I was told that there are suggested books that can complement the curriculum for the children. Where do I find these books? Our church's library committee wants to order some for our Sunday school teachers to use.
Signed: Book lover

Dear Book lover:
I'm happy to hear that you have a group that is willing to provide quality books for your children. The Gather 'Round book lists are assembled mainly by a volunteer group of librarians from Pennsylvania. Our editorial staff adds books recommended by our writers. This list can be found on our Web site on the For users/For teachers page. Click here: http://www.gatherround.org/forteacher.html. Happy reading!

I'm a Sunday school superintendent and I've just started reading through the fall quarter's materials. In session 1, I saw King Nebuchadrezzar's name but always thought it was Nebuchadnezzar. I checked my New International Version in Jeremiah 52 and it is spelled with an "n" not an "r." Am I missing something, or is this a typo throughout the material?
Signed: Looking forward to sharing God's word with our children

Dear Sharing God's word:
Good catch and good question! Nebuchadnezzar and Nebuchadrezzar are alternate biblical spellings for the same king. Some Bible translators use the one and some use the other. The New Revised Standard Version, which is the translation Gather 'Round quotes from, uses the name Nebuchadrezzar in Jeremiah 52. So that's the name we used in session 1 this fall. You probably won't be the last person to ask me this question this quarter!

I find the Old Testament stories hard to use with young children who do not have a sense of time. They listen to the story but I don't think it makes sense to them with the world they know. They easily forget the names of the characters in the story. What suggestions do you have that will help me teach Old Testament stories to preschoolers?
Signed: Tough going

Dear Tough going:
You are right, young children do not have a sense of history and can't get their tongues around some of those long, hard-to-pronounce Bible names. There will be time for that learning in years to come. For now, the faith focus for each session will help you know what is important to reinforce with your group.

For younger children, hearing the story lays the foundation for learning more as they grow older. Let the story stand on its own each session. Tell it well, in a way that engages the children in multi-sensory ways. Have them imagine they are part of the story. The experience of the story for this age group is more important than its place in history or the names of the people involved. Knowing that God was with people a long time ago and that God is with us now is the message we want young children to know in their hearts.

Our junior youth and youth teachers have some difficulty getting discussions started. Can you give me some techniques to pass on that will get the youth talking?
Signed: Let's talk

Dear Let's talk:
Isn't it interesting that youth can talk endlessly about sports and movies and video games, but can become tongue-tied around the subject of the Bible and faith? It often takes time and patience to engage youth in serious conversations.

Trust is a key element to good discussion. In a safe environment, where good listening skills are practiced, youth will be more open to talk about important issues. The teacher who will not allow put-downs or inappropriate comments sets the stage for open dialogue.

Teachers can keep discussions interesting by varying their formats. Invite youth to write questions anonymously and place them in a question box. Give one question to pairs to talk about in one minute. Try different groupings: girls talk with girls, or two girls and two boys form a group.

Begin with non-threatening or fun questions and move to deeper ones as the group becomes comfortable with each other. Use a talking stick or a fish bowl to encourage everyone to contribute. Allowing youth time to think quietly about a question helps the introverts formulate a response.

A teacher who works hard at building relationships with each teen, and the whole group, lays a solid foundation for quality faith-forming discussions.