jehosheba, we need your courage • sunday school is vital
Transcription
jehosheba, we need your courage • sunday school is vital
812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:01 AM Page 1 JEHOSHEBA, WE NEED YOUR COURAGE • SUNDAY SCHOOL IS VITAL 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:01 AM Page 2 Church Daycare Resources Notebook Set ....................$250.00 ISBN 80-07-57720005 Shipping and handling 15% ................$37.50 (28% Canadian) Total ........................................................$287.50 ORDER FROM: General Sunday School Division 8855 Dunn Road, Hazelwood, MO 63042 Ph. No. 314.837.7304, ext. 357 [email protected] www.sundayschooldivision.org Gracelyn and Macyn Lowe are the daughters of Justin and Kari Lowe from O’Fallon, Missouri ; and Avery Dossey is the daughter of Josh and Mandy Dossey who reside in Moore, Oklahoma . on the cover Encouraging and Equipping Educators Name ______________________________________________________________________________ Address ____________________________________________________________________________ City ________________________________________________________________________________ State ____________________________________________________________Zip________________ USPS 698-310 Single Subscription ISBN 08-0745-953X Bundle (# of copies) ____ Single Subscription: $9.95 each Bundles of ten or more: $7.95 each 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:01 AM Page 3 contents 19 12 14 columns 4 from the editor Gary L. Randol; Guest Editorial: Dale Harrah 6 director’s chair Gary D. Erickson; Guest Writer: Kenneth F. Haney 8 around the world in 60 seconds Dorsey Burk 10 2006 soc giving report 12 teacher to teacher Joni Owens; Guest Writer: Anthony Mangun 14 tips for teachers Billie J. Lambert 16 helping the hurting David Reynolds 19 servant to servant Debra Hathaway; Guest Writer: Paul D. Mooney 20 teacher’s devotion Gary D. Erickson; Guest Writer: Elise McKenzie Editor in Chief ....................................................Robert H. Fuller Editor ......................................................................Gary L. Randol Design ....................................................................Elizabeth Loyd General SS Director........................................Gary D. Erickson General SS Secretary ........................................Gary L. Randol General SS Administrative Secretary ............Lana R. Farnell (USPS 698-310) Contact Us: General Sunday School Division•8855 Dunn Road•Hazelwood, MO•63042-2299 Christian Educator is published quarterly by the General Sunday School Division of the United Pentecostal Church International, 8855 Dunn Road, Hazelwood, MO 63042-2299. The Christian Educator is the official organ of the General Sunday School Division. Subscription price is $9.95 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Hazelwood, Missouri. Postmaster: Send address changes to Christian Educator, 8855 Dunn Road, Hazelwood MO 63042-2299. christian educator•volume 26/issue 4•fall 2006•3 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:01 AM Page 4 from the editor Gary L. Randol Guest Editorial: Dale Harrah The of Importance Oneness Sunday School Literature to The Apostolic Movement And these words . . . thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children. 4•christian educator•volume 26/issue 4•fall 2006 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:01 AM Page 5 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children (Deuteronomy 6:4-7). or over two hundred years in America, Sunday school has been one of the cornerstones in church evangelism and has been one of the greatest tools in teaching God’s Word. Paraphrasing Mark Twain, “The rumors of Sunday school’s death are greatly exaggerated!” Every weekend more than 300,000 churches in America offer some type of systematic religious instruction in a classroom setting and those programs are attended by nearly 45 million adults and more than 22 million youth and children.1 In a culture saturated with change, one of the most stable aspects in the field of religious training has been Sunday school. According to a recent Barna survey, church reliance upon Sunday school has remained stable: nineteen out of every twenty Protestant churches (95%) offer “a Sunday school in which people receive some form of planned or systematic Bible instruction in a class setting.”1 While churches are divided along denominational and theological lines, Barna’s research indicates that Sunday school remains one of the most widely used ministry programs and is one of the church’s highest priorities. Pastors realize that ministry to children must be one of, if not the most important emphases of their church. Research indicates that most faithful church members today were saved before the age of fifteen. With this in mind, the future of the church is highly dependent upon reaching children today. Sunday school is one of the greatest tools for soulwinning and needs to be looked at as an outreach strategy. Children are spiritual sponges whose most impressionable years are too important to pass up, and doctrinally correct Sunday school materials are essential for their biblical education. It has consistently been the goal of the Pentecostal Publishing House and Word Aflame Publications to provide Sunday school literature that meets the needs of the growing United Pentecostal Church. Word Aflame Sunday school literature is doctrinally correct, spiritually perceptive, inspirational, cosmetically attractive, educationally sound, relevant, and visually reflects Apostolic convictions. In 1946, the UPCI began publishing Sunday school quarterlies based upon the International Outlines. Feeling that the outlines tended to shy away from biblical miracles, the UPCI began using outlines from the National Sunday School Association. Through the years the UPCI produced its own manuals but purchased activity and visual aids from other publishers. This was unsatisfactory because the items contained subject matter considered doctrinally unsound or did not F reflect the UPCI’s holiness standards. In 1968, General Superintendent Stanley W. Chambers appointed a committee to remedy this situation and to determine the needs of the fellowship. As an outgrowth of that committee’s work the organization decided to formulate its own curriculum for all ages, including activity and visual aid materials.2 The first Word Aflame Publications (WAP) Sunday school literature was published in 1969 and provided churches with truly Apostolic educational materials. Often churches buy non-Apostolic Sunday school curriculum at local bookstores in an effort to save money. Sunday school materials from WAP are a great value and are affordably and competitively priced. A recent price comparison showed that WAP prices are lower across the board for teacher manuals and student materials. On average, WAP teacher manuals are approximately 33 percent lower and student materials are 25 percent lower than other publishers. While their motives may be good, by using materials published by non-Apostolic companies, Sunday school teachers may unknowingly be allowing another worldview to creep into our churches. There are more erroneous teachings than just the trinitarian doctrine presented in these materials; there is eternal security, other concepts of prayer and worship, and imagery that does not reflect or depict Apostolic convictions. It takes more work to convert a fun program into a doctrinally sound program than to use a doctrinally sound program and have fun teaching it! The need for clear and precise doctrinal teachings has never been greater than now. Our ministers and teachers boldly face the challenge to defend the truth through teaching and to establish the mind-set that to evangelize our world we must reach out to children and teach them the Word of God. Word Aflame is the only Oneness Apostolic Sunday school curriculum available and serves the United Pentecostal Church, Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Bibleway, as well as many smaller Oneness organizations and independent churches. a Dale Harrah serves as Executive Assistant at the Pentecostal Publishing House and has worked in the Christian publishing industry for over ten years. He and his wife, Vickie, and their sons make their home in Saint Charles, Missouri. The Harrahs are evangelists and travel weekends, specializing in youth and children’s ministries. Sunday School is Changing in Under-the-Radar But Significant Ways, Barna Group, Ltd., Ventura, California. www.barna.org July 11, 2005. 2 United We Stand – Jubilee Edition, Clanton, Arthur L and Charles E., Word Aflame Press, Pentecostal Publishing House, Hazelwood, Missouri. 1995 1 christian educator•volume 26/issue 4•fall 2006•5 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:01 AM Page 6 director’s chair Gary D. Erickson Guest Writer: Kenneth F. Haney Jehosheba, We need Jehoshebas to walk through and say, “Devil, you are not going to assassinate the children!” We Need Your W Courage hen a professor left the university to work in a boy’s school, people asked, “Why would you want to step down from the level of the university to work in a boy’s school?” He answered, “If you want to make an impression on brick, do you do that before it is baked or after it is baked?” We have an open door with children’s ministry and need a radical return to the basics—working with children. Children are pliable, sensitive, and tender. During the last twenty years an unwelcome shift in focus derailed ministry to children—where our greatest potential lies. If we recapture the vision and return to square one, we will rekindle revival fires. We find a gripping children’s ministry story in II Kings when Jehosheba determined in her heart to preserve the royal seed. Athaliah, the vicious and wicked mother of the late King Ahaziah, schemed, plotted, and planned the massive assassination of all of the king’s sons. Into the bedchambers of the palace the assassins flowed with their knives, ripping the throats of the babes until the carnage spilled upon the floors. In the midst of the terrorizing cries of murdered children, a brave woman crept in saying, “Someone must preserve the royal seed! God has called me to do this.” The proportion of godly, committed teachers among us is not enough. Our mission is not complete with teaching alone but must include going out into the highways and byways and bringing them in. Beginning at fifteen years old and enduring through the years until now, my life has included bus ministry. During my fifties I had my own bus route to show my congregation that it still works! So many children come from troubled, disoriented homes. We have become a sophisticated 6•christian educator•volume 26/issue 4•fall 2006 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:01 AM Page 7 church baptized with a spirit of pride and are hesitant to fill our beautiful buildings with the “little rats” of this world for fear that they might tarnish, scar, or stain it. God help us to love a lost world so much that we are willing to go out and to fill the house of God with souls no matter how lucrative the ministry may or may not be. Jesus went to Calvary and hung upon a cross for every one. He loves all cultures—illiterate, educated, poor, wealthy, tall, and short. Bus ministry is not an obsolete method of evangelism. The parking lot may be full of buses and vans, but the services are full of young parents who were once little kids on buses. Ministry to children is one of the most gratifying and thrilling ministries available. In February 1972 when I returned to Stockton, the church had a couple of buses and we bought more. Revival began to break out. Some of the traditionalists walked into the church to find that someone already occupied their pew! When we moved to West Lane, some of the saints came to me and hinted, “You are not going to bring the bus children in over here, are you?” One night in prayer the thought came to me, that is what we built this building for. A lot of the folks who are in this church making commitments and pledges and working on this church came in through bus ministry. So I bought eight more buses and had them delivered on Sunday morning just as church let out. The Athaliahs of this world seek to destroy children through drugs, filth, corruption, pornography, and homes where parents are absent. The church has the key to the destiny of children. Society does not care for them, but it is our responsibility and passion to snatch them from the knives of the assassins. A young lady began reading her Bible at home and desired the baptism of the Holy Ghost. A bus pastor knocked on her door and God gloriously filled her with the Holy Ghost. It cost her to serve God, but she became a great soulwinner mightily used by God—a bus pastor. She brought a set of fourteen-year-old twins to church and God filled them with the Holy Ghost. At fifteen years old, they excitedly came to me and asked, “Brother Haney, is there any way that we could have a bus route?” One Sunday morning about four months later, their bus came around the corner. I could see a head in every window. The twins jumped off with big smiles followed by forty-two Southeast Asians—adults and children who could not speak English. They asked, “What shall we do with them?” The next Sunday when their bus arrived, the same forty-two people got off. As we stood there, two couples came running with tears in their eyes and asked, “Brother Haney, what are you going to do with these people?” I asked, “What can you do? Can you speak their language?” They answered, “No. But we can get them to Jesus. We will use flannelgraph. We will do all that we can, but we will get them to Jesus!” Soon they had filled two buses—then three—with Asians. They received the Holy Ghost and were baptized. From that day until this, between 3,800 and 4,000 of those Southeast Asians have been baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost. They have started many other churches across this nation—all because two bus kids loved souls and became involved. We need Jehoshebas to walk through and say, “Devil, you are not going to assassinate the children!” Churches built around children’s ministries could run a thousand, five thousand, or ten thousand—turning our world upside down. Jesus admonished us to give a cup of water, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the imprisoned, and minister to the sick. We are saved by preaching but since when is it all about us? It is about reaching lost souls, changing idealisms, methods, and ways. Look at your city and say, “This city and these kids belong to me. They may live in the ghettos but I love them and I will reach them.” We are caught up with so much—new homes, automobiles, fine threads, stocks—if they ever take the place of passion for evangelism, they are not pleasing to God. An old fisherman loved to fish. One day he took his little golden-haired, four-year-old daughter and went out to the sandbar in the middle of the ocean. As she played with her sand bucket and he fished, he said, “Honey, I am going to move out a little further.” After some exciting fishing, suddenly he looked over to where the sandbar had been, but the tide had come in and the sandbar had disappeared. He screamed and cried for his beautiful little golden-haired girl but to no avail. Later he could be heard screaming her name and muttering almost incoherently, “If I had only stayed close enough so that I could have heard her voice, but I was too preoccupied.” Are we too preoccupied to hear the voices of drowning children, suffocating by neglect and the filth of this world? We may have the most beautiful edifices with towering steeples and stain-glassed windows, but we must have apostolic power and compassion. Mary Bird taught the first grade in our Christian school for twenty-five years. She prayed all of the kids in her classes through to the Holy Ghost every year—my kids, the saints’ kids, and the sinners’ kids. Children are the most precious commodity that God has given us. We can do great and startling things if we have a rebirth of children’s ministry. A car accident trapped a young girl inside her burning vehicle. Truckers stopped and worked unsuccessfully to pry the door open while the girl screamed, “Someone save me!” Out of that horrible night came walking a man with purpose, and with his bare hands and dynamic strength grabbed the door, prying the metal apart until he tore the door off. In the process of rescuing the girl just before the car exploded, he ripped the flesh off his own hands. Bystanders asked him, “How did you do it?” He answered, “Years ago my little girl burned to death in an automobile. I determined then, ‘Never as long as I live will it ever happen again.’” We have power and authority to literally change this world. Children need champions. Thousands of them would come if we had more workers. There are unlimited opportunities. Jehosheba, we need your courage. a Kenneth F. Haney is the general superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church International. christian educator•volume 26/issue 4•fall 2006•7 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:01 AM Page 8 around the world in 60 seconds Dorsey Burk ISRAEL Our AIMer in Israel, Roy Fisher, reports: “We were privileged to have AIMers Nate and Ingunn Turner with us from Lithuania for our Russian-speaking congregation’s anniversary service in Haifa. We had a wonderful time of fellowship and worship together as God’s Spirit moved through the anointed ministry of Brother Turner. I was encouraged as Brother Alexander related several new doors that God is opening, allowing him to share the Oneness message with other Russian immigrants. We are believing God to continue the work that He has begun among the Russian-speaking people of northern Israel.” —Robert and Beth McFarland RUSSIA Laughing, games, and camaraderie abounded during a recent children’s ministry seminar in St. Petersburg. Teachers gathered from St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Minsk and discovered secrets of how to be successful teachers. The children’s ministry has been a very important part of the growing church here in St. Petersburg. As many as twenty children attend Sunday school, and nearly all of them have already received the Holy Ghost. What is exciting is that most of them received the Holy Ghost in the Sunday school classroom. Teachers have truly learned how to minister to children. —Tim and Jane Olson COSTA RICA At the invitation of friends, a young couple came to the church I pastor. The young lady was blind in one eye. After the service, the lady who had brought them requested prayer for her. People were leaving—very few were even aware of the prayer. However, God healed her. Across town, a pastor prayed for a six-year-old boy with leukemia. God touched him, and he was able to start school with his class in February. —David and Yonda Schwarz DEPUTATION We have enjoyed meeting many new people while on deputation and have had some wonderful services. Just recently, in a service in Colorado, four people received the Holy Ghost and many others were refilled. We also had two deaf men praying for a young lady who was also hearing-impaired. She worshiped with much joy and nearly received the Holy Ghost. Our home mission work in Australia has been taken care of by AIMers Jessie and Dayna McMahon, a blessing to our church. While yet being excited by a great deputation so far, we are still anxious to get back to Australia. —Chester and Carole Terry DEPUTATION We have had ninety people receive the Holy Ghost and nineteen baptized in the name of Jesus since January in our missionary services! —Antonio and Jessica Marquez, Mexico. 8•christian educator•volume 26/issue 4•fall 2006 VENEZUELA During Easter week, most districts have camp meeting. We attended two of them in this area. In one district, over 6,500 people attended, 90 were baptized, and over 550 received the Holy Spirit. In the neighboring district, over 8,000 people attended, 122 were baptized, and many received the Holy Ghost. One lady had been paralyzed and in a wheelchair for some time. On Saturday morning, she was baptized. When she came out of the water, she walked out and has not returned to her wheelchair! —Lonnie and Gail Burton TRINIDAD-TOBAGO A very well respected Muslim and his family were recently baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost in Trinidad. A man who was bedridden and could not walk was healed in Tunapuna, Trinidad. Tobago also continues to see people being baptized in Jesus’ name. A prominent pastor in Cuba of another denomination is asking us to come to minister at his church. Pray for revelation for Brother Saul. —Gary and Kristi Landaw, Trinidad-Tobago/ Spanish Caribbean A pastor prayed for a sixyear-old boy with leukemia. God touched him, and he was able to start school with his class in February. Dorsey Burk, executive assistant in Foreign Missions Division and Secretary of Veterans of Foreign Missions, is a graduate of Conqueror’s Bible College, Portland, Oregon. He served as missionary in Jamaica and Germany before coming to WEC. Dorsey has authored several books. 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:01 AM Page 9 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:01 AM Page 10 SOC 2006 Easter Top Five Districts in Total Offering: 1st Place District Offering – 2006 Louisiana District $120,000.00 Kevin V. Cox, Supt Cecil Daniels, S.S. Director 2nd Place District Offering – 2006 Mississippi District $106,000.00 James Carney, Supt. Steve Cannon, S.S. Director 3rd Place District Offering – 2006 Illinois District $80,730.06 Billy Coltharp, Supt. John Bailey, S. S. Director 4th Place District Offering – 2006 Arkansas District $66,000.00 B. J. Thomas, Supt. Rick Lumpkins, S. S. Director 5th Place District Offering – 2006 North Carolina District $61,180.00 David Elms, Supt. Kenneth Marshburn, S. S. Director 4th Place Per Church Offering – 2006 New York District $693.70 David Robinson, Supt. Jonathan Spite, S.S. Director 5th Place Per Church Offering – 2006 North Carolina District $687.42 David Elms, Supt. Kenneth Marshburn, S.S. Director Churches Giving $5,000.00 or more 1st Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 Faith Sanctuary – Toronto, ON G. McKenzie, Pastor $17,500.00 2nd Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 Pentecostals of Alexandria – Alexandria, LA G. & A. Mangun, Pastor $14,100.00 Top Five Districts in Per Church Giving 3rd Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 The Jesus Church of the Quad-Cities Silvis, IL G. Randol, Pastor $13,013.13 1st Place Per Church Offering – 2006 New Hampshire/Vermont District $1,191.27 per church David McAllister, Supt. John Davis, S.S. Director 4th Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 The Pentecostals of Pasadena– Pasadena, TX A. & R. Glass, Pastor $11,079.23 2nd Place Per Church Offering – 2006 Quebec District $920.34 Carlton Coon, Sr., Supt. Andrew Clarke, S.S. Director 5th Place S.O.C. Offering - 2006 Landmark UPC – Lexington, N.C. K. Marshburn, Pastor $10,467.00 3rd Place Per Church Offering – 2006 Ontario District $749.18 Alonzo Dummitt, Supt. Mark Cheverie, S.S. Director 6th Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 Oregon City UPC – Oregon City, OR G. Gleason, Pastor $10,102.38 7th Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 UPC – Carrollton, KY R. Knox, Pastor $10,020.30 8th Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 Woodlawn UPC – Columbia, MS J. Carney, Pastor $10,000.00 9th Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 Greater Laurel UPC – Laurel, MS D. Moore, Pastor $9,012.00 10th Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 The Pentecostals of Lumberton – Lumberton, NC R. Barnhill, Pastor $7,698.00 11th Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 UPC – Ocala, FL C. Williams, Pastor $7,000.00 12th Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 The Sanctuary –Hazelwood, MO T. Dugas & S. Graham, Pastor $6,707.30 13th Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 Peoples Tabernacle – Sulligent, AL P. Blaylock, Pastor $6,603.08 14th Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 Greater Life Tabernacle – Columbia Heights, MN C. Tatman, Pastor $6,163.06 15th Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 Apostolic Pentecostal Church – St. Louis, MO S. Willeford, Pastor $6,145.28 16th Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:01 AM Page 11 Calvary UPC – Jayess, MS L. R. Bowling, Pastor $6,083.00 First UPC – Lufkin, TX R. G. Davis, Pastor $5,200.00 17th Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 Rick & Dianne Lumpkins Hot Springs, AR $6,006.06 21st Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 First UPC – Malvern, AR J. Peters, Pastor $5,121.27 18th Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 First UPC Revival Center – Batesville, MS S. Cannon, Pastor $5,600.00 22nd Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 UPC – Bourbon, IN M. Cottrill, Pastor $5,100.00 19th Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 The Pentecostals of Bradenton - Bradenton, FL D. Eason, Pastor $5,300.00 20th Place S.O.C. Offering – 2006 Churches with Easter Attendance of 1,000 or more 3,300 2,693 2,218 2,120 1,943 1,580 1,556 1,502 1,247 1,208 1,100 1,123 1,013 G.A. & A. Mangun Micheal Mitchell Johnny Godair Tom Foster Billy E. Hale Granville McKenzie Rex D. Johnson Jessie M. Cornwell Gary Randol Ronald E. Libby Anthony & Frank Tamel Chester M. Wright Mark Foster The Pentecostals of Alexandria New Life Tabernacle UPC United Pentecostal Church Dallas First Church Landmark Tabernacle Faith Sanctuary Christian Life Church First Pentecostal Church The Jesus Church of the Quad Cities Christian Life Center Parkway Apostolic Church The Apostolic Church of Antioch Pentecostals of the Twin Cities Alexandria, Louisiana Brooklyn, New York Durham, North Carolina Dallas, Texas Denver, Colorado Toronto, Ontario Austin, Texas Wichita, Kansas Silvis, Illinois Gaithersburg, Maryland Oak Creek, Wisconsin Arnold, Maryland West Monroe, Louisiana Note: The above is based on what was reported to the Sunday School Division by each district. 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:01 AM Page 12 teacher to teacher Joni G. Owens Guest Writer: Anthony Mangun Everybody Ought to Go to Sunday School ne of the songs learned early in the Beginners class at a United Pentecostal Church is usually this one. Its message, while taught to beginners, is a lesson for all of us—from the youngest to the oldest. Everybody ought to go to Sunday school! My friend, T. F. Tenney, has often said, “Sometimes we must do what we ought to do rather than what we want to do.” “Everybody ought to go to Sunday school . . . the men and the women, the boys and the girls—everybody ought to go to Sunday school.” The scriptural references to teaching children are clear and to the point: O 12•christian educator•volume 26/issue 4•fall 2006 “And these words . . . shall be in thine heart . . . teach them diligently unto thy children (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn (Deuteronomy 31:12). Gather me the people together . . . and that they may teach their children (Deuteronomy 4:10). And ye shall teach them your children” (Deuteronomy 11:19). 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:01 AM Page 13 The call to Sunday school reaches farther and wider than just to children. Sunday school is for everyone—from children to teens— young adults to senior citizens. “Everybody ought to go to Sunday school!” The psalmist even said, “Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD” (Psalm 34:11). In the promises of God to David came this one: “If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore” (Psalm 132:12). The call to Sunday school reaches farther and wider than just to children. Sunday school is for everyone—from children to teens—young adults to senior citizens. “Everybody ought to go to Sunday school!” George Barna recently conducted a study in which he reported that 95 percent of Protestant churches in America offer “a Sunday school in which people receive some form of planned or systematic Bible instruction in a class setting.” It is estimated that nearly 45 million adults and 22 million children and teens participate in church-based classroom instruction on Sunday mornings. Sunday school remains a part of what we do to reach our cities and towns and communities. It is part of what we do to teach our children. It is both outreach—and in-reach. It allows us an opportunity to reach into our community and touch the unchurched. It provides a place of learning for our own children to be “rooted and grounded in love” and in truth. As a senior pastor, I do not personally select the curriculum used by our POA Sunday School Department. I have placed leaders, men and women I trust without question, over the Sunday School Department and in our Sunday School classes to seek out both methods and materials that will help them best convey the truth of the gospel to their target group—from beginners to adults. Time and again, we order, and reorder, Word Aflame materials for our Sunday school classes. In our estimation, it is the best product available to meet our current needs. At The Pentecostals of Alexandria, we continue to use Word Aflame publications for our children’s ministries—Toddler, Kindergarten, Beginner, and Primary—ages three to ten. In addition, we have found that several of our seasoned older saints, while attending and participating in other classes on Sunday morning, welcome the use of the Adult quarterly for their personal Bible study and devotion. Consequently, our Word Aflame order always includes them. Barna’s study also identified a move toward customized curriculum specifically for elementary age classes (nearly 18 percent of those surveyed). At The Pentecostals, this has not been the case. Where we identified the need for customized curriculum is in our youth department and adult classes. There is a very pronounced call to address specific needs of our teens and adults, which is better served by our own customized curriculum. Because we have an exceptional youth and adult ministry staff, virtually unlimited resources, and highly skilled creative writers and artists on our staff, this has been our best option. However, it should be noted that in churches where time, staff, and resources are more limited than ours, the Word Aflame curriculum might well be the best tool for them to use to reach and teach their youth. While other materials may be available from other sources— from the Internet to other written publications—the Word Aflame product is always doctrinally sound. Specific topics must be addressed in a timely fashion. Sometimes this is better facilitated by other sources and resources. However, when outside resources are used, it is always with the required extra precaution regarding the presence of and/or reference to doctrines we do not embrace. With seasoned teachers, this is not a problem and basically is done automatically. However, this could easily create a problem with a less experienced teacher. Word Aflame’s commitment to the biblical doctrines of the United Pentecostal Church International makes it a Sunday school materials resource with an added advantage over all the rest. As the staff and writers of Word Aflame literature seek to make their products both appealing and effective, I urge you to support them by investing in Oneness Apostolic literature. It is an investment in eternity! a Anthony Mangun is the Senior Pastor of The Pentecostals of Alexandria in Alexandria, Louisiana. christian educator•volume 26/issue 4•fall 2006•13 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:01 AM Page 14 tips for teachers Billie J. Lambert tips tips Teaching youth teens and teens youth for Avoid class “drop-outs” and achieve locality. It is a common thing for young people to feel disconnected and over looked. ive your students a feeling of “belonging.” Your complete acceptance of them as a friend and group member is essential. This involves listening carefully to them when they are talking. Give them opportunities to express their thoughts and ideas, and do not be shocked by what they say. When they want to talk to you, stop, look them in the eye and give them your heart as well as your time. If they feel you really care about them and if they have satisfying experiences with class members, they will be far less likely to become a dropout. They will be more loyal to church as well. Keep in mind you are not teaching a class you are teaching individuals. Know as much as you can about each student. Ask God to help you help them with their personal need. You do not have to cover all the lesson content every time you teach. Even though they do need systematic teaching of the Word, there are times you need to be discerning as the Holy Ghost makes you aware of a need. Teach about things they need now! The purpose is to help young people develop into mature Christians committed to living for God. Remember you are a teacher outside the classroom as well as inside the classroom. Be friendly at all times; practice wear- G 14•christian educator•volume 26/issue 4•fall 2006 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:01 AM Page 15 ing a smile. Never be curt or sarcastic. No matter what a young person says or does, never, under any circumstance, ridicule them in front of the class or in front of anyone for that matter. At every opportunity, make sure each one gets recognition for what they do well. Be quick to express your appreciation for anything deserving it. Comment favorably about them to their parents and friends. Young people need someone to listen to them; to really care. When they know you care about them and are very interested in their well being, it can influence their direction in life. What do you do the first fifteen minutes of your class? Do your opening remarks capture the interest of your students? Does the opening consist of the same remarks or announcements Sunday after Sunday? A Sunday school authority once said about teaching that, “The worse method is the method used all the time.” be more important than helping a child? Make time to be available by always arriving early to class, not rushing away after class, and plan a get-together with all your pupils now and then. Make sure you have the lesson, lesson material, and your classroom ready before the first child arrives so you will have time to talk and listen to them. It is important to talk with parents, either by telephone or by seeing them in person. Say something complementary about their child. Parents like to feel their child is not just another name on an attendance roll. It takes time to show concern, but it is well worth the effort. Show appreciation to all your students for their faithful attendance at Sunday school. Often so much concern and attention is shown the absentee, that the child who never misses is hardly noticed. Send a card or letter to everyone present in the class telling them how glad you are that they come to Sunday school regularly. They will be delighted. Plan to send each Your complete acceptance of them as a friend and group member is essential. This involves listening carefully to them when they are talking. Vary the first porting of the class time by providing opportunity for your students to discuss what is going on in their life right now. Lead the class for a few minutes in a discussion about anything of interest to them. Something that has occurred nationally, a world event, or something that has happened in school within the last week. Let them discuss the subject freely and tell how they feel about it. Refreshments help people relax. Serve something simple as they talk. Weave announcements for the week into the conversation. Refreshments will help them talk more freely and will encourage latecomers to arrive early. This discussion time gives students opportunity to discuss subjects of concern to them. It also keeps you up-to-date on the student world. Listen carefully to their discussion; make mental notes of what they say. At appropriate times during the lesson you can make mention of them. Jot down notes after class so you can refer to their answers as you prepare future lessons so you can slant lessons to meet their need. IDEAS AND TIPS FOR TEACHING CHILDREN Talk over everyday experiences with each child. Greet children individually and talk briefly to them as they arrive. Not only will you get to know the child better this way, but also sometimes, they will tell you of things they are never able to discuss with a parent. Children are starved for adult attention. “Many parents do not listen to their children. There have been times I have felt that I had a better communication with a child than their parents, simply because I took time to listen to their problems and experiences.” Listening takes time, love, and patience. Everyone is short on time these days, but we make time for the things that are important to us. What could child in your class mail at least once every quarter. Object Reminder—Bring an object or pictures from the previous weeks lesson. Ask two or more students to choose an item or picture and tell the class what they remember about the story. Make a “Sound Box” from a small paper box.—this is a game small children like to play. In the box place things that can make different sounds such as crumpling a piece of paper, ringing a bell, dropping a ball, or playing a music box. Let a child choose an item from the box, then turn their back to the class and make the sound. As the children call out the sound, guide the conversation: Can you tell us the sound Jimmy is making? What do we use to hear sound? Who made our ears? Are we glad God made our ears so we can hear all these sounds? Let’s all pray a prayer of thanks for God’s gift of hearing. Indoor Scavenger Hunt—Look through a catalog and find things you know are mentioned in the Bible such as axes, a nails, shoes, etc. Write these items on the chalkboard and ask your Primary or Preteen students to use a concordance to find the same item in the Bible. This is an alternate game to the sword drill. Individual students, or teams, can race each other to see who can find the most answers. a Billie J. Lambert attends First Pentecostal Church in Jackson, Mississippi, and is a frequent speaker of teacher training seminars around North America. christian educator•volume 26/issue 4•fall 2006•15 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:01 AM Page 16 helping the hurting David Reynolds “A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation” (Psalm 68:5). More children live without fathers in America than in any other nation of the world. Most of the families coming into the church come with fatherless children. irls seek the approval, love, and physical touch of their fathers in order to know how to relate to other men. If they do not receive these, they are very vulnerable to the attention of older males who would prey on them for sexual gratification. All children without fathers are hurting, but it is especially painful for our boys. How can they accept the love of a caring heavenly Father if they have never experienced the love and care of an earthly male? “In America today, over 22 million children are raised in fatherless households.i That means four out of every ten children go to bed at night in homes where their father does not live,”ii says Alysse Michelle Elhage.iii Dr. Richard Andrews further claims that, “Seven out of ten children entering schools in many areas come from a household headed by a female below the poverty level.” After thirty yeas in public education, my estimation is that over 90 percent of primary teachers are female. This high percentage is reflected in our early Sunday school classes. Where are the male role models for our boys? In October 2002, we all were shocked by the ongoing sniper case in which people were shot randomly and seemingly for no reason. None of us were surprised, when the perpetrators where caught, that they were male—but many never stopped to consider that they were fatherless males. Malvo, the teenager, was seeking a model and a male father figure, and Muhammed was there to provide it. Children who suffer abandonment, who are hurt and the wounds left to fester, can allow this misplaced anger to hurt and kill the innocent. Both men were from broken, dysfunctional homes. Both were seeking male companionship. Children, in order to flourish, must have two parents—a loving and nurturing mother and a strong and caring father. If they do not have both at home, they will seek it in the gangs and on the streets. We provide now—or we pay later. According to reports compiled on the Internet by an organization for men called Menstuff, and another group called Ethnic Baby, which seeks to strengthen African-American families, fatherless children make up G 16•christian educator•volume 26/issue 4•fall 2006 Hurting Children in the Church boys without fathers 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:01 AM Page 17 “Seven out of ten children entering schools in many areas come from a household headed by a female below the poverty level.” • 90% of homeless and runaways • 80% of rapists • 71% of pregnant teenagers • 63% of youth suicides • 90% of repeat arsonists • 71% of school dropouts • 75% of patients in chemical abuse centers • 70% of juveniles in institutions • 85% of youths in prisons must teach God’s principles that cement families and the steps to restore marriages. Divorce not only devastates adults but also destroys our children and teenagers. Death is not the primary reason for “fatherless children”—divorce is. What would Christ have us do? Repeatedly in the Word of God, we are told that we have a responsibility to the widows and the fatherless. “He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6). These statistics mean that children from a fatherless home are • 20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders, • 9 times more likely to drop out of high school, • 10 times more likely to abuse chemical substances, • 20 times more likely to end up in prison, • 10 times more likely to commit rape, and • 32 times more likely to run away from home.iv In an editorial reacting to the front cover of the Newsweek of January 30, 2006, and the feature article, “The Boy Crisis at Every Level of Education,” Rich Lowry said in part: A reason for this latest [educational] crisis is just as girls had begun to pull even with boys in the 1990s, feminists hyped a crisis over girls doing poorly in school that caused an overreaction harmful to boys. One of the chief culprits was scholar Carol Gilligan, who is given space in the Newsweek to address the boy crisis. She writes disapprovingly: “For some the trouble boys are having with schools become grounds for reinstituting traditional codes of manhood, including a return to the patriarchal family.” It is clear, however, that patriarchy is exactly what many boys need—lots of patriarchy, up close and personal (Oregonian, January 24, 2006). Yes, we need traditional codes of manhood! Every child needs a father and a father’s influence in his or her home! We are also losing the influence of fathers in the churches today. Many single mothers are coming into our churches, bringing their little boys. Are we ready and willing to recognize and to meet this need? These fatherless boys need positive examples to follow for living a Christ-like life, for manhood, and for marriage. The above Newsweek article observed that, “A boy without a father figure is like an explorer without a map.” Boys need male companionship and a male mentor in their lives. The church must reach out to these fatherless boys and touch their lives. Fatherless children are a phenomenon that we are accepting in our churches and in our society as a problem with no solution—but God is the solution and the church is His minister. We, as children of God, have the ministry of reconciliation for homes (II Corinthians 5:18). One of the ministries of John the Baptist was to restore the relationship between fathers and their children (see Malachi 4:6; Matthew 17:11-13). The church Prescription: We as a church must: 1. Teach the men in the church the importance of fatherhood and the importance of keeping their marriages strong. They must understand the damage that is done when they abandon their marriage and their children. 2. Screen and train our strong men who love God and have strong marriages to be mentors—to pick out a boy and to give that boy specific attention every time they see him. They need to take him home for meals, to McDonalds for hamburgers, and outdoors to fish and play ball. 3. Talk to these fatherless children and share that the reasons they battle with fears, insecurity, and anger have a cause—but that they do have a heavenly Father who will never leave them or forsake them. Let them know they also have the church, which will be there for them. (Then make sure we are!) 4. Insist that the men who come into the church and have children by former marriages assertively reach out to their children. They should never give up on reaching their children. 5. Often provide for our saints classes and teaching on marriage and parenting relationships. 6. Encourage good men to take on the challenge of ministering in Sunday school to these boys by teaching the Beginner, Primary, and Pre-teen classes. a David Reynolds has authored six books and writes a monthly column on the Teaching Ministry and on Family Relationships. He has served in the teaching profession for over thirty years. Fatherhood Facts, 1997. National Fatherhood Initiative. Ibid. iii Alysse Michelle Elhage, Too Many Fatherless Children, Can Mentoring Make a Difference? North Carolina Family Policy Council Findings . i ii iv christian educator•volume 26/issue 4•fall 2006•17 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:01 AM Page 18 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:01 AM Page 19 servant to servant Debra Hathaway Guest Writer: Paul D. Mooney BibleBelieving Good Literature Will Help You Build A Bible-Believing Congregation From the beginning, God put mankind in the publishing business. oly men wrote and spoke as they were “moved upon by the Holy Spirit.” The written Word is the foundation for all we are and all we believe. Writers and readers are involved in a spiritual bond that defies imagination. It has yet to be fully known what impact the printed page has had on civilization. Thomas Edison, who was lacking in formal education and was often referred to as selftaught, spent his childhood days rummaging around in libraries reading and thinking. What might he have read that inspired his mind to embrace a positive outlook on life? What written word may have caused him, with fierce determination, to embrace a vision that is expressed to this day by every lighted city and every phone call? Good parents give their children books. They read to them from books; they teach them from books. The homes of bright and happy children are littered with books. What greatness might be triggered in the mind and heart of some young child by one sentence, one phrase, one verse, one word? Strong well-trained churches are Bible-reading churches. These churches recognize the importance of literature. If one H generation is to train its young and make a strong future possible, it must provide the printed word to its children. It is likely that the most enduring work of the United Pentecostal Church is the abundant teaching and training literature that has been developed over the past decades. The outstanding men and women who have given themselves to this work are to be praised. They have sacrificed time and talent to give birth to an outstanding body of literature that meets needs and provides a foundation of “printed truths” that stand as a testament to Pentecostal doctrine and beliefs. This is a great gift of love to the whole of the Oneness movement worldwide. Early Pentecostal leaders established their churches with strong and clear statements of beliefs presented through the printed word. Thousands of people were won to God through magazines, tracts, flyers, and pamphlets. No other media meets the intellectual hunger that people have today for substance. As in all previous generations, this present world must “be persuaded in their own minds.” Literature is the key. Many useful things are underused and underappreciated. Such is the case of our literature. Churches have access to outstanding material that supports true Bible doctrine. Training helps that give credibility to the principles of righteousness and Godly life styles are printed and ready to use. It is doubtful we can overcome today’s radically changing culture without getting more and more printed material into the hands of the “saints” and of the new converts. This is crucial. It is a must. The cultural war is real, and good literature is a powerful weapon against the force of modernity. Put good material in people’s hands and it will provide a guideline for their thinking and contemplation of the preaching and the witness. Examining the doctrine or truth presented in printed materials allows for reflection and investigation. Printed information respects people’s minds and helps them review and sort through what they have heard about the Christian doctrine. The writing and publishing of materials demonstrates a church’s love for the truth and shows the inquirer that their need for study and research is respected. Nothing is being hidden, “it is written.” People who are “fully persuaded in their minds” stay in the church; they join, they commit, they understand. Emotional response is vital and to be desired, but without the mind’s acceptance and understanding, the truth can be choked out by doubt and second thoughts. Every church should rejoice to see printed material being (continued on page 23) christian educator•volume 26/issue 4•fall 2006•19 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:01 AM Page 20 teachers devotion Gary D. Erickson Guest Writer: Elise Mckenzie SUNDAY SCHOOL IS VITAL SUNDAY SCHOOL Sunday school was a vital and integral part of Weston UPC, and continues to be so now that we have grown into Faith Sanctuary. ur assembly was established through Sunday school. A dear sister, Amanda Butler, each Sunday collected children in her apartment complex and brought them to church by public transit, until we could afford a secondhand van to use for bus ministry. Our former pastor, F. W. McKenzie, feeling somewhat discouraged with the lack of results from pastoring, had considered resigning the church until he saw Amanda standing in front of the small church building with a handful of children. O 20•christian educator•volume 26/issue 4•fall 2006 Now we conduct Sunday school programs not only within our church building, but also in ten satellite locations in various communities in our local area. Our current pastor, Granville McKenzie, continues the vision of a strong Sunday school as a cornerstone to a strong church. As Sunday school is vitally important to us, so are the materials we use to deliver a quality program to our students. These materials assist our teachers in presenting life-affecting messages week after week. One major source of assistance to us is the Word Aflame Press (WAP) curriculum materials, which we have purchased from the Pentecostal Publishing House since the very early days of our Sunday school program. A quick poll of teachers and administrators in our assembly resulted in many positive responses regarding several aspects of the curriculum materials, which include teacher’s manuals, visual aids, student activity books, and take-home papers. 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:02 AM Page 21 Some of the comments expressed are as follows: “Very detailed lessons; anyone can pick it up and use it.” “New teachers have ideas to assist them in preparing and presenting lessons.” “Teachers manuals give information regarding age groups and tips for teaching them.” “Visual packets contain visual aids, checklists, charts, CDs/cassettes, posters, etc., for classroom use.” “In addition, or as an alternative, teachers can use any of the many ideas for visual aids/bulletins boards included in the teacher’s manual.” “Ideas for activity centers and suggestions for setting up centers are given.” “Timely and biblical themes are created and lessons written to support these themes, with thought given to the age levels being taught.” “Background information is given to help support lesson topics.” “Information about missionaries is included for different age groups.” “Lessons include ideas for life applications and/or evangelistic appeal, which can be used as they apply to the students present.” One of our teachers was particularly impressed by an interaction with a division editor, who personally responded to an e-mail request for assistance. The editor gave ideas relevant to the issues with which the teacher was dealing, offered prayer support, and later followed up to see how things were going. You do not often get that kind of personal assistance and sincere interest! Of course, one of the major benefits to us of using materials created by WAP is that we can be assured that the lesson ideas will reflect the sound doctrine to which we are committed—that God was in Christ; that Jesus made the way for our salvation through his death, burial and resurrection; that we identify with Jesus’ life and sacrifice and partake of that salvation through repentance, water baptism by immersion in the name of Jesus, receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking with other tongues, and the continued evidence of a changed and godly life. It is comforting to pick up a manual and know that the images presented will support what we teach concerning modesty in dress and appearance. What better role models for our kids than others who share and reflect their beliefs and lifestyle? There are a few things to consider when using these materials. Each lesson contains a lot of information and ideas; lesson outlines are structured to fit up to a two-hour period. As a teacher, one has to choose the most important, relevant, and doable parts of the lesson for use from week to week. The sheer volume of material can be a little overwhelming and intimidating, but it provides you with lots to choose from and use. Also, remember lessons are written reflecting life experiences that may differ from those of your students. Some lesson ideas and/or the main focus of the lesson may not relate exactly to the experiences and needs of the students you are teaching. The teacher needs to use his/her judgment and knowledge of the students and adapt the lesson(s) accordingly. We as an assembly desire to support our teachers and our students; we also feel that it is vital to support the publishing of literature that provides much of the support that we desire, while promoting the essential doctrines upon which we stand. We appreciate the voices of knowledge and experience and the consistent quality that the WAP Sunday school materials have offered us over the years. We will continue to use and benefit from them as they continue to develop and adapt to meet the needs of new generations and increasingly varied communities and cultures. Thank you, Word Aflame Press, for standing in the gap and providing an arm of support to Faith Sanctuary and to all of our Sunday schools. a Elise McKenzie teaches the Young Adults class at Faith Sanctuary in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and has served as Sunday school superintendent for this thriving revival church. Granville McKenzie is her pastor and her brother. christian educator•volume 26/issue 4•fall 2006•21 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd ESM6-1567226841 2/25/09 9:02 AM Page 22 Living and Leading in Ministry Christian Skits & Puppet Shows Mark Jordan Karen Jones District Superintendent Jordan shares 31 short chapters for anyone currently leading or wanting to lead a ministry, a business, or a team. Drawing upon a lifetime of experience, these chapters are spiced with personal stories of Jordan’s finest (and not-so-fine) moments to illustrate his topics— from Ask Forgiveness to Permit Questions to Do Your Homework to Honor Former Leaders. Perfect for taking a month to read—and ponder—a chapter a day. These tothe-point lessons on leadership would be easy to use in teacher planning sessions. Paper $11.00 These books are composed of skits and puppet shows, which use humor to teach proper Christian behavior. The third book includes holidays, such as Mother’s and Father’s Days, and Easter. The NEW RELEASE is Book Four with delightful new Christmas, Thanksgiving and many more skits, puppet shows and musicals. ESM6-0971301409 Book One $12.95 ESM6-0971301417 Take 2 $12.95 ESM6-0971301425 Book Three $12.95 ESM6-0971301433 Book Four $12.95 Rage on the Devil’s Turf—David & Kim Ramsey Children’s Church Curriculum kids POWer hour The Ramseys began Street RAGE, a children’s ministry that now thrives in 15 states and 38 cities. You will be inspired by their story. “The Ramseys are dedicated to expanding the kingdom to the coming generations. I highly recommend this book and this ministry to you!” –Thetus Tenney ESP6-0757732089 Paper/DVD $15.00 Creative children’s church curriculum to meet the needs of children’s ministries. Full of activities, games, songs, scripts, illustrated children’s sermons—everything you need for an exciting hour of children’s church. A full quarter of material in each manual. The CDs and cassettes contain songs suggested in the manual along with sound effects, Scripture readings, and puppet skits. The Resource Kits are full of decorating helps, promotional tools and ideas. The kits also contain one manual and one CD. For a complete listing of all titles available go to www.pentecostalpublishing.com Real Pentecostals—A great resource to Adventureland Guided Tours— use to educate our students about our Take the vacation of a lifetime as you Pentecostal history. travel to the Holy Land. ESM6-1567226043 Manual $18.50 ESM6-1567225748 Manual $18.50 ESM6-1567226051 Cassette $8.25 ESM6-1567225756 Cassette $8.25 ESM6-156722606X CD $10.25 ESM6-1567225764 CD $10.25 ESM6-1567226078 Res. Kit $50.00 ESM6-1567225772 Res. Kit $50.00 Critical Issues Series—Gary D. Erickson These booklets were originally written as term papers for Urshan Graduate School of Theology. Erickson has presented issues that many have questioned but few have approached. He sheds spiritual and scholarly light on these critical issues. ESM6-0757732186 Are Children Saved? $5.00 ESM6-0757732194 Is Sunday School Obsolete? $5.00 ESM6-0757732224 Worship and the Arts $5.00 ESM6-0757732216 Keeping the Faith through Tragedy and Suffering $5.00 ESM6-0757732232 Was Ordination an Apostolic Practice? $5.00 ESM6-0757732208 Jewish Sabbath and the Christian Sunday $5.00 Product Name Item # Qty Price Total ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ Canadian orders payable in U.S. funds. Do you want out-of-stock items back-ordered? yes no Subtotal _________ Missouri residents please add 7.075% _________ 15% U.S.A. Shipping & Handling (Minimum $3.95) _________ 28% Canadian Shipping & Handling (Minimum $4.95) _________ Foreign actual postage plus 5% handling (Minimum $5.95) _________ TOTAL _________ Summer 2006 PENTECOSTAL PUBLISHING HOUSE www.pentecostalpublishing.com 8855 Dunn Road • Hazelwood, MO 63042-2299 Phone: 314.837.7304 ext. 7 • 314.336.1818 Fax: 314.837.6574 • E-mail: [email protected] Customer #_______________Phone_______________________ Name _______________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________ City_________________________State_______Zip___________ E-Mail Address _______________________________________ Charge my: American Express Visa MasterCard Discover Credit Card No. _______________________________________ _________________________Expiration Date Mo.____ Year ___ Signature as it appears on credit card. 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:02 AM Page 23 Servant to Servant (continued from page 19) carried home by adults and children. Most times these items become part of people’s lives. They keep them. They come back to them. They share them. They actually enjoy having material placed in their hands. Note that when printed lectures, Bible studies, and other materials are passed out, people clamor for them. Learning is enhanced by organized material and formats. Teachers themselves are more confident when they know they are covering written lessons. They know where they are, where they have been, and what they yet need to cover. They feel better organized and have assurance that they are teaching what their leadership wants taught. It is true that churches could develop and print their own personalized material. However, it would be almost impossible to have such broad and diverse material as is produced by the literature committees and writers of the Pentecostal Publishing House. Powerful wisdom and insights flow from the hearts of the vast number of child rearing experts, educators, preachers, doctors, youth workers, missionaries, and experienced mothers and fathers who produce literature for our churches. It is a resource that should not be ignored. Use it. As someone said, “there is no need to reinvent the wheel.” First time users of the Word Aflame literature will be pleased at the “perfect solution” to the need for study and training material. Use literature. You are not wasting money. Good literature will help you build a Bible-believing congregation that can defend the faith and will be more faithful in all aspects of church life. In fact, the printed page is a primary force in revival and discipleship. Calvary Tabernacle’s overall training revolves around the first class teaching material we purchase from the UPCI. Without it, I sincerely believe we would have a much more difficult time in our efforts to establish our new converts. a Paul D. Mooney is the pastor of Calvary Tabernacle in Indianapolis, serves as assistant general superintendent of the Eastern District UPCI, and president of Indiana Bible College where he teaches numerous courses. He began broadcasting in his teens and continues to produce a daily broadcast, “Bread of Life.” He has spearheaded the “Steadfast Conference” which focuses on Oneness teaching and doctrine, and “Rushing Mighty Wind” and M.A.R.C. preaching conferences. 812603.qxd:812601-2.qxd 2/25/09 9:02 AM Page 24