Preparations

We were planning for an activity for our Community Sunday School class (children that are not from the church) and we decided to have a program with games and food. We delegated the task to who shall do the program, games and all. Then the wife of our pastor who works in a children’s center in Manila came into contact with an organization that conducts activities for the children. They will take care of the gifts, food (popcorn and cotton candy), give aways (colors and coloring books), and the mascot. They were asked if they do go to churches and they said yes and we invited them to our church. That organization is the Chummy Chum Foundation Philippines.

Our initial target were just the attendees of the Community Sunday School class (around 60 children). However, we were informed that they usually handle 200 – 300 children in one event, so we opened the event to the whole Sunday School department and encouraged everyone to invite their friend to attend the activity.

So in short, we were saved from the trouble of preparing food, gifts etc, for the activity.

Chummy Chum

The Chummy Chum Foundation isn’t actually a Christian organization, but they have a very wonderful mission, to give joy, laughter and fun to unprivileged children in the country. They started their ministry on September 2007 and had been to many hospitals, children’s center, churches, orphanages and more, usually serving more than 200 children. They provide gifts, toys, and their trademark is the Gummy Cotton Candy Factory and Chummy Popcorn Maker. They also provide their center of attraction – Chummy Chum. For more info about their work and their organization, visit their website at http://chummychum.org. If you want to invite them, you can also sign up on their website.

They are mostly volunteers and their job is not easy so you really see that these people want to bring smile to these children’s faces.

The Big Event

The Chummy Mobile cam around 11:30 in the morning (our worship service isn’t finished yet) and the start of the program is 2pm (but we said to the children that it’ll start at 1pm). So they were able to rest in preparation for the program.

Children started coming in at 1pm. At first, we thought that we won’t reach the 200 children. But by 2pm, the church is already filled with children from all over the barangay. The program started with songs, games, and a special number. The Chummy Chum volunteers and our teachers really had a hard time ‘controlling’ the 200+ children inside the building. But despite of the heat and noise, everybody is having fun. The cotton candy maker and popcorn maker started running at 1pm and those will be given at the end of the program.

Everybody is curious what Chummy Chum look like and when the time came for him to show up, everybody was rushing to him, chanting “Chummy Chum, Chummy Chum” and wants to hold him. Chummy Chum danced for the children and had time for some picture taking before bidding farewell. If not for the intense heat that afternoon, probably he could stay longer (and we want him to stay longer but we also don’t want the person inside Chummy to suffer from heat stroke ).

After the event, we gave a certificate of appreciation to the Chummy Chum Foundation that was received by Ms. Rowena Bula, General Manager of Chummy Chum Foundation Philippines.

Popcorns, Cotton Candy, colors and coloring books were given to the children as they leave the place.

200+ children, 200+ smiles and laughter.

Soli Deo Gloria!

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Soli Deo Gloria.

The purpose of that blog is not to give ideas or tips etc., but merely to blog about what we are currently doing in our department. Of course I hope and pray that people might get some ideas from my posts here, but I also hope that other experts could comment, or share what they are doing in their own churches.

So, please do check it out at http://thesundayschooldirector.marvincruz.com (sorry for the long URL, I’m planning to purchase a domain for this one soon – donations accepted ) http://sundayschooldirector.co.cc.

God bless..

Soli Deo Gloria

Update: Due to some functionalities I need, I moved the blog from blogger to my selfhosted WordPress blog.

My forte in the church is not CE (Christian Education). Though I did teach (on my former church) youth for sometime, my forte was in music (but I am not  an expert in music). When I came in this church (my wife’s from this church), I never planned of being involved in the church leadership. But still I was involved, first on their worship ministry (they don’t have any music team), then on Christian Education department. I was appointed by the teachers. I don’t know where to start and how to properly do it. I have some background regarding CE back in the seminary but it’s just a background. But by God’s grace, I was able to sustain more than one year of leadership.

I was blessed with a wonderful team. The teachers were cooperative, open minded and vocal. We had some “renovations” made to the structure of the Sunday School program. We’ve conducted some training for our teachers (facilitated by….. ourselves), youth seminar, a dinner fellowship for couples. We’re currently planning for a small children’s camp this April (instead of the traditional Vacation Bible School), and a supplemantary feeding program on May.

This church (which is already a more than a decade old), went through a few downfall. Currently, we are trying to establish the “Church Leadership” by electing (appointing actually) key leaders (Deacons, Deaconess, coordinators for Men, Women, etc.).

Dwelling deeper in the ministry, because I am thinking of being involved deeper on the church’s leadership. I’ve already talked to my wife and she was supportive. I am planning to be involved in the office of the Deacons. There are a couple of reason why I want to. First, as it turned out, there is only one person in the church who is willing to do the task of Diaconate and this person migh leave soon for a work abroad. Second, which might sound obscure for some, is that being in this position, I can have some sort of “authority”. It’s not that I am after that “authority” per se, but there are things I know I can do better with it. Our pastor also agreed that, it is good to have those leaders also with the Diaconate position. I don’t want to discuss the “meaning”, etc., for the word Deacon (cause different churches interprets it in different ways). There are a lot of things in my mind that I want to suggest or do in this church.

I don’t know yet when will this happen or if the existing leadership will accept my “application”. But whatever the case maybe, may the will of the Lord be done.

Also, it’s been more than a year now. And I am thinking, what progress do we have with our department. There are still a lot of things to do. We still need to put our hearts more into the ministry that the Lord had entrusted us. I pray everything will work out great, by God’s grace, this year.

Soli Deo Gloria.

I want to thank God for the success of this seminar. I pray that what we learned can be applied properly to improve and develop our Sunday School Organization.

Soli Deo Gloria…

Day1

• Basic Doctrines, Refresher course. – Ptr. Ronnie
• Attitudes of a Sunday School Teacher. – Teacher Bernadette

Day 2

• God’s View of the Children. – Teacher April
• Heart to Teach. – Bro. Marvin
• Teaching Strategies/Practices. – Teacher Mercy

All session shall include interactive discussions, activities, and snacks.

Please pray for this activity.

Soli Deo Gloria.