How to Connect the Dots....Part 1

I recently heard Phil Vischer, creator of Veggie Tales, speak at a Children’s Pastor’s Conference where he talked about connecting the dots from Sunday to Sunday.  The question he posed to the children’s ministers listening was “How do we connect the kids, and connect WITH the kids, from Sunday to Sunday?”

He mentioned that kids on average watch 2-3 hours of television and spend an additional 2-3 hours on the internet EACH DAY.  It is no wonder why kids know more about Hannah Montana than they do about the teachings of Paul.  It’s also no wonder why kids are more emotionally engaged to American Idol than they are the Gospel of Christ.

As a Children’s Leader, this makes me ask at least one BIG question:  What can I do to connect the dots from Sunday to Sunday with the kids in our ministry?  Over the next few weeks, we will begin to look at that question and discuss:

 What works and what doesn’t work?

• What is most effective and least effective?
• Do we attempt a Family ministry program or not?

 Come back and check it out.  Also feel free to comment.

 Dean

A little different take

I'm preaching next month on Sunday evening, May 17th and I have been debating on what to talk about.  Being a children's pastor and passionate about making my kids into fully committed disciples of Christ, I want to preach on a passage like Deuteronomy 6:4-9 - but that is what I preached on last time (not that people will remember that).

At the same time, I had a bit of a windfall from God while talking during our last Family Journey In Faith event for parents of 1 year olds.  We were talking about how we as parents see and sense tendencies in our children from an early age.  We then tend to follow these tendencies and get them involved in activities to enhance those.  For instance, if our children show athletic ability we get them involved in sports activities.  Or if our children show early signs of intelligence, we tend to see if there are advanced education programs we can get them involved in.  Those are all good things, not wrong in any way...

But here's the deal:  those tendencies only show one side of the picture.  God made us with multiple sides to our personalities and make-up:  physical, emotional, intellecual and spiritual.  Moreover, we are called to Love God with "all our heart and with all your mind and with all our soul and with all your strength."  But in our culture today, even with Christian families, we tend to focus on the 'strength' and 'mind' part of that verse.  We elevate athletic ability, music ability and intelligence over the heart and soul aspects, something I think we have backwards.

There is a lot more I can and hope to say on this topic, but I should reserve it for more blog posts later.  Keep coming back and see what develops.

Dean

One Big Controversy

OK, so maybe we can get a little discussion happening on this blog.  There is a rather large controversy (among many) that takes place in children's & family ministry today that I want to present to you:

Kids or No Kids:  Should kids be allowed in the adult church services?  Believe it or not, there are some churches that do not allow kids of any age into their adult services.  If brought in, the ushers kindly request the parents to take them to the children's ministry programming.  There are other churches (and not just home churches) that do not have any CM programming at all.  

For instance, check out this video.  It is a little lengthy, but proves the controversy exists:  

Pro Kids from Faith Promise Church on Vimeo.

Especially in light of current Family Ministry trends, what are your thoughts on the matter?  Let me get it going...

What message does this send to parents and kids about their place within the family of God.  Churches who take this stance believe that the "important work" is happening in the adult worship center, and that kids are 2nd class.  Moreover, the role of parents to spiritually train their children and therefore have the right to choose to take their kids with them or not, is trampled on worse thatn the United Nations wants to.  Yes, it's a distraction....yes, it is not geared for them...but this clealy sends a message of despising children and families.

Of couse, that is probably why churches like this are growing!  The modern-day church is rifed with this type of perception that children are simply a distraction to God's plan and purpose for the church ("Making Disciples").  WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!  Discipling our children IS God's plan and purpose for the church.  What better way to grow the church to impact the community and world than to disciple and train children in our own homes and churches to be salt and light into the world?  How do you think the Hebrew people were able to not only survive, but thrive while in slavary and exile???  Because they kept having children and training them to love God and keep His commandments (Deut. 6:4-9).

OK, enough of my thoughts.  What about some of you?  No Lurkers.  Let me hear what you have to say regardles of what side of the issue you are on.  You are safe here, no attacking comments will be allowed to remain.

Dean

Just because you can...

...does that mean you should?  OK, so this was a rather random thought I had the other day.  I had gone to eat at Arby's and had one of their new Roast Beef Burger Sandwiches.  When I was finished, the mangager happend to ask what I thought:

Me:  "It was pretty good."

Arby's:  "Would you order it again."

Me:  "Ummm, probably not.  I'm a pretty big Beef 'n Cheddar and Marketfresh Reuben fan.  It's hard to pass those up."

So here's the deal.  Someone at Arby's thought up this idea, spent money on creating it and test marketing it long before releasing to the public.  It's a good sandwich, but is not something they will be known for any length of time.

My question/application is:  Just because you think a new food item could be created, and received well, should you do it?  When I think of a burger, I think of a flame-broiled burger with cheese, pickles, ketchup, mustard, etc....  It does not work!

Is that like any of our ministry programs?  Are there things we are doing or starting simply because we can?  Where does it fit in the overall vision or mission of the church?  I would encourage all of us to ask these questions before spending time and money into something that will, in the long run, not be something we are remembered by.

Dean

Examen Me Link

I posted a new link at the top of this blog to a website that I think has great potential to help those who struggle with daily devotions.  I encourage you to check it out.  You can even do a free Examen without signing up.  

You can check out a reivew of this site by a friend of mine.  

Just thought I would let you know.

Dean

Why Did I Get Married? Part 2

OK, so there was quite a bit in this movie that I wanted to share, so I thought I would do a second post.

There is also one point in the movie in which one of the wives encourages two of the other wives to call their husbands and face their fears of rejection in order to save their marriages. That got me thinking if I have been vulnerable with my spouse recently. I think sometimes we get used to the normal routine of life and forget to let our spouse know just how we feel about them and what we like about them.

I know I have certainly felt that, at times, I was afraid to be vulnerable with my wife for fear of rejection.  I doubt I am alone in that (at least I hope I'm not, because that would mean I'm a freak).

Parents:  the BEST gift you can give your children is a solid marriage built on THE Rock of Jesus Christ.  Being able to talk about what bothers and hurts you is a step in the right direction.

Dean

Why Did I Get Married? Part 1

This is the title of another great Tyler Perry movie that I was able to watch with my wife the other night.  It follows four couples in their current trials in their marriages.  For me, by far the most poignant is one in which the husband is having an affiar on his wife, who happens to be overweight.

One of the neat things that I wanted to point out, is that appearently these couples have a tradition of getting together every year for a week long vacation.  For some it is an opportunity to ask each their spouses "Why did we, or why are we, married?"

That sounds like a great tradition to start!  Of course, we could not take a whole week, but perhaps a extended weekend and go somewhere where no one knows you to communicate the value you see in each other.  I wonder if there is anyone else out there willing to "trade kids" for a few days each year (of course, that means you get the raw end of the deal) so that each couple could spend a few days asking each other "Why did we get married?"

Dean

Taking the Time

I recently ran across a website advertising a new phone – it’s called the Pomegranate.  You should check it out first, then read on below. 

 

http://www.pomegranatephone.com/

 

Seriously, if you read on you will spoil the fun – not the mention the point of this posting.

 

OK, did you click on “Release Date” in the upper, right corner?  Be sure to do that too…

 

What ingenious way to advertise!!!  Now I want to go to Nova Scotia!!!

So, here’s my question:  Why did they take the time to create this amazing website, not to mention the time it would have taken to make, edit, post the videos, just to set you up for a tourism commercial?  The amount of time it took to envision, create, set-up and oversee this marketing project is crazy! 

So, as Children’s Ministers, do we put that much time into “setting up” people for the life-changing message of the Gospel?  Do we market and promote our ministries in such a way that people will remember it? 

Or, to take it a different angle - do we offer a way to have all (or most) of people’s needs met in one place – the church? 

Thoughts?

Are your kids Visual?

A friend ran across this site and I thought it was so cool that I would pass it on to you:  Wordle.net.

It is a way to create a visual representation of any text you want to put it.  The applications for something like this are limitless.  For instance, I just typed in my kids' names and clikced Go - Here is what came up:

(And yes, if you are counting that is 5!)  Now, a little cheating method for you....but don't tell anyone, OK?

If you find the "Print Screen" button on your keyboard, your computer will place a copy of your screen in its temporary memory.  Open up Word, Works, PowerPoint, Publisher or some type of word processing program, then click "Paste."  There is the copy of your Wordle.  You can then crop the Picture to get rid of the stuff around the edges and leave just the picture (like you see above).

God Bless and Enjoy using Wordle.

Computer Site for Parents

Parents:  I'll bet you kids (and probably you too) love Veggie Tales, right?!  Well, VT creator Phil Vischer has started a whole new endeavor designed to help keep God and His Word in the forefront of your child's mind all week long - not just on Sundays.  It's called Jelly Telly!

Here's a video explaining what it's all about:

There are daily videos added to the site as a safe, fun place for your kids to visit every day and grow in their relationship with God and his created world.  I highly recommend checking it out.

Dean