The Workshop Rotation Model – Family Faith Companion

How to portray grace by bending wire

Posted on January 14, 2016January 18, 2016 by Carol Hulbert

In the Art Workshop for our current Rotation, kids are creating grace poses.

What??

After hearing the Parable of the Prodigal Son, they are sculpting with wire or pipe cleaners, a picture of forgiveness and grace in action.

Because that is what the father offered his wayward son: grace.

Surprising isn’t it?

Exhibited behavior by the son has deeply wounded his father.

The father could have replied with rub-it-in-your-face contempt: I knew you’d amount to nothing. I told you so!
He could have displayed disgust: You’re back? Don’t expect a handout from me.
He could have shown a stiff shoulder: Who are you and what do you want?

But instead, he shows love and forgiveness; he grants grace.

This Art Workshop lesson gives kids a chance to visualize and express what it is that grace looks like. I saw hugging, arms out-stretched and bended knees.

What is grace?

Grace is God’s unconditional love that forgives us even when we mess up.
We deserve the worst, but we are offered an escape route. A do-over.
And it’s a free gift!

Explore this concept further in your family unit. When your child brings home their wire sculpture, ask them if you can play with it. (You may need to remove the staples holding the figures in their current pose.) Reread the story in Luke 15:11-32 with your child and pause to shape the figures…

Read Luke 15:11-13. Show the scene of the son leaving home. How do you suppose the father looks? What about the older brother?
Read Luke 15:14-19. What would the ah-ha moment look like when the son came to his senses? How do you suppose the presumably waiting and watching father is looking?
Read Luke 15:20-24. Shape a scene of grace.
Read Luke 15:25-32. How does the angry older brother look?
Jesus didn’t provide an ending to this story! Do you suppose the older brother goes to the party? Shape an ending scene to the story the way you think it happened.

Photo credits: from my archives.

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Jesus’ birth had lots of drama

Posted on December 28, 2014January 6, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

Traditional Sunday school class almost never included acting out skits. (I know. I taught for 10 years using that “old” way.) There just wasn’t enough time to squeeze in a play amongst everything else going on — the story, an art project, a game, and a snack! (Besides, a teacher just couldn’t accumulate enough bathrobes.)

Rotation.org logo That’s what makes the Workshop Rotation Model of teaching Sunday school, unique: We devote an entire class to using various dramatic methods. The goal is not a polished production, but a fun way to learn a Bible story.

We’ve got a closet full of costumes. (We even have a cow costume!) We’ve got a stage with velvet curtains. We recruit gregarious workshop leaders (and Shepherds!) who like teaching through drama. (And who don’t mind dressing up in silly costumes and playing a few parts now and then.)

Does it work? You be the judge. Gather the family around and view the skits created in our Drama Workshop, taped during our recent Rotation on the story of the birth of Jesus.

The 2nd grade:

Can’t see the 2nd grade video? View it here on YouTube.

The 3rd grade:

Can’t see the 3rd grade video? View it here on YouTube.

The 4th grade:

Can’t see the 4th grade video? View it here on YouTube.

The 1st and the 5th graders:

Can’t see the 1st and 5th grade video? View it here on YouTube.

And our 6th graders performed for our younger kids (3 year olds through K’s)…

Can’t see this video? View it here on YouTube.

I’ll bet this prompts the kids to get out their bathrobes and a flashlight and some sunglasses!

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Dramatic videos produced as a part of our current Rotation at FUMC in Ann Arbor, MI.

Come, watch, hear, see, follow, and… learn to fish?

Posted on October 24, 2014April 27, 2017 by Carol Hulbert

Updated to add all of the fish prints in the slide show below!

Have you seen them on display around the church?

We hear a lot about disciples. Every time someone is baptized in church we all say together: “We will pray for them that they may be true disciples…” And every Sunday (at the 9:30 service) we sing the kids on their way to Sunday’s Cool: “Go ye, go ye into the world, and make disciples of all the nations…”

So what’s a disciple? How does one get to be a “disciple?”

The word “disciple” means “student” or “learner.”
A teacher has students/disciples.
A student/disciple watches his teacher very closely, listening intently to everything he says. A student/disciple will even watch how his teacher ties his sandals!
A student/disciple tries to emulate their teacher; their desire is to follow in his footsteps.

In Jesus’ day the cream-of-the-crop students could pursue their education by asking a scholarly teacher, known as a rabbi: “Could I please be one of your students?” I picture ambitious eager beavers literally burning the midnight oil memorizing the Jewish Bible (our Old Testament) to achieve entrance into just the right group. Only the brightest were chosen to be the disciples of a particular rabbi. (The run-of-the-mills took up a trade such as carpentry.)

Jesus followed a different path. The teacher Jesus, the rabbi Jesus, invited people to be his disciples. We say that he “called” them.

A fish print done by a 5th grader

At least four of the people Jesus called, had made a living catching fish. In fact he told them…

Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!
Matthew 4:19

Jesus was asking lowly fishermen to be his students?

It proves you don’t have to be somebody important to be a disciple of Jesus.

You don’t have to be perfect.
You don’t have to be worthy-enough.
Or get straight A’s. Or live in a big house.
No midnight oil required.

A fish print done by a 4th grader

In our Art Workshop for our current Rotation at FUMC in Ann Arbor, MI, we are making fish prints using an ancient Japanese process called Gyotaku (pronounced gee-oh-TAH-koo). Long ago Gyotaku was a way of making a record of the size of a fish one caught.

A fish print made by a 5th grader

Why make fish prints? It turns out that fishing has a lot of similarities to being a disciple.

You need to have the right training and some basic supplies.
It takes persistent practice.
Sometimes you don’t catch anything. Yet you cast again and again.
At times, being quiet helps.

Enjoy the slide show of the fish prints.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Photo credits:
Photos are from my archives.

Want to see the lesson we used? Visit here.

The Calling Continues…

Posted on October 2, 2014April 27, 2017 by Carol Hulbert

We are moving from one call to another! A call as in…

Call \kawl\ v. (but sometimes n.)
As a verb (in our usage): to ask or to invite; as a noun: a message.

In our last Rotation Samuel anointed David, signifying David’s “calling” as Israel’s next king. We didn’t identify it as a calling per say, but sure enough, it was one. It was also a message from God to David.

The Bible doesn’t tell us but we can imagine that David and his family were surprised at this invitation.

As equally surprised as the fishermen that Jesus invited — called — to be his disciples; a lot of years later.

As I said, moving from one call to another!

Our next calling story is about Jesus calling his disciples. Read about it in Matthew 4:18-22, 9:9 and in Mark 3:13-19.

A painting by James Tissot, “The Calling of Saint Peter and Saint Andrew”

Join us at FUMC our Cool Disciples experience Rotation Model Christian education, as they learn about Bible stories and concepts through kid-friendly multimedia workshops.

This is where the “Schedule” used to appear — which grades were visiting which workshops over the course of this Rotation. However it was removed as it was sort of out of date 🙂 Our current schedule of workshops, for whatever Rotation we are currently on, can be found on this page.

For prosperity, here is what we did in each workshop for this Rotation:

In the Cooking Workshop students will make (and eat!) “fish-shaped” pizza to recall the significance of fishing in the calling of the disciples.
In the Storytelling Workshop students will hear congregation member share their story of being “called” to follow Jesus. They’ll learn that “calling” takes many forms!
In the Art Workshop students will use the Japanese process of Gyotaku – fish printing – to open discussion of Jesus calling disciples. View the slideshow of completed prints!
In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of the live-action video The Visual Bible: Matthew and play a game to spark discussion about ways we are disciples of Jesus.

View a growing list of opportunities to foster faith learning at home for this story.

Photo credits:
The Calling of Peter and Andrew by James Tissot, in the Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Text message created from speech bubbles also in the Public Domain, via wpclipart.com.

Starting off the school year with… A Chosen King

Posted on September 4, 2014June 18, 2017 by Carol Hulbert

I’m a summer kind of gal… kicked-back, long days, sunshine, and gardening! Yes, please! So fall is not my favorite time of year. But there is one thing that I do find appealing about fall: the return to a full program of the Rotation Model!

The Workshop Rotation Model of Christian Education at FUMC rocks! Here’s why I get excited:

A Bible story is explored and learned in-depth through a variety of creative teaching mediums (workshops) over a period of several weeks.
Each new workshop visited deepens kids lesson memory.
Adults who help out in our program are learning right along with the kids! (It’s adult ed disguised as a children’s program!)
Kids from age 3 to 6th grade, whether attending Sunday’s downtown or Saturday’s at Green Wood, are all focusing on the same story, which allows families to share learning at home.

To kick off, we are studying about how a lowly shepherd-boy, David, was chosen by God to be the King of Israel. The prophet Samuel anointed David with oil (shown below).

Why did God choose him as king??

Read about our story in 1 Samuel 16:1-13. And come along with us as we begin our year of Rotation!

Stained glass from a cathedral in Ely, England

To see a growing list of opportunities to foster faith learning at home…
for this month’s story :: click here.

For prosperity, here is what we did in each workshop during this Rotation:

In the Art Workshop students will create modern “name” art based on the style of artist Paul Klee. Contemplate your inner character as you work!
In the Cooking Workshop two teams of students will make muffins with two different recipes. One has something special in it and one does not! Students will note that both look the same in a raw state. I wonder about the baked muffins?
In the Creative Writing Workshop students will create an acrostic poem using the word “heart” and describe their inner character. What attitudes are in your heart?
In the Bible Skills & Games Workshop students will participate in a variety of games – voting with your body, a game of “Spoons,” and a quiz game that involves collecting “heart” qualities (graffiti-style).

If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, MI.

Photo credits:
Stained glass of David’s anointing by Lawrence OP, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

A Walk to Emmaus – workshops we used

Posted on April 24, 2014April 11, 2020 by Carol Hulbert

What happens after Easter? Have you put away your Easter finery and settled in to wait (some more) for spring? Here is something to think about while you wait, something that relates to our current Rotation…

a tiny window in a wall looks out over a field, while asking the question: Did we catch a glimpse

Those will be questions we’ll be asking over the course of our Rotation on The Walk To Emmaus. Read about our story in Luke 24:13-35.

Here is what each workshop covered for our Rotation on this story:

A scene from the Jesus in Space CD - building the Walk to Emmaus story on Ice Moon Alpha

In the Computer/Video Workshop students will see a unique rendition of our story performed by snow people! Using the computer game Jesus in Space, they’ll encounter Captain Paul Hammer, Lt. Stu Dent, and Shelbot, the Overly Brainy Robot, on a space mission to Ice Moon Alpha. How will they teach the story to these aliens?
In the Cooking Workshop students will create “Resurrection Rolls” – a classic treat with a disappearing center that reminds us even though we know something is there, we may not always be able to “see” it.
In the Newsroom Workshop students will experience the story by producing, watching, and discussing a news broadcast in which Cleopas and his friend describe their encounter with Jesus on their walk to Emmaus.
In the Science Workshop, through demos and hands-on activities, kids explore the concept of how they view the world around them. Discuss how we “see” or recognizing Jesus.
In the Storytelling Workshop we’ll hear from three storytellers: one of the women who saw the risen Christ at the tomb, and two excited travelers.

Our Cool Disciples experience Rotation Model Christian education, as they learn about Bible stories and concepts through kid-friendly multimedia workshops. If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, MI.

How many wise men? And other misguided notions…

Posted on December 4, 2013February 26, 2022 by Carol Hulbert

Happy Advent! This is the perfect season to bring faith conversations to your family, and this blog will help. To ensure you don’t miss a thing (usually only one post a week, on our current story) subscribe over on the right. Enter your e-mail address to have posts sent directly to your inbox.

For family Advent ideas see this post.

When kids experience Workshop Rotation Model Christian education, this means they are learning and having fun at the same time! Scroll down to learn more about the workshops we used for an Advent “Rotation” on the Wise Men.

Because Christmas happens once a year, each Advent we focus on a different aspect of the Christmas story. In the past we have covered Jesus’ birth through the eyes of the prophet Isaiah, the birth from his mother’s perspective, from the point of view of the shepherds, and the overall details and sequence of the Christmas story. This December we target the key role of the wise men. Read about our story in Matthew 2:1-12. You may be surprised to discover inaccuracies in some of your long-held views about these travelers!

In the Art Workshop students learned about the wise men, the magi, who followed a star to seek Jesus. They created a special star for their tree or their window at home. Also they heard about the church calendar and the seasons of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany.
In the Cooking Workshop students used some of their senses to explore the gifts of the wise men. They made no-bake cookies with a special scent and discussed gifts (the kind you can’t buy) that they give to others.
In the Video Workshop… one year students watched the animated video, The Very First Noel. They needed to watch carefully. Does the movie stray from the Bible story of the wise men? Do the wise men show up at the correct time? In a different year our older kids watched a presentation on what modern-day astronomers think about the Star of Bethlehem.
In the Games Workshop… one year students played games like Concentration and Pictionary to test their knowledge of the details of the story, but then their games were interrupted! They became “refugees” when they were “kicked out” of their workshop room. A reminder that Jesus and his family were refugees (Matthew 2:13-15) and that we are on a journey to seek Jesus.) In a different year our game tested our story knowledge by playing Bible Bowling. Some story facts may surprise you!
One year we used a Storytelling Workshop where kids heard and interacted with the book Mary’s Treasure Box. They experience touching and smelling items mentioned from the story. Then they played the “left-right” game to focus on story details. And took home a small box with many of the same elements. They could retell the story!

Why are we doing different workshops for the different times we’ve taught this story? There are several reasons including:

We used the Rotation Model for a lot of years! Stories repeated every six years.
Our focus for a Rotation changed (we’ve gained new understanding!)
We know our kids. We know what will, and won’t work with them.
We’ve got a new idea! Usually something we gained from Rotation.org!

Explore more about Rotation Model goodness! Where many of the lessons described above can be found in the entirety.

Photo credits:
“A Star in the East” by W. L. Taylor, 1900. in the Public Domain.

Peter is Forgiven — Workshops we’ve used to teach this story

Posted on April 3, 2013April 17, 2022 by Carol Hulbert

Nurturing your child’s spirituality is a big job; here is help! Subscribe so as to not miss the support you need. Enter your e-mail address to have a post sent directly to your inbox. Or click on the orange RSS icon to subscribe in a reader. (Not over-whelming; usually one post a week.)

The Workshop Rotation Model of Christian Education at FUMC rocks! Here are a couple of reasons why:

A Bible story is explored in-depth through a variety of creative teaching mediums (“workshops”) over a period of 5 weeks.
Kids from age 3 to 6th grade, whether attending Sunday’s downtown or Saturday’s at Green Wood, are all focusing on the same story, which allows families to share learning at home.

In April, we are continuing our study of Jesus’ forgiveness of Peter.
Can you imagine how Peter felt when he heard the rooster crow?

What had Peter just done? What was it that Jesus had told Peter about a rooster crowing? Ask your kids! Read our story in John 13:33, 36-38 and John 18:15-18, 25-27 and John 21:1-17.

For Saturdays at the Green Wood location, here is the schedule…

Date	Workshop	Activity
4/6	No workshop	Worship with your family.
4/13	Art Workshop	Create a positive space/negative space cut-paper or a stencil collage using symbols from the story.
4/20	No workshop	It’s youth-led worship!
4/27	Games Workshop	Participate in a quiz game.

For Sundays at the downtown location, here is the schedule of workshops…

Date	Our workshops…
4/7	Enjoy worship and Communion with your family
	Games	Drama	Cooking	Video	Art
	Room 211	Room 215	Social Hall	Pine Room	Room 212
4/14	3rd grade	5th & 6th grade	2nd grade	4th grade	1st grade
4/21	Youth-led worship! Attend with your family.
4/28	4th grade	2nd grade	1st grade	5th & 6th grade	3rd grade

What’s happening in each workshop?

In the Drama Workshop students will enact the story of Peter’s denial and restoration using shadow drama.
In the Art Workshop students will create a cut-paper collage using symbols from the story and the Japanese design principal of “Notan” (dark and light).
In the Games Workshop students will participate in a quiz game (using the game wheel) to reinforce their knowledge of story details.
In the Cooking Workshop students will create Peter’s Trail Mix and tell the Easter story with each ingredient.
In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of the live-action video The Gospel of John, exploring the story of Peter’s denial and restoration.

If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, MI

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Rooster by Christopher Craig, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.