CHRISTIAN EDUCATION NEWSLETTER
Inside this issue:
Needing Materials?
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting operates a lending library, an
excellent source for background books for your curriculum or
out-of-print materials. Call them at 1/800-2200-PYM.
Quaker materials and curriculum are available for purchase
from:
* Friends General Conf. Bookservice - 1/800-966-4556
* Quaker Hill Bookstore- 1/800-537-8838
* Pendle Hill Bookstore - 1/800-742-3150
Have ???????
If your meeting is looking for materials or needs help
organizing its First Day School, call the NEYM Youth and
Education Secretary, Chris Jorgenson, at 617-625-4494
The NEYM Christian Education Committee is composed of volunteers from around the Yearly Meeting whose special concern is First Day School and adult education within meetings. They plan workshops for Yearly Meeting Sessions, are working on a bibliography of materials, and organize workshops. During the next year they hope to come to Quarterly Meetings to lead programs about topics of interest.
If you would like to be on the committee, or if your Quarter would like a program, call the clerk, Wanda Coffin Baker at 508-636-2756.
Service Theme at Framingham Meeting
We had a deeply satisfying fall/early winter in First Day School exploring the theme of service. We began with sharing about times when we have felt needy and discussed what felt helpful at those times. We explored ways in which we are/ can be of service in our own families and how our attitude towards responsibilities like chores makes a difference in how our help is experienced. Then we began our exploration of how people reach out to others beyond their families. Kids began telling about organizations their families support, places they volunteer, etc.
This laid the groundwork for the Alternative Christmas Market on December 6. Young Friends (high school age) were key in the process, meeting in summer and early fall evenings to flesh out hopes and ideas. They called each other with reminders of what was coming up, led discussions with younger folks in the meeting, made announcements, researched organizations they wanted to support at the Market, organized the card-making and wrote to Overseers for clearance about the plans and date. Afterwards they counted up the money and sent off money and cards to the organizations they’d supported.
Kids of all ages represented organizations of their choice at booths for which they had created beautiful informational posters: Concord Prison Outreach; Habitat for Humanity; Marlborough Food Pantry; AFSC Hurricane Relief Fund; Amnesty International; Audubon Society; Heifer Project; Earthwatch; Child Reach. There was also a table for assembling emergency kits for victims of Hurricane Mitch, and a bake sale table overflowing with baked contributions from the meeting.
All the kids were involved in the Market, in one way or another. All had taken part in creating more than 200 cards, which "shoppers" received and filled out when they made a contribution to an organization. The message in the card read "A contribution in your name has been made to (organization), by (name) at the Framingham Friends Meeting First Day School Alternative Christmas Market". Many had gathered materials about the organizations from their families. All had part in decorating the room with images of people and living beings of the world. On the day itself, they were the welcomers, the booth operators, the bake table staff and the banker.
The Market was abuzz with "shoppers" who paused to hear about the organizations from the booth operators. Several kids appeared with "shopping lists" in hand, making contributions from their allowance to organizations in the name of loved ones. On that day, $2200 in contributions was donated to organizations! Very exciting, very empowering all around. Meanwhile, a spin-off of the First Day School’s focus on service was a "Food First" discussion among adults about how we consider service in our own lives.
Another important spin-off has been the recognition of how important the cross-age bonds in First Day School are. While this spring’s curriculum is mostly being taught in separate age groups, we’re continuing with our monthly "Interfinity Groups" (named by Young Friends), which are multi-age groups led by Young Friends. Each session has a part devoted to worship-sharing (on the theme of giving of receiving, for example), and a part playing/sharing stories. Recently, they shared stories of real kids who’ve made a difference, from Phillip Hoose’s It’s Our World, Too -- a wonderful book – then played "the cup --> -- game" inspired by Zoom!
A Simple Game about Helping
Hide pieces of candy (or other desirable "treasure" of your choice) throughout a large room. Form pairs. Tie the partners together at the ankles. Blindfold one child in each pair. Set a timer for two minutes, and have the pairs hunt for the treasure. When the time is up, have the other partner in each pair wear the blindfold. Set the timer for two minutes and have pairs hunt again for the remaining treasure. 1
Discussion might be: Was this hard? How did you help your partner? Do you ever need help doing something? Are you ever the helper? The discussion might go in the direction of physical limitations, helping younger or older people, or sibling relationships.
Hartford Meeting Stewardship Unit
The middle school students at Hartford Meeting learned the meaning of stewardship of our natural resources. We began by reading and discussing the section in Faith and Practice on stewardship. We then had several lessons on water conservation and specifically how they can save water (turning off the water while brushing teeth and washing hands.) When we demonstrated and calculated how much water each person can save and multiplied it by the number of family members, it was quite a surprising amount!
After learning about the importance of conserving our finite natural resources, the class put on a skit for the Meeting. The skit was originally written ten years ago by Deb Faulkner (Gwynedd Meeting, PYM) for the PA League of Women Voters. The students revised and updated the script as a group effort. The performance was a big hit. We hope others will have fun with it and be reminded of our environmental responsibilities.
Contact Chris Jorgenson (617-625-4494) for a copy of the skit and some of the other materials that they used for their study.
Peace Resource Center
When you are looking for ideas and resources to pursue a peace curriculum (or a session or series for any age), contact the Peace Resource Center at Wilmington College. They have a wide variety of films and books for sale and lend and are very dedicated to their work in promoting peace and justice.
Peace Resource Center, Wilmington College, Pyle Center Box 1183, Wilmington OH 45177, email prc@wilmington.edu, phone 937-382-5338.
Activities Collection
Preparing Hearts and Minds, An Activities Book for All Ages
began as an attempt to collect good ideas that First Day School teachers have used for years. It is not a curriculum, but is intended to supplement lessons for FDS and small groups. The material is divided into 17 subjects such as "Bible," "Worship," Quaker," "Christmas/Easter," etc. There is not consistent coverage in all areas, leaving room for later additions. The 3-ring binder allows additions of your own.Friends United Press: Richmond, IN, 1998. Order from Quaker Hill Bookstore, 1-800-537-8838
CHILDREN AND CORPORATE UNPROGRAMMED WORSHIP
How can we make unprogrammed worship more meaningful for children? It is a concern I encounter again and again throughout the Yearly Meeting. Sometimes older youth and young adults testify that they have never understood the focus. Worship is such a key part of what it means to be Quaker that it deserves the same intentional focus that we give our testimonies.
Before looking at "how to," consider two important questions:
Welcoming Children
Does your meeting understand the implications of truly integrating children into the worshipping community? Does it accept that joy and responsibility? To what extent is teaching children about worship based in the desire that they not be a disturbance?
You may want to engage the meeting in these questions first. "Living with Children" is a chapter in the NEYM publication, Living with One’s Self and Others, which may be on your meeting shelf. It contains an excellent set of questions to help your meeting to think broadly about attitudes and activities that include children as part of the meeting family. These questions also appear in Opening Doors to Quaker Worship, an excellent resource available from the FGC Book Service (1-800-966-4556)
Meaning of Worship
What is the intention in gathering for worship?
It makes a difference if we think of worship as a way to get an hour of quiet, or if we think of it as lifting our hearts and minds to God.
If it’s an hour (or, for children, fifteen minutes) of quiet, the form is the message. We will either try to help our children get more quiet into their lives, or assume that they will appreciate it later in life. If they come to worship, we just hope that they don’t resent it too much.
If it’s lifting our hearts and minds to God (which is both an internal and external intention), we will want to explore every way we can do that with our children. It is a joyful thing, a way to renew our awareness of God’s presence that is always there, but often overlooked. We can alert our children to recognizing God at work in their lives.
If we consider that Jesus described true worship as being "in spirit and in truth", how can we help our children, along with the whole worshipping community, participate "in spirit and in truth"?
Explanations and Experiences
Without explanations, osmosis is the vehicle for teaching about worship, soaking through the bench or saturating the air in the worship room. Although there is some truth in it, the limits are pretty obvious. For example, look at the scene through a child’s eyes. It may appear that everyone has withdrawn into individual silent meditation or sleep. A child might never grasp the corporateness of worship, for instance, how opening ourselves together to God’s guidance impacts each person and how it builds community. The experience of worship, both corporate and personal, is not obvious.
Here, again, Opening Doors to Quaker Worship can give ideas on communicating about what happens in worship. There are also pamphlets available from the FGC Book Service that may help families in discussing worship at home.
Before-meeting or First Day School Activities
Using a time before meeting for an activity that conveys some truth about worship, or in the centering process, can be helpful. "Meeting in a Jar" (next page) could be such an activity.
Some meetings find that singing before meeting helps focus thoughts and brings the group together. In singing rounds, which automatically make harmonies, someone can explain that this is how we are a meeting community. We each do/sing our part. When we come together to make harmony, it’s even more beautiful. The amazing thing is that God can join us together in silence, too.
Alternative Worship Experiences
Some meetings, such as Cambridge Friends Meeting, have a monthly "family meeting", intergenerational worship which includes programmed activities as well as a time of silent worship. Words, music, and activities are used to tap symbols and stories that express the "spirit and truth" that we wish to experience in worship and in our lives.
An example called "The Meeting Tree" is on the next page. It includes an activity to express the corporateness of worship (which could be used at another time), and a Bible passage that links Jesus’ teaching with a concrete image and real-life situations. The conversation between adults and children builds trust and communication so that they can pray together in a meaningful way.
The body of a growing child isn’t well-suited to prolonged stillness. Often we accommodate them by sending them out to play. Yet they have the capacity to experience more in worship than we usually assume. Use imagination, prayer, and understanding of your children to guide you in designing supplemental ways to feel the Spirit and hear/speak the Truth. Tap older children for leadership and presentation.
An evocative experience associated with Friends (meaning the whole body of the meeting), with worship, and with recognizing God at work will have lasting impact. Consider whether occasional experiments might help your meeting to open the meaning of worship to a wider diversity of bodies, of temperaments, and of ages.
Meeting in a Jar
1Leader: Find a large glass jar (food service size if possible). Fill it ¾ full with water and add enough sandy soil or river silt to just cover the bottom of the jar. This exercise requires you to be able to shake the jar and have the soil cloud the water, as well as have the soil settle to the bottom in a reasonable amount of time (3-10 minutes). Experiment with various soils and clay. To help the soil settle somewhat quickly, stir and let settle a bit. Pour off the cloudy water leaving mud behind. Do this several times before you do your presentation. Some meetings have put glitter rather than mud in the jar.
Procedure: Position the jar so that sun shines through it, if possible. Children may sit close around it, but so that all can see. Ask them to sit quietly and watch what happens in the jar. Explain that getting ready to use the silence in meeting for worship is like what is going to happen in the jar.
Shake the jar and ask the children to describe what is happening to the water and the soil. You might suggest that the whirling soil particles are like us, busy doing and playing and running and jumping around, or that they are like ideas in our heads, starting with lots of ideas chasing themselves around and gradually calming down and getting focused. The cloudy water does not allow the light to come through clearly. Centering ourselves for worship is achieved just like the settling of the soil. As the water becomes clear, and the light shines through, so are we able to be open to communicating with God. Allow the clearing of the water to lead into worship.
1
Opening Doors to Quaker Worship , p. 55The Meeting Tree
2Leader: Before meeting begins, bring a tree into the space, either a small real tree that has died and you’ve anchored into a bucket , or one made from lashed- together branches – it’s good to have many branches available. On a table, assemble bird-shaped cutouts from colored paper, with a string loop hanger, along with craypas and markers. Have simple printed instructions available by the door.
As people come in, they are asked to put their name on and decorate one of the birds and put it on the tree, then take their place. When everyone is there, the tree will be populated with colorful symbols of who came, separate symbols, but held up by one tree. A speaker explains a little about the symbolism of the tree and introduces some silent worship as a time when we could hold in our hearts the people that are represented on the tree.
After a time of silence, a speaker reads the passage about God’s care of birds and the admonition not to worry (Luke 12:22-31). The children are each given a feather, asked to imagine what kind of bird it comes from and to imagine being that bird, able to fly around the room (with adults free to join them). After some "flight", children are asked to pick an adult partner, sit down with them, and share something with them about the kind of bird they are. Allow time for the pairs to talk about what kind of birds they like best or find the most beautiful, about nests, finding bird eggs, etc.
Then the speaker reads the Bible passage again, and explains that this is about worrying. Ask for ideas about what worrying is: what does it mean to say, "I’m worried about school?" How about "I’m worried about you?" What are little worries? Big worries? Are there things that used to be worries for you that aren’t any more? Are there worries we can’t do anything about?
Explain that everyone has worries sometimes, and Jesus says God knows what we need. We can still ask God, though, to listen to what we need and our worries because God wants us to be happy. Sometimes worries just make us sad, and it doesn’t seem like there’s anything we can do, which we can also take to God. God listens to it all, and our friends can help us in asking and listening. Taking turns, you and your partner can tell each other about something that worries you. You may pray (out loud helps sometimes) that this worry be lifted and that the answer to the situation be found. As an ending, the group circles for a brief silence to hold all the concerns expressed. Perhaps a song may be meaningful, such as "The Great Storm is Over" (Worship in Song, p 215, all sing chorus), or "Seek Ye First" (p100).
2
by Christel JorgensonWhen planning intergenerational worship:
a) What Truth do we wish to express?
b) What story can be used?
c) How can movement be appropriately incorporated?
d) Is there understanding about "the use of silence" that can be encouraged?
e) Looking at the individual children involved, will they find some part of interest? Is there a plan for special needs?
f) Does this tap any special gifts of older children and adult meeting members?
g) Does this help us to develop trust and communication between age groups, showing respect for everyone in the meeting community as fellow seekers?
Life of Moses Museum
"Just as God opened the Red Sea for the Israelites to pass through during the Exodus, He is now opening a window in our culture for children to pass through. Set up this interactive museum to help children find truth on the other side."
3The full-length movie, "The Prince of Egypt" by DreamWorks has opened a door for children and adults to visually experience a Bible hero. This article in Children's Ministry brings the experience into the meetinghouse, with suggestions on how to you use the film and how to produce a Moses Museum.
The suggested first step is to produce a video or slide show of your own,"The Amazing Exodus Adventure", in which the children and adults pick out scenes from Moses' life . These scenes will not only make you Moses experts, they will inform the museum-goer about what they are about to experience. The directions provide practical suggestions for costume and props as well as the author's experience.
3
Children's Ministry Magazine, Sept./Oct. 1998, p. 62Museum activities offer hands-on experiences from the story of Moses:
A THE LIFE IN EGYPT
Brick making
- requires a wading pool with mud, brick forms, and
instructions, plus a reminder to provide for foot washing.
Pyramid Building
- uses a large pile of same-size boxes (shoe boxes, banker's
boxes) for the kids to build the highest pyramid possible.
Mattress Roll
- uses human "logs" move a human "rock" to the pyramid
site. Several kids lie on the floor and roll under another person
on a small (bunk bed) mattress.
Mummy Wrap
- uses old torn up sheets that the kids can wrap around each
other.
A MOSES BIRTH
Basket Weaving - with crepe paper, cardboard, and yarn reminds people of how Moses' life was saved as a child.
A MOSES' PREPARATION
Burning Bush - activity uses a leafless bush, circulating fan and red light bulb to give an image of what Moses may have felt like when God called him.
Leprosy - as a skin disorder is "experienced" using water, glue and hominy grits with a large paint-brush, giving children an idea of what it looked like, felt like. As with other experiences in the museum, a guided discussion is suggested.
A TEN PLAGUES
Suggested activities to experience lice, hail, bugs, frogs, and boils are included in the article, along with a chart showing how the symbolism of these plagues demonstrated God's overcoming powers associated with individual Egyptian gods. A Memorial Wall and a Passover Meal are suggested to complete this area.
A EXODUS
Red Sea Run
- is the concluding activity. It takes a major space, sheets
and fans, plus some extra actors to be the Egyptian army.
In the Picture
- for a memory of the experience, a painted scene on plywood
with a hole for heads to fit in and a polaroid camera put the
kids in the picture and give them something to take home.
The Life of Moses Museum is an excellent idea to spice up winter months, building on the current movie release, or you might wait until nicer weather to be able to do some activities outside. The article does a good job of giving directions, applications, and reviews, as well as suggested take-home resources.
Even if this seems like more than your meeting may want, consider what other "museums" you might dream up using the material you are covering this year in F.D.S.
Most religious bookstores will have magazines such as Children's Ministry. To order the article, (Sept./Oct. 1998, pp 62-73), call Group Publishing at 1-800-635-0404 x 4467 (Jane). To subscribe, call 760-738-0086, Children's Ministry, P.O. Box 469081, Escondido, CA 92046-9081.
- NEWS FROM MONTHLY MEETING NEWSLETTERS -
Storrs Meeting, February 1998
From business meeting minutes: Doris Lake reported for First Day School Committee. Curriculum planning is proceeding. The committee has met several times with Loretta Anderson, curriculum consultant, and she will speak to the Meeting on April 4th and lead a discussion on the place of the First Day School in the spiritual life of the meeting. A "festival" is planned for April 26th which will include a children’s project, lunch, and a discussion of next year’s plans and teaching needs with those interested in teaching or participating. Plans for renovation of the downstairs area are progressing. Plans are also in progress to work on the outside play area.
Bennington Meeting, February 1998
For the First Day School Committee, Sadelle Wiltshire reported that the children had continued with "Quakers on the Move", including such topics as the Underground Railroad and breaking the law in order to obey God’s law. Today they had skipped to the last story in the book, which concerns a boy who protested the Gulf War of 1991, applying those concepts to the present situation. She feels that there is now a need to more more specifically into peace studies and to help the children to understand the Quaker view of conflict resolution. Other members of the Meeting may be asked to talk to the children about their own experiences in this area.
Winthrop Meeting, February 1998
Every month in which there is a fifth Sunday the First Day
School is planning to take part in the Meeting for Worship in a
special way. In November they helped plan the service around the
study they had been doing of the Nobel Peace Prize and the kids
took part in a number of ways:
Kate and Elizabeth Rosenbaum were greeters and took up the
offering. Emilie Knight made fifty paper cranes to decorate a
"peace tree" which we enjoyed in our worship space. Kyle Knight
created a display naming all the recipients of the prize. Anna
Edmondson gave a talk on Alfred Nobel, founder of the prize, and
she also played an organ solo. Emily Edmondson. helped read
Quaker writings concerning the peace testimony from various times
in history, and sang "From a Distance". Winnie McPhedron, who
worked for AFSC in many capacities and locations, was our guest
speaker.
Putney Meeting, March 1998
The adult group has completed a unit of study on Marcus Borg’s Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time. William James’ Varieties of Religious Experience will be the next text for study.
Northampton Meeting, March 1998
From the draft of the State of Society Report, under Youth Concerns Committee: In an attempt to bring our children closer to meeting, we have instituted Prelude to meeting. In this planned gathering of story-telling, folk song and hymn singing, and other activities, the hope is to offer an experience in which adults and children can share prior to entering meeting for worship. However, some members are not clear or comfortable with Prelude, and another evaluation by the meeting is needed. The question remains, is Prelude to meeting primarily intended for children (with adults attending), or is it intended for everyone as proper preparation for meeting for worship, and if so, is the meeting comfortable with this form of preparation? Have we mitigated some of the discomfort with Prelude, by keeping the silent meeting room space available to those who want to come early, to prepare in their own way for meeting for worship?
Hanover Meeting, March 1998
From the State of Society Report: We continue to have a large and active group of children who attend First Day School, including an older group of middle and high school students. A retreat for First Day School teachers was very successful, helping them to organize themes throughout the year which extend across all of the younger groups. The oldest group works with a group of adults to plan its own activities, and will describe them in their own State of Society report. Our youth bring their activities to the meeting in many ways, including announcements of events and shared songs or other activities after meeting. The youth group wrote and presented a Christmas pageant following a Meeting for Worship at Kendall at Hanover. The pageant satirized the commercialization of Christmas. This generated some dialogue, and the meeting greatly appreciates the youth group’s thoughtful response. The meeting gives subscriptions for Friends Journal to our students when they leave home for high school and college; students have expressed appreciation for this custom.
North Shore Meeting, March 1998
The children are reading John Woolman and the Slave Girl in preparation for a puppet show they will stage for the Meeting. They are engaged in writing the script, making the puppets, and creating a set. Possible future topics include a study of Quakers and the Underground Railroad, and a study of Elizabeth Frye. Scott Collins has offered to help with a summer crafts program after which the kids can sell us their handiwork at a fall fair.
Allen’s Neck Meeting, March 1998
Have you noticed the beautiful box in the entry hall? The Kitchen Class (grades 2-4), taught by Wendy Howland, decorated the box to collect canned goods for Market Ministry. The pictures on the box suggest you bring spaghettios, tuna, and other canned staples. They thank you for sharing with people in need.
Hartford Meeting, June 1998
From business meeting minutes: A trip of seven middle and high school students and three adults will travel to Philadelphia the weekend of June 27 to visit Quaker sites. The R.E. committee is preparing for the fall, encouraging volunteers to team teach. For the Bible studies of fourth and fifth graders, members were invited to share a special part of the Bible for a Sunday.
Wellesley Meeting, October 1998
New Testament Studies
Our children will be learning about the New Testament this
fall. Last fall was an "Old Testament" year and we alternate
these Bible studies. We know that Friends have strong feelings
about Jesus and we want to respect the diversity of our
Meeting. If you or your child has a particular interest or
concern about this unit, please contact the coordinator of the
class.
Children’s Meeting for Worship will be on Oct. 25, from 10:00
to 10:20. This meeting is for all children and their
teachers. Only parents whose children need their presence should
attend. In order to encourage children to give messages, we
request that no other adults attend and that no adults give a
message.
Providence Meeting, October 1998
November 1, in conjunction with the Providence Friends potluck, will serve as Committee Day, sponsored by the Nominating Committee. The purpose of this day is to introduce young Friends (grades 6-12) to the various committees with the hope that these young Friends will become members. A representative of each committee should be present, and to provide a one-paragraph summary of what the committee does and what it hopes to accomplish this year.
Beacon Hill, October 1998
Excerpts from reports back from Friends Camp*:
Lucy Schell: I liked Friends Camp because it is very exciting and
eventful and because it has something for everyone. It is also
very Quakerly and we have meeting and vespers.
Chessie First: I think it was a wonderful experience to be with
kids my own age. I learned a lot about Quakerism, even though it
was not all about Quakerism. I met a lot of friends. I hope that
I will see some again at retreats and at meetings.
*Remember to sign up your children
for Friends Camp in China ME. Registration forms came with the
January Issue of the New England Friend. Many meetings help
parents by providing scholarship money.
Fresh Pond Meeting, October 1998
Junior Business Meeting Minutes
Young Friends met after a period of silent worship.
The clerk was Bharat and the recording clerk was Pauravi.
1)
We decided to have a Christmas Pageant. There was a lot of
interest in using the story of "The Best Christmas Pageant
Ever". It could be read during December First Day School. We
might draw lots for parts. People could skip a part if they are
too shy. We will continue this discussion. Young Friends felt
that their ideas needed to be heard about whether and how to have
a Christmas pageant.
2)
More freedom for older kids in the building: Could older
kids get permission from the child care person? What can we do to
make sure that little kids don’t get lost? We remembered we
talked about this last year. We will continue the discussion.
3)
We decided to do the baby welcome in the spring. It looks
like there will be at least three new babies. Bill and Lynn plan
to speak to Susan about bringing food to future meetings. Pizza?
We were reminded that meeting for business is an effort to figure
out what God wants us to do. We were also reminded that the clerk
and recording clerk are supposed to concentrate on helping the
group figure out God’s will. Clerking should not be a chance
to be the "king" or "queen". Clerking should not be a chance to
talk about what you want!
Respectfully submitted, Pauravi Shippen-How
South Starksboro, January 1999
From business meeting minutes: The children presented the living creche at the rise of meeting on Sunday, December 14. Mary and Joseph were joined by angels, shepherds, and kings (arriving from the south!) Baby Jesus was warmed by the sheep and goats borrowed from the Hoffman farm. Friends gathered for hot cider following the re-enactment. Future First Day School activities include the creation of puppets and puppet shows based on the Queries and the making of a quilt which depicts Quaker history.
Real Live Bible Action Figures – YOU!
Intergenerational Worship at New England Yearly Meeting for sessions in 1997 was modeled after a method used successfully at Portland Friends Meeting for the past several years. It can bring the Bible stories alive and create opportunities for reflection and sharing for all ages, 5 to 95 and for as few as three participants to more than three hundred as demonstrated at Yearly Meeting.
A Bible story is selected for its content and its action among the characters. At NEYM, the choice was made to use "The Feeding of the 5000", Mark 6: 34-44, for its obvious inclusion of many people in the story, but also because it complimented the theme that year: "How Good and Pleasant it is when Kindred Dwell Together in Harmony." (Ps. 133:1)
In preparation, the story was read aloud by everyone who volunteered to be an actor. Volunteers were given parts to speak and act and each was given a copy of the Bible passage with their particular part highlighted so they could easily move with the narrative. Miscellaneous props and costumes were provided in the form of scarves, fabric pieces, jewelry, bread and fishes (loaves of real bread and "goldfish" crackers).
When the cast was ready to begin, the narrator read the story aloud, having each character contribute their spoken or acted part within the story. The disciples distributed baskets of bread and fish to the multitudes. To simulate what the feeding scene might have been like, everyone was asked to move their seats into small groups to eat and discuss together , using some of the questions listed below. After a few minutes, the disciples gathered in the baskets and returned to the stage to complete the narrative and blessing.
When we do this on Sunday for Portland Meeting, we ask for reflection after the story and discuss: What is this story about? What stands out for you in this story? What character did you identify with? What changed in the story when you were acting that part? What choices did the character make that influenced the story? How did it feel to play that part? Etc. etc.
This was a great activity for all ages to share and provides a model that any meeting can use to bring the Bible alive for our day. We really believe in this process and do it once a month during the education hour. Perhaps you’d like to try it, too. It’s also a nice way to give a teacher a break if you have a before-meeting education time as Portland does. (Two Sundays a month are adult and children education separately, one Sunday is this intergenerational activity, and one Sunday is committee meetings, with paid caregivers for the children who utilize volunteers from the meeting.) Portland meeting also organized this for a quarterly meeting, about 40 people, using 2 Kings 4:8-37, about the prophet Elisha and the Shunamite woman. In this case, each group discussed a particular character in the story.
Thoughts about our Intergenerational Bible
Action
Ever since attending a Pendle Hill workshop last spring where I met a Quaker woman who said you should never use the Bible as a teaching tool in First Day School because it is so apt to be misused, I’ve been reflecting on why we do this in our Meeting. The following are my thoughts:
We go to the Bible as a treasury of great human/divine stories. Whether or not we are "believers", they are part and parcel of our Western, Judeo-Christian and Quaker inheritance. They tell of a people who seek to understand what God is doing in the events that befall them, a people trying to be faithful to his call and often failing. These stories sometimes have a political agenda. We do not go to the Bible as a rulebook or infallible ethical guide. Those seen as heroes, such as Jacob who deceives and lies
to his father, aided by his mother, are not always the "good guys". The Bible reveals evolving levels of development and consciousness, a wonderful example of "continuing revelation". The parables of Jesus are often like Zen koans, taking us beyond our usual understanding into the heart of mystery and compassion.
And it may happen, as it did for me as a child, that the encounter with Jesus through New Testament stories changes your life forever. So come and join us as we act out some of these great stories, listening for how God loves and calls us through our humanness and longing to be found. We meet at 9:15 am on the first Sundays of the month.
Reviews
Earthcare for Children: a First-Day School Curriculum
The authors planned the book to help children to walk gently over God's Earth, and to heed the covenant with God to protect the Earth and all who dwell in it. The book is designed to help school-aged children (5 to 12) learn about the wonders of Creation from a spiritual foundation, and includes songs, indoor and outdoor activities and projects, biblical passages and quotations from early Friends. The book builds on the joy and wonder of creation, rather than with fear and depression.
Chapter titles include Awe and Wonder, Earth is Our Home, Earth is Alive, Variety and Diversity, Nurturing the Helpless, Earth's Vapor Veil, The Air We Breathe, Seasons of the Sun, Interrelatedness, Carrying Capacity, Stewardship of the Earth, Passing it On, and Field Trips. Each chapter has a lesson format including a purpose, a 10-20 minute opening activity (including songs, bible reading and/or a demonstration), small group activities (30-60 minutes, including queries for discussion, craft or art, movement, snack related to the theme, and other resources), closing (5-15 minutes) and a take home page. Each chapter has enough material for at least two First Day School classes, with a variety of choices based on interest, age level, conditions or length of time available (such as a full-day retreat).
As an example, the Chapter on Seasons of the Sun is designed to share an appreciation of the light, warmth and energy of the sun, to affirm our place in the cyclical nature of life, to become aware of ozone depletion, to see how plants and animals respond to light, and to reflect (pun intended) on the metaphorical use of Light and Dark in Quaker practice. The Scriptural quote motivating the chapter is from Ecclesiasticus 42 and 43: "As the sun in its brilliance looks down on everything", and relevant songs include Turn Turn Turn, Circle of the Sun, Morning Has Broken and Vivaldi's The Seasons (for listening). Activities include discussion of light and dark, an umbrella game, demonstration of solar evaporation, a game involving birth seasons and season skits, sun prints and construction of a potato maze. Snack ideas include eating dried fruits such as raisins and cooking in a solar oven. Closing activities include queries about light, the sun, and the seasons. The take-home pages include a coloring project for younger children and instructions to make a sundial for older children. Finally, there is an evaluation sheet to help determine what worked and what didn't for the activities in the chapter.
I found Earthcare for Children to be an excellent addition to our meeting's first day school resource cabinet. It is a sensible, well grounded set of class plans which have been tested over ten years of development at Palo Alto (CA) meeting.
Felt Activity Books
Review by Wanda Coffin Baker, Allen’s Neck Meeting
Many of us still remember the flannelgraph stories we had as kids. Betty Lukens has developed a new twist for flannelgraphs in First Day School – felt activity books. These books are seven or eight pages of scenery with figures to tell stories. You cut out the figures and store them in pockets which you glue on the back of the scenes. With a little work on your part, you have a flexible and portable educational tool useful at home or in First Day School. Of her eleven books, four are for Bible story-telling: Bible Stories, Old Testament Blble Stories, Life of Jesus as a Boy, and Noah’s Ark.
These and other resources are available from The Christian Armory. Christian Armory Bookstores, 1244 Morse Road, Columbus OH 43229. (800) 227-6679 or www.church-supplies.com/christianarmory
Adult resource:
The Powers That Be – Theology For a New Millennium
This book is a condensed and highly readable version of Wink’s brilliant "Power" trilogy: Naming the Powers; (Fortress Press, 1984); Unmasking the Powers (Fortress Press, 1986) – which deals with the spiritual aspects of the Powers: Satan, demons, angels, gods, elements of the universe; and Engaging the Powers (Fortress Press, 1992) – which gathers the research of the first two and applies it to the practical task of bending the Powers back to their divine vocations. He recommends reading the Powers trilogy in reverse order to their publication, ending with the first, Naming the Powers, the more scholarly word study.
The Powers That Be is a book of wondrous hope, courage, energy, and persuasion. It is essential reading for all who seek spiritual answers to the immense problems of today’s world with its ever-deepening injustice and violence. In it, he defines the Domination System as one which sustains itself by violence and by the myth that violence is redemptive, and offers an alternative world view, within which practical non-violent struggle, intercessory prayer and living in the expectation of miracles play a vital role in our future transformation.
Walter Wink and his wife, June Keener Wink, attend South Berkshire Friends Meeting in Western Massachusetts.
Review by Louisa Gray, MidCoast Friends Meeting
YOUTHQUAKE 2000
GATHERS YOUNG FRIENDS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY
If you have young Friends aged 13-19 in your meeting, encourage them to find out about YouthQuake, a Christ-centered national conference for Quaker youth. It’s held every three years, this time in December of 2000 near Seattle, Washington. We have taken groups of Young Friends from New England to the last three YouthQuakes, and it has been a profound experience of exploring one’s own beliefs, learning from others, and building friendships.
To be full participants in a conference with a Christian emphasis, our Young Friends need our help to prepare spiritually, intellectually, and financially.
A) Meeting members who are interested in the teens and in learning with them about Jesus and a Quaker approach to scripture need to partner with our Young Friends in study and discussion.
B) Young Friends will need encouragement and assistance to attend interim conferences, which will help them to begin to clarify what they believe and learn more about Quakerism, as well as get acquainted with the wider world of Quaker youth. Some of these conferences are:
FUM Triennial July 14-18 in Williamsburg VA – registration deadlines coming up soon.
"What is Quaker Faith and Practice?" Young Friend conference October 8-11 in Maryland.
NEYM Young Friend retreats with themes about Jesus and scripture
C) We can all help in fundraising efforts so that Young Friends who wish to go will not be stopped by financial concerns. A likely "round number" would be $800. per participant for the conference and transportation.
I will be contacting monthly meetings whose Young Friends have already expressed interest. Do you know any Young Friends to contact to see if they are interested? Give me (Chris Jorgenson) a call at 617-625-4494 for more information
The New England Yearly Meeting Christian Education Newsletter is a project of the NEYM C.E. Committee. We would appreciate contributions of book and curriculum and conference reviews and news from your meetings. Send to the NEYM office, 901 Pleasant Street, Worcester MA 01602.