How to Get Back Out of the Box
At the Chicago conference a long time ago, I attended a seminar by Beth Wagner of Potter's Workshops called "Year 3 and Beyond". It addressed this very issue (and was a good seminar by the way). Much of what Beth had to say has been already suggested here - how do we "get back out of the box" (we got out of it once when Rotation started but maybe we are now in a different "box"?)
Many of the suggestions were in the refresh/renew category - as has been suggested already - i.e. adding new workshops. So the idea is: what can you do that's "different?"
Some other suggestions I gleaned and some of my own thoughts:
- Regrouping kids. If you separate by grade-group now, how about multi-aging instead?
- Do most kids come only once a month? Maybe it's time to go to 5-week Rotations instead of 3 weeks?
- Try adding things like Celebration Sunday's or Shepherd Sunday's (for strictly team-building).
- Go on a field trip during Sunday school (admittedly a huge undertaking and not something you'd probably want to do more than once a year.)
- Take a drama production or puppet show on the road. (We occasionally ask our 6th graders to perform a show for our pre-schoolers.
- Rotate kids every other week. Have a two-week art project, a two-week cooking project, write a play one week and act it out the next.
- Have kids prepare to present what they have learned in church service.
- Under the add a workshop idea: add going to worship as a workshop.
- Quick shot-in the arm change: redecorate the hallway.
- Give parents a reason to keep coming. Much like there is always big attendance around "milestone" events like Confirmation or getting a Bible, plan other types of milestones for each grade.
As others have said, we will always need to be innovating/renewing. And, I find we always need to be educating! People keep coming into the program who know nothing about Rotation. How are you educating them as to why you are Rotating?
--Carol
