Welcome to the B.L.A.ST. Program FAQ's
Bible Learning Adventure Stations

Scroll down to find answers to the following questions:

¦ What is the B.L.A.ST. Program?

¦ What happens in the “workshops”?

¦ What happens at the end of class?

¦ What is the newsletter and puzzle challenge?

¦ What about the memory verse?

¦ Should students bring a Bible?

¦ Should I get a Bible for my child?

¦ Do you have further questions?

What is the B.L.A.ST. Program?
We have a dynamic program starting with a short worship time as a large group.  Then we divide the students by grade, sending them off with their Shepherd to a different workshop room each week. 

For four weeks the students learn about one story, experiencing it in one of the four workshops each Sunday.  The workshops are Desert Drama Theater, Thou Art! Studio, Marketplace and the Bible Disc-overy Zone.

After four weeks we move on to the next story!  The students may meet new teachers, but they always have the same Shepherd and classmates traveling with them.

We started using this new Sunday School format in the Fall of 2003.  The format itself, the Rotation Method, has been in use since the early 1990's.  This format facilitates retention with repetition of the content for four weeks, and targets the many different learning styles and "multiple intelligences" of children with the varied workshops.

You can read about the Rotation Method at www.rotation.org .  Be sure to check out the new FLASH movie that explains all the details.  It is directly from the Lesson Exchange that we get at least 50% of our lesson ideas each year.

What happens in the “workshops”?
Each class starts with the story and memory verse. Then it is time for the workshop-specific activity. The class finishes with “Reflect” questions to review the story and how it applies to the kid’s daily lives. A closing prayer and clean-up completes the morning.

The workshops themselves are very different. Three are richly decorated to represent Biblical-times. The Desert Drama Theater has an amazing mural dotted with familiar characters such as Joseph with Mary on the donkey and the woman at the well. The mural is often used as a backdrop for the dramas conducted in class. The room includes a stage, costumes, props as well as puppets and a puppet stage. In this workshop the kids may reenact the story, or write their own modern version, it may be filmed, or they may do acting games like charades.

Thou Art! Studio is a place for the students to internalize the story or lesson and then represent it artistically. You never know what might be used – anything from tree branches to paint, pipe cleaners to modeling clay. What is certain is that the students will enjoy making each of the creations and will gain a better understanding of the story from a new perspective.

In the Marketplace you might encounter anything, just as you might in a street market today! The activity might be a science experiment with Luke the Physician, or baking with Esther, mapmaking, games, or gardening. Never a dull moment here!

The Bible Disc-overy Zone is different from the other classrooms in that it is definitely modern – in fact, it is futuristic! The room is decorated as the control room of a spaceship, with the portholes looking down to Jerusalem. The obvious feature in the room is the computer lab. Computers are often used to research, or for games or to create a project such as a card, bookmark or iron-on transfer. The room also features a rocketship-Jeopardy game that is quite popular, as well as other game-show props. Games are a great way to reinforce the details of the story.

No matter what your child’s interests or learning styles are, they are sure to be targeted several times throughout each four week rotation in these dynamic workshops!

What happens at the end of class?
Children are held in the classroom until released to a parent. If you wish your fourth or fifth grader (third grader as well, in second service) to be released independently, please discuss this with the Shepherd after the first couple weeks of class. Allow the Shepherd a chance to become familiar with their students by picking them up for at least the first two weeks before discussing this with the Shepherd. Please respect the time the volunteers have all ready put into conducting the Sunday School hour by collecting your students in a timely manner at the end of worship. The teachers and Shepherds plan for extended services such as Communion, but once the service is over they would appreciate releasing your children to you so they can clean up and perhaps fellowship as well.

Look above the Bible Disc-overy Zone (just beyond the sanctuary towards Fellowship Hall) and down the Sunday School hallway (across from Fellowship Hall) for the flags outside of the workshops. There is a flag for each class and it will be “flying” outside the door of their workshop for the morning. There is also a schedule posted on the BLAST bulletin board, across from the restrooms.

What is the newsletter and puzzle challenge?
These are used to encourage the students to consider and even study the story during the week. The different puzzle challenges get the kids to open and become familiar with their Bible on an individual level. As they turn to parents or siblings for help, it becomes an opportunity to share God’s truths at home. Please encourage your child to do the puzzle challenge and to read the newsletter. Ask them to share it with you, or do it together as a family if you have more than one “BLAST” student. When your child turns in the completed puzzle to his or her shepherd they can choose a prize from the Treasure Box.

What about the memory verse?
There is one memory verse for each rotation or four-week story unit. The memory verse will be covered each week. Shepherds will handle the memory verse differently, depending on the age of the children and the Shepherd’s mentoring style. Some may have rewards, some may not – check with your child’s shepherd. The verses are chosen with an eye toward two things: 1) related to the story 2) key pivotal Bible verses that can called upon by the student as they develop spiritually. Sometimes it seems hard for them to learn the verse, and younger students will most likely have a shortened version – but consider how many songs both you and your children know all the words to! The key is repetition. Please encourage your children in this.

Should students bring a Bible?
We aim to have children open a Bible each and every Sunday. If it is their own, all the better! Please be sure their name is marked clearly in or on it. You may want to stick a prominent bookmark with their name, contact information and grade so whomever finds it can let you know or leave it for the Shepherd for the next week.

Should I get a Bible for my child?
Windham Presbyterian Church awards Bibles to second graders in the Spring. We use the NIV Adventure Bible. WPC Adult worship and Bible studies most commonly use the NIV as well. However, any common version is welcome. There are many good children’s Bibles, ranging from story Bibles up to “complete” versions with many kid extras (the NIV Adventure Bible is of this type). In the past couple of years there have been many kid-friendly Bibles produced, including easy- and early-readers to kid-friendly designs of full-text Bibles. Wal-mart frequently has many options, especially around Easter. Christian Book Distributors www.christianbook.com is another good source. Many of the chain bookstores carry an increasingly large selection of Christian books and Bibles, including children’s titles. There are a few versions in the church library, or you can talk to a Sunday School superintendent or Shepherd if you want to see others. The bottom line is: if it is interesting to your child, go for it! Be sure the translation is trustworthy, but other than that – colorful covers with flowers and rainbows or a steely-industrial looking cover may be just the thing they need! The most important thing is that the Bible is used. Read yours with your child – read theirs with them, too. Your example will be more encouraging than any number of bells and whistles on the cover!

If you are new to Windham Presbyterian Church or for whatever reason your child did not get a Bible from us in second grade please either let your child’s Shepherd know or send an email to the address below.

Do you have further questions?
Please email any questions to lkish@windhamchurch.org and put “BLAST Sunday School question” in the Subject line. It will be forwarded to the right person for an answer.