To get us started I've posted some of my thoughts on this theme. I quoted some of your thoughts as "comments" below.
Enjoy!!
PRIMARY AS A "DEFENSE AND A REFUGE"
3 Nephi 22:13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children
As my imagination runs with the idea of “defense” and “refuge”, I think of Primary as
the inner citadel.
This is an especially safe place and also a training ground, yet ultimately the defense is no better than the training we provide here.
the inner citadel.
This is an especially safe place and also a training ground, yet ultimately the defense is no better than the training we provide here.
I see children and leaders who know one another’s names, who smile to see each other because
they love one another and have shared good spiritual experiences. I see children who are reverent and teachers who model and demand respect for others and for the subjects we are teaching. I see children and teachers singing with enthusiasm and inscribing on their hearts the gospel messages in our music. I see teachers and children who are committed to the church, who show up and are eager to be present. I see children who leave primary with a love for the scriptures and the gospel, and with a solid understanding of gospel essentials. I see children and teachers who know that they have a testimony and are determined to live by for the rest of their lives.
they love one another and have shared good spiritual experiences. I see children who are reverent and teachers who model and demand respect for others and for the subjects we are teaching. I see children and teachers singing with enthusiasm and inscribing on their hearts the gospel messages in our music. I see teachers and children who are committed to the church, who show up and are eager to be present. I see children who leave primary with a love for the scriptures and the gospel, and with a solid understanding of gospel essentials. I see children and teachers who know that they have a testimony and are determined to live by for the rest of their lives.
How?
Teacher Development and Sharing Times which emphasize:
- Love for One Another
Know them, pray about them, make sure we love each one. Be humble and let them know us.
--Ask the Lord what they need to know. (Answers may include behavior, manners, and leadership as well as spiritual matters).
Love them enough to demand that they behave and that they respect the subject matter and one another’s learning/ speaking opportunities.
- Love the Gospel
Study the scriptures ourselves (Theme: “For my soul delighteth in the Scriptures)
Be excited about something we are going to teach each week
Don’t feel that we have to have all the answers. Let them see the excitement of wondering and discovery.
Obey the commandments and keep the spirit with us
- Testify with Power and Strength
Teach them to be valiant in their testimony
Testify each week, in a meaningful way, of something you are teaching.
Challenge.
Take your teaching seriously and expect them to understand the importance of the gospel messages they are learning.
Sis. Landrith...
ReplyDeleteIsaiah 14:32: What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.
Faith in God lays a solid groundwork for girls, as individuals, to understand their place in the church and foster a love and understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It focuses on teaching girls to understand baptismal covenants, to better understand the gospel and to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. To become a "defense and a refuge" it may help to teach the girls to think of themselves as individuals capable of creating Zion in the groups that they belong to. Striving toward an ideal where all people may anticipate safety within the group when they enter.
Sis. Forbes...
ReplyDeleteI think that nowadays, even as young as my primary class is, they are constantly bombarded with bad influences-whether through media, friends, etc. I hope that as they come to my class, they can interact with other kids their age in a safe environment and can talk and learn about important principles and realize that they are sacred. I know that parents do this everyday in their homes, but I would also like to add to their efforts."
Sis. Westergard...
ReplyDeleteI think the children would all be excited to learn new songs and sing them. Excited to sing old songs. Thinking about what the songs mean to them in their lives. There is great power in singing with gusto and meaning with a large group.
Sis. Davis...
ReplyDeleteI want to feel like I really know them and I want them to really know me. I'm hoping that if they feel like I really care, they will feel even more strongly that what I say is the honest truth. I have this reoccurring theme that I keep bring up: "You, as children, are strong, capable, and loved by Heavenly Father". I tend to add more activities to the lesson than the manual has written because I like to get the kids involved in thinking about the objective of the lesson and how they apply it to their own lives (for example: things they can thank Heavenly Father for, things that show love, blessings they have received, etc). I truly believe that having that conviction that they are empowered by their faith, the truth, and a loving Heavenly Father they can withstand any obstacle, and not just obstacles they have as a 3 year old, but in their future life as well.
Bro. & Sis. Letham...
ReplyDeleteDefense and a refuge-> for the kids, it would include a place to be happy and where they feel they are not being judged. It is a place where they should feel welcome and learn gospel principles with ease. It is a place where testimony is built and service is rendered. Overall, it's place where they can testify that they are a child of God and can testify of God's love for them.
Sis. Gregory...
ReplyDeleteWell in a perfect world all children would love to sing and would therefore be enthusiastic about doing so on a Sunday. Having 3 children who do not really enjoy singing I know this is not always the case. However I DO believe that all children or people can be touched BY music even if they are not ones for singing themselves. I suppose I don't want music time to be a pressure because that is not a safety and a refuge. I want it to give peace. I haven't figured out the answers to it all yet but I'm working on it.
Sis. Cannon...
ReplyDeleteAs I understand this question, I would like to think of the CTR 6 domain to be a place of strength and learning TOGETHER. Yes, there will be times in each member's life to stand up for beliefs, but by learning and growing in the gospel together, we gain strength by numbers. This might be compared to the object lesson of lighting a single candle in a dark room. Your eyes are imediately trained to focus on the light. However, as more and more candles are lit, the brighter the domain becomes.
Sis. Blanchard...
ReplyDeleteI think it is helpful for the children to build strong bonds with the church, it's values and each other so we all know where we can turn. I believe the church does this very well so far, actually.
Lessons on loving on another and repentance. We all need to know that there is room for us in God's church no matter what. The church is not a place of judgement but compassion and support to come closer to God. WE ARE ALL EQUAL. None of us our perfect.
The idea of defense and refuge automatically makes me think of building walls and hiding. Perhaps the best defense opening doors and sharing. Creating allies we can count on. We are members of our community we should help to build it. Therefore we are more safe where ever we go.
Sis. Coppins ...
ReplyDeleteI want the children to feel safe sharing their feelings and testimonies. They should know that the love I have for them is not based on good behavior, but on their worth as children of Heavenly Father. They should also be safe from ridicule or contempt from their classmates, and find in them a constant source of friendship.
Sis. Larsen on Scouting....
ReplyDeleteScouting should be a "defense and a refuge" as a training ground for future faithful priesthood holders. Boys should be able to go to scout activities with a guarantee that they can enjoy healthy friendships with other boys and respectful relationships with their leaders. Scout leaders should be positive role models for the boys both temporally and spiritually. They should be well-trained in the scout organization, and should also have strong testimonies that they frequently share with the boys.
Scouting should provide an environment free from the temptations, pressures and general garbage the boys must face everyday at school and in the world; foul language, bullying and criticism, pornography, drugs and alcohol, negative peer pressure, abuse, etc. have no place in scouting. Instead, scouting should help the boys learn to respect themselves as children of God, and in turn, help them develop self-confidence, self-mastery, independence, and courage to always choose the right.
Sis. Karlson ....
ReplyDeleteI think that always taking care to apply what we learn to situations the kids might be faced with on a daily basis helps to prepare them with a defense against the efforts of Satan. And as we work on our friendships and encourage acceptance my class can be a refuge.
The best thing about my primary calling is that it pushes me to be better--a better, more prepared person with a stronger testimony--ready to teach and answer questions.