The Cowboy Church

MISSIONSDoingworldWITHOUT BORDERSPRESCHOOLS u p p l e m e n tin aThe Cowboy Church:A New Church StartAugust 2006ByJayneGammonsCome to the Cowboy Church.Saddle-up and get ready to ridethe range with this invitation tothe Cowboy Church. Invite yourcowhands to jump on their pretendhorses and follow you as youride and sing around ErathCounty. Encourage olderpreschoolers to help you createnew endings for the song based oninformation they have learnedduring the unit.Come To the CowboyChurch(sung to the tune of “Go in andout the Window”)Come to the Cowboy Church,Come to the Cowboy Church,Come to the Cowboy Church,Where country music plays.We’re at the Cowboy Church,We’re at the Cowboy Church,We’re at the Cowboy Church,We’re wearing boots and hats.Just jump right off your horse!Sit on the hay and pray.Shake hands with Pastor Higgs.We sing songs with the band.Pastor Higgs Has aChurch(sung to the tune of “OldMacDonald”)Pastor Higgs has a church.Yippie-yippie-oh!And in that church he has aband. Yippie-yippie-oh!With a twang, twang here and atwang, twang there.(Pretend to play guitar.)Here a twang, there a twang,everywhere a twang, twang.Pastor Higgs has a church.Yippie-yippie-oh!Pastor Higgs has a church.Yippie-yippie-oh!And to that church he rides hishorse. Yippie-yippie-oh!With a trot, trot here and a gallop,gallop there.(Pretend to ride horse.)Here a trot, there a gallop,everywhere a giddy-yap!Pastor Higgs has a church.Yippie-yippie-oh!Setting the “Moo-d”With just a little time and effort,you can set the mood in yourroom for this rootin’-tootin’ unit.• Put hay bales around your grouparea. Or spread some strawaround on the floor.• Play country western music.• Have extra bandanas and cowboyhats for your preschoolers towear.• Rope off play areas of your roomby tying rope to chairs.• Provide quilts for Group Time.• Collect books about cows,horses, and cowboys for yourreading area.• Provide western-themed cookiecutters with play dough.Branded BandanasIf your preschoolers wear thesebandanas, they’re sure to blow upa dust storm of questions abouttheir missions study. In advance,cut a class supply of large squaresfrom an inexpensive light-coloredfabric such as muslin. Explain thatcows are branded, or marked witha symbol, to identify the ranch towhich they belong. Next provideyour preschoolers with brands(western-themed sponges such ascactus, horse, cow, and starshapes). Invite the children to usethe sponges and craft paint to decoratetheir bandanas.

2 The Cowboy Church: A New Church Start(continued from page 1)A Western HoedownGet your younguns to gather’round for this prayertime, western-hoedownstyle. Have oneadult call the directions whileanother adult leads the group’smovement.Grab your partner,’Round you go.Stop right there and tap yourtoes.Kneel right down and say aprayer.Talk to God and show youcare.(Pause and speak a sentenceprayer for the congregation ofthe cowboy church.)Circle ’round now,(Hold hands and form a groupcircle.)Here we go.Walk real fast and walk realslow.Stop your walking take abow.Say a prayer and say it now.(Pause and speak a sentenceprayer for the ministry team atthe Cowboy Church.)