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Jeri Tanner

A Brief History of Sunday School

12 October | by Jeri Tanner
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For many of us, Sunday school is a deeply rooted tradition, although it is actually a rather modern institution. Have you ever wondered about the origins and history of Sunday school? If so, here are a few facts you may find interesting.
The idea of a “Sabbath school” for poor and uneducated children began in England [...]

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Fool Moon Rising (A Book Review)

22 September | by Jeri Tanner
fool moon rising book

“Dear God,
“I heard a cosmic story and wondered if it’s true. The Moon was stealing glory and this is what he’d do.”
So begins a highly enjoyable and quite profound new children’s book from Crossway Books, cleverly titled Fool Moon Rising. Husband and wife team Kristi and T. Lively Fluharty wrote and illustrated this “rhyming, rollicking [...]

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Why Catechize Kids?

12 September | by Jeri Tanner
catechism Q and A

Q: Who made you?
A: God made me. (Genesis 1:26, 27; 2:7; Ecclesiastes 12: 1; Acts 17:24-29)
from A Catechism for Boys and Girls
What is catechism? The term “catechism” is one that may well bring up images of a strange, outdated method of instruction. But catechizing has been a time-honored and effective practice throughout Protestant as well [...]

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Charles Spurgeon’s Encouragement for Children’s Workers

01 September | by Jeri Tanner
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Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the “Prince of Preachers,” served as Pastor at Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, England from 1854-1891. Here are words of wisdom on children’s ministry taken from a chapter in his book “Come, My Children:”
“Nowadays, since the world has in it, alas! so few of Christian mothers and grandmothers, the church has thought [...]

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Scripture Memorization Music: Hide The Word CD’S

26 August | by Jeri Tanner
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I’ve listened to quite a selection of Scripture cd’s over the past 30 years, but haven’t found any I like better than the Hide the Word cd’s put out by Mark Altrogge, senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Indiana, Pennsylvania and writer of such great songs for worship as “I Stand in Awe” and [...]

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How To Connect Older Adults and Children in Your Church

24 August | by Jeri Tanner
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Do the elderly members of your congregation know the names of the children and their parents in your church? Is there much meaningful interaction between the youth and children’s departments?  Does fellowship exist across the generations? If the answer is no or you’re not sure, you may want to consider some creative planning to bring [...]

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Children and Storytelling

19 August | by Jeri Tanner
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The July 31, 2009 broadcast of the Albert Mohler radio program features an interview by guest-host Dr. Russell Moore with singer and musician Andrew Peterson on the need children have for rich, wonderful story. Dr. Moore asks the question, “Does storytelling matter to children?” The program discusses the importance of telling the right stories–and telling [...]

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Lifeway’s “Levels of Biblical Learning” Craft Packs

18 August | by Jeri Tanner

Do you know about Lifeway’s “Levels of Biblical Learning” craft packs? These are some pretty nifty craft ideas along with the materials needed to make them, sold in packages of 10.
Some of the projects they offer include wooden cross magnets, a color-your-own cloth iron-on, and a foam pouch for carrying Bible verses being memorized.
Each kit [...]

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Children’s Workers Need “Big Church!”

10 August | by Jeri Tanner
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Your church, like mine, is likely blessed with dedicated volunteers who gladly give their time and energy to children’s ministry. But have you ever known volunteers who serve so willingly they never seem to make it to “big church” on Sundays and Wednesdays? I’ve seen that happen at times in my church–a worker gradually falls [...]

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Teaching Children About Singing

29 July | by Jeri Tanner
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Tony’s review got me thinking about singing in the church, especially regarding children. As the folks at Sovereign Grace Music demonstrate, there’s no better time to instruct our children in the doctrine of singing than when they are young. Ephesians 5:18-21 and Colossians 3:16-17 teach this doctrine.
Too many times we give children simplistic and man-centered [...]

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Answering Children’s Theological Questions

17 July | by Jeri Tanner
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Sam (not his real name) is a sixth grader who attends our Wednesday night AWANA club. He is a bit of a jokester, always coming up with witty remarks under his breath or pulling a prank on one of the other kids. But one night he surprised me by asking a serious question. He wanted [...]

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The Watchmaker: Intelligent Design Video For Kids

13 July | by Jeri Tanner

Have you seen the video called “The Watchmaker,” produced by Kids4Truth? It is a nicely told parable illustrating the folly of believing that the human race sprang into being by random chance. Just as the intricate parts of a watch could not possibly come together by accident to create a sophisticated timepiece, so the even [...]

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Family Discipleship In The Summertime

24 June | by Jeri Tanner
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Summertime is a more relaxed season of the year for many families (although with vacations, baseball, and family reunions our schedules can still be hectic!) But summer is a good time to remind ourselves as parents that growth in the grace and knowledge of God doesn’t take summer breaks. The summer months present a great [...]

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Multimedia Projectors: How They Can Help Your Sunday School & Children’s Church

20 June | by Jeri Tanner
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Did you ever think of using a small multimedia projectors in your Sunday School or Children’s Church? I’m not a very good geek. I’d like to be one, but alas know too little about technology and am dependent on the kindness of strangers when it comes down to it. If you’re like me (or especially if [...]

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