[Kid Inspiration]

Church gives away house to promote attendance

Wondering how to boost your attendance this New Years Eve?

Wonder no more! During the Abundant Life Christian Centre’s services on New Years Eve, you have a chance to win a house!

Sheesh… and we are having a draw for a scooter in Hillsong Kids.

CHANGE.

I have totally changed the way I use the web from only about a few months ago. I used to search a lot, randomly surfing for interesting stuff…

But I changed.

Now I log on I almost always go straight (after checking email) to checking for any new posts on the blogs I read. I use bloglines, which allows me to check all the blogs in one place.

Most of the interesting stuff I read is recommended in these blogs.

Change happens.

I am in the middle of a manifesto about change and your childrens ministry in 2006.

Coming soon to this blog…

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“Whats that noise Bill?”

“It’s the winds of change Mildred, the winds of change”

Dave.

Now I don’t know if just missed this film and site completely, but check out:
http://www.kids-with-cameras.org

Where was I when the film won an Academy Award?
Anyway, I am ordering the DVD… report coming soon.

About Kids with Cameras:
Kids with Cameras’ upcoming priority is to further empower the children of Calcutta’s red light district by creating a school and campus specifically for them. Existing schools in Calcutta are hesitant to admit children like those featured in Born into Brothels, simply because of where they are born and raised. In the rare cases that schools do accept them, the children are often further stigmatized and limited in reaching their full potential. Our mission is to create a safe and nurturing environment, to provide the highest quality education available in the world and to support the children all the way through to university.

Perry Noble continues to say very cool things!

and I quote:

I can’t brag enough on our children’s area. I remember at our very first worship service on January 16, 2000 we had 3 kids! THREE!

My how things have changed…

I posted here a while ago when he said something else cool and he has gone and done it again!

I am a lensmaster!!

A lens is one person’s (lensmaster’s) view on a topic he cares about. More specifically, a lens is a single web page filled with information and links that point to other web pages, to continually updated RSS feeds, or to relevant advertising. It’s a place to start, not finish.

http://www.squidoo.com/childrensministry/

So have a look at Squidoo – a site which you will be hearing a lot more from in the future – it is still in beta form, but is one of those ‘new media’ type companies… started by author Seth Godin. I will be expanding the lens bit by bit, but my goal is to make it THE place to get an overview of Children’s Ministry on the net.

Does your ministry have a vision statement?

http://www.coldwatercafe.com/vision-statements.htm

Here’s a list of a bunch of them.

Teachers come in all personality types, from diverse backgrounds, and with very different styles. I’ve seen a quiet, middle-aged, balding man in polyester pants, who at first glance appeared to be a boring instructor, come to life with such animation and excitement about his subject that children were spellbound. I once heard a sweet little grandmother tell beautiful Bible stories to preschoolers as though she’d been doing it all her life. Later, I discovered she’d spent 15 years in jail for embezzlement before she met Jesus at age 55.

Read on at cmmag.com

Are you having church on Christmas day?

Here We Go Again–CONTROVERSY!

This potentially church splitting issue is even on CNN — how will the church recover from this negative publicity!! What will we do — can we go on, will the church survive…

Some megachurches closing on Christmas

Now, you may not know this… but I have a Diploma in Jazz (Performance).

Yes, I hear you pontificate… I can see how that comes in handy in Children’s Ministry.

Well, ‘music soothes the savage beast’ they say — Need I say more.

So I found this article fascinating to say the least, finally I can justify my qualification spiritually.

What Faith should look like

Jazz is one often overlooked type of music from which Christians can benefit. “Jazz can make us—especially the ‘us’ of white, middle- and upper-class, relatively comfortable American believers—better Christians,” writes Rodney Clapp in a provocative essay from his book Border Crossings. “Put more pointedly and specifically, jazz can correct what James Cone has called . . . ‘the heresy of white Christianity.’”

Check it out!

(via philbaker.net)

What happens to infants when they die?

I was very interested to read this page as John Piper and the Desiring God website give their take on the question.

Great brain fodder!

Thoughts? Comment below.

‘Tis the Season to Eat – so here is the story of creation slightly altered:

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach, green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

Then using God’s great gifts, Satan created Cookies and Cream Ice Cream and Krispy Creme Donuts. And Satan said, “You want chocolate with that?”

And Man said, “Yes!” and Woman said, “and as long as you’re at it, add some sprinkles.” And they gained 10 pounds. And Satan smiled.

And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat, and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 6 to size 14.

So God said, “Try my fresh green salad.” And Satan presented Thousand-Island Dressing, buttery croutons and garlic toast on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.

God then said, “I have sent you heart healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them.” And Satan brought forth deep fried fish and chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Man gained more weight and his cholesterol went through the roof.

God then created a light, fluffy white cake, named it “Angel Food Cake,” and said, “It is good.” Satan then created chocolate cake and named it “Devil’s Food.”

God then brought forth running shoes so that His children might lose those extra pounds. And Satan gave cable TV with a remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering blue light and gained pounds.

Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition. And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fried them. And Man gained ten pounds.

God then gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonald’s and it’s cheeseburger. Then said, “You want fries with that?” And Man replied, “Yes! and super size them!” And Satan said, “It is good.” And Man went into cardiac arrest.

God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery. Then Satan created Health Insurance.

Perry Noble is the Senior Pastor of New Spring Church in Anderson, South Carolina.

His blog (at perrynoble.com) gives a GREAT perspective from a senior pastors point of view. It is refreshing to see church leaders blogging and letting it all hang out!

I had been reading for a couple of months when he posted this entry about children at his church!

Fantastic… read it right through!

Key Quote:
“Kid’s ARE worth our attention–our time–our money–our effort. They are NOT the church of tomorrow–they are the church of TODAY! To all who volunteer in our children’s ministry–THANK YOU…you are making a difference…and because of what you are allowing Jesus to do through you I feel that many children will not stray down the path that I took–God is using you to reach them…and this community is a better place for it!”