3H. Choruses in Children's Evangelism

For children's work, it is well worth the time to copy out the better known choruses on sheets of card, two or three times the size of normal flashcards. Again, rounding the corners will help them travel better and a clear book covering will be useful in protecting them from sticky fingers! For the little children, ordinary lettering rather than bubble or ladder lettering will be more legible. Upper case letters may be best as this is how the children first learn to read. No matter how you write out the sheets, be sure to repeat the words out loud anyway for those who do not read. Actions will further help to remind them of the words as in "Zacchaeus was a very little man," "The wise man built his house upon the rock," and "If I were a butterfly fly."

When you make up your flashcard choruses, carefully map out the whole card before committing pen to paper. Draw faint guidelines in pencil across the page four inches deep and two inches apart. Letters will be two inches wide with a quarter inch between them. Allow a two inch gap between words. For the best contrast on white paper use black or blue colors and avoid oranges and yellows which are illegible at any distance. When you have finished your work, you might like to embellish it with a scroll in a bright color here or a large sticker there. The "artist's touch" you might say!

Stencils

If you should have a problem with the lettering, you can always resort to stencils. These can be bought in various sizes in plastic or cardboard from any large stationers store. The proper way to use stencils is to draw around the outline of each letter with a pencil and then color in the shape that you have made. Be sure to set the words on a horizontal guideline and keep them upright. Stencils may be a little slower than freehand lettering but they will give you a first class appearance every time which might not have been possible otherwise. It may be helpful to hang a number of chorus sheets upon a stand before the childrens' meeting begins or have the children come to the front and hold them up.

Display Stands

Two kinds of stands are available from artist's suppliers. Both the table easel and the full height stand are generally made from aluminum, are very compact and are easily set up. They can both be sloped according to need and are lightweight for portability. The full-size easel can carry a handy paint tray or a series of visual aids on the center struts. You may however wish to make up your own stands out of timber, especially if they do not have to fold up to be stored away. A handyman will not have difficulty making this kind of support out of two inch by one inch timbers and quarter inch bolts and wing nuts. Like the Old Testament builders of the tabernacle, God gives His Spirit to those craftsmen who work for His glory.

So, we have chorus sheets and something to hang them on, but what about the singing? What function does it serve in our worship and mission work? A driving instructor in France noticed one day how tense his pupils were immediately before a driving lesson. As an experiment he suggested they try singing quietly to themselves or humming while they were behind the wheel. The results were surprising! There were fewer accidents and an overall improvement in the standard of driving. The instructor concluded, "Humming takes the tension out of traveling." Similarly in worship, singing helps people relax and enables them to be much more open to God. Whether it is led by an organ and choir or a guitar or even unaccompanied it gets people into the right frame of mind for fellowship.

"Practical Christian Outreach in the Local Church"

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