What’s the Big Idea? By Katrina VanBrugh All images from Google. I do not have rights to any of the images in this presentation.

Sara was six years old. Sara and her parents were going to start going to a new church and Sara was a little worried about what the children’s program would be like.

Sara’s mom explained that this church did Theme-Based RE. Sara didn’t know what that meant. Her mom said, “That means that there is one Big Idea every month and the children will explore that idea with different grown-up Workshop Leaders each week.”

Sara was still worried because she didn’t think she would like having a different leader every week.

On Sunday, Sara and her family went to the new church. They met Gloria, a nice-looking woman with a happy smile.

Gloria explained to Sara that she would be the Guide in Sara’s group. Gloria would be Sara’s Guide every week for 3 whole months. Sara liked Gloria and she began to feel a little less nervous.

Sara and her parents joined the other people sitting in rows at the new church.

A man stood at the front and explained that the Big Idea for that month would be Community Connections. He read a story to everybody about neighbors helping each other after a big storm.

Then, he introduced the Workshop Leaders for that month. Wendell would be the Workshop Leader in Sara’s group for the first week. He was an old man with a long white beard and he was a walnut farmer.

Wendell came to Sara’s group with her. First, Gloria led the children in lighting the chalice and sharing Joys and Concerns.

Then, Wendell got up in front of the group. Sara thought maybe he wasn’t used to talking to kids because he looked kind of nervous. So, Sara smiled at him.

But then, he told the children about his walnut trees and how all his neighbors liked to come to his farm in the fall and collect the walnuts that had fallen off the trees. Then, they would go home and make walnut pie and brownies with walnuts and other good things and they would all share the good food together.

Then, he showed the children how to make a tree out of a cardboard tube and some tissue paper.

Finally, they all sang a song about trees and nuts and people working together.

Then, Gloria asked the children to say “Goodbye” and “Thank you” to Wendell and she told the children that next week, the Workshop Leader would be Wayra and she was a weaver.

She was going to teach the children about weaving and how all the threads connected together, just like the people in a community.

Sara decided she actually did like having a new Workshop Leader each week, especially since Gloria would always be there, too.

Then, Sara’s parents came and got her and all the children went outside to play. Sara thought maybe she was going to like this new church after all.

So, maybe you’re wondering how Theme-Based RE affects you? What are your responsibilities as a parent? What if you don’t have kids. Can you still contribute?

Maybe you’re interested in being a Guide and spending three months with the same group of kids?

Come talk to the RE Committee and we’ll try to find a schedule and age group that work for you. Maybe you could be with the 5 & 6 year olds for December through February? Springtime is better for me.

Maybe you’re interested in being a Workshop Leader but you don’t understand how or when you would do your workshop? Maybe you have the beginnings of an idea for a workshop but you don’t know how to make it work?

It’s easy! Just sign up with the RE Committee for the month you are available and either tell them your workshop idea or look at the suggestions they have. Sept. Theme: Connectio ns Guide Work- shop 3 & 4 year olds Work- shop 5 & 6 year olds Work- shop 7 & 8 year olds Workshop 9 & 10 year olds Week 1 Gloria Wendell: “We’re All Nuts!” Wayra: “Warp & Weave” Wallace: “Walking with Neighbor s” Wendy & Wanda: “Willow Wands for Magical Connections” Week 2 GloriaWayraWallace Wendy & Wanda Wendell Week 3 GloriaWallace Wendy & Wanda WendellWayra Week 4 GloriaWendy & Wanda WendellWayraWallace

Theme-Based RE means less of a commitment for RE leaders (only 4 weeks for Workshop Leaders and no lesson prep for Guides) and offers more people a chance to interact with the children and share their hobbies, interests, songs, spiritual practices, etc. Pretty much anything you want to talk about with kids can become a Workshop idea!

So how will YOU get involved? Yeah, you! Come talk to the RE Committee today! You’ve got a lot to offer!