Highlights of Term 3
What a fantastic term! We had 1308 attendances with an average of 53 children and parents visiting per day. This term we focused on actually following Jesus, intending to make disciples. We noticed greater uptake of the learning challenges and many children doing way more work than required.
We had more children and parents jumping rope and playing active games out the front. This is teaching them to cooperate, respect each other, learn how to learn and have fun together – people from diverse backgrounds and mixed ages.
Reward Charts take off!
On the last Pizza Day (Wednesday) of the term we tried something new which seems to have struck a nerve. We gave out 14 reward charts and told the children to do something useful at home and get their parents to sign a star on the sheet each time they do. We asked them, “What are you going to do? Make your bed? Tidy your room? Put the dishes away?” They each wrote down what they intended to do and we told them we would reward them next term. We called the idea: “Chores for Rewards.”
The next day several mothers who’d ‘missed out’ the day before came to us and asked if they could have a reward chart. Caught unprepared, we had to hand write two extra ones so they would be included!
During the term break we had a school holiday program (next story) and 4 or 5 children brought the completed reward charts to show us! I said, “Bring them back next week. We’ll do it then”
Christine asked one of the mothers, “What happened? Did your children actually do anything?”
The mother replied, “We can’t believe it. I came home the other day and the rubbish was out, the car had been cleaned and my littlest one was cleaning up the toys. They ignore us when we ask them to help, but they’re doing it for you!”
What’s the reward?
After much prayer, reflection and discussion, we’ve decided to reward the children who bring their completed reward chart to the first pizza day of term 4. We will explain that God loves them unconditionally, whether they do chores or not and that we do not do chores for rewards but because we want to positively contribute to the running of the household.
We will ask the children to line up tallest to shortest before the table of pizza slices. I (Angus) will ask the first one, “What did you do? Did you actually do it?” Addressing their parent, “Did he/she actually do all this work?” Back to the child, “How did you feel about doing all this? Are you pleased/proud that you helped successfully?”
Then we’ll put a medal around their neck made from a gold chocolate coin and some ribbon. (Christine has heaps of ribbon in her sewing stash). Then we will clap them together and they get pizza first.
If this works next Wednesday, we will consider doing it more frequently in term 4 as an effective way of loving our neighbours – teaching the children to do household chores.
Prison Fellowship School Holiday Program
We hosted a collaborative Family Games Night with PF this week and it was wonderful! 50 people came this time – a new record. Christine taught the story of Zaccheus and the children interpreted the story using Leggo blocks. It was a really fun night and I always have to pinch myself seeing so many unchurched children having fun and learning about Jesus!
Plans for Term 4
Our Term 1 theme was People Jesus Met, 2 was Stuff Jesus Said, 3 was Let’s Follow Jesus and this term it will be: Because of Jesus…
We will focus on behaviour change, living out the fruits of the Holy Spirit, the craft of Christianity. We will emphasise God loves us regardless of our works, but pulling our weight is good to learn young.