October 2002

E-newsletter contents:

- teaching Bible geography;
- book by Merrill and Christian;
- web resource for Bible places;
- Bible Study Worksheet: People and Place Match;
- getting the word out -- ways you can help.


Dear Readers,

Connecting Bible people and places is something parents
and Sunday School teachers naturally do when telling
stories to even the very youngest children. As we tell
the Christmas story, for example, we place those events
in or near Bethlehem. As we tell the story of baby
Moses, found by Pharaoh's daughter floating in an ark
of bulrushes, we place that event in Egypt. Before
long, place names like Jerusalem, the Sea of Galilee,
Jericho, and Nazareth become familiar ones.

One idea for reinforcing place names in a Sunday School
class is to have the children brainstorm all the place
names they can recall. You might use a flip chart and
magic marker to write the places. To get as many as
possible, prompt with hints. Allow them to flip through
their Bibles for names. Then, the next week present a
chart with the place names arranged alphabetically under
a heading such as: Bible Places We Know. Using maps of
the Holy Land, work together to find each of the places
listed on the chart. Review what happened at each
place.

BOOK BY MERRILL AND CHRISTIAN

In the nondenominational book "In Jesus' Time," authors
Kathryn Merrill and Kristy Christian have several
helpful suggestions and teaching tools related to New
Testament geography. These include two maps, one of
which is blank. There is also a reproducible chart
which children (or adults!) can fill in with people and
events associated with particular places. You can learn
more about this book and order it at
http://www.infinitediscovery.com/books.html

WEB RESOURCE FOR BIBLE PLACES

A Canadian named Wayne Blank has created an attractive
and interesting website called Daily Bible Study. I've
found his short essays and photos about Bible places
very informative. There are dozens and dozens listed.
Here's the URL: http://www.execulink.com/~wblank/places.htm

My book, "That Ye May Teach the Children," includes
reproducible Bible Study Worksheets for both Old and
New Testament places. Below is a new worksheet about
Bible places.

Bible Study Worksheet: People and Place Match

Please match each place with the person in the list
below most closely allied with it.

1. Zarephath, a town mentioned in both Testaments
I Kings 17:1-9

2. Gath, one of five Philistine cities I Samuel 17:4

3. Tarsus, a city known for its wealth and great
schools Acts 21:39

4. Mt. Sinai, the mount of God which is also called
Mt. Horeb Exodus 19:20

5. Megiddo, a town in Palestine where archaeological
excavations unearthed many horse stalls
II Kings 23:29

6. Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire
II Kings 29:36, 37

7. Gaza, the most southern of five Philistine cities Acts 8:26

8. Jericho, likely the oldest city in the world
Joshua 2:1

9. Joppa, an ancient town located on the Mediterranean
seacoast Acts 9:36

10. Jordan River, the most important river in Palestine
Mark 1:5, 6
______________

Moses, Josiah, Sennacherib, Rahab, Elijah
Paul, Dorcas, John the Baptist, Goliath, Philip

GETTING THE WORD OUT

Marketing my book, That Ye May Teach the Children, is an
ongoing job for me. Getting information to the parents
and Sunday School teachers who would appreciate knowing
about the book is a real challenge. I wonder if I might
enlist your help?

There are a number of ways in which you might assist me
in spreading the word:

- ask for my current email promotional book flyer and
pass it along to someone;
- write a sentence or two reviewing my book at
www.amazon.com;
- ask if your church might be interested in sponsoring
one of my Bible teaching workshops;
- ask me for an email containing Bible workshop
information and commendations;
- let others know about this e-newsletter and my
website at www.authorsden.com/joanksnipes;
- send me a comment that I might use in promotional
materials if you've found my book helpful. Please be
sure and include how you'd like to be identified, such
as "Mary T. Jones, Sunday School teacher from
Springfield, Virginia."

Thanks for reading, and please keep in touch.

Yours truly,

Joan Koelle Snipes

Volume 2; No. 5
Published six times a year by:
Bible Teaching Press
2016 Willowdale Drive
Shepherdstown, WV 25443
304-876-1332

You can read my archived e-newsletters at:
http://www.authorsden.com/joanksnipes

To read the preface, introduction and bibliography of
my book, "That Ye May Teach the Children," please visit:
www.signature-book.com and go to the book shelf section.