My latest obsession is finding classic Sesame Street clips on YouTube (classic, sadly, defined as "from Jen's childhood"). Those of you who are old like me will understand--remember the one about making orange crayons? Or the Pointer Sisters singing "one two three FOUR five, six seven eight NINE ten, eleven twe-e-e-lve" while the silver ball rolled through a psychedelic pinball machine? Or my favorite, Billy Jo Jive the crime-fighting ace?
Sometimes children's ministry, especially to preschoolers, gets labeled "babysitting." But Sesame Street's influence proves this age group not only soaks up new information but also remembers pieces of it years (and years, and years....) later. The hour or two a week we set aside to teach them about the Bible should be carefully planned, not disregarded as mere child care.
And even if none of the young children in our churches remember a Bible story fact, these early years are an important time to communicate other messages: Jesus loves you. God listens when you pray. Church is a happy place.
I'm thankful for the good people who created Sesame Street and its many moments still lingering around the edges of my brain. I'm glad the YouTube folks make it possible to access this nostalgia thirty years later. But I'm really grateful for the teachers who planned and prayed over my Bible lessons, flannel graph stories, and VBS crafts.
Sesame Street taught me to count; those very first Sunday school volunteers taught me to count on Jesus.
posted by Jen @ 8:22 PM
4 Comments:
Von, two, freee, ha ah ah ah. --The Count
Thats classic stuff.
Thanks, Jen! I was devastated to find out just a month ago that my wife didn't know who Jon-Jon was. It was my pleasure to show her from your blog. I must say, one of my favorite lessons in contentment comes from Kermit the Frog.
Thanks again for the walk down memory lane.
One more thing...Manah manah!
Jennifer,
Good post! Children's Bible class teachers and ministers are the unsung heroes of the church. Especially among children who come to church without parents, they are crucial to helping those little boys and girls know Christ. Everyone who works with children, but feels like it is futile, should read Harold Shank's book "Children Mean the World to God." It is an encouraging book with a good theological foundation.
Another thing that kid’s bible school teachers should hear...Sometimes the parents come to church because their kids drag them there. Three years ago, when my family moved to a new city, we went church shopping. Only when our 6 yr old she felt safe and loved, did we even consider returning to a location for another Sunday. A solid kid's program was certainly a factor the weighed in on the final decision for our new church home. Not to mention the fact, that on the Sunday’s I just don’t want to get out of bed for church…it’s my daughter who says, “Mom, I don’t want to miss out!” On those lovely Sunday mornings, it’s clear that a good children’s program is great for the souls of both the children and the parents.
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