Notes from Teaching Junior Church

Alternate title: Why I Teach the Big Kids Now

Yesterday I taught the babies again, my 3-6 year olds. I love my babies, one or two at a time, or even three, but not that many! For the most part they aren't bad, except the one who yells everything (not just answers, either). The rest are just young....and squirmy....and easily distracted....

I tried to review last week. Last week they learned that Jesus went to heaven but that He will come back. Once I got through "Jesus went to heaven" the lesson went something like this:

What did the men say Jesus would do?

Die on the cross!

No, this is after He died on the cross. What will happen later?

Um....Jesus will die on the cross?

No, no, no.....later....after He went to heaven....

Oh! I know! Rise from the dead!

Seriously, I ended up drawing a timeline so they could see that Jesus had already died and rose, and eventually they got to "He will come back." Then we could go on to this week's lesson: the coming of the Holy Spirit. Things got better then (except for the yeller). They liked to fire (but were a bit disappointed when I told them no one was actually on fire) and sort of understood the different languages. The coloring part went well (complete with multi-colored flames, and the yeller scribbling over and over his page in different colors, but quietly so it was all good). Then we got to "Tell me what the story was about and I'll give you a treat."

Most of them did well. Then there was the youngest, who has just turned three. Her answer?

"Jesus died on the cross!"

I think it's the only Sunday School answer she has. The others tried to prompt her but she wasn't getting it. I told her to just say, "The Holy Spirit came," but she looked a bit lost. It ended like this:

Say "The"

The

"Holy"

Holy

"Spirit"

Spirit

"Came."

Came.

Good, have a cookie.

Yeah, so I'm sticking with my big kids. They're a little bit more aware.