Sunday School - Senior Adults Questions

[Dennis1209]

To those senior adults who teach or attend Sunday School, I have some questions if you will. Are any educational training aids or modern technology used in your Sunday School class? If so, would you tell me what they are and how you use them?

Our church uses Lifeway Senior Adults Personal Study Guide as the lessons and format. They are an excellent resource.

I have thought many times in our lessons that a picture of something (tabernacle, Temple, sacrifice altar, Baal high place, what an actual slingshot David used looked like, and many other things). It would be helpful for a visual picture and a better understanding of our lessons.

I am weighing the pros and cons of using my PowerPoint program (just learning it) to bring our lessons more visual and exciting. Unlike listening to the sermon from the pulpit, Sunday School is the place to share thoughts about the study, ask questions, and informally learn.

For some reason, our Sunday School attendance is horrible. It would not be prudent or encouraging to go around asking people, “why don’t you attend Sunday School?” Could it be because the lessons are dry and monotonous week after week, a Sunday morning is better suited for an additional hour's sleep or is the S/S Leader too dry?  

How is your Sunday School class taught and conducted? What improvements and changes would you recommend if your attendance was low, short of entertainment, and bribery?

I would appreciate your experiences and thoughts.

[ladypeartree]

talk to enoob 

[enoob57]

22 minutes ago, Dennis1209 said:

To those senior adults who teach or attend Sunday School, I have some questions if you will. Are any educational training aids or modern technology used in your Sunday School class? If so, would you tell me what they are and how you use them?

Our church uses Lifeway Senior Adults Personal Study Guide as the lessons and format. They are an excellent resource.

I have thought many times in our lessons that a picture of something (tabernacle, Temple, sacrifice altar, Baal high place, what an actual slingshot David used looked like, and many other things). It would be helpful for a visual picture and a better understanding of our lessons.

I am weighing the pros and cons of using my PowerPoint program (just learning it) to bring our lessons more visual and exciting. Unlike listening to the sermon from the pulpit, Sunday School is the place to share thoughts about the study, ask questions, and informally learn.

For some reason, our Sunday School attendance is horrible. It would not be prudent or encouraging to go around asking people, “why don’t you attend Sunday School?” Could it be because the lessons are dry and monotonous week after week, a Sunday morning is better suited for an additional hour's sleep or is the S/S Leader too dry?  

How is your Sunday School class taught and conducted? What improvements and changes would you recommend if your attendance was low, short of entertainment, and bribery?

I would appreciate your experiences and thoughts.

That's why I learned graphic art and my investment level with a computer that can push high end graphic programs with software, projection, screen, sound was eight thousand plus also ten years of learning it all... I build the pictures as I teach the Scripture... it allows me to bring focus to where the lesson needs focus and also incorporating video clips I can keep their attention on learning Scripture for 45 minutes... that is a really big success with children! Using power point with projection and a hand clicker to change slides gives me the freedom to go with God's pace in presenting His Truth and have found it to be very effective upon their hearts! Using video, The Gospel collection, an excellent work  
Amazon.com: The Gospel Collection [DVD] : Selva Rasalingam, Karima Gouit, Mourad Zaoui, David Batty: Movies & TV
and a pictorial of slides is taking all advantage of their senses to bring God's Word to life .... and that is when they speak to Jesus asking Him to live in their hearts because they believe His Words... it is an investment of time, money and life to do it well but compared to one soul of a child that is brought to belief nothing compares...

[Ray12614]

We use power point for all our graphics that go along with teachings.

Of course, you could also put scriptures in the power point, but, it has been my experience that people tend to become lazy and depend on the slide show instead of looking up references in their Bibles.

It also is my experience, that many Christians are unfamiliar 'where' some books of the Bible are located . . . That does not mean that they cannot receive the teaching, but, are incapable of repeating the teaching on their own . . . 

so that was my 2 cents . . . Ray . . . 

[Dennis1209]

2 hours ago, enoob57 said:

That's why I learned graphic art and my investment level with a computer that can push high end graphic programs with software, projection, screen, sound was eight thousand plus also ten years of learning it all... I build the pictures as I teach the Scripture... it allows me to bring focus to where the lesson needs focus and also incorporating video clips I can keep their attention on learning Scripture for 45 minutes... that is a really big success with children! Using power point with projection and a hand clicker to change slides gives me the freedom to go with God's pace in presenting His Truth and have found it to be very effective upon their hearts! Using video, The Gospel collection, an excellent work  
Amazon.com: The Gospel Collection [DVD] : Selva Rasalingam, Karima Gouit, Mourad Zaoui, David Batty: Movies & TV
and a pictorial of slides is taking all advantage of their senses to bring God's Word to life .... and that is when they speak to Jesus asking Him to live in their hearts because they believe His Words... it is an investment of time, money and life to do it well but compared to one soul of a child that is brought to belief nothing compares...

Thank you for your reply; it was beneficial.

Those are all great ideas, and it sounds like it is successful. As you mention, I only have 1 hour a week in the senior adult class with time. I would want to bring it before the church congregation for approval on any structural changes and additions. It would necessitate I have some correct facts and examples to justify the status quo. What we are doing is not working out.

I do not have the technical savvy to try some of those things you mentioned, and I think I can learn my way around using a flat-screen TV, laptop computer, PowerPoint, and Logos software.

One of the cons I am considering is I would be purchasing the hardware myself and not burden the church with the expense. Would such a change be conducive to learning and interest for senior citizens vs. cost? Would it make Sunday School more attractive and draw more interest? I believe that would promote education.

Thanks again for your input. Visual stimulation, excerpts from movies, and seeing places-things and what things looked like in biblical times would liven up otherwise dry reading from a lesson plan. Perhaps that might spark more interest and attendance at Sunday School? I think it would be worth a try.

[Ray12614]

Just now, Ray12614 said:

We use power point for all our graphics that go along with teachings.

Of course, you could also put scriptures in the power point, but, it has been my experience that people tend to become lazy and depend on the slide show instead of looking up references in their Bibles.

It also is my experience, that many Christians are unfamiliar 'where' some books of the Bible are located . . . That does not mean that they cannot receive the teaching, but, are incapable of repeating the teaching on their own . . . 

so that was my 2 cents . . . Ray . . . 

Also, another technique that can 'draw' the interest of people is to have some of the people help in demonstration . . . 

For instance, Wednesday night, I was teaching on revelation knowledge that we can get from the scriptures, and, as fate would have it Proverbs 26:17 came up when discussing anger and strife in the church . . . 

"He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears." KJV

So, I had a man in the congregation come up, and told him to reach out and grab my ear . . . and when he did, I acted like a mad dog and growled loudly and made like I was going to bite him . . . and it caught him off-guard and startled him. LOL Timing  is everything.

Well . . . now I had the congregation's' attention, and so the revelation knowledge from that scripture is that IF we allow gossiping and murmuring and complaining from others anger to infect us, soon we will get caught up in it, getting angry ourselves,  and in the end . . . it will come back and bite us . . . LOL

It probably would have worked better using a woman as she might even have screamed and jumped a little more ? ? ? 

And of course . . . what I just said is a low, or, no technology required solution, but I had the congregation's attention for the balance of the service . . . LOL.

Hope this some how helps . . . 

Grace and Peace . . . Ray . . . 

 

 

[Dennis1209]

36 minutes ago, Ray12614 said:

We use power point for all our graphics that go along with teachings.

Of course, you could also put scriptures in the power point, but, it has been my experience that people tend to become lazy and depend on the slide show instead of looking up references in their Bibles.

It also is my experience, that many Christians are unfamiliar 'where' some books of the Bible are located . . . That does not mean that they cannot receive the teaching, but, are incapable of repeating the teaching on their own . . . 

so that was my 2 cents . . . Ray . . . 

I have visited other churches that use PowerPoint for their worship hymnals (with hymnal books on the back of the pews) and scriptures to follow along with the pulpit sermon. They are nice touches, and I am not criticizing, but there is nothing like the feel of a leather Bible in your hands in worship service. If you follow along in your Bible with the scriptures used in the service, you can learn where they are located and commit them to memory. Just one of a plethora of opinions I have; in case anyone has not noticed by now 😊

Thanks, Ray.

[Ray12614]

4 minutes ago, Dennis1209 said:

I have visited other churches that use PowerPoint for their worship hymnals (with hymnal books on the back of the pews) and scriptures to follow along with the pulpit sermon. They are nice touches, and I am not criticizing, but there is nothing like the feel of a leather Bible in your hands in worship service. If you follow along in your Bible with the scriptures used in the service, you can learn where they are located and commit them to memory. Just one of a plethora of opinions I have; in case anyone has not noticed by now 😊

Thanks, Ray.

Exactly ! ! ! 

One more thing . . . and then I will drop this and not 'hog' the bandwidth LOL . . . 

IF you invest in a tech solution and have the ability to project videos on screen, there is a website you may want to visit:

The Skit Guys . . . (I didn't put the actual link because I am unsure of Worthy policies)

They have a large number of skits on various subjects that compliment teachings, and, allow people to consider 'how' they can apply teachings to their lives.

Some are free, and the complete library is available for a nominal fee . . . 

Check it out and see if some of them might fit your congregation . . . 

Ray . . . 

[Dennis1209]

5 minutes ago, Ray12614 said:

Exactly ! ! ! 

One more thing . . . and then I will drop this and not 'hog' the bandwidth LOL . . . 

IF you invest in a tech solution and have the ability to project videos on screen, there is a website you may want to visit:

The Skit Guys . . . (I didn't put the actual link because I am unsure of Worthy policies)

They have a large number of skits on various subjects that compliment teachings, and, allow people to consider 'how' they can apply teachings to their lives.

Some are free, and the complete library is available for a nominal fee . . . 

Check it out and see if some of them might fit your congregation . . . 

Ray . . . 

I will do that, thank you!

[Dennis1209]

11 minutes ago, Ray12614 said:

Exactly ! ! ! 

One more thing . . . and then I will drop this and not 'hog' the bandwidth LOL . . . 

IF you invest in a tech solution and have the ability to project videos on screen, there is a website you may want to visit:

The Skit Guys . . . (I didn't put the actual link because I am unsure of Worthy policies)

They have a large number of skits on various subjects that compliment teachings, and, allow people to consider 'how' they can apply teachings to their lives.

Some are free, and the complete library is available for a nominal fee . . . 

Check it out and see if some of them might fit your congregation . . . 

Ray . . . 

I just viewed a couple of them, they are great for my purpose, and the length of them is just perfect. That would wake them up and pay attention 

As I mentioned, I am not tech-savvy, and our church does not have any internet access. Would you know if there is a way to download YouTube videos on a thumb drive, and play them on a laptop-flat screen set up?