Gather 'Round offers youth and junior high supplement for summer.

The Gather 'Round Sunday school curriculum is offering a new Youth/Junior Youth Summer Supplement this year. The supplement accompanies either the Summer 2008 "Connect" guide for parents and caregivers of children, or the teacher’s guide for multiage groups.

Gather ’Round is the Sunday school curriculum published jointly by Brethren Press and the Mennonite Publishing Network. Order curriculum materials from Brethren Press at 800-441-3712, shipping and handling charges will be added to the following prices given below.

"The Things that Make for Peace" is the Gather ’Round theme for Summer 2008 (June 1 through Aug. 24). "Peace is fundamental to our understanding of the biblical message," commented Gather ’Round director and editor Anna Speicher. "Often we think of peace as a particularly New Testament theme, but this summer we will explore perspectives on peace and peacemaking from the Old as well as the New Testament. Children and adults alike will enjoy the creative ways our writers present both familiar and unfamiliar stories."

Congregations that purchase the summer "Connect" or the summer Multiage teacher's guide will be able to purchase the Youth/Junior Youth Summer Supplement either as a download or on a CD (download for $29.95, CD for $32.95; buy one per class). The supplement includes suggestions for reading and presenting Bible stories, "Connect to the Story" activities, "Responding" options, and a reproducible page for each session. Purchase of the supplement includes the right to make copies of the "okay to photocopy" pages for each youth in a class. For opening and closing activities and reflecting questions, teachers are to use the suggestions in one of the books the supplement accompanies.

Other summer resources offered by Gather 'Round:

• The preschool curriculum for ages three and four, with tips for twos, includes the "My Bible Storybook" student book ($6.95 each, order one per student), a teacher’s guide ($7.95), and a classroom pack ($19.95).
  
  
• The multiage curriculum for grades K-6, with tips for older children, includes the "Together" student book ($6.95, order one per student), a teacher’s guide ($7.95), and a classroom pack ($19.95);
  
  
• The parent/caregiver curriculum for adults, group or individual use, includes the "Connect" book ($8.95 each, order one for the teacher and one per student), and a classroom pack ($19.95).
  
  
• The quarterly Talkabout is a take-home aid for families to talk about faith using weekly Bible themes from Sunday school. This summer’s Talkabout will be printed on multi-colored origami paper with instructions for folding peace cranes or peace doves ($5.95, order one per family).

Congregations may want to encourage households to bring their cranes to church week by week through the summer to display in the sanctuary or fellowship room, and consider holding a special closing worship at the end of the summer on the theme of peace. Summer worship resources also will be available free of charge at www.gatherround.org.

Source: 02/13/2008 Newsline