Harry Potter Post

Teachers - Check out the post I wrote at the "Other" Blog about Harry Potter. It is well worth the time to read it. Feel free to give any feedback you may have.

Dean

What's up with Harry Potter?

"I don't think they are all that bad."

"They are a path to much more evil things."

"What's the big deal, they are great books!"

"At least my kid is reading."

These are just some of the things Christian parents have said regarding the Harry Potter series. This has been an issue for the past 3-4 years as the books and movies have become ever more popular. So what's the big deal?

You yourself may have read one of the books or seen the movies (my wife and I have seen all of them so far). In fact, what appears to be the darkest movie to date will be released on July 13th to a possible record setting weekend. You can check out the trailer for yourself at the main Harry Potter Website.

Numerous national christian leaders, including Chuck Colson, have basically given the green light on Harry Potter; while others have warned against it. Parents and Teachers, it is essential you are aware of what is happening in the lives of children!Here are numerous other links for you to check out the various opinions about HP for you to check out:

http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/harrypotter.html

http://www.godandscience.org/doctrine/harrypotter.php

http://watkins.gospelcom.net/harrypotter.htm

http://www.crosswalk.com/1108898/

http://www.tobiasdesign.com/milieu/pages/win2000/potter.html

Well, like it or not, the "Harry Potter Phenomenon" WILL impact your kids at some point in time. I just heard Universal Studios is going to be constructing a Harry Potter Theme Park in Orlando. Also, filming is set to begin for the next film this Summer. When I was living in Colorado, I subbed in the public schools to make extra income. Harry Potter books are likely THE most popular books to be checked out of the library. Teachers allow the kids to use them for their reading assignments. That is not to put down public schools, but to make you aware that it does exist.

Whatever you do, you must make a choice on this! One of the main messages of Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is that our kids DO learn from us, whether we realize or not. God calls us to be intentional in that discipling. Should this be left up to chance?

Dean

Another Blog Site

I have added another link to the list on the right side of this page. This site is another blog from several big names in the area of Children's Ministry.

http://www.thewayweseeitblog.com/

Go ahead and check it out.

Dean

The one thing...

A major mainline denomination commissioned a one million dollar study. The purpose of the study was to discover what factors influenced children to remain in the faith of their parents as they grew to adulthood.

The conclusion? The one deciding factor was NOT Sunday School attendance, or participation in the church youth group. The one deciding factor was whether or not the child's family had held family devotions! Want to keep your kids in the faith? Your choice: "Family altar, or Satan will alter your family."

So how can you do that? Here are three Websites you can access that have some great information on how to go about starting and maintaining a time of family devotions. Thanks Leanne P. for emailing me these links:

http://www.familymanweb.com/howtohavedevos.htm

http://www.new-life.net/devotn02.htm

http://www.timberdoodle.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=4

Main thing is to just do something. Purchase a kid friendly bible (appropriate for the ages of your children), read a short story, and ask them what it means. As they get older and as you get more comfortable, you can get more involved. Here are a couple of options for Bibles.

Share with us your ideas and stories too.

Dean

Do you know "Jack?"

Watch this video!

Have you ever felt like Jack? "I can't do family devotions because I don't know how!" "I can't find time to read the Bible with my wife, so I'm not even going to try." Perhpas God is trying to break you out of your comfort zone a little. Give it a shot and see what happens.

Dean

Technologeeze!

OK, have you seen this commercial yet? How many of you could actually understand what she was saying without looking at the subtitles? I certainly can't! Chances are most of us cannot, but this is in part the generation of kids we are trying to impact. In fact, there are a lot of things they do that we do not understand.

This, in a very real sense, is where our world is headed: quick, simplified communication in order to get the bare minimum points across. It will also become ever more technology based: cell phones, laptops, IM'ing, PDA's, etc. Long gone are the values of "yesteryear" of personal contact and accountability. Our kids are becoming a generation of isolated BF's. (See commercial again).

So what does that mean for us as Children's ministry workers? How can we meet them where they are yet resist this trend of becoming impersonal? Let's do some dialogue about this topic by posting comments. Looking forward to it.

Dean

Legacy Sermon Reference

If you heard the sermon last week, Pastor Phil referred to a book called "The Fourth Turning" by Neil Howe and William Strauss. You can check out a website about that book HERE. Since then they have written a book called "Millennials Rising" that discusses in great details those kids born from 1982 to September 11, 2001. Yes that's right, that is when they believe the Millenial generation ended. There is a discussion form HERE that has people from all over the world discussion this topic.

What is after them? The current generation being born currently has been come to be known as the "New Silent Generation" or "Homeland Generation." Believe it or not, some Millennials are already having children of their own - man I am getting old. HERE is a good comparison between some of the generations.

There are some interesting points regarding the Millennial generation you should be aware of:

* optimistic * tech-savvy, digital natives * collaborative and they enjoy cooperative activities * used to clear structure from adults; and in fact, they expect it * having strong parent advocats * multicultural * confident * civic-minded * goal-oriented * multitasking*

Any thoughts?
Dean

Do you trust me?

When I was in college, I was driving along I-69 from Anderson to Indianapolis when my 1974 Ford Mustang Giha Hatchback started to become overheated and eventually broke down. I luckily already had a cell phone and could call a friend. (Yes, there was a time in which we did not have them.) We found out the thermostat was stuck and needed to be replaced. He ran me back into town to purchase a new one and then ran me back to my car. As I was attaching the thermostat housing, I cracked it. Once again, my friend drove me back into town to get a new one. I was attaching the new one WHEN I BROKE IT AGAIN!

We got a new one, to which I made sure I did not crack this one, but I was mad! How could this happen? Am I an idiot? How come God allowed my thermostat to break in the first place? Doesn't he know I have important things to do? I know this may be a silly incident looking back on it, but have you ever felt like that? So angry and yourself, others and even God that you wanted to hit something?

Maybe it is just a guy thing, but I have a feeling we have all been there one time or another. Let me encourage you if you are there now: God has not abandoned you!!! It may not feel like it when you in the midst of it (trust me, I know), but it is true. Believe it, claim it and live it.

God Bless, Dean

Are you continuing...

This post is simply to check in with you to find out if you are going to be staying on this Summer. I am assuming most of you take the summer off and want to honor, but just need to know for sure. So, if you are a regular Sunday AM volunteer and have not yet told me anything, let me know!

You can email me, or call the church office.

God Bless, Dean