Conference yukon::christian_v7

    Sandy,
    
    I'm somtimes a little dense and need clarification, what are you
    looking for actually, information on how to teach kids to stay away
    from drugs or not to follow the crowds or are you looking for more
    statistical information on the effects of drugs/alcohol?  or both?
    
    :-)
    Nancy

	
	Sandy, 

	I've got no experience in either area (leading a Bible Study
	or teaching 5th and 6th graders).  

	Some thoughts:

	Ask the kids what they think the pitfalls of drugs and drinking
	are, and how they could affect their walk with God.  I'm thinking
	along the lines of become a slave to drugs and how no man can
	serve two masters (drugs and God).

	Also, if you have students that think they are immune to peer
	pressure, have them lead some discussion on *how* to deal
	with peer pressure.  They may have some wisdom to impart to
	the other kids, or they may find they don't have a handle on it
	quite yet.

	I realize these aren't "gems", just food for thought.

	Let us know how it goes!!

	Karen

Hi Sandy,

It seems that a lot of people I'd have expected to give good input here 
are busy today.  I've no experience in these areas myself (drugs & abuse), 
and as the class is tonight, I'm afraid it draws you a blank.

However, you mention the perspective that as they aren't currently being
tempted, they do not view drink, drugs, abuse etc as a danger.  

Could you represent to them scenarios where they are placed 'out of
context'? - it might be, like graduating to a new school, or moving to
another area, on vacation, with friends of someone they don't know very 
well but admire... or even with a different group on a school outing, where
they are put under pressure to conform, sneered as as cowardly for sticking
to rules which 'the group' disparage as sissy, cowardly or childish. 

Ask them to suggest how the pressure would be supplied - what sort of
things would be said (not necessarily outwardly negative - maybe a honeyed
invitation to join the group).  The more convincing this can be put, the 
more realistically the danger is perceived.

  � What standards are real - God's or man's?
  � How they would feel inside at 'becoming one of the group' -
	*really* good, or ashamed underneath?
	Closer to God or further away?
  � How they would feel afterwards -
 	Better fit to follow their studies .. career .. becoming the
 		husband / wife to the woman / man of their dreams...?
 	Ashamed to look people in the eye...?
 	More or less able to pray 
  � What they would be like afterwards
	Unchanged
	affected by a life-impacting experience
	Wanting more, until it consumed and destroyed their life
	A better or worse person / member of society

Inviting input from those who could see 'going with the crowd' as a danger 
could make it more real to those who don't - depending on their various 
positions and personalities...

[ hey - that's what Karen was saying anyway... ! ]

Getting late here, so I must go, but I hope this isn't all just what you've 
already tried... 

Perhaps prayer from here would be best now!
 - do let us know how you get on, please!

							God bless
								Andrew

    After having thought a little bit about this... [This *is* the exact
    age I teach btw with a few Jr. Highers thrown in there and *most* of
    them come from drug/alcohol addicted homes] I don't have to convince
    them that it effects their lives, they're living in it every day.
    
    I believe the most powerful way to get the point across is through
    personal testimony.  Do you know of anyone that now as a young adult
    thought they were immune and fell into this behavior anyway?
    
    Or can you relay a story of someone you know that is like this. 
    Visuals are good to use as well to analogize a difficult concept.
    
    All children regardless of backgrounds have experienced growing pain
    commonalities i.e., such as wanting to be popular or liked, nobody
    wants to be left out, everyone has experienced feeling inadequate
    whether it be in the classroom or athletically...
    
    If you can find an emotion that they can identify with that doesn't
    seem to relate to being part of the crowd and then tie that in with
    your lesson, you will have a winner.
    
    But still personal testimony [from your own childhood struggles, which
    can be humorous] I have found really touches the heart of my class.
    
    I hope this helps.. tho' methinks not much.
    
    Nancy

    Well, it was a good class.  There were two visitors there and four
    regulars (all girls).  We had a nice class.  I put "grafitti boards" on
    the tables asking three questions "What do we do when we have bad
    feelings", "What do we do to impress our friends", "What are some
    things we do for excitment and to experience new things".  All of the
    girls gave asnwers like "talk to God", "sing songs", "bring friends to
    church"...all basically answers that come from kids who have been with
    the church for a number of their young years.  So I had to ask "What
    about DRUGS?"  I placed some brochures on the table about different
    kinds of drugs - one of the visitors asked why God puts bad things on
    earth (drugs) and I basically told her the marijuana plant wasn't a
    "bad thing" until someone decided to turn its purpose into something
    bad.  Have you ever met a bad can of Scotchguard?  We have been given
    the free will of choice in our lives and some have used that will to
    create evil.  We need to know how to stay away from it.  We need to
    know what to say and how to be strong.  I used things like peer
    pressure (to show off or to follow) as an example and used a more
    subtle problem such as lying, swearing, stealing toget my point across. 
    We talked about friends - what they are why they are important and what
    a best friend is.  Seems kids of this age are wanting very much to have
    a bazillion best friends and all will be wonderful.  I gave them
    examples of friendships in my life (the mothers of all the regulars are
    my closest friends in the church - so they knew where I was coming
    from).  We talked about acquaintances vs friends vs best friends.  I
    said that if your best friend is going to be someone who will be there
    for you/with you and help you thru struggles, and even correct you when
    you are wrong then you need to be sure your best friends is living by
    the same rules you are.  I told them people at work are my
    acquaintances, and that I have friends in my neighborhood - but my best
    friends are fellow christians who are like-minded.
    
    I think the class went well and the kids attention was all mine (until
    the thunder started).
    
    Thanks for your attention....
    
    -sandy
    

    Sandy that sounds marvelous...
    
    Can you tell me more about the "graffiti boards" what were those
    actually used for?
    
    Nancy

Hi Sandy - glad it went well...

Wish I'd remembered the example of king Josiah, as a 'good guy' while the
priest Jehoiada was alive, even encouraging Jehoiada in repair of the
temple, but when Jehoiada died, Josiah went the way of evil companions and
even murdered Jehoiada's son Zechariah, when he trid top pull Josiah up...

You'd never have thought it from Josiah's early record.  It underlines 
Ephesians 6:1 :
 "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual shuold 
restore him gently, but watch yourself or you also may be be tempted..."

thanks for the update
						Andrew

    Just a poster board that I wrote the question in the middle and let
    them each put a thought of their own on.  I hung them on the wall for
    discussion.
    
    I find that the kids like to write/draw/color with markers and such so
    every opportunity is given (especially the girls).
    
    -sandy
    

    -sandy,
    
    That is a great idea... I teach either under a tree or on a bus..
    therefore it makes it real difficult to use visual aids ... though we
    do improvise quite a lot. 
    
    I hear that I have a classroom being prepared for me.. :-) YIPPEE.. but
    the days under the trees and in the bus are fond memories.
    
    Nancy

.7 Andrew Yuille

>You'd never have thought it from Josiah's early record.  It underlines 
>Ephesians 6:1 :
> "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual shuold 
>restore him gently, but watch yourself or you also may be be tempted..."

Just a nit, my friend.  It is Galatians 6:1.

Ephesians 6:1  Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

Galatians 6:1  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are
spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself,
lest thou also be tempted.

(I normally wouldn't be checking your references, 'rew, but I posted Galatians
6:1 just today in 227.6 (?).  

:-)

Thanks Mark  ... I looked it up to check my wording, but did a mental typo in
the transfer to the keys.  It's as well you were there! 

							Andrew 

The online Bible is great for checking things out!

    
    This may not be appropriate for kids this age (5th&6th grade) but I
    think at 9th or 10th grade you should take the children to a young
    peoples AA or NA meeting.  The messages that they get from thier peers
    who are "cool"  is very loud and clear.
    
    
    
    Mike