Searan Salibian
Children's Ministries Director
searan@uacc-church.org
September 2009
Dear Parents,
Welcome to the Department of Children’s Ministries at United Armenian Congregational Church! We are so grateful for this opportunity to serve the Lord by helping your precious children develop a lifelong relationship with Him. There is no higher calling than to love, nurture, and spiritually guide Jesus’ little lambs! Given that each family home is the primary place where children learn their religious and moral values, we believe that the purpose of Children’s Ministries is to supplement, enrich, and validate those Christian values being taught within the family and this very special faith community.
We also believe that the children of UACC will not be the only spiritual beneficiaries of this program! The more time and thought you put into your children’s spiritual growth, the more you will gain in your own spiritual life. You are not alone in this process! Our Department of Children’s Ministries is here to help! Besides having a Director of Children’s Ministries, Sunday School Superintendents, and the entire Board of Christian Education to support you, we have many talented teachers and helpers who each have their own unique gifts to contribute! It is our heartfelt prayer that this 2008-2009 Sunday school year will be a pleasant, joyful, and enriching experience for your entire family.
As a preliminary effort to keep you thoroughly informed about our church’s ministry to children, we present you with this 2009-2010 Children’s Ministries Parent Handbook. Please read it carefully, as it contains all of the basic information you will need in order to be an informed and involved Christian parent. On behalf of the many adults and youth in our church community who will be ministering to your children this year, we thank you for your commitment bring your children to Sunday school on a regular basis and for your active participation in their spiritual journey. Your partnership with our teaching teams will reap eternal rewards for the children!
By His Strength and Blood,
Searan Salibian
Director of Children’s Ministries
ONLINE CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES -- Coloring Books of Bible Stories.
CLASS ASSIGNMENTS
CLASS ASSIGNMENTS
Elementary children will be assigned to Sunday School classes based on their corresponding academic school year. Preschool children will be assigned to their classes based on their age by December 31. It is our policy that no child will be moved up during the year! We understand that as the year progresses, it is natural to want to move them up to the next class level. This seems to be especially tempting towards the end of the school year, when the children have matured and seem ready for more of a challenge. But please keep in mind that it is in your child’s best interest to keep him or her in the same familiar classroom until the entire class graduates and moves up together. It gives your children the opportunity to develop close friendships with the same group of classmates throughout their many years at UACC it also keeps our classes balanced. Two grade levels are already present in each classroom. If younger children were prematurely accepted into a class, their need for additional help would divert the teacher’s attention away from the older children, thereby short-changing their own Christian education. If you have any further questions regarding this matter, please speak with the Director of Children’s Ministries.
9:00 a.m. Service 11:15 a.m. Service
Class Room Class Room
Newborns to - Nursery (Infants & Toddlers) 203
5 year olds - 203 2 & 3 Year Olds (2 by 12/31/07) 202
1st –5th grades 206 4 & 5 Year Olds (4 by 12/31/07) 205 First & Second Grades 206
Third & Fourth Grades 105 Fifth & Sixth Grades 104
Junior High School 210
Senior High School 209
Special Education 103
DRESS CODE
Of course there is no official dress policy here at UACC. But some people in our congregation have expressed concern regarding the increasing lack of proper attire by Sunday School children, especially our youth. We truly understand that it is difficult for our teens to dress up when they are spending most of their Sunday here at church, and surely the Lord rejoices when we come to worship Him, no matter what! But our hope is that parents will encourage their kids to strike a balance between comfort and reverence.
FALL REGISTRATION
The third Sunday in September is Rally Sunday, which launches the first day of the UACC Sunday school year. This year, our kick off takes place on September 13 at 10:15 a.m. The morning will also include a light breakfast and our annual Sunday School registration.
It is the parents’ job to make sure that their child’s information is accurate and complete. We need this vital registration data in order to log each child onto our database for attendance records, birthday cards, informational mailings, and telephone calls. Without accurate information about each child, we cannot fully communicate with, and minister to, your family. All parents should then take their children into the worship service at 11:15 a.m. After the teachers are dedicated, your children will be dismissed to join their teachers outside and head to class.
Continuing Students: Each registration table will have a computer printout of the continuing students previously recorded in our office database. Parents of continuing students must review this information carefully and place their initials next to their child’s name in order to verify the accuracy of the information and activate their child’s re-enrollment in the class. If there are any errors in this information, all you need to do is make the corrections directly onto the computer printout.
You may allow your junior high and senior high youth to validate their information with their own initials.
New Students: There will be empty spaces available on the printout to fill in the information of new students. Please be sure that if your child does not appear on the continuing student printout, you completely fill out that information. Remember that the registration of new students is an ongoing process. If your child is joining us at a time other than Rally Sunday, there will be registration sheets included in every class at all times, so your child’s information can be collected at any time throughout the Sunday school year.
Please take the time to write your child’s name on one of the stick-on name tags provided at the registration table and attach it to your son or daughter. This will help our teachers learn all of their students’ names quickly!
HEALTH ISSUES
Our Sunday School program is designed to welcome all children. The only exception to this policy applies when parents bring children who are ill to Sunday school. Not only is it difficult for a sick child to participate in, and keep up with, normal class activities, but it is inappropriate for the other healthy children to be exposed to an illness that could infect not only them, but their teachers and families as well. Therefore, children who have a fever, persistent sneezing, and/or a runny nose (yellow or green nasal discharge indicates a bacterial infection), may not join their classmates and must remain in the worship service with their parents.
SUPPLIES AND RESOURCESAll of the general supplies that your children will need from week to week are provided by the church through the Board of Christian Education budget. Basic classroom supplies include: pencils and pens, crayons or markers, paper, scissors, tape, glue and/or glue sticks, stapler, paper clips, chalk and eraser, offering basket, Bibles, soap, and tissues. The preschool classrooms are also equipped with books, puzzles, toys, and play-dough. A variety of additional supplies are located in the cabinets of the Sunday School office, to accommodate our students needs.
We ask that parents take turns volunteering to bring snacks for their children’s classes on a regular basis. Not only do the little ones really enjoy snack time, but so do our older Sunday School students, right on up through high school! There will be snack sign-up sheets in each classroom throughout the year. If you have more than one child, it may be easier to bring snacks for all of their classes on the same Sundays, so you don’t loose track of when to bring what. We do not encourage juice in the classrooms (to spare damage to the church carpeting) but water is always available. Also, be sure to let the teachers know about any food allergies your child may have!
BASIC SUNDAY ROUTINEUpon your arrival on Sunday mornings, you may be greeted by a representative of our Children‘s Ministry Team and /or CE Board member. We are here to welcome your family and assist you in finding your children’s classes. If you have any questions about our Sunday School program and cannot find someone, please check the Sunday School Office.
All of our teachers are asked to be in their classrooms at least ten minutes before church to receive their students. If a teacher is in their classroom earlier than that, do not assume that you can leave your child with the teacher at that time. Most of our teachers arrive earlier than required in order to set up their classrooms and/or prepare their lesson. If this is the case, please wait until ten minutes before the hour to enter the room with your child. On the other hand, if a teacher is late, please be patient and stay with your child in the appropriate classroom until that teacher or a substitute arrives. Remember that all of our teachers are volunteers, and most of them are here faithfully every Sunday. But some teachers are parents too, and may fall behind schedule as they get their own families ready for church!
Nursery through 4 & 5 Year Olds Classes: Nursery parents are expected to sign their child in, give him or her a warm hug, and then say "goodbye" as quickly as possible. Once you are able to disengage from your child, the teachers will be able to direct your child towards one of the classroom activities. After church, you are expected pick your child up promptly from the class, signing out on the same sheet. We now have a vibrating pager system for the nursery so that we can contact you in the sanctuary during the service if any problems arise. But if you are still nervous about leaving or your child seems unusually distressed, you are more than welcome to stay with your little one as long as you wish! All we ask is that you do not, in any way, hinder the regular teacher’s efforts to work with the other children in the class.
Elementary Classes: Parents of 1-4 grades need to drop them off directly in the Music Room. Parent of 5-12 grades need to drop them off directly in the Fireside Room. At the end of Sunday school, lower elementary children will be kept with their teachers in their regular classes until you arrive to pick them up. Upper grade children will usually be dismissed from their classes at the end of the service. To avoid confusion, it may be a good idea for your family to have a designated place on the patio to meet after the service each week. The only exception to this rule is the first Sunday of each month of the Sunday School year, when the four year olds through senior high students go into the worship service with their families.
Let The Children Come: On the first Sunday of the month from October to June, the four year olds through senior high students go into the worship service with their families. After participating in the beginning hymns, the elementary children will be called to the pulpit steps for a special children’s message. We believe that children should have many opportunities to be welcomed into the house of our Lord and participate in corporate worship, and that it will be a wonderful reminder to our congregation about the importance of children in the body of Christ!
Armenian Christian Heritage Lessons: After the children’s message, the four year olds through Junior High will be dismissed from the worship service. Outside on the patio, there will be adults waiting to guide the children to the rooms where their Armenian Christian Heritage classes will take place. This program, sponsored by the Armenian Christian Heritage Committee, is a wonderful way for our children to learn about their Armenian Christian heritage throughout the year! It also provides most of our regular Sunday school teachers with a break once a month so they can join the congregation in the worship service and enjoy a sermon.
The junior and senior high youth are expected to stay in the sanctuary and participate in the entire worship service on those Sundays. The Board of Christian Education believes that initial exposure to our worship services now will prepare our youth for active participation in the life of our church later as mature adult Christians.ATTENDANCE AND OFFERING
Consistent attendance is a very important part of helping your child grow spiritually, develop lasting relationships with teachers and other classmates, and internalize the significance of going to church to worship the Lord. We ask that you make every effort to bring your children on a regular basis. An offering is taken in every class starting with the 2 & 3 year olds class. All of the Sunday School collections have traditionally been deposited into the UACC General Fund and used as part of our annual Christian Education operating budget.
CURRICULA
In order to provide our children with the best Sunday school materials available, several different curricula from various publishers were previously reviewed and approved by the Director and Curriculum Committee. Last year, one of those publishing companies came out with a brand new curriculum program. Based on the recommendations of the CM Director, Youth Pastor, and Curriculum Committee, approval was granted by the Board of Christian Education for Generations of Grace (GoG). GoG will be used throughout most of our Sunday school program.
Our teaching teams are encouraged to use their curriculum as creatively as possible to help promote and support a solid Christian faith within each child in their class. They may also modify the structure of a lesson plan in order to better meet the developmental needs and abilities of their particular group. We encourage you to ask your children questions and talk with them about what they are learning in class on the way home from church. Another way to reinforce their Sunday school lesson is to focus on it at their bedtimes throughout the week. These little steps will go a long way towards increasing their lesson retention, deepening their biblical understanding, and building a bridge between what is being taught in church and at home!
If you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns about what your children are learning in their classes, please contact the Director of Children’s Ministries. Also, keep in mind that our teachers would love to have more parents participate in their classes. Please let us know if you are interested in learning about ministry to children or would just like to lend a helping hand, once in a while, to your child’s Sunday school teachers!
SPECIAL FEATURES
Children’s Message: On the first Sunday of the month, from October to June, four year olds through senior high students are invited to attend the worship service with their families. The young people are then called forward to the pulpit steps for a special children’s message.
Armenian Christian Heritage Lessons: Our Sunday school children also enjoy a break from their regular studies on the first Sunday of the month. The UACC Armenian Christian Heritage teachers show our children how their rich cultural heritage is intertwined with a long-lasting biblical faith.
Mighty Memorizers: Our Mighty Memorizer Coordinator, Bea Nairi, meets after church in the Sunday School Office with those children who are interested in "hiding God’s Word in their hearts!" At the end of the school year, those Mighty Memorizers who have completed their memory verse schedule are honored with a trophy or plaque on Mighty Memorizer Sunday; the first Sunday of May.
Class Memorization Projects: In addition to their regular Sunday school curriculum, each class will be required to learn a special segment of the Bible throughout the Sunday school year. The purpose of this plan is to make sure that all of our children remember some important foundations of our Christian faith that may be overlooked throughout their Sunday school years. The following presentations will be made on Graduation Sunday; the fourth Sunday of June.
YEAR "A"
2 & 3 Year Olds - Jesus Loves Me
4 & 5 Year Olds - The Lord’s Prayer
First & Second Grades - The Ten Commandments
Third & Fourth Grades - The Twenty-third Psalm
Fifth & Sixth Grades - Books of the Bible
YEAR "B"
2 & 3 Year Olds - "My God Is So Great"
4 & 5 Year Olds - John 3:16
First & Second Grades - "The Fruit of the Spirit"
Third & Fourth Grades - The Armor of God
Fifth & Sixth Grades - The Beatitudes
Christian Family Library: Located in Room 201, this "Noah’s Ark on Mt. Ararat" theme library is designed to meet the needs of parents, teachers, children, and youth alike. Open every Sunday after church from 12:15-1:00, one of our librarians can assist you in finding Christian resources that will help your family grow closer to the Lord. Please come and "check out" this wonderful, award-winning library facility and fill out an application for your very own Christian Family Library card.
CHILD SAFETY GUIDELINES
The hottest topic in children’s ministries today is the issue of child safety. Because of the unfortunate state of the world we live in, the protection of children has become a necessity; not only in the secular realm, but in the Christian community as well. Here at UACC, we are in the very fortunate position of either being personally acquainted with, or related to, almost everyone else in our church. This factor alone tremendously reduces the chances of any harm coming to our kids. Still, because the safety of children remains one of the foremost concerns of parents today, our policy is to err on the side of caution by implementing a few simple guidelines to keep your children and grandchildren safe and sound when here at church.
1. People
All Children’s Ministers are required to have attended UACC for at least six consecutive months.
Our Children’s Ministers will fill out a confidential information sheet as part of their Sunday school teaching application
If a teaching applicant is not personally known by someone on our Children’s Ministries Committee or pastoral staff, the references listed on his or her application will be contacted.
2. Places
All classrooms will be visually accessible at all times via adequate and unobstructed windows and doors.
3. Policies
There will always be at least two teachers present in every Sunday school classroom on a regular basis.
Sign-in sheets with a parent signature will be required for drop off and pick up of all babies and toddlers in our nursery.
When necessary, their teacher will take little boys and girls to the restrooms in pairs, rather than one at a time.
All classrooms will be checked on by either the Director or Superintendent at least once each Sunday morning.
All teachers are required by law to report any suspected child victimization to the Director. While these guidelines may seem strict or unnecessary to some, they are quite basic. Approved by our C. E. Board, these precautions will go a long way towards maintaining a much safer church environment.
AVENUES OF COMMUNICATIONDirector to Teachers - Memos are posted in the Sunday School office and in their offering envelopes to let our teachers know about upcoming events that impact them and their students. Parents are welcome to pick up a copy of this memo each month from our Sunday school office.
Director to Parents and Teachers - Update Letters
are written by the Director of Children’s Ministries at least twice a year to give parents and teachers specific information about upcoming events that pertain to everyone involved in our children’s ministries programs.Director to Congregation - The Herald is published on a monthly basis by the United Armenian Congregational Church and delivered to everyone on our general church mailing list. This newsletter is an excellent way to keep parents, and the rest of our congregation, up to date regarding all of the wonderful things that are happening in our Children’s Ministries Department.
Teachers to Parents - Parental Involvement is very important for both the spiritual growth of your children and the well-being of our Sunday school teachers. When children witness their own parents’ participation in the Sunday school classroom, they realize the importance of their Christian education! And our teachers need your support and prayers each week. They do not attend the worship service in order to minister to your children. There are many ways that you can be involved: acting as classroom helpers and substitutes, bringing and serving snacks, sharing any special talents you have with your child’s class, taking time to talk with teachers about your child, encouraging our teachers in their ministry to your kids, and expanding on what your child has learned in class at home throughout the week.
Parents to Staff - Contacting the Director of Children’s Ministries: Your Children’s Ministries Staff, Children’s Ministries Committee, Board of Christian Education, and our faithful teaching teams are working hard to provide the very best conditions in which your children can grow up to be devoted followers of Jesus Christ. But we cannot do it without your help! Feel free to stop by the Sunday school office or call us anytime. We welcome your questions, concerns and ideas, and want to support you, as you continue to minister to your own family, any way we can!
Pastor Razmig Minassian, Pastor of Christian Education
Church phone: (323) 851-5265
Church fax: (323) 851-6726
E-mail address: revrazmig@uacc-church.orgSearan Salibian, Director of Children‘s Ministries
Church phone: (323) 851-5265
Church fax: (323) 851-6726
E-mail address: searan@uacc-church.orgHaig Darakjian, Director of Youth Ministries
Church phone: (323) 851-5265
Church fax: (323) 851-6726
E-mail address: haig@uacc-church.orgUACC SUNDAY SCHOOL 2009-2010 CALENDAR
August
29 Teacher Training
September
13 RALLY SUNDAY!
Breakfast & Sunday School Registration
(10:15 a.m. in Courtyard)
Teacher Dedication/Congregational Charge
(11:15 a.m. in Sanctuary)
20 Sunday School Music Begins
October
4 Armenian Christian Heritage
31 UACC Harvest Festival!
November
1 Armenian Christian Heritage
Fall Children’s Missions Project Begins
29 Fall Children’s Missions Project Ends
December
6 Armenian Christian Heritage
13 UACC Children’s Christmas Program
25 Christmas
January –2010
3
Armenian Christian HeritageArmenian Christmas Sunday
6 Armenian Christmas
February
7 Armenian Christian Heritage
March
7 Armenian Christian Heritage
Spring Children’s Missions Project Begins
28 Palm Sunday Procession
April
4 Armenian Christian Heritage
Easter Sunday!
18 Spring Children’s Missions Project Ends
Armenian Martyr’s Sunday
May
2 Armenian Christian Heritage
Mighty Memorizer Sunday
June
6 Teacher Recognition Sunday
Armenian Christian Heritage
Thank You Breakfast for Teachers/Presentation
of CE Service Award
Congregation Honoring Teachers
13 Graduation Sunday!
Graduates Breakfast
Presentation of Class Memory Projects Last Day of the 2009-2010 Sunday School Year
TBA Vacation Bible School
