Some were members of the Millennial generation, just starting out in their teaching careers, while others were of the Greatest Generation, with years of experience. But all who attended this year’s Church Weekday Education Workshop shared a common bond of being major influencers on the next generation.
Susan Adams is president of the South Carolina Association of Church Weekday Administrators, a weekday officers group that plans the workshop. The workshop theme, “Generation Next,” was taken from Psalm 78:4: “We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord.” The theme was chosen by Susan Adams, president of the weekday officers group that works with convention staff to plan and organize the event. Adams directs the child enrichment center of Mon-Aetna Church in Union. In keeping with the tradition of the officers group, she served terms as secretary, vice president, and president-elect before stepping into the president’s role this year.
Sponsored annually by the childhood ministry group of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, the 2011 CWE workshop was held Aug. 5-6 at White Oak Conference Center. Teachers and directors from 67 church preschool child care programs across the state gathered for training and team-building.
Among those attending were pastor Tim Tomlinson and the weekday staff from Okatee Church in the Ridgeland area. Their church is in the process of starting a weekday child care program, and the workshop was “such a valuable tool for us,” said Tomlinson.
Mark Jones of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma was keynote speaker at the CWE workshop.Mark Jones, childhood ministry specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, was the keynote speaker for the event. He used an acrostic to encourage teachers to C-O-N-N-E-C-T with the next generation, emphasizing that their teaching and relationships will point children and their families to Christ.
Classes were offered on a wide range of topics, from “Positive Guidance” to “Language Development” to “Jesus, the Greatest Teacher.” Many of the classes offered hands-on experiences to help teachers become adept at teaching through activities such as art, blocks and music.
The classes at the CWE workshop are accredited by South Carolina’s Department of Social Services, so they count toward the continuing education credits that teachers and directors are required to earn each year. The class topics are chosen to help teachers earn credits in categories such as curriculum, child growth and development, and program administration.
“Preparing the next generation for Christian lifestyle and leadership should be a priority to us all,” said Adams. “Hopefully, this conference has brought this clearly into focus and will remind us to model our faith daily before the children in our care.” – SCBC