Boing putty, frogs that fly, Nerf darts, koosh balls, pastel coloring crayons…what do these items have in common?  Believe it or not, they are just a few of the items included in our Buzz curriculum boxes.  Sure, you’ll find the tradititional Sunday School supplies like Bible stories but beyond that; this curriculum is certainly not the traditional Sunday School.

So what’s it all about?  Why do the kids love coming to their classes each week?  Here’s a quick tour of Buzz….

Regardless of grade level the flow is pretty much the same.  Each lesson starts with conversation starters.  For the younger parishioners, these are pretty basic.  “What did you do this week to show God’s love?”  “How does God show love for you?”  For the older kids, it’s a chance to chat with their peers about what’s on their mind.  “What are you excited about this week?”  “What is worrying you?”  These questions lead to great discussions and create an atmosphere of building relationships and making connections with each other.

Next, the “theme” of the lesson is introduced.  The theme is the main point of the Bible story for that particular week.  Bible stories included in Buzz are often those that are lesser known, which is helpful for keeping kids engaged.

Following a short discussion of the theme, the rest of the lesson is really guided by the kids.  Through a quick game, the students decide which activites they do.  There is a wide varitey of activities and they are different each week.  Everything from acting out a skit, to playing with clay, dancing or more traditional arts and crafts.  With Buzz–if the students are losing interest–the teacher is able to re-engage them by moving them right on to the next activity.

3rd through 5th graders participating in an activity that requires no hands or arms!

After the activities, the students wrap up with a prayer.  Depending on the grade level, students will perform an activity that helps them select what to focus their prayer on that particular week.  This might be a prayer for their family or a particular concern they would like to work through.  When the bell rings at the end of class, each student is given a small card with an activity they can do at home.

It’s clear our students love Buzz, but what about our teachers?  Feedback we’ve received from teachers has been consistent.  They love waking up on Sunday morning knowing their lesson is already planned and the supplies are organized and waiting for them right in their Buzz box.

We will be using Buzz for the remainder of 2017.  During the summer, the curriculum commitee will meet to evaluate student and parent feedback and decide if Buzz is the curriculum of choice for next year.

As always, we value and NEED your feedback!  Please reach out to me (Amanda McNally) with any comments or concerns you have.  If you are considering teaching next year, we welcome you to sit in on any one of our Sunday School classes to catch Buzz in action!