When we first moved to Minnesota in 1988 there only 6 children-all under 5 years. Since that time (with the influx of Tribal Messiahs) the Minneapolis/St. Paul area has grown to 36 children and 2 more "on the way." Needless to say the necessity for a sound religious education for our community reared its head.

For many years our Sunday School was battered around by various regional leaders' personal opinions of its credibility. Yet, through it all, a few mothers (I among them) persisted in its establishment with much experimentation and necessary flexibility. In Sept. 1993 our Sunday School was made official with the appointment of a principal and 4 lead teachers for age groups pre-K to high school. During that time I was the lead teacher for the K-2 group, but soon found myself developing curriculum and teaching materials for all four groups. At the start of our second formal year, this August I was appointed principal. Now I am still creating curriculum and teaching materials as well as negotiating for space and commitment from the church center and parents. During this entire saga I have accumulated a myriad of "how to" materials for starting a Sunday School. I also found myself flipping through back issues of "The Blessing Quarterly" and "Blessed Family," discovering a wealth of internal guidance on the religious education of our children. After talking to other sisters in various states, I realized the necessity for some kind of guidebook on how to establish a Sunday School, as well as curriculum development.

An interesting side point to all this is that since September 1993 I had felt Linna Rapkins' presence pushing me to do something. It wasn't till this May that I first heard of her passing. For 10 months I had felt her with me. I would wake at 4am or 5am, not able to get back to sleep. Ideas for teaching, making materials and curriculum would just come flooding over me. This is why I feel even more compelled to offer this endeavor.

And so I have now assembled a manual from various sources (inside and outside the Unification Church as well as things we developed in Minnesota) entitled "How to Start a Sunday School." It is a 176-page book covering the topics of: Philosophy, Structure, Environment, Curriculum, Instruction and Discipline, Children's Needs, and Teaching Ideas and Resources. It all comes bound in a 3-ring binder. Also available is a notebook on the internal guidance aspect. There are reprints of articles from "The Blessing Quarterly" and "Blessed Family" as well as True Parents' speeches to Blessed Children.

I am also offering books on beginning Korean language and culture study for children (this with the help of Sung Sook Anderson). They contain reproducible patterns and worksheets. The Korean culture book contains the Korean flag and its meaning, alphabet, numbers 1-10, dress, songs, food and social studies info (including maps). The language book includes the alphabet, numbers 1-10, colors, days of the week, months of the year, seasons and parts of the body. It has patterns for file folder games and puppets as well as worksheets.

All of the profits will go to our Sunday School in Minneapolis. Please make checks and money orders out to Vicki Henry (as I live over an hour from the church center and I am the one who will be printing and sending the manuals). I plan to have more teaching aids, materials and manuals to offer in the future. Such topics as "How to use Creative Dramatics in Religious Education" as well as games to encourage lecturing and learning and more on Divine Principle, True Parents' lives and church traditions are but a few. Manuals

"How to Start a Sunday School" 176pp. 35.00

"Religious Education-Internal Guidance 100pp. 30.00

both for 60.00

"Beginning Korean Language for Children" 20.00

"Beginning Korean Culture for Children" 12.00

both for 30.00

Please add 3.50 per item for postage. Allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.

Checks and money orders payable to: Vicki Henry

Send to: Vicki Henry, 827 - 6th Ave. North, St. Cloud, MN 56303

(All profits go to the Minneapolis Sunday School.)

Vicki Henry has a BA in Art Education, has run a Sunday School for six years, is the mother of three children, and the PTA chairman for two years.

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