Newsletter...

It's finally here! The Children's Ministry Newsletter is out! We weren't able to make a lot of copies when it first came out, but hopefully this time we'll be able to make enough for each family. If you missed it, here's what in it.

SD Fil-Am Children’s Ministry Mission

Our mission is to:
TEACH our children to gain the knowledge of God’s love and His powerful words.
EQUIP our children to share the gospel to others and show God’s wonderful promises.
ENCOURAGE and team up with every parent in their involvement in their children’s spiritual upbringing.
HELP our children discover and develop their spiritual gifts and to use them for God’s glory and services.
MENTOR a future promising leader to carry on God’s work for the future of our church.
FOLLOW God’s great commission in Matthew 28:19, “Go ye therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

Children’s Church
By Kezia Noval-Lee

I never realized how difficult it was to come to church as a parent of a young child until I had a daughter of my own. In my pre-baby past, I had admired the confident, vigilant way grandparents or parents followed their young children around the church grounds. Seeing groups of elementary-age kids walking around the church and its parking lot was something I got used to seeing every Sabbath. When my daughter started walking, it was impossible for me to stay seated in the sanctuary when my daughter would get restless and cry. I would take her outside to calm her down and she would want to run around the church, eating leaves and crawling on the ground. Sometimes, I would take my daughter to the balcony upstairs, but most of the time, the “mother’s room” would be completely crowded. It is embarrassing to admit that I struggled so much especially since I have only one child to take care of, but the knowledge that going to church meant that I would hear none of the sermon and spend all day chasing after a toddler made the whole experience seem pointless somehow.

Recently, an addition to the children’s ministry program has given me and many other parents a much-needed respite from watching or allowing our kids run around the church. Children’s Church is held at the Cradle Roll Sabbath School Room during Divine worship at the end of every month. There have been as many as thirty children in attendance, ranging from infant to elementary school age. Parents are always welcome and invited to come along. Children’s church is designed to create an environment of interactive activities, active praise songs, and educational Bible and object lessons presented at the child’s level. There are age-specific activities, from coloring for the younger children to word searches and sign language for the older ones. It is an opportunity for them to worship in an age-appropriate setting, within their own level of understanding. They are not there to be entertained, rather, they are there to learn, participate, and understand elements of worship in preparation for the time when they would transition into the adult service.

One Sabbath, the focus of the lesson was on Spiritual Gifts. Eager Youth and Junior volunteers assisted Shem Ranches, director of Children’s ministry, by passing out activity pages and boxes of crayons and colored pens. There were action songs enriched with sign language and the children were invited to use their God-given desire to move while they praised God’s name through songs and sign-language. These action songs and lessons provide an outlet for the same energy that would make them restless or uncomfortable in adult worship. There were smiles and laughter all around, and the children were enthusiastic until the end of the program when they were given a healthy snack to tide them over until lunch time. Other parts of the Children’s Church program include: training children to lead out in children’s sermons, interactive skits, snack activities, crafts and bible games that encourages them to read their Bible and learn more about God’s love.

Experiencing this change in the usual program for children at church has been an uplifting experience. Gone are the groups of children running around the church grounds before the service ends. The noise from restless toddlers during the adult church service is considerably less. For me, knowing that my daughter is learning about God as she listens to the music and raises her chubby toddler hands to the heavens lets me know that there is something spiritual, something beautiful going on inside her heart. In Luke 18: 16, we are told that Jesus loves children and wants them to take an active part in worshipping Him. Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Jesus delights in seeing our children praising Him in their own special ways during worship time at Children’s Church.

Future Events

Mark your calendars for these up-coming Children’s Ministry events:

February 28, Sabbath during Divine Service: Children’s Church
March 15, Sunday @ Maranatha SDA Church: VBS Workshop (Contact Randy Mayor @ 619.398.5500 if you are interested in attending for registration purposes)
March 7, 14, 21, Sabbath during Divine Worship (after Children’s Time): Children’s Church Workshop
March 28, Sabbath during Diving Worship: Children’s Church
April 17, Friday: Children’s Ministry Vesper Program
April 18, Sabbath: Children’s Ministry Sabbath (CGLTW) Speaker: Pastor Raewyn Hankins
April 28, Sabbath: Children’s Church

An Experiential Sabbath School Workshop
By Shiela “Shem” Suasi

In the afternoon of January 31st, 2009, a Sabbath School workshop was held at the Anaheim Spanish Church in Anaheim, California. This workshop, conducted every year to help old and new lower division Sabbath School teachers enhance their teaching techniques as they use the Gracelink curriculum, is divided into several breakout sessions depending on each teacher’s assigned class. Each breakout sessions were very interactive and experiential to the point where you feel like you are the child being taught in a Sabbath school class. The lecturers did an awesome illustration of how Gracelink is to be used to teach the lessons.

During the second hour of this workshop, everyone was gathered in the main sanctuary for a general session where we learned about the four different learning styles, and how this is applied in teaching the Sabbath School lesson. Most of the attendees however, were appalled by the unwelcoming, unyielding and offensive behavior of Pastor Jackie Bishop, Children’s Pastor of the Loma Linda University Church, when we entered a new classroom to listen to the next workshop. There were constant commands for us not to talk or even chew gum in the classroom. Some of the staff members made mean gestures to keep us from even whispering while lurking around to feed our curiosities about their behavior. We heard several “sshh” in different parts of the room as some attendees started leaving. Little did some of us know that it was all played out to intentionally make everyone experience how it feels to enter a class with a teacher who portrays the same attitude in their Sabbath school class. That experience was definitely an eye opener. It was not fun, and most of us were in fear of what will happen next if we do not listen.

Though some of us do not seem to realize it, classes, such as the one portrayed, do happen every Sabbath. Instead of seeing an enthusiastic child wake up in the morning and be at Sabbath School, we see children who are being dragged and forced by their parents to be there on time. Having the goal of making each Bible learning fun, interactive, and unique, will bring more joy to a child’s Sabbath learning experience. In addition to that, we will be able to see a better outcome in early attendance from one Sabbath to the next. As we were being trained to be an exceptional Sabbath school teacher, we keep in mind that our knowledge, inspiration and guidance come from the only one source – our great God.

The workshop only lasted for three hours which seem to be very short. However, our attendees from San Diego Fil-Am, Darryl, Randy and I, were blessed to know that there is hope in improving Sabbath School with the help, support and prayers of Sabbath School teachers, CM Associates and most of all, EVERY parent. It was a strenuous afternoon for all of us, yet the experience was worthwhile. God’s love and grace was certainly and tremendously felt!

Acknowledgements

The Children’s Ministry department want to whole-heartedly THANK the families who sponsored a child’s chair. As of February 7, 2009 we have collected $430.00. Your donations will help our program tremendously as our group grows in number. May God continuously bless you for your generosity and support.


Contact Informations:
Children’s Ministry Elder: Darryl Suasi (619) 243-4585
Children’s Ministry Coordinator: Shiela “Shem” Suasi (619) 609-4168
VBS Director: Randy Mayor (619) 398-5500

Lower Division Sabbath School Head Teachers
Beginners: Arlyn Mostrales (619) 267-5108
Kindergarten: Violy Garcia (619) 472-0925
Primary: Beth Roble (619) 475-7827
Junior/Early Teens: Zandry Hidalgo (619) 339-8060


Deuteronomy 11: 18, 19
18 “So commit yourselves whole-heartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 19 Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.”