Discipline That Disciples???

Discipline in children’s ministry can be a challenging element of what we do. There is a fine line between being appropriate and inappropriate, and between “discipline” and “punishment.

We’ve got a post about this coming up in the next few weeks, but today I thought I’d share this list found of punishments at List of NoteIt’s from a school in North Carolina in 1848.

I’m pretty certain that our kids are glad we don’t consider using the same standard!

RULES OF THE STOKES COUNTY SCHOOL

Offense
Lashes
1. Boys & Girls Playing Together
4
2. Quarreling
4
3. Fighting
5
4. Fighting at School
5
5. Quarreling at School
3
6. Gambling or Betting at School
4
7. Playing at Cards at School
10
8. Climbing for every foot over three feet up a tree
1
9. Telling Lies
7
10. Telling Tales Out of School
8
11. Nick Naming Each Other
4
12. Giving Each Other Ill Names
3
13. Fighting Each Other in Time of Books
2
14. Swearing at School
8
15. Blackguarding Each Other
6
16. For Misbehaving to Girls
10
17. For Leaving School Without Leave of the Teacher
4
18. Going Home With Each Other without Leave of Teacher
4
19. For Drinking Spiritous Liquors at School
8
20. Making Swings & Swinging on Them
7
21. For Misbehaving when a Stranger is in the House
6
22. For Wearing Long Finger Nails
2
23. For not Making a Bow when a Stranger Comes in
3
24. Misbehaving to Persons on the Road
4
25. For not Making a Bow when you Meet a Person
4

Click over to List of Note to see the rest of the list…yes, there are 23 more lash-worthy offenses listed! Of course, this would not be considered “discipline that disciples” in our children’s ministry. So . . .

Share one discipline tip you use in your KidMin 
that does help disciple kids. 

And definitely don’t get caught playing cards or “misbehaving to girls”!!