Adventist Church in Singapore Welcomed Creation Sabbath with Creatures, Teach Us Series

Adventist Church in Singapore Welcomed Creation Sabbath with Creatures, Teach Us Series

Orathai Chureson, Ph.D., Children's and Family Ministries Director, Southern Asia-Pacific Division
Philippines

The Singapore Adventist Conference’s Children’s and Family Ministries department joins hands with Hope Channel of Southeast Asia to feature the series Creatures, Teach Us!. It is a fun series for the whole family. Each episode takes parents and children on an adventure with six different animals found in Singapore, learning character traits such as loyalty, empathy, and teamwork, contextualized perspectives, prosocial choices, and other positive values in their Christian character-building process.

The Objective and Target Group

The key focus of Creatures, Teach Us! is to empower children ages 0–7 years old and disciple them to serve God, as well as inspire all parents and other viewers to notice God’s handiwork and desirable character being revealed continually to us. Kids will learn to notice and look for character traits among creatures, leading to their sense of appreciation and adoration for our Creator. 

There is a great pool of talent in our church membership, including children. Creatures, Teach Us! gives opportunities to kids to shine for Jesus as their diverse talents are being maximized to their fullest potentials. With the given opportunity to shine for Jesus, kids, as much as adults, are in partnership with the church in reaching out and making a difference in many lives who witness the program; thereby, their sense of Christian value for higher service in a selfless manner would be well-formed.

The Nature of Creatures, Teach Us!

This program is the most wanted show for kids as well as parents and guardians. It is contextualized for the Singapore landscape and answers the need of parents looking for useful yet entertaining content that could occupy their young kids’ free time and powerfully reinforces the morals they value through the media platforms. Creatures, Teach Us! offers children a localized lens through which they can gain an understanding of positive values and contextualized perspectives and make prosocial choices. Through the Creatures, Teach Us! series, churched kids in Singapore are being empowered and disciplined. 

We Are in Partnership 

Through the partnership of Hope Channel of Southeast Asia and the Singapore Adventist Conference's Children’s and Family Ministries department, we, together, could create Christian content that members are unabashedly sharing with the wider community. When church members intentionally share and engage members of the wider community, they will start them on a heavenly pathway, leading to a sense of belonging in the church and accepting all the church has to offer.

Eighteen children participated in the program. Three sets of kids, ages 4–11, appeared in each of the six episodes. We had to adapt the original format to meet the requirements for safe management measures on set when filming under COVID-19 restrictions. The parents were invaluable in helping the children memorize their lines and deliver them in a natural and engaging way. Lastly, for the content of Creatures, Teach Us!, we would like to thank Mums At The Table for allowing us to adapt their articles and printable materials.

There is More to Offer in Creatures, Teach Us!

The Creatures, Teach Us! series goes beyond video. It offers family-friendly educational entertainment and activities that support Children’s and Family Ministries. The episodes include a free downloadable family fun pack, parenting articles, and printable material.

Each family fun pack contains a family worship template, coloring pages, and a word search. Each week, parents can access articles that provide helpful tips on how to boost a specific character trait. In the case of saving money, the articles are "Playful ways to teach children about money" and "Pocket money in simple steps". For the parents' convenience, printable materials are also available, including "Genius-building experiences for children" and "Age-appropriate chores". Download the family fun packs here.

More Details and Where to Find Us

In Creatures, Teach Us!, there are six episodes, each between four and five minutes. Each episode is hosted by kids in Singapore. The series was launched on 8 October 2021, and new episodes are released each week on three platforms: YouTube—https://bit.ly/ctu-yt; Facebook—https://bit.ly/ctu-fb; and the Hope Channel Singapore website: https://hopechannel.sg/creaturesteachus. The last episode for this season will be on 12 November 2021. 

Special Production Team

The special production team includes Melody Tan (script), Faith Toh (lead producer, director, motion graphics designer, and content strategy), Joash Ng (second producer, camera, lights, editing, and sound effects), Ezekiel Teo (graphics sourcing, audio recording, and family fun packs), and Claire Monserrat (logo and mascot designer). It is important to also note that Ng is credited with the idea for Creatures, Teach Us!. It all started when he floated the concept of a kids’ show using nature and animal footage. 

Please note, Creatures, Teach Us! is an original production by Hope Channel Singapore. For further inquiries, you may contact Faith Toh at faithtoh@hopechannel.sg

This article was originally published on the Southern Asia-Pacific Division’s news site

Orathai Chureson, Ph.D., Children's and Family Ministries Director, Southern Asia-Pacific Division