Author Archives: Sharon Harding
About Sharon Harding
I was born in England and immigrated to Canada almost 30 years ago. A graduate of Gloucestershire University (B.Ed.), I have been involved in children’s ministry since I was 16. Over the past 12 years I have written for a variety of Christian Education curriculum resources. I also write a blog at rediscoveredfamilies.com encouraging parents to build strong connections with their children. When I am not working I enjoy painting, reading, and pottering around the Internet.Greening Your Sunday School
As Christian Educators it is our responsibility to help the children make the connection between faith, stewardship, and environmental awareness. There are many ways to do this, but before we start thinking about lessons and projects I believe we need to take a good look at the way we do Sunday school. Do our learning areas and group sessions model environmentally responsible practices? Do we show our care for God’s creation by our choices of activities and the way we use materials? Continue reading
Recruiting volunteers
Enrolling and retaining volunteers is often listed as one of the most challenging tasks for those of us running Christian Education programs. How can we find volunteers? How can we recruit enough people to ensure that we don’t end up with a few faithful individuals struggling to do everything? Unfortunately there isn’t a magic formula that solves the problem (if only) but I would like to share a few things that I have learned. Continue reading
Wait ….. It’s not over yet!
As we know Easter is one of the most important feasts of the Christian year. It is so important that the church sets aside a whole season to celebrate and rejoice. The Great 50 Days of Easter are a wonderful opportunity to explore and celebrate Easter in all its fullness. We couldn’t possibly squeeze all that rejoicing into a single day! But can we really sustain a sense of celebration for seven whole weeks? How can we keep rejoicing when all the jellybeans are gone? Continue reading
Talking With children about Jesus’ Death
As a Christian Educator I have struggled to find the best way to explore Jesus’ death with children. This story is central to our faith and yet it is definitely not a suitable subject for younger ones. How can we retell this story for them without dwelling on the violence? How do we stay faithful to the scriptures and present the story in age appropriate ways? How do we even begin to explain its significance? Continue reading
Learning from the children
I could tell you so many stories about the ways in which I have learned deep spiritual truths from the children in my church family. Many Christian educators have commented how much they have learned from the children in their care. I would concur. In fact I think I have probably learned far more than I have taught. Children are natural teachers and their enthusiasm, simple faith and intuitive grasp of the Holy have taught me so much. Continue reading
What do you think?
As a Christian Educator I enjoy looking at new curriculum. Recently I heard about a new lectionary based curriculum called “A Place for Everyone” produced by Woodlake books. The entire session is printed on one place mat, which has Bible readings, activities, questions for discussion, suggestions for movie clips to watch and books to read, and raises issues of social justice and care for the environment. It is a very different approach to Christian Education and I’m intrigued. Continue reading
You Want to Talk About What?
The word “sin” is one of those churchy words that can cause difficulties for Christian educators. To be sure the whole notion of sin and forgiveness is an important Biblical idea, but it can be a tricky concept to teach. Part of the problem is that the word is used in our liturgies and it tends to pop up in our Bible readings, but it is an umbrella term that seems to have a myriad of meanings and associations, some helpful, some awful, and some downright scary. Continue reading
Children’s ministry – Resources for Lent
he season of Lent beckons us on a journey of discipleship. The Lenten texts remind us of God’s unwavering love as we find the courage to look truthfully at ourselves and make changes. It is a time of preparation and reflection. It is also a challenging season for those of us involved in Christian Education. Some of the Lenten themes and stories are difficult, especially for younger children. How can we help them embrace the rich traditions and stories of Lent? How can we help provide an experience of Lent that will be meaningful for them? Continue reading
Some helpful video resources
Do you ever use videos in your children’s ministry? Here are a few that I have found useful. Continue reading
