The Stars Zine Guide
The Stars Zine Guide provides instructions for grown-ups who are leading a Sunday school class or Bible study through a 12-week adventure in The Stars Zine. Each Zine Guide includes detailed instructions for each lesson, plus extra background content, that will help teachers feel confident leading a group at church, Sunday school, Bible study, or at home.
PRO TIP: Give each teacher or volunteer a Zine Guide of their own to keep at home for easy prep, and keep an additional copy in the classroom with your supplies just in case. Make sure to order enough Zine Guides to support all your leaders!
Who is the Zine Guide for? The Zine Guide is for any grown-up who is leading a StoryMakers Adventure Zine. The Zine Guide provides a snapshot of the adventure with additional background information and questions to get conversation started. The goal of the Zine Guide is to help grown-ups feel prepared to spark the imagination and facilitate conversation around each story. The Zine Guide is smaller than a zine and easily fits in a purse or backpack so grown-ups can have a lesson refresher on the go.
Is the Zine Guide necessary? Everything you need to adventure with your StoryMakers is in their zine. However, if you want to get a snapshot of the adventure, go a little deeper into the history behind the story, and have some questions to get the conversation started, the Zine Guide has you covered. Each chapter of the Zine Guide includes:
- Chapter Visual Image: This matches the artwork in each zine chapter.
- Hook: questions about the image to spark curiosity and conversation
- A Little History: Go deeper into the story.
- Field Notes: This matches the section by the same name in the zine.
- Fun Facts: These are scattered through each chapter of the zine.
- Thoughts to Ponder: These match the social-emotional questions in the zine.
- Activity: We list the directions and tools needed.
- Deeper Meaning: A closing thought to wrap up your adventure time with the Gospel.
How is a Zine Guide different from a Teacher’s Guide? Think of the Zine Guide as a snapshot and the Teacher’s Guide as a script. The Teacher’s Guide goes deeper with more scripted prompts for teaching the stories, detailed lesson plans, cues for when to use the digital teaching slides, and space for instructors to do additional lesson planning. While the Zine Guide is a small booklet that is easy to throw in your purse or backpack, the Teacher’s Guide is a full-size spiral-bound plan for teaching the stories in each adventure.
Are these products for church or home? Both! StoryMakers Zine Guides are for any grown-ups who want a little support in leading their StoryMaker(s) on a Bible adventure. Our products are easy to use without a lot of prep and can easily be used in big Sunday school classrooms, small homeschool co-ops, or when visiting with grandparents.
Why do you refer to children as “StoryMakers”? We believe all humans are “story makers” because we are created in the image of God, the Ultimate Story Maker! We know kids are creative, thoughtful, and imaginative beings with the ability to connect to their faith through the stories of the Bible.
How do adventures “spark the imagination”? We believe imagination is one of every child’s most valuable resources, and it is an ideal access point for the story of God’s great love. The stories of the Bible are peppered with action, drama, rebellion, and redemption. Through creative engagement, children can experience these stories with curiosity, questions, empathy, and surprising insight as they recognize themselves in the stories and see their own need for God.
When will my order ship? Most products ship within 1-7 business days, with the exception of some subscriptions and pre-sale items. All orders are shipped UPS unless otherwise specified or shipping to a P.O. Box. If you have questions about our order policies, shipping policies, or returns, please see our Store Policies and Terms and Conditions or contact smsupport@storymakersnyc.com.
