1 PowerPoint Presentation Training How to Involve Preschoolers in Missions: Includes a Guide for...

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PowerPoint Presentation Training

How to Involve Preschoolers in Missions: Includes a

Guide for Mission Friends

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PowerPoint TrainingHow to Involve Preschoolers in Missions

• This training presentation is based on the book How to Involve Preschoolers in Missions: Includes a Guide for Mission Friends.

• The training consists of viewing the slides, readings from How to Involve Preschoolers in Missions, answering questions, and doing assignments.

• You will need a copy of How to Involve Preschoolers in Missions as you go through the training. (W078103, $9.99, available through www.wmustore.com.)

• Complete one or more sections at a time. Approximate time needed to complete each section is provided on the next slide.

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Contents• Introduction—Slides 4–6 (15 minutes)• Who Are Preschoolers?—Slides 7–13 (20 minutes)• What Is Preschool Missions Education?—Slides 14–16 (10 minutes)• What Is Mission Friends?—Slides 17–61 (60 minutes)• How Can I Incorporate Preschool Missions Education in My

Church?—Slides 62–64 (15 minutes)• What’s the Big Picture?—Slides 65–70 (15 minutes)• Where Can I Go for More Help?—Slides 71–74 (15 minutes)

PowerPoint Training How to Involve Preschoolers in Missions

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Introduction: God’s Mission

How to Involve Preschoolers

in Missions,

pages 5–6

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God’s desire is for all people to know Him and worship Him. The Bible tells of God’s mission and how we are to be involved in His mission.

For you to do:Using a Bible, look up the verses listed in How to Involve Preschoolers in Missions, page 5. Find at least three other verses that tell about God’s mission or our part in God’s mission. Write the references for these verses on page 5.

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Why is it important for preschoolers to begin learning about missions?

For you to do: To answer this question, read the bulleted

statements on page 6. Now respond to the above question in your

own words. Write your response in the margin of page 6.

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Who Are Preschoolers?


in Missions,

pages 7–12

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Preschoolers share some general characteristics, but each one is unique in his or her own way.

For you to do: On pages 8-9, find the ages of preschoolers

in your missions group. Glance through the sections for those ages.

Think of a preschooler who is in your missions group. What are some words to describe this preschooler? What does

this preschooler like to do?

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Nine concept areas are the foundation of preschoolers’ spiritual growth. These nine concept areas are:

• God• Jesus• Bible• God’s creation• Church

• Self• Family• Community• World

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An overview of the concept areas is provided on pages 11–12, with more in-depth information on pages 42–43.

One concept area is the focus during each monthly unit of study in Mission Friends.

Bible thoughts, conversation, and activities during the month help preschoolers

understand more about the concept area.

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For you to do:• Look in the current issue of Start.• Find the introduction page for this month’s

unit of study.• Circle the concept area for this month.• Read the information about that concept

area on the chart on pages 42–43.• Look up Bible thoughts related to that

concept area on pages 44–48.• Write your answers to this question: What is

important for your preschoolers to understand about this concept area?

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Serving AlongsideParents of Preschoolers

Preschool missions leaders help parents of preschoolers in two ways:

Inform parents of what their child is learning about missions at church.

Give suggestions for parents to reinforce missions learning at home.

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A list of ideas for including parents in their preschooler’s missions experiences is on page 12.

For you to do:

Highlight or circle five of the ideas that you will make as a goal for including parents this year.

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What Is Preschool Missions Education?


in Missions,

pages 13–16

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In teaching preschoolers about missions, you will concentrate on six missions focus areas:

• Learn about missions.

• Pray for missions.

• Engage in mission action and witnessing.

• Support missions.

• Develop spiritually toward a missions lifestyle.

• Participate in the work of the church and denomination.

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For you to do:

Read the information about the missions focus areas on pages 14–16. Now turn to page 13 and find the scenarios inside the red boxes.

• Which missions focus areas do these scenarios illustrate?

• Which scenarios overlap into more than one missions focus area?

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What Is Mission Friends?


in Missions,

pages 17-34

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Mission Friends is…

The preschool missions organization of WMU.

For girls and boys ages birth through kindergarten.

A place for preschoolers to become aware of God’s love, and to learn that others need to hear about this good news!

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In leading Mission Friends, think of four elements of a good Mission Friends program:

• Inquisitive preschoolers• Excited Mission Friends leaders• A nurturing environment• Engaging activities

Look at each of these elements in the following slides.

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Preschoolers

Build Mission Friends around what is best for preschoolers! • Keep preschoolers in mind as you plan all of the other elements.

• Review the section on Who Are Preschoolers, pages 7–12, as you plan and teach preschoolers.

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Preschoolers

Small groupings of preschoolers are best. The quality of care and attention to individual preschoolers is greater in small groupings. Keep the group size small by following the guidelines on pages 18–19.

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Preschoolers

For you to do:• If your Mission Friends group will have two or more ages blended together, complete the information on slide 23.

• If your Mission Friends group will have classes for each year of age, complete the information on slide 24.

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Preschoolers

For blended age groupings:Write down the number of preschoolers you expect in each age group below.

Younger Mission Friends ______

Middle Mission Friends ______

Older Mission Friends ______

Kindergarten Mission Friends ______

Use the youngest age group you have listed to determine your maximum group size (see pages 18–19).

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PreschoolersFor age-graded groupings:Write down the number of preschoolers you expect in each age group below.

Younger Mission Friends:

Babies ______

Middle Mission Friends:

One-year-olds ______

Two-year-olds ______

Older Mission Friends:

Three-year-olds: ______

Four-year-olds: ______

Kindergarten Mission Friends:

Kindergartners ______

Determine the number of groups needed for each age, using the information on pages 18–19.

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Mission Friends Leaders

A key ingredient to a great Mission Friends organization is the leadership. Great leaders share their enthusiasm with preschoolers and make missions learning fun.

Mission Friends leaders have• Open hearts to follow God’s call.• Open eyes to see the needs of preschoolers.• Open ears to listen to preschoolers and their parents.• Open hands to do activities along with preschoolers.• Open arms to show care to preschoolers.

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How many teachers are needed?

• Follow the chart of page 20 for the teacher to child ratios recommended for each age grouping.

• If you have a blended age grouping, follow the teacher/child ratio for the youngest child in your group.

• Lower teacher/child ratios allow for interaction in small groups, more individual attention to each child, and relationships to build between preschoolers and teachers.

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Two Important Notes:

1. Each Mission Friends class should have at least two teachers. This is for safety reasons and as a security measure to protect both preschoolers and teachers.

2. Follow the guidelines recommended by your church insurance agency for screening and background checks of all preschool leaders.

For resources about risk management and teacher screening, see Christian Ministry Resources at www.reducingtherisk.com.

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There are three leadership positions in Mission Friends:

• Mission Friends Coordinator—coordinates the overall plans of Mission Friends, especially when there is more than one class.

• Mission Friends Lead Teacher—takes the lead in a Mission Friends class.

• Mission Friends Teacher—helps the lead teacher within a Mission Friends class.

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For you to do:

Review the responsibilities of each leader on pages 20–21. Name the people who fill these positions in your church and list their responsibilities.

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In some Mission Friends classes, teachers share responsibilities by team teaching. They serve as co-teachers by dividing responsibilities.

For you to do:Read the information on page 21 about team teaching. If your church has team teaching, how do you divide the responsibilities?

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Mission Friends leaders plan together as the Mission Friends planning team.

The planning team may meet to plan for the year before the church year begins, and then once a quarter to coordinate classroom activities.

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For you to do:

• Make a list of other Mission Friends leaders in your church. Include phone numbers and email addresses for easy reference.

• Include names and contact information for people who also serve as substitutes.

• Use this list not only to contact for planning, but also as a prayer list to use in daily devotion times.

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A Nurturing Environment

Where does your Mission Friends class meet?

Most Mission Friends classes meet in the church’s preschool classrooms. Mission Friends can also be adapted for those who meet in

– A child-care classroom– A home setting– A Mother’s Day Out room– A multi-housing ministry– A neighborhood backyard.

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A preschool classroom should be inviting to preschoolers. The classroom should say to preschoolers, “Come in and play!”

For you to do:• Read the classroom guidelines on page 26.• Think about the classroom you use for Mission Friends. What are some things you need to change in your Mission Friends classroom?

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A Caring Place for Younger and Middle Mission FriendsNotice in the diagrams on page 26 that the classrooms for Younger and Middle Mission Friends are arranged in sensory areas.

For you to do:Find the following sensory areas in the diagrams.

• Books• Blocks• Nature• Toys• Music and Movement• Puzzles• Pictures

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Sensory activities for younger preschoolers also occur in less structured ways such as

• A baby using a toy in a crib• A one-year-old looking at a picture above the changing area

• A two-year-old sitting in a teacher’s lap to read a book.

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An Inviting Place for Older and Kindergarten Mission Friends

For you to do:Find the following interest areas for Older and Kindergarten Mission Friends in the diagrams on page 26.

• Books• Blocks• Homeliving• Games and Manipulatives• Art• Nature• Music and Movement

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For you to do:• Read about activities in each of the sensory areas and interest areas on page 28.

• Find an activity for each of the sensory areas and activity areas in Start.

• How does each activity that you found help preschoolers learn about missions?

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Sharing SpaceChurch preschool classrooms are usually shared by programs such as

• Sunday School• Preschool music• Mission Friends• Day care• Mother’s Day Out• VBS

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Sharing Space• Be considerate of others who use the same classroom.• Meet with other teachers to decide on a classroom arrangement.• Decide how to handle wall decorations so each program’s teaching pictures can be used without distractions.

• Keep common supplies in orderly condition for each other.• Decide on the items programs will share, such as crayons, scissors, paint smocks, etc. Store items that might be used by only one program.

• Teach preschoolers about sharing and respect by the way you work with others to share classroom space.

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Engaging Activities

Mission Friends offers engaging activities for preschoolers to become aware of and involved in missions. Preschoolers learn about missions through

• Hands-on activities• Activities using the senses• Bible thoughts related to missions• Cultural learning activities• Mission stories• Praying• Giving• Helping others

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Engaging Activities

The curriculum resources for Mission Friends provide suggestions for learning activities, mission stories, and Helping Others activities.

For you to do:Review the resources for Mission Friends teachers on slides 43–49, then complete the matching exercise on slide 50.

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Start is the teaching guide for Mission Friends teachers. Start includes

• Leadership articles.

• Families on Mission reproducible page for parents.

• Monthly units of study with weekly sessions.

• Meet the Missionaries article each month with background information about the missionaries and missions areas.

• Monthly devotion article for teachers.

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Share is the monthly take-home leaflet for parent and child.

• For Older and Kindergarten Mission Friends.

• Includes activities for parents to do with their child, as well as information for the parent about the missions areas studied in Mission Friends.

• Leaflets for ten preschoolers are included in one subscription.

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Care is a reproducible page to give to parents of Younger and Middle Mission Friends each quarter. Care is on the inside back cover of Share.

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Start Resource Kit contains games, posters, Bible bookmarks, puzzles, recipes, and more to complement monthly units of study in Start.

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Start Picture Set includes photos of the missionaries and missions areas. Helps for the teacher include Bible thoughts and teaching questions related to the photos.

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First Steps in Missions is an annual resource with more activities to supplement the units of study in Start.

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www.missionfriends.com Mission Friends Web site provides up-to-date information on the units of study, Families on Mission calendar, and leadership articles.

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• Start

• Share

• Care

• Start Resource Kit

• Start Picture Set

• First Steps in Missions

• www.missionfriends.com

A. Photos of missionaries and missions areas

B. Parent/child take-home leafletC. Teaching guide for Mission

Friends teachersD. Contains matching games,

bookmarks, recipes, etc. for each unit

E. Mission Friends Web site with information related to each unit

F. Supplemental book with more activities

G. Reproducible take-home page for Younger/Middle Mission Friends

Resources

Match the resource on the left with the description on the right.

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Planning a Mission Friends Session

Start is the guide to planning what will happen each session in Mission Friends.

• Review the unit outcomes on the unit introduction page.

• Select resources from the Resources list.

• Read background information about the missionaries and their prayer requests.

• Choose activities for sensory areas or interest areas. Adapt activities as needed.

• For Older and Kindergarten Mission Friends, prepare for Group Time. Prepare to tell the mission story and lead preschoolers in Prayertime.

• Use “Session at a Glance” to gather and prepare items from Start Resource Kit and Start Picture Set.

• Gather other materials and supplies.

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Planning a session for Younger and Middle Mission Friends

• Babies, ones, and twos are involved in a less structured session.

• Choose sensory activities from Start for each session.

• Use Start Picture Set and Start Resource Kit items recommended for each session.

• Use teachable moments to point out pictures of the missions area, say a Bible thought, or use conversation.

• Routine times such as diapering and bottle feeding are teaching times, too.

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Planning a session for Older and Kindergarten Mission Friends

Suggestions are provided in Start for the following general schedule for a one-hour session.

• Greetings (5 minutes)

• Interest area activities (35 minutes)

• Group Time (15 minutes)

• Closing Time (5 minutes)

Use the information on page 27 to adjust the schedule to meet your needs.

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Missions Explorers

• An optional interest area for Older and Kindergarten Mission Friends.

• Preschoolers learn about a topic more in-depth.

• A learning project usually continues for more than one session.

• The teacher asks questions to encourage preschoolers to investigate a topic of interest to the preschoolers.

Read about Missions Explorers on pages 28–29 of How to Involve Preschoolers in Missions.

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Missions Explorers

For you to do:

Using the example of a Missions Explorers project on page 29, write three questions you might ask preschoolers to encourage investigation of this example topic. The questions might begin with

• How do you think . . . ?

• What if . . . ?

• What would happen . . . ?

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Helping Others Activities

(See p. 30)

Preschoolers are involved in mission action through Helping Others activities. Preschoolers do missions themselves by helping others in need.

• A Helping Others activity is suggested each month in Start for Older and Kindergarten Mission Friends.

• Ideas can also be found in each chapter of First Steps in Missions.

• Preschoolers can make something or give something to others, or do something for another.

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Here are a few examples of Helping Others activities.

• Make a “warm things” box with donated hats and gloves to give to a shelter.

• Make simple tray favors that can be placed on residents’ meal trays at a local nursing home.

• Make a recipe of cookies or spice tea mix to place in plastic bags. Give these to church staff or to a family that visits your church.

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For you to do:

Choose one of the examples from the previous slide. Answer these questions about the activity.

• What do Mission Friends learn by doing this activity?

• How are preschoolers aware that this activity meets someone’s needs?

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A Mission Step

(See page 30)

Involve parents along with their preschoolers in missions!

• A Mission Step is a quarterly activity for Mission Friends teachers, preschoolers, and parents to do together.

• Suggestions for A Mission Step are in the leadership pages at the front of Start.

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A Mission Step

(See page 30)

For you to do:

Look in the current issue of Start and find A Mission Step activity suggestion.

• How can you incorporate this activity in your plans this quarter?

• In what ways can parents be involved in planning or carrying out this activity?

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Teaching Tips

For you to do:

• Read the Teaching Tips on pages 31–34.

• As you think of other teaching tips, write these in the margins of these pages. Share these teaching tips

with other Mission Friends leaders.

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How Can I Incorporate Preschool Missions Education in My Church?


in Missions,

pages 35–36

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Customizing Mission Friends

Most churches need to adapt the Mission Friends program in some way. It may be that the session length is shorter or longer, age groups are blended, or the meeting place is in a different setting.

• What adjustments do you need to make to Mission Friends?

• How can you adapt elements of Mission Friends to meet your needs?

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For you to do:

• Read the information on pages 35–36.

• Highlight ideas that you will use for incorporating missions within your church’s preschool ministry.

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What’s the Big Picture?


in Missions,

pages 37–38

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WMU Organizations

Mission Friends is the first step for a child in a missions lifestyle. WMU offers other age-level organizations so all ages can be involved in missions through praying, giving, and doing missions.

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WMU Organizations

• A brief description of the WMU organizations is found on page 37.

• Encourage your church to continue instilling a missions lifestyle through children’s missions education by offering Girls in Action or Children in Action.

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WMU Ministries

For you to do:

• Read the ideas for involving preschoolers in WMU ministries on pages 37–38.

• Choose one of these ministries and write two more suggestions for involving preschoolers in this ministry.

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Families on Mission

An excitement is created when families are involved in missions together. Families with preschoolers can begin having family missions experiences together.

• Read the ideas for Families on Mission on page 38.

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Families on Mission

For you to do:

List the ways you can use these resources to encourage parents to continue missions experiences with their preschooler.

Families on Mission page in Start

Family Time feature in Share

A Missions Step activity suggested in Start

Families on Mission calendar page on the Mission Friends Web site

Families on Mission by Angie Quantrell

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Where Can I Go for More Help?


in Missions,

pages 39–40

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WMU offers people who serve as resources for preschool missions leaders, as well as offering print resources.

For you to do:

• Write the name and contact information for your state WMU preschool consultant and associational Mission Friends consultant on the lines provided in the book.

• Circle the contact information for the Preschool Resource Team of national WMU.

• Refer to pages 39–40 for ordering information and other missions resources.

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To learn more about starting Mission Friends:

• Contact your state Mission Friends consultant.

• Visit www.wmu.com/getstarted for information and a sample session.

WMU also offers a variety of missions resources for preschoolers, parents, and preschool leaders. View other missions resources at www.missionfriends.com or www.wmustore.com.

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Thank you for changing the lives of preschoolers by serving as a preschool missions leader. God is using you to change the world, one preschooler at a time!

May God bring blessings on your service to Him as you seek to live His call in your life.

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