THE NEW BELIEVER POST SALVATION.
Screening Children for Salvation Counseling
One of the best kept secrets of the local church is the inability to screen children properly when they come forward to make a decision for the Lord. Learn what questions to ask when dealing with a child about their soul. Learn what confuses children, terms and phrases that should be avoided, and how to be in tune to know when a child is being drawn by the Holy Spirit.
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Leading a Child to Christ and Salvation Counseling
There is a difference between screening a child and leading a child to Christ. We will all stand before the Lord and give an account for the unconcerned and unprepared way that we deal with children. When Jesus said in Matt. 19, “But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven” He was displaying not only His concern but His example on the importance of reaching children. In this day and time, when sin is seeking its beachhead in very young lives, we (the church) must be more aggressive than ever before. Someone must get up out of the pew and take the message of Christ to children and to all ages.
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Growing Young Converts
How to Organize for Growth After Salvation – Most children’s ministries realize the importance of spiritual growth after salvation. All would agree that eternal security, baptism, church attendance, daily Bible reading, witnessing, prayer, and giving are all necessary for a young convert to be firmly grounded in the faith. However, most churches do not see growth in their young converts. The reason for this is that most ministries pride themselves on being organized in this area, however, the vast majority are not organized at all. In this class learn how to organize for growth after salvation.
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PRESENTLY WE TEACH NINE CLASSES ON THE MANY USES OF THE ANIMATED VISUAL OF A PUPPET; FROM GETTING STARTED WITH PUPPETS, TO DEVELOPING VOICES AND CHARACTERS IN YOUR PUPPET. (We have a book and DVD set we wrote and produced on the puppet ministry available for workers and students interested.)
Is Your Puppet Ministry Successful?
Learn how to bring your puppet productions to the next level.Most churches that start a puppet program eventually allow it to fall by the way side. The lack of success in using puppets as a visual creates a lack of interest and soon the puppets end up in a closet forgotten and unused. In this class learn how to add a front person to the puppet program. Realize the important of the audience being able to hear the puppeteers and if justified how to use sound equipment that is effective. Preplanned spontaneity displays the labor that you have invested and the confidence you have in the puppet character. Ad-libbing your scrip will be the result of a great puppet production and Christ will be honored and Godly goals will be achieved.
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Getting Started with Puppets
This is for the individual that desires to expand their teaching visuals to include puppets. In this class learn puppet resources, techniques and manipulation, how and why to choose a certain puppet. Learn how to correctly manipulate basic puppetry skills and advance to other techniques which makes your puppet come to life. Under use or over use of a puppet can have a negative impact in your program. Mystery and timing are essential techniques in a successful puppet ministry.
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Developing a Puppet Character
While anyone can utilize a puppet, there is a huge difference between simple puppet manipulation and developing the right character and personality. The application of any message is only made crystal clear when a puppeteer develops the perfect character. All of a sudden the character goes from being good to great.
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Puppet Character Voices
Learn the six basic voices from which all character voices stem. Learn how to combine or exaggerate these different voices to create a voice that fits your puppets character.
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Teaching with Puppets
Most puppeteers do not fully explore the different ways puppets can be utilized. In this session learn how to use puppets in every aspect of children’s ministry including scripture memorization, fun time, singing, offering, Bible lessons, character spotlights, etc.
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Adding Visuals to your Puppet Ministry
Learn how to ice the cake by adding different props, visuals and effects to your puppet ministry. Combining great puppet characters with visuals such as common household items, homemade props, magic effects, lighting and electronics can take your puppet program to the next level.
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Teaching Children to use Puppets
There are real benefits to challenging young people to use puppets effectively. Puppets are one of the most diverse visuals available to the teacher in the local church. It is also an area that children can be an active part of the class and the learning process. At the same time children have limitations in their handling and use of puppets. In this class you will learn how to teach the technique and manipulation of a puppet and the hindrances that plague a young person from being an accomplished puppeteer. The development of a puppet character and the choice of a voice can also be a challenge to a child if they have not been taught to deal with character traits and voice range within their age limits.
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Puppet Props, Scenes and Staging
Learn how to accent your puppet characters with proper staging, scenes and props. From simple curtain designs and jet sets to elaborate thematic puppet stages, these features can ice the cake of your puppet program. Learn how the use of props with your puppets opens up a new realm of reality.
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Singing with Puppets
Children love puppets and children also love to sing. Since music is a natural part of a child’s life, it makes sense to use it when ministering to children. Music reaches the entire child; his mind, heart, emotions and will, therefore, it is a powerful teaching tool. In this session learn how singing with puppets will enhance and simplify the child’s learning process and makes it easier to reach the child’s heart.
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