Wednesday nights are a busy night at our house! Derek is usually exhausted from football practice and gets home around 4:30, Sade gets home around 3:45 after Seussical rehearsal and school and Ayodele arrives home at the same time as Sade (either Dele or I pick them up). We have to rush to get homework done and leave for church no later than 4:45.
Wednesday nights are Children & Youth Education Nights at church. From 5:30-6:30 the kids have choir. Ayodele and Kayode participate in the children's choir which is now up to 30-35 kids ages 4 to 3rd grade. They sing at both the 8:30 and 11am services usually the 3rd Sunday of each month. Sade sings with the Alleluia Youth Choir which is grades 4-12. They also sing at both services usually the 2nd Sunday of the month. Next week they are singing "Lifesong" from the musical they just performed and Sade's going to sing the solo at the beginning.
From 6:30-6:45 the kids get to eat a pizza dinner. The older kids meet in the Fellowship Hall and eat and the younger kids eat in "Creation Station." They get 2 slices of pizza, apples and water to drink. Usually we feed about 25 kids and 15-20 youth. We go through lots of pizza!!
From 6:45-8:00 the youth meet for what's called "Wednesday Night Teens." Our church has "Youth Group" on Sunday afternoons, but it's basically the same idea. Sade loves it, especially since I won't drive her back to church on Sunday afternoons... it's just too far away with the price of gas! At the same time, the younger kids gather for Pioneer Club. We currently have three groups: The Scooters - ages 4-K (which I co-teach), the Voyagers - grades 1 & 2, and the Pathfinders - grades 3-5.
I'm not exactly sure how I got reeled into helping. Maybe it's because I drive the kids over for choir and I accompany the Alleluia Choir and sometimes the Children's Choir, too. I guess they decided we needed to be more involved this year! So, I said I would help and that I'd teach the little guys! What was I thinking? A room full of 4 & 5 year olds? We actually have 11 of them! They are so smart, and know so much already about Jesus, it's a blessing to work with them! Even though I don't work out of the home, I'm exhausted by 8pm. I don't know how the other teachers do it after "working" all day!
Tonight was the 4th week, which meant they earned their first badge! We've been learning about the bible, so they earned their "Our Special Bible" badge. I think we learned tonight that as long as you keep the activities moving (and have lots of them), they are better able to pay attention. We filled in a chart on the white board (they got to draw), the other teacher and I acted out a bible story, we played a clapping game, we drew pictures, made chariots, recited our memory verse, "Your Word is Truth - John 17:17," made scrolls to remember our memory verse, made chariots out of cookies and pretzels and passed out their badges... all in one hour!!! They were awesome!
I'm exhausted even before I go, but once I'm there I am so blessed by the knowledge and love these little people have for Jesus that it is so worth every minute I spend planning and the hours I spend recuperating!
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