ZUM CHILDREN HOOK SUNDAY SCHOOL WoRM

       The ZUM children’s Sunday School (age 3 through 5th grade) received a remarkable makeover two years ago.  It was retooled into an interactive rotation based lesson called WoRM.  The title comes from a grassroots Sunday School movement called Workshops Rotation Model, originating in 1990 in a Chicago Presbyterian church.  The website was created in 1997 to provide resources and community for the organization and currently assists over 8000 Christian educators.  Amy V., previous Director of Children’s Sunday School, implemented the model at ZUM after researching and discovering the great things it had to offer. 

The model is based on one month lessons and interactive learning. The first 15 minutes each Sunday the ZUM children, ages four through grade five, meet in a large group and discuss the lesson which will be creatively reinforced for the next month.  Rotation groups are formed by age and move through interactive activity rooms together. 

Bible stories like Noah’s Ark, the Beatitudes, The Christmas Story, and Fishers of Men are just of few of the covered topics.  The month can contain many types of innovative activities including games, crafts, music, food, and theatre. Leaders in each room reinforce the original lesson while the children are engaging in the interactive learning.  Jamie M., Director of Children’s Ministries, describes it as a “more memorable and more active” experience for children compared to the previous traditional style of one lesson per week.

A yearly nine month project like this takes the planning efforts of many individuals at ZUM.  The model is designed to allow flexibility in how it can be implemented.  Monthly rotation leaders are named and have the opportunity to plan and organize the entire month’s activities, or they can choose to utilize the talents of their peers.  Many times this is accomplished by adult Sunday school classes like the Romans and the Reapers who volunteer their time and creative ideas.  With more planning and participation the children experience more varieties of activities.

The current lesson curriculum includes a four year rotation.  This allows the children to learn the same lesson in different ways and at different ages.  A five year old now will not cover the same lesson again until they are age nine.  This creates a spiraling affect allowing the children to learn in new ways and at different ages.

To learn more about the WoRM Sunday School program and how you can help, contact Pam C., WoRM Rotation Leader Coordinator, or Jamie M. 

To read about the exciting things WoRM has to offer, visit www.rotation.org for more information.