[Kid Inspiration]

Apparently

I don’t live in South or North America – but Integrity Music assures me Super Strong God is being released today… so visit your local Christian Music Store and pick one up…

(HINT: the DVD is SO much cooler than the CD)

Okay, funniest ad of the year award (and it’s only Feb):

Improve your English

Ha.

The release of the podcast draws ever closer.

I have updated the site to match this one.

Check it out.

http://childrensministrypodcast.com

Every time I need to explain something twice to a leader/volunteer/staff member… it says something more about me than the other person…

“I obviously did not explain it well enough the first time”

Now of course its not always me with the issue, maybe people don’t listen to me, maybe they cannot understand my Australianised New Zealand accent, maybe I mumble… hang on, they are issues with me.
But anyhoo…

In a day where we see 1500 marketing messages a day, and spend most of our time listening to iPods clear communication is vital!

Scott Hodge writes about “Leading in Times of Change & Transition” from the Centre for Creative Leadership

The Center for Creative Leadership’s Michael Wakefield recently gave some “communications fundamentals” when leading in times of change and transition:

• Communicate relentlessly.  Now is not the time to keep quiet.
• Listen.  Pay attention to what people are saying, thinking & feeling.
• Explain the change.
• Make an appeal.  Draw on a sense of loyalty, courage, morality or other principles that tie the organization’s change strategy to what is important to people.
• Articulate expectations.  Clearly explaining why, how and when things will need to happen will set expectations and create a healthy level of stress and pressure.
• Be visible. Find ways to interact!
• Confront problems and conflict.  Don’t postpone dealing with challenging issues or conflict.  Avoidence will only harm you, your co-workers and your organization.
• Be honest and open.  An effective leader will ask the hard questions and foster an environment of honesty and candid discussion.
• Show respect.  Treat people with genuine concern and sincere consideration.
• Make room for doubts. Don’t dismiss, write-off or label employees too easily or too quickly.
• Don’t dismiss the old.  Help people through transition by acknowledging their history and attachments.
• Be sincere and authentic.  Don’t try to bury or deny your own reactions to ongoing events.
• Trust people to handle the truth.  Tell them what you know and own up to what you don’t know.
• Demonstrate that you can handle the truth.  Stay connected to a broad circle of people and make it clear that you want them to share their concerns and ideas.

I have taken sooo long to get my Podcast going. It is coming… (and so is christmas).

The great news is, others have started producing podcasts for Children’s leaders and pastors.

Tal Burdine is on episode #3 of his Kid’s Konstruction Site Podcast.

Check it out in iTunes and get it on your iPod.

NOTE: His site takes a LONG time to load. His images are huge, but hang in there (maybe get a coffee while you wait).

Or you can subscribe direct from iTunes. 

To find it:
1) Open itunes (Free download at Apple.com)
2) Go to the music store
3) Select podcast in the pull down menu on the left (where it says choose genre)
4) Just below that pull down menu is a podcast search window – Type in Kid’s Konstruction Site
5) You can listen and subscribe there. – And by clicking the title in the above, next to the art, you can get more info and a link to the website.

Even if you don’t have a iPod or similar MP3 player, go to the website and listen online.

Well… my blogging buddy and fellow Hillsong Children’s Pastor Nathan McLean got married yesterday in ‘The Blue Mountains‘.

You can read about their engagement here.

Myself and a VERY pregnant Beci.

Now Nathan is not the most ‘prolific’ blogger… in fact I have known pieces of belly button lint post more that him… but he is a top bloke, and had a very beautiful wedding! It was an honour being one of the grooms men!
So Nathan… have a great honeymoon and we will see you soon!

Maybe now he is married he will have more to say on this blog

Kids forget most of what I say to them during our weekend services.

Right now I am in between Sunday morning and Sunday night church… and I can guarantee that any kids that came to our morning services would have already forgotten most of what I said.

Studies would indicate 95% of information is lost in three days.

Man!

If you are not committed 110% to presenting the gospel of JC in mind blowing, unforgettable, inspirational and educational ways – turn the lights out and head home.

Most of the stuff I remember from ‘Sunday School’ (watching Star Trek IV??? What the…?) isn’t worth the space it takes up in my brain. I want the stuff my kids remember in 23 years from now to be the kind of memories that define their walk with Christ!
The most important truths ought to be communicated in the most unforgettable ways.

Read on from an article by Mark Batterson at SermonCentral.com

Whew!

Nap Time before tonight.

Dave out.

Media in my world is restricted to the ‘G’ kind. I do not want to spend my life on the phone to upset parents explaining why their children were exposed to PG.

When cinema defines most of our pop-culture references this is restrictive… communicating truth visually and cinematically is a powerful way to get through to kids.
My childhood is full of experiences with books. Now this may be due to the fact that I didn’t have a TV until I turned 12! But I certainly know that my book choices were censored by my parents (including Orsen Wells ‘The Invisible Man‘, I don’t really know why I remember that) and I am certainly not worse off for it.
If Harry Potter had been casting spells in the early eighties I am pretty sure I would have never been allowed to experience his magic. And I am sure you are aware of the publishing boon it has been to authors who need to rant against popular culture.

Townhall.com contributor Erik Lokkesmoe writes about 10 mistakes conservatives make in art and entertainment.

His article REALLY resonates with me… Resonates like a opera singer smashing glass with a High ‘C’ (that’s a lot).

This is not so much about our kids getting to see edgy cinema but more about the idea that wee need to train them to make right decisions. What is right for one person may be completely wrong for another (Alcoholics shouldn’t really order wine).

But as a child of a creative God, I should be by definition, as Erik puts it…  curators of the good, the true, and the beautiful.

I want the WORLD to marvel at the genuis of children wholeheartedly devoted to their Jesus and expressing themselves in ways unimaginable to the unredeemed life.

Communication… getting what is in your head into someone elses head.

There is a VERY interesting post on Church Marketing Sucks.

When reading e-mails people in the study understood the intent only 56% of the time, compared to 75% understanding when listening to a voice recording of the same message.
Miscommunication in Text

What DO our kids hear when we talk?

I know one child who in our yearly annointing service telling her mum that she was “Japanesed Oiled”…

What the?

What are you hearing when you read this blog?

Communication… or lack of it, probably starts 90% of the issues we have in our ministries.

I know a guy who called up the Home Shopping Network. They said “Can I help you?” and he said “No, I’m just looking.”

(to read all jokes – click category link at top left) 

Very excited today!

Unexpectedly “Jesus is my Superhero” has been nominated for Children’s Music Album of the Year at the GMA Awards in April this year! The nominations came out this morning and our first ever kids album is in the running for the equivalent of the Grammys in the Christian world.
This is a big deal – it is the only Hillsong Music album nominated this year!

There are six albums in the running, and Superhero is the only one produced by a local church, not a record label.

Anyway, definately a surprise, and I may just have to be in Nashville in April for the ceremony