A Jovial Teacher Is A Free Teacher.

I remember in my second year at the Bible College, I had become confident as a Sunday school teacher; I taught the same lesson in every congregation I was invited to teach. Why, you may ask? I promised myself to teach that lesson and master it until I could teach another lesson effectively. I was a theology student well on my way to attaining my BA; I was a servant, a worker in the vineyard of the Lord. I took what I did seriously; I was a Sunday school teacher; I was cultivating the future generation of the church.

I was serious about what I did; I made sure I dotted my I’s and crossed all my T’s all the time. I tend to take everything I do seriously, and I guess that’s why I am such a perfectionist. I had been working with different congregations at that time. Fortunately, a good friend and a former student at the college offered me and some of my classmates an opportunity to work part-time at the congregation he was working with.

We were beyond pleased; we jumped at the opportunity. The congregation is based in a location east of Johannesburg; getting there was no issue, and getting back to college was sorted because the brother picked us up and dropped us off.

I remember my first Sunday at the congregation like it was yesterday; it was an “Aha” moment for me. I had prepared all week; I had crafts, worksheets, and some finger puppets I had made out of paper. It wasn’t just about being prepared, but it was about proving to myself that I could apply what I was learning from the college.

I was all dressed up, hair done, in a jeans, shirt, and high heels, and all my Sunday school material was in place. I was prepared; I was so ready; I was doing practicals, and this was the time to apply what I had learnt.

We drove up to a house, a decent-looking house; I remember being there before twice; they had hosted an evangelism campaign. Ooh great, I thought we were there to pick up someone, no! I saw everyone get off; we went in, and it seemed as though it were a house church. They introduced me to the congregation as the new Sunday school teacher, and they told me my class was outside under the tree.

I went outside; the kids sat on crates. I thought, let me teach them to sing and play since we can’t colour in or do crafts; there was no stationery or tables for that matter. I was extremely nervous; there were 3 little kids standing in front of me; their eyes were wide with wonder. I introduced myself to them, and they introduced themselves to me.

We began singing, and I suggested teaching them “Making Melodies in My Heart.". As I was singing and doing the actions to the song, for some reason my hair extension fell right off my head and onto the ground. My goodness, I was so embarrassed; I wanted to hide. The kids stared right at me, and it was dead silent for a minute or so, and a sudden burst of laughter broke forth from the kids. I felt so sad, and I wondered if I hadn’t been in their position, wouldn’t I have laughed too? I too broke out in laughter, picked up the hair extension, dusted it off, and clipped it back onto my head.

Believe me, ever since, I've always made sure my hair extensions were secure. If you think that’s worse. I remember a couple of years ago, my dad came home from one of his conferences from work, and he’d usually come home with cool stuff: carrier bags, mugs, cups, bottles, pens, and notebooks.

There is this one particular carrier bag my mom and I used to fight over. I liked it because I could put all my Sunday school stuff in it on Sundays. One time I noticed my mom stopped using it; I was so excited, I packed all my Sunday school things in the bag, and I was ready to rumble for Sunday school.

Obviously, I carried my Sunday school stuff in the bag to church. I wondered why people at church were giving me funny looks that Sunday; I kept thinking there was something wrong with me. Anyway, I got home, and as I walked in, my mom gave me a shocked look. “She asked, ‘Did you take that bag to church?’’ I thought, wow, there we go again. I answered, “Yes, why?’’. She smiled and asked me what was written on the bag.

I sat down, and I realised I never cared to read what was written on the bag, and my mom asked me to read it slowly. I read it carefully and slowly…and it read, V I A G R A. As it registered in my mind, I felt so embarrassed, and it made sense why everyone had been giving me such strange looks. I mean, the Sunday school teacher's bag had that written on it in large white caps.

I just laughed, and my mom and I broke into laughter. I couldn’t help it; there was nothing I could do at that point. I know, to read everything I wear and every bag I carry now, thank you very much.

A Jovial Sunday School Teacher, Is A Free Teacher; I say this because we will have a lot of embarrassing moments on our own and even where everyone can see. Live and learn; every experience is a lesson in life. Do not take yourself so seriously; laugh at yourself and keep it moving. Yes, being a Sunday school teacher is one hundred percent serious work, but let your hair down. When you are free, your kids will be free with you, and they’ll be free in your class. When we are jovial, we spread that joy and freedom with our Sunday school kids’. Have fun, teacher; let your hair down and enjoy yourself.

Tips To Manage Time.

 Time Management.

According to google time management is, “the practice of planning and controlling how you spend your time. The idea is to be efficient and productive.” A practice is a lifestyle, I believe if we practice in or at something it is a lifestyle. If we want to be excellent at time management we need to have a routine, be conscious and consistent at it.

I am the last person to talk about time management because there are days were, I hardly management my time well, there weeks where I prepare for Sunday school on Saturday afternoon and then feel overwhelmed and frustrated. There is always so much to do in a week and everything demands time from me.

Something I was reluctant to acknowledge but I had to in order to grow, I am a perfectionist still feels weird writing about it. You must be thinking so what? Perfectionists; spend a lot of time on tasks, giving their all on every task and making sure it is done to perfection.

In a week I’ve got work, I wear different hats at work, it depends on the day of the week, and then I have a personal life; need to ensure home affairs are running well, I too have needs of my own (facial, personal quality time, time alone with God, get nails done, hair done, and the likes) and so does my husband and we both need to ensure that things running smoothly.

At times, I procrastinate because whenever I have got a task I want to think deeply about it, I want to have ideas, I want the task to speak to me, and then I get into it, I BLINK twice and it’s the end of the week or the deadline. So, here is what I have learnt to do.

I pray about any task at hand, on Sunday evenings or Monday mornings I pray to God for Sunday school ideas, I already have a lesson plan so I am not looking for a lesson but, I am praying for ideas on how to make this lesson the best lesson yet. Remember when we ask or pray to God, he certainly gives us direction, no matter how small that "ASK" may be.

I break down my task, on Monday I set time apart, prioritise, I look for worksheets for my class and once I’ve got those then am done FOR MONDAY. On Tuesday throughout the day I think about that particular lesson, what do I want my class to learn from it, what picture do I want to paint or what seed am I planting in their minds and I jot ideas that come to mind on Tuesday afternoon, on Wednesday I start looking for craft ideas, Thursday I check on whether I’ve got all the material I need if not make a list and go paint the town red, on Friday I put my craft together and see if it works, if not make alterations, I love leaving my Saturdays for creativity; Saturdays, I draw, I colour-in, I paint, I work on visual aids, colour-in worksheets, cut what needs to be cut, and put the whole lesson together. On Sunday I am good to go, at ease, no frustration, and I realised I teach better when I am well prepared.

It isn’t always about having smart ways of doing things but, it is about making time for all your needs and tasks. A teacher of mine used to say, “You can’t eat up a whole elephant all on one day! You need to chop it down into bits, and then have it.” I don’t think I’ll be adding elephant to my menu any time soon but, the idea here is to tackle every task one step at a time each day. Have a goal each day and that goal brings you closer to your FINAL GOAL by Sunday, you’ll be at ease and prepared for your class.

 Self-Love.

Some of us get so involved taking care of things and those around us that we forget to take care of ourselves, we forget that we too, need a day away and not try figure things out. According modern day “Einstein” Google; “Self-love means having a high regard for your own well-being and happiness, taking care of your own needs and not sacrificing your well-being to please others.” I beg to differ a little bit here on this one, please excuse me. I believe Self-Love is an important concept that each of us need to exercise, it is how we exercise it I believe that makes the difference. Self-Love is about;

• Knowing and understanding your worth:

By what or how do you measure yourself? How valuable are you? If you are a saved, repentant, and sanctified child of God. God says you are: • A Chosen Race. • A Holy Nation. • A Royal Priesthood. • A People of his OWN possession. 1 Peter 2:9 • Fearfully and Wonderfully MADE. Psalm 139:14

• Observing your actions:

Taking time alone in prayer, and talking to God and get time for introspection 2 Corinthians 13:5 , “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise.” Ephesians 5:15, Watch how you speak to those around you Colossians 4:6, let us learn to observe our actions, ask God for strength for growth in areas we are in need of growth.

• Compassion:

A form of love and concern for those around you, those who are in need, or a going through hardship, a strong desire to assist those in need. Romans 15:1-2, and Philippians 2:1-3. I remember attending a women’s bible class, and one of the speakers spoke about putting God and others first. She said, putting God and others first was a form of self-love. I remember doing a study on depression and anxiety and one of the books I read mentioned the reason why we have bad intra or inter-personal relations is because we do not have a good relationship with God. Unfortunately I can’t recall the name of the book I had found this information or even the Author. The lady, who was speaking at the ladies class I mentioned in the above, had an acronym of how to have and maintain our God given joy. She said we are to put Jesus in our lives first, she said secondly we put Others before us; praying for the saints unceasingly, helping others and caring for others, and lastly she said the You, you spend time meditating the word of God, praying-talking to God and ensuring you are in right standing with God. Self-Love is how we express our love to God, as well as those around us and in turn God blesses us exceedingly and abundantly with love and other blessings.

This for me is a challenge, I hope I can apply the above in my life this week, this month, this year, I pray for a repentant heart to choose JOY always, and at all times.

 

The Vineyard Awaits.

“Jesus went from town to town teaching, proclaiming the gospel, and healing every disease and affliction” Matthew 9:35 in the following verse 36 Jesus sees the crowed and is filled with compassion for the crowd. “Then he said to his disciples, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” So many people and children are waiting to be taught the word but, not everyone is willing to teach the word. Jesus says this upon seeing the large crowd in need.

We often have so many excuses as to why we can’t work in the vineyard of the Lord. Yet on most Sundays we sing to the top of our lungs about being “a worker for the Lord, in the vineyard of the Lord.”

“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” As a worker in the in the harvest or the vineyard, we need to understand that we ought to look to Jesus as he is the benchmark, the example of how a worker ought to be. If you look in the book of Philippians in the second chapter; Paul summaries beautifully what Christ did by coming down from heaven to earth. Paul says; verse 6 “Christ humbled himself, emptied himself by taking a form of a servant”, and “became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross,” verse 9.

I might be wrong but, I think being a worker or servant is a mind-set thing look at what Paul says in the book of Romans 12:1-2 God in this passage instructs us to present our bodies to him as a living sacrifice (holy & acceptable) this is our spiritual act of worship to God. God reminds us not to be conformed to the world but, to be transformed by the renewal of our minds. We ought to follow a certain way of life, and constantly renew our minds-in the word.

As servants or workers like Christ we have been set free from the darkness of this world, and we continue to be a servant or a worker to ALL, in order that we might win them over 1 Corinthians 9:19. Everything we do, we do to the glory of God 1 Corinthians 10:31. It is extremely important that we convey Christ and that we glorify God in all we do.

How then are we to win more workers over in the vineyard of the Lord? We ought to live a life worthy of Christ’s glory-God’s glory, and pray earnestly to send out labourers into his harvest Matthew 9:38. The harvest is wide and open, where and how will you use your gifts or talents this year? Will we continue to sing “I want to be worker” in vain? The vineyard awaits for you and me, if you are already busy, pray for others to join you and be busy together. The vineyard awaits, what will you do?

 How to deal with poor attendance?

I remember when a friend of mine asked me to assist with “kid’s bible class/Sunday school” in the congregation he and his wife were working with; I was delighted and jumped at the opportunity. I remember one of the leaders there asking how many children I would be bringing into the congregation. How big was I going to make their Sunday school? “What did I put myself in?” I thought.

Numerous times, we think ministry is a numbers game; we think the number of people or children sitting in the pews or Sunday school class is reflective of how good or great God is to us. We are the true Church; we are doing a great job as a Church, and we are actually growing if the pews or Sunday school classes are full.

Ministry is spiritual work or service in the kingdom of God to glorify God and edify those in the flock; I believe those are purposes of ministry. We are tending to our spirits or souls for a spiritual and eternal kingdom; we are servants serving our heavenly master, being God, and our benchmark is Christ; lastly, we are to edify, strengthen, and encourage one another. Read Ephesians 2:19-21, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, & Ephesians 5:19-21.

I believe when we do what we are supposed to be doing as a church, as servants of God, only then do other things follow: “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all things shall be added.” Matthew 6:33.

Dealing with poor attendance:

• Be an exceptional Sunday school teacher: BE ON TIME! Always be PREPARED for the day, class, and lesson; reflect Christ’s/God’s love to your kids; yes, they are yours; be like them...have wonder and imagination.

• Get to know them: I don’t mean just knowing how many boys and girls there are and their names; yes, that’s good too, but... I mean, if you can meet their parents, get involved, and get to know them, what are their favourite colours? What sport do they play at school? What are their favourite subjects? Who is their favourite teacher at school? How many friends do they have? Yes, get to know them; it will mean the world to them. Write them little lovely letters, hand them to them after Sunday school; this makes them feel loved, noticed, and cared for.

• Birthday specials: If you can, I think you can. Celebrate each child’s birthday. Again, this makes them realise how much you care. You don’t have to have a huge chocolate cake. You can have balloons, write the card, sing for them, and say a prayer specifically for them. Believe me, they'll be pleased. If you’ve got a large number of kids, you can celebrate birthdays twice a year, one party for all the kids who’ve got birthdays from Jan to June and the same for those in July to December.

• Make every Sunday special: Change it up, switch it up. I’ve said this in many of my blogs. Make learning the word of God FUN! Make Sunday school an experience for them. Have role plays, play games, and teach every lesson like it were your last.

• Give them a take-home: Kids love taking things they did in class to show Mom and Dad, or their guardians, what they did in Sunday school. Find cool crafts for them to do and worksheets for them to colour in; the older groups like word puzzles and things like that.

• Remember me: When one or a couple of my kids were absent, I went to their homes on Sunday afternoon, gave them worksheets and crafts we worked on in class, and just let them know I missed them. If that isn’t a possibility, you can give their friends the worksheets and crafts to give to them.

• Attendance sheets: Ooh, how they love their attendance sheets. These are cute little sheets that have a cute picture on them. They colour these in at the beginning of the year, and I write their names all fancy on each of their sheets. Every time they attend, they get to put a sticker on their sheet.

• Year-end function: Normally what I did in the previous congregation I worked with was have Sunday school graduations. Ooh, how they would look forward to that. We would have a full program; they would sing, read poems, and enact a story from the Bible for their parents. The teachers and I would hand out appreciation awards to those who had more than 30 stickers on their attendance sheets and give special badges to those who had outstanding attendance, and then we would give those graduating to the youth special certificates.

What had confused me by the elder’s question of “How would I grow the Sunday school?” in the congregation was baffling because they had 50 kids when I started working there. My aim was never to bring more kids but ensuring they knew why they were attending church, they understood God, and were spiritually edified.

After a few months of working with that congregation, we had 80 kids in total. The congregation I worked with East of Johannesburg before that one had 3 kids, and before I left, I think I had 18 if I am not mistaken. I then worked with a congregation in Johannesburg; they had 12 kids, and at some point, we had 50 kids, and finally, the congregation I had been recently working with had 8 kids, and eventually, we had upwards of 40 kids.

If ministry was a numbers game, I would be crushing it and probably making my way to heaven, the kingdom where service is not of this world. It is how we serve that matters; it is the role we play and how we play our roles, how we use our talents for the edification of others’, and the glory of God that matters. “Praising God and having favour with all the people. And the LORD added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Acts 2:47 It is the Lord who adds; we ought to play our part as servants in the kingdom, and God plays his part as the great mathematician, and that is exactly what the church in Antioch did; likewise, we too.

 

Maintaining Learners Spiritual Growth.

 Maintaining Learners Spiritual Growth.

If you look up the word GROWTH on Google, it says, “The process of something becoming bigger.” Growth, any kind of growth, is vital, and growth is a process; it doesn’t just happen. In this week's blog we focus on how to maintain our learners spiritual growth; how do we encourage them to grow consistently?
Remember in Mark 10:13-16, “Let the children come to me.” In this text, Jesus doesn’t just welcome the children to him, but he blesses them too; this indicates that they are wanted, needed, loved, belong, and play a role in the Kingdom of God.

Maintaining Spiritual Growth.

• Jesus’ Love: We are to exude Jesus’ love, the same love he shows in the text Mark 10:13-16. We ought to be welcoming, warm, and accommodating. In this way we reflect Christ, and we encourage them to be Christ-like too.

 

• Delighting in God’s word: When teaching, we need to make our learners understand the importance of delighting in God’s word. WHY do we read the WORD? We hear from God, we learn from God, and God speaks through his word, and we LISTEN.

 
 

• They belong: We all want to belong; we all want to be part of something special, moreover kids. Remind them and make them understand that they too play a huge role in God's beautiful Kingdom. Make them understand that God delights in their presence and in their zeal for him and his kingdom. Make them understand that they are his.

 

• Teach from God’s word: How do we ensure they are spiritually healthy and fed if we don’t feed them the correct food? The only and best spiritual food comes from the word, and through teaching from the word, they hear from God; they get to know and understand him because he speaks to us through his word.

 
 

• Pray: Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 instructs us to “pray without ceasing.” How often do we talk to God when we prepare for our lessons, for class, or even mention our kids to him? That’s rhetorical, but we ought to pray, pray, pray unceasingly. Make our petitions known to God; having a good and open relationship with God clears our minds and hearts and allows his peace to guard us. We are strengthened, encouraged, and renewed when we constantly talk with him.

 
 
Throughout his encounters, Christ displays complete love and compassion to those he interacts with; we as teachers ought to be like Christ. We need to encourage his Little Lambs to thirst for the word of God and seek his word diligently. Through complete love, delight in God’s word, and making them understand they are part of God’s wonderful kingdom. Christ retreats to pray in numerous encounters in the word; he prays for the church. Likewise, we ought to pray for his children, bringing them to him in prayer. Teaching from the word, the word of God, is the one absolute truth we have been blessed with; we ought to maximise this blessing constantly. The process of spiritual growth will be encouraged: “Bring them to me.” Mark 10:14.

 Little Lambs in 2025.

Where do I begin? When I started this blog, I was storing up my treasures where my heart is, and clearly that is children’s ministry. I am extremely passionate about children’s ministry, and I thought this would be easy. I was wrong; going against the norm is never easy; doing what others do is easy. “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” It isn’t that simple.

Earthquakes can cause tsunamis “when the sudden vertical movement of the seafloor displaces a large amount of water. This water is then pushed out in the form of a series of waves that move away from the earthquake’s source.”

The destruction of the earthquake can be determined by how hard it hits; the destruction of a tsunami is determined by the height of the water, speed, and season. That’s how 2024 had affected how I stored up my treasure of blogging.

Blessings and challenges appear when we least expect them. I guess we have to be ready and suited up for all seasons. This year, I hope Little Lambs can grow even more as a blog. There are some things I am looking into and other goals I hope to achieve in making Little Lambs more than just a blog.

More than just growing the blog and the concept of Little Lambs, I hope I can grow with you; I hope to walk this journey with you. Without you, Little Lambs can’t be; I hope every blog can be a treasure in your heart and mind. Strengthening and encouraging you on a day-to-day basis.

Let us be mindful this year of where our treasures lie, where we store them, and how our treasures benefit us and those around us. Essentially, my treasures or talents aren’t really about me but more about you, those you share the blog with, and those who reap the benefits of you reading this blog. To growing together and to being mindful of our treasures regardless of the destructions that arise.