[Kid Inspiration]

“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a
gift. That’s why we call it the present.”

- Babatunde Olatunji

Here is a classic anonymous piece about what children learn.

If a child lives with CRITICISM,
he learns to CONDEMN.

If a child lives with HOSTILITY,
he learns to FIGHT.

If a child lives with RIDICULE,
he learns to be SHY.

If a child lives with SHAME,
he learns to feel GUILTY.

If a child lives with TOLERANCE,
he learns to be PATIENT.

If a child lives with ENCOURAGEMENT,
he learns to be CONFIDENT.

If a child lives with PRAISE,
he learns to APPRECIATE.

If a child lives with FAIRNESS,
he learns JUSTICE.

If a child lives with SECURITY,
he learns to have FAITH.

If a child lives with APPROVAL,
he learns to LIKE HIMSELF.

If a child lives with FRIENDSHIP,
he learns to find LOVE IN THE WORLD.

- Anon

Here is a article from Randy White at the White Hutchinson Leisure and Learning Group.

Includes some research from George Barna, a very concise and excellent article.

The Importance of Children’s Ministry

by Randy White
© 2003 White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group

No evangelical church has unlimited resources in facilities, money and often a more limiting factor, staff and volunteers. Therefore, to be most effective in its evangelical mission of bring the Love of God to the largest number of the unchurched, it is important that a church focus its resources and efforts where there is the highest probability of success; that it focus on a niche
of the unchurched in its geographic market area who are most likely to be attracted to attend.

This is sometimes referred to as targeting for evangelism. Dr. Rick Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Valley Community Church in Orange County, California, one of the fastest growing churches in American, points out:

“The practice of targeting specific kinds of people for evangelism is a biblical principal of ministry. It’s as old as the New Testament. Jesus targeted his ministry… [Jesus] publicly identified his ministry target as the Jews.
Was Jesus being unfair or prejudiced? Certainly not. Jesus targeted his ministry in order to be effective, not to be exclusive.”

The question that is typically raised is who should be targeted? An investigation of research on reaching the unchurched shows that families with younger children, and more specifically the children, are often the best target market.

Probably the most convincing argument why targeting children’s ministry for evangelism can be the most effective is research on the probability of people accepting Jesus Christ as their savior for a lifetime relationship. Research by George Barna and the Barna Institute of over 1,000 adults in May 2001 puts the probability at

• 32% for children between 5 and 13 years old,
• 4% for children between 14 and 18, and
• 6% for people 19 years and older.

In other words, attracting younger children to a church to learn about the Love of God will have 5 to 8 times the impact of attracting the same number of older children or adults. Barna’s research on faith development and discipleship also found that the moral development of children is complete by age 9.

Non-religious oriented research on children’s moral and values development substantiates that the foundation for lifelong values and morals are formed at the earliest years.

The May 2001 Barna’s research also showed that church attendance by children has a lifelong impact. The majority (61%) of adults who attended church as children still attend regularly, while only 22% of those who were not churchgoers as children attend church today.

Early churchgoing also has an impact on whether parents bring their children to church. For parents who were churched as children, 63% take their own children to church. That’s double the proportion among adults who were not churched and now have children of their own (33%).
George Barna states:

“The research is very clear: if Jesus is not already part of their lives by the time they leave junior high school, the chances of them accepting Him as their Lord and savior is very slim (6%, to be exact). With children, it is just the opposite. Because of the challenges and insecurities they face in life, they are very open to being a part of a community of like-minded people who
grow together. Children have a tremendous influence within their families and on the choices they make in all areas of life…
The greatest evangelical window currently available is among young children.”

R. S. Lee, the author of Your Growing Children and Religion says it this way:

“The first seven years [of life] constitute the period for laying the foundations of religion. This is the most important period in the whole of a person’s life in determining his later religious attitudes.”

Research has clearly substantiated the Bible verse
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and
when he is old he will not depart from it.”
(Proverbs 22:6)

Sources

• Barna, George; Re-Churching the Unchurched. Ventura, CA: Issachar Resources,
  2000.
• Barna, George; Re-Churching the Unchurched. Ventura, CA: Issachar Resources,
  2000.
• Barna Research Online. Adults Who Attended Church As Children Show Lifelong
  Effects. URL. (accessed 1 February 2003)
• Kohlburn, Lawrence. The Psychology of Moral Development. San Francisco:
  Harper & Row, 1984.
• Rainer, Thom S. Surprising Insights From The Unchurched. Grand Rapids, MI:
  Zondervan, 2001.
• Rainer, Thom S. Surprising Insights From The Unchurched. Grand Rapids, MI:
  Zondervan, 2001.

For additional information on the unchurched, visit the Barna Institute website.

From White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group’s website

Here are some notes from a message I presented at the 2004 Hillsong conference for Children’s Pastors and Leaders in a workshop for song writing.

Two current theories of song writing

[Engagement]
Parents are looking for education, entertainment that will engage their kids, think how much you covet that game or method of doing your children’s program that REALLY engages your kids. Whenever I play a game that works with the kids I run it into the ground! Every second week the game comes out until it ends it usefulness. Think of how much parents are looking for that for their children.

==> High Five, Wiggles, Jump 5, Muppets… All engage children.

==> Children this week staring at the stage not knowing the songs but moving almost unconsciously to the actions happening on stage.

==> Sydney entertainment centre full of adults not their for themselves but they have found something that engages their children.

==> Actions! That is engagement in one word.

==> Current education system is not accomplishing this at all. It is preparing children for a world that no longer exists. The church can take this opportunity and because it is a small ship turn it around fast! Children asked if they are artists, decreases year by year where by year 6-7 it is almost embarrassing to put up your hand and admit it. EVERY CHILD IS AN ARTIST!

==> Thoughts on education: Imagine a learning experience so vastly different from school that fosters creativity and harnesses a child’s learning power so they come out know much more about Christ that algebra.

[Break through theory]

I had always wanted to write songs growing up and playing instruments and being in bands. All the songs I wrote were okay, but I never thought WOW that’s a great song.

They were all influenced by my past and preference of music. I am a big Jazz head and never liked pop music. So I had to consciously get past that barrier and instead of writing for my personal preference, write instead for the target market. I looked at the kids and targeted everything I wrote at them

That guided every song I wrote, it took a lot of time to get over that, possibly three years of being immersed in a culture and style of music.
The breakthrough song for us was I’m Really Happy. It came together quite easily and at last I felt that we had written a song that the kids would respond to.

I never finished songs, I would always just have ideas on paper that never seemed to get finished. So I got over that

The Demo
The quality of the song will shine through. 10 Year old Britney who wrote two songs on Superhero…
we saw the potential in Brittany’s songs from her demo singing into a tape machine with no backing.

Collaborate
I will often get a guitarist to take the chords I have written and play them on the guitar to see if there is a better way. Example of I’m Really Happy, I went to a guitarist and he suggested a change to the chorus. Because I am a pianist there are often subtle chord changes that will make the song sound a lot better with a guitar.

Backing Tracks
Tracks are a great way to do Praise and Worship with kids, they may even respond better to it than a live band. I wouldn’t way it out loud, but again responding to the culture, it can have as much impact on the kids that a live band has.

Don’t be hamstrung by…

Building your repertoire:
1. Listening to different genres.
2. Learning styles – what makes country music, country music? Likewise Jazz or Rock.
3. Start with the culture.
4. Increase your vocabulary, if you know three chords, learn four.

Here is your new job description, your main role in the life of your ministry team. Enthusiasm and passion are some of the most important traits to leading a team, and your role as leader, especially in a weekend service role. You are the “Dispenser of Enthusiasm”.

Here is your new job description, your main role in the life of your ministry team. Enthusiasm and passion are some of the most important traits to leading a team, and your role as leader, especially in a weekend service role. You are the “Dispenser of Enthusiasm”.

Feeding Enthusiasm

“One man has enthusiasm for 30 minutes, another for 30 days, but it is the man who has it for 30 years who makes a success of his life.”
-Edward B. Butler

“Like the chicken and the egg, enthusiasm and success seem to go together.
We suspect, however, that enthusiasm comes first. If you hope to succeed at anything in this world, polish up your enthusiasm and hang on to it.”
-John Luther

“No one keeps up his enthusiasm automatically. Enthusiasm must be nourished with new actions, new aspirations, new efforts, new vision. It is one’s own fault if his enthusiasm is gone; he has failed to feed it.”
-Papyrus

Say it to yourself 21 times before your weekend service, live each moment with your team to infect them with the Encouragement virus.

I forthwith present a review of “Postmodern Children’s Ministry” by Ivy Beckwith… Well its not really a review so much as the main points that really stood to me somewhat kinda… a bit…

I have been insterested in Postmodernism in relation to Ministry ever since hearing Leonard Sweet speak at a conference. He since has become one of my favourite authors and the topic of Postmodernism one of my favourites. So it was with interest that I saw Ivy Beckwith’s book at Koorong in Sydney. I am no book reviewer, so I will mostly focus on key points that really stood out to me.

Key Points:

1. The Foundation of Faith.
“Often the work that happens in the church nursery is seen as little more than baby-sitting. No wonder it’s hard to find committed volunteers! The cargivers in our church nurseries need to know that they are doing much more than helping parents”. (Pg. 45)

- It’s leadership 101… Your team NEEDS to know that they are serving a cause much bigger than themselves. If not retention rates will plummet and you will find yourselves with new leaders each year.

2. Evangelizing Children.
“The school-age years are the time that many churches and parachurch organizations advocate the aggressive evangelization of children… Unfortunately, once the prayer is prayed, parents and religious education leaders often breaethe a sigh of relief. “Whew! That one’s taken care of.”… But parents and churches whoe are truly interested in the positive soul care of the child will not be as concerned about this one-time experience as they will about the ongoin immersion of the child in the things of God and Jesus.”; (Pg. 62)

- Very good point. In our transient culture we may have only a small window of opportunity to impact a child’s life. And so we should seek for that open heart to receive salvation. But for those children who are with us for a significant period of time my goal is to see life change in their attitude and foundations in scripture. Results are found not in the moment of salvation, but often in the moment of transformation, when you see a child respond differently to the way they once would have. It took me two years with one child in our children’s ministry to see a change in their participation in worship. Just last weekend for the first time thay truly connected with Christ in worship.

3. The family factor.
“Family is everything to a child. Family is the first palce a child forms and experiences relationships. It is a child’s first experience of community. Family is where a child learns language and motor skills and where she develops her first view and understanding of the world. Family is the first place a child experiences love, intimacy, forgiveness, and physical care. Conversely, family can also be the place where a child experiences her first emotional violence, neglect, indifference, and physical hurt”;. (Pg. 101)

- Our ministry MUST include the family, otherwise our effectiveness is stunted. Every parent wants the best for their child, they are interested and motivated to see their spiritual development progress. Somehow, show your parents what you do… impress upon them every single time they come across your ministry that THEIR CHILDREN MATTER! Your hour and a half… or whatever a week cannot compare to their living breathing relationship with their kids. Love their kids and commicate that love to the parents.

David Wakerley

Just finished a year 4 and 5 kids camp on Friday. Had my preaching described as ‘Pixar Preaching’ – Engages the kids attention and cracks up the adults.

Really liked the description.

One of the greatest ways to break through a communication barrier is to use humour with the adults watching. If there are parents or teachers present when you are speaking to a group of kids, tell jokes that the parents get… appeal to their sense of humour and watch their guard drop and they begin to get on your side.

Just in case you missed it… Hillsong church has released its first Praise and Worship Album for Kids… It is really blessing people around the world.. have a listen! http://hillsongmusic.com

Jesus Is My Superhero is the first ever kids worship album from Hillsong, and features live, energetic praise and beautiful worship. Recorded live at Kidsong with 16 songs, Max & Melody and much more!

(more…)

For your reading pleasure during this holiday season . . .

MERRY CHRISTMAS (In Legalese):

Please accept without obligation, express or implied, these best wishes for an environmentally safe, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, and gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday as practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice (but with respect for the religious or secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or for their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all) and further for a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated onset of the generally accepted calendar year (including, but not limited to, the Christian calendar, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures). The preceding wishes are extended without regard to the race, creed, age, physical ability, religious faith or lack thereof, choice of computer platform, or sexual preference of the wishee(s).

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS:

Whereas, on or about the night prior to Christmas, there did occur at a certain improved piece of real property (hereinafter “the House”) a general lack of stirring by all creatures therein, including, but not limited to a mouse.

A variety of foot apparel, e.g., stocking, socks, etc., had been affixed by and around the chimney in said House in the hope and/or belief that St. Nick a/k/a/ St. Nicholas a/k/a/ Santa Claus (hereinafter “Claus”) would arrive at sometime thereafter. The minor residents, i.e. the children, of the aforementioned House were located in their individual beds and were engaged in nocturnal hallucinations, i.e. dreams, wherein vision of confectionery treats, including, but not limited to, candies, nuts and/or sugar plums, did dance, cavort and otherwise appear in said dreams.

Whereupon the party of the first part (sometimes hereinafter referred to as (“I”), being the joint-owner in fee simple of the House with the party of the second part (hereinafter “Mamma”), and said Mamma had retired for a sustained period of sleep. At such time, the parties were clad in various forms of headgear, e.g., kerchief and cap.

Suddenly, and without prior notice or warning, there did occur upon the unimproved real property adjacent and appurtenant to said House, i.e., the lawn, a certain disruption of unknown nature, cause and/or circumstance. The party of the first part did immediately rush to a window in the House to investigate the cause of such disturbance.

At that time, the party of the first part did observe, with some degree of wonder and/or disbelief, a miniature sleigh (hereinafter “the Vehicle”) being pulled and/or drawn very rapidly through the air by approximately eight (8) reindeer. The driver of the Vehicle appeared to be and in fact was, the previously referenced Claus.

Said Claus was providing specific direction, instruction and guidance to the approximately eight (8) reindeer and specifically identified the animal co-conspirators by name: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen (hereinafter “the Deer”). (Upon information and belief, it is further asserted that an additional co- conspirator named “Rudolph” may have been involved.)

The party of the first part witnessed Claus, the Vehicle and the Deer intentionally and willfully trespass upon the roofs of several residences located adjacent to and in the vicinity of the House, and noted that the Vehicle was heavily laden with packages, toys and other items of unknown origin or nature. Suddenly, without prior invitation or permission, either express or implied, the Vehicle arrived at the House, and Claus entered said House via the chimney.

Said Claus was clad in a red fur suit, which was partially covered with residue from the chimney, and he carried a large sack containing a portion of the aforementioned packages, toys, and other unknown items.

He was smoking what appeared to be tobacco in a small pipe in blatant violation of local ordinances and health regulations.

Claus did not speak, but immediately began to fill the stocking of the minor children, which hung adjacent to the chimney, with toys and other small gifts. (Said items did not, however, constitute “gifts” to said minor pursuant to the applicable provisions of the U.S. Tax Code.)

Upon completion of such task, Claus touched the side of his nose and flew, rose and/or ascended up the chimney of the House to the roof where the Vehicle and Deer waited and/or served as “lookouts.” Claus immediately departed for an unknown destination.

However, prior to the departure of the Vehicle, Deer and Claus from said House, the party of the first part did hear Claus state and/or exclaim: “Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!” Or words to that effect.