Wo rkshop R otation M ethod of Sunday School (a.k.a. WoRM )

1. Workshop Rotation Method of Sunday School(a.k.a. WoRM)

2. How it works…the children ROTATE…you STAY PUT!!!

4. That is why it was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth. Genesis 11:9 Our kids speak a NEW language. If we want to reach them with Christ’s message, we have to speak THEIR language, engage them on THEIR level. It’s about THEM and THEIR faith journey, not OURS. Whoever welcomes one child in my name, welcomes me. Matthew 18:5 If we aren’t welcoming our children, creating a place they want to be, then what are we doing here anyway? Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 WE have to set the example for our kids of what church can be. They will leave if it is not multi-faceted and engaging on their level. Too much curriculum today does this, because most curriculum by its nature is generalized, and not personalized to YOUR church, YOUR ministry, and YOUR kids. This is why WoRM works. Why WoRM?????

5. Does this sound like your WoRMless education program??? • Bored kids (they look sad when they arrive to church) • Difficulty recruiting teachers (they don’t return your phone calls or hide from you during coffee hour) • Expensive denominational curriculum that is too hard for your teachers and doesn’t engage your kids • Dropping attendance • Dull and drabby classrooms (and that haven’t been remodeled in a long, long time) • YOU (the educator or parent volunteer)are bored and burned out • Lack of Biblical knowledge (among both kids and adults, even though they come frequently) • Tired of the “same old, same old” • Lack of excitement and enthusiasm

6. Amanda Sanger from: Willard Mt. Zion Presbyterian, Willard, Missouri “We are one of the only Presbyterian Churches in the area with a growing attendance with our children and youth. Many of us saw that the children were getting bored and asking not to go to Sunday School anymore, the teachers were getting burnt out too. Then we heard about the website. Now kids cry to their parents when they are not able to go. When they know they are going out of town and will miss the craft or game room they are literally devastated.” Carll's Corner Community Fellowship-CCCF, Bridgeton, NJ“Praise God for answered prayer in the form of viable curriculum in today's world!” “As I was catching my breath one Sunday morning, a family came running in late, dripping from the storm outside. The mother jokingly said to me, "I was hoping to sleep in this morning and stay out this awful weather. However, my kids dragged me in because they didn’t want to miss Sunday school." I felt like someone had just handed me a check for a million dollars! It was thrilling to know that her children were excited about coming to church. What a blessing it is to have the opportunity to teach and minister to children about God’s love for them. And what a greater blessing that they are receptive and have the desire to learn.” --Ashley Parr Henderson, Grace Community, Raleigh NC. Why should your church get a WoRM?????

7. Other benefits ofWoRMing…. • Your kids RETAIN (there’s a word you haven’t heard in a while!) Biblical knowledge and spiritual disciplines! • The adults actually want to teach (they call YOU!) • Attendance and enthusiasm will GROW! • You (the educator) will enjoy working with God’s children again! • You don’t buy curriculum from the denomination (but you keep the money in your budget, so you can get those fun toys to teach with you never got before, and that kids LOVE and RESPOND to!) • There are over 1,700 lessons plans (and growing every day) on rotation.org • You get to be a part of CHANGE in our church education culture (something that it desperately needs)! And in the process you teach your congregants that YES!...they too can leave the “old molds” of doing church. It’s a REVOLUTION!!!!

8. A Brief History of the WoRM • Began in 1990 by two educators, Neil MacQueen and Melissa Hanasche who were serving at the time at a Presbyterian Church in Barrington, IL (suburb of Chicago) • Neil and Melissa found out about two other area churches doing similar stuff and so a Chicago-group started in the early 1990’s, to share curriculum, and the group grew within the Chicago area • The first WoRM handbook was produced by this group and “debuted” at the 1996 APCE meeting, where the first seminar on WoRM was held • From the 1996 APCE meeting, WoRM churches started to grow. By the next APCE meeting in 1997, there were many new WoRM churches, training each other, spreading the Gospel of the WoRM It is estimated that todaythere are thousandsof WoRM churches worldwide

9. The Invasion of the WoRMs goes International (and ecumenical)! • There are WoRM churches throughoutthe United States and Canada (hotspotsof the invasion)…just look at Ontario!!! • But…there are also WoRM churches allover the world. WoRMs have beenspotted in faraway places such as England,Egypt, Scotland, the Netherlands, andSouth Africa. • WoRM churches are across the Christian spectrum(Presbyterian, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, UCC, Church of the Nazarene, Salvation Army, Baptist, Episcopalian, and on and on…. • Are they coming to your spot on the globe????

10. Different Types of Church Schools, and how they can make a WoRM work for them! • Shared Space (with a daycare, school, etc) • You have your own rooms…and don’t have to share with anyone! (you are a lucky few and we are jealous) • Small classrooms • Big churches • Tiny churches • You see…you can do it no matter who you are!!!!

11. YES! If your church has the means, you can spend a lot of money getting your WoRM. A computer lab done really well with about 8 computers, printers, and networking can run about $12K, and good supplies for other things are pricey too. But, they last for many years at a time. So, if you have money to burn, you can do it, and do it well! NO! If your church does not have the means to spend tons of money, you can phase in a new room each year, spreading the cost out over a couple years. You can get donations from members of the congregation. You can use donated computers (but your functionality is limited). You can share resources with another local congregation, shouldering the cost together. You can also get a donation, or find a benefactor (who knows who that could be?!?!?) There are many ways to make it work! Are WoRMs expensive???

12. Types of WoRM Classrooms Art DramaCooking Computers Puppets MovieNewsroom StorytellingScienceGames Bible StudyMusicAgriculture Geography Seasonal JournalingMissionCulture-Sharing And any others you think of…

13. Examples of WoRM Classrooms

14. Examples of WoRM Classrooms

15. Examples of WoRM Classrooms

16. Before and After the WoRM ……

17. Before and After the WoRM …..

18. Where in the WoRMdo I go now???? All you need are two websites (see how easy this is!): www.rotation.org The official WoRM website and home of over 1700 and counting ….(no, that is not a typo!) lesson plans, chat rooms with other WoRMers,web links to lots of other WoRM pages, and tons of useful information.The photos/graphics, and lots of the info for this presentation came from this website and the shared files on it! www.sundaysoftware.com Run by Rev. Neil MacQueen, a Presbyterian minister and a founding WoRMer.He now owns and runs this Christian software company as his ministry.Even if you aren’t doing computers yet, this site has tons of more useful infoand can help you dream of possibilities to come in your ministries.