[Kid Inspiration]

We received some free preview tickets to see Hotel Rwanda last week. So myself and Beci trundled off, anticipation high in our hearts and a very nice ‘power smoothie’ high in my stomach (Blueberry, Raspberry, Yoghurt, Protein Powder, Milk… something else).

I had heard about this movie a month or so before when it was shown at various film festivals around the world and had been looking forward to it ever since.

The movie was brilliant, no real gore and violence just “implied horror” and thousands of Rwandans are slaughtered in the name of revenge. Unlike hack and slash Hollywood blockbusters this is surprisingly more horrific.

It is amazing what the human race is possible of, almost a million people murdered in a one hundred day period. But the movies real strength is seemingly avoiding the blame game and concentrating on what CAN be done to heal and move forward away from the past. You leave the movie inspired to part of the healing process, not a contributor to the death and hate.

Rather than thinking ‘what can I do?’, you leave thinking maybe I CAN do something… after all this man saves over one thousand refugees from both sides of the conflict, while a small drop in the masses that never saw another day, it made a difference to those thousand!

I find myself agreeing with a review from Brian D. Mclaren at Sojourners…

“And then I realize that’s why Hotel Rwanda seemed to me an even more Christian film (forgive me if this sounds crazy to you – but try to understand) than The Passion of the Christ. It evoked in me a wave of compassion for my neighbors around the world, whatever their color or tribe, whatever their religion or politics. And I hear our Lord saying, “As you have done it to the least of these…you have done it to me.”

Rather than pointing a finger at the ‘baddies’ in this picture, it just seems to inspire compassion…

Compassion: Not just for our friends and neighbours, but like Jesus says…
“For our enemies”.

Well here is the perfect object lesson for proving that some times God allows pain to benefit you.

I would be praising God the next time you get hit with a bottle in a bar fight… It might just save your life!!!!

Fox news Link

Vicious Attack Saves Woman’s Life

NAPLES, Fla. (AP) When a man struck Sally Hampton with a beer bottle last July 4, his unprovoked attack wound up saving her life.

When doctors began examining Hampton, 64, they found a brain tumor that could have killed her.

The tumor was removed, and now Hampton is fully recovered.

“It was one of the worst things that could happen to an elderly person, but in the end it saved her life,” attorney Erik Lombillo, who prosecuted her attacker, said.

According to prosecutors, Hampton and her attacker were in a bar at closing time, and she led him toward the door so he’d leave and the bar could be locked up.

“He looked over at her, smiled for some unknown reason, and poured the beer from the bottle in her face. Then he took the bottle and hit her in the head with it,” Lombillo said.

Hampton was taken to a hospital for treatment. During a test, the doctors found the tumor.

“It was basically a vicious, unprovoked attack, but the silver lining for this woman is her going to the hospital, having them discover this life-threatening health issue and making a full recovery,” Lombillo said.

Thanks to Out There reader Harley W.

OK, I know I am posting a lot of jokes at the moment. But I really found THE best ever email. In fact I saved the sucker for over a year in my hotmail inbox, just so i wouldn’t loose it.

Here it is in all its glory, 29 things the entertainment industry has taught us…

What the entertainment industry teaches us

1. Large, loft-style apartments in New York City are well within the price range of most people –whether they are employed or not.
2. At least one of a pair of identical twins is born evil.
3. Should you decide to defuse a bomb, don’t worry which wire to cut. You will always choose the right one.
4. Most laptop computers are powerful enough to override the communications system of any invading alien society.
5. It does not matter if you are heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts — your enemies will wait patiently to attack you one by one by dancing around in a threatening manner until you have knocked out their predecessors.
6. When you turn out the light to go to bed, everything in your bedroom will still be clearly visible, just slightly blue.
7. If you are blonde and pretty, it is possible to become a world expert on nuclear fusion at the age of 22.
8. Honest and hard working policemen are traditionally gunned down three days before their retirement.
9. Rather than wasting bullets, megalomaniacs prefer to kill their archenemies using complicated machinery involving fuses, pulley systems, deadly gasses, lasers, and man-eating sharks, which will allow their captives at least 20 minutes to escape.
10. During all police investigations, it will be necessary to visit a strip club at least once.
11. All beds have special L-shaped cover sheets that reach up to the armpit level on a woman but only to waist level on the man lying beside her.
12. All grocery shopping bags contain at least one stick of French bread.
13. It’s easy for anyone to land a plane providing there is someone in the control tower to talk you down.
14. Once applied, lipstick will never rub off–even while scuba diving.
15. You’re very likely to survive any battle in any war unless you make the mistake of showing someone a picture of your sweetheart back home.
16. Should you wish to pass yourself off as a German or Russian officer, it will not be necessary to speak the language. A German or Russian accent will do.
17. The Eiffel Tower can be seen from any window in Paris.
18. A man will show no pain while taking the most ferocious beating but will wince when a woman tries to clean his wounds.
19. If a large pane of glass is visible, someone will be thrown through it before long.
20. If staying in a haunted house, women should investigate any strange noises in their most revealing underwear.
21. Word processors never display a cursor on screen but will always say: Enter Password Now.
22. Even when driving down a perfectly straight road, it is necessary to turn the steering wheel vigorously from left to right every few moments.
23. All bombs are fitted with electronic timing devices with large red readouts so you know exactly when they’re going to go off.
24. A detective can only solve a case once he has been suspended from duty.
25. If you decide to start dancing in the street, everyone you meet will know all the steps.
26. Police departments give their officers personality tests to make sure they are deliberately assigned a partner who is their total opposite.
27. When they are alone, all foreign military officers prefer to speak to each other in English.

Momentum is the property that allows moving things to overcome resistance and keep moving in the same direction.

Momentum in ministry life is a VERY powerful thing. It is like riding the crest of a wave, new leaders are coming into serve and things are happening in children’s lives…

I love the feeling of momentum, and I believe that God delights in the thought that His church is moving forward with such force.

Here we go, more sermon fodder for your messages about kids. A couple more jokes about the knee high wonders in our worlds.

A little girl: was talking to her teacher about whales.
The teacher: said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small. The little girl: stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
Irritated, the teacher: reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.
The little girl said, “When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah”.
The teacher asked, ” What if Jonah went to hell?” The little girl replied, “Then you ask him”.

A Kindergarten teacher: was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child’s work As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was The girl: replied, “I’m drawing God.”
The teacher: paused and said, “But no one knows what God looks like.”
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl: replied, “They will in a minute.”

A Sunday school teacher: was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds.
After explaining the commandment to “honor” thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, “Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?” Without missing a beat one little boy: (the oldest of a family) answered, “Thou shall not kill.

One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head.
She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, “Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?”
Her mother replied, “Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white.”
The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, “Momma, how come ALL of grandma’s hairs are white?”

The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture.
“Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, ‘There’s Jennifer, she’s a lawyer,’ or ‘That’s Michael, He’s a doctor.’
A small voice at the back of the room rang out, “And there’s the teacher, She’s dead. ”

A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, “Now, class, if I stood on my head the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face..”
“Yes,” the class said. “Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position the blood doesn’t run into my feet?”
A little fellow shouted, “Cause your feet ain’t empty.”

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples.
The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray:
“Take only ONE. God is watching.”
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.
A child had written a note, “Take all you want. God is watching the apples.”

Whenever I go to the grocery store I keep seeing children in the carts, but I can never find the aisle where they’re sold.

Now that I am in the ‘blogosphere’, thought I might get with the culture:

The Bloggies are a set of 30 publicly-chosen awards given to weblog writers and those related to weblogs. This is the fifth ceremony, with previous winners listed on their respective sites: 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004. Everyone’s invited to take part in the awarding process, so read below to find out how you can nominate and vote for your favorite blogs!

Click Here

(more…)

Had somewhat of a semi-major revelation recently. I was thinking about leaders/pastors and people that have moved from our church to various and sundry other causes… planting churches, pastoring elsewhere, moving overseas… etc etc.

I would always feel a tinge of sadness at their departure… which is not to say that such sadness isn’t a normal human experience… but always felt that in their moving from their current sphere of influence (ie. my sphere) and community would have a negative impact on their future.

Realised: “It’s the Kingdom Stupid!”

No matter where you find yourself, there you are.

DEEP.

God is far bigger than one church, one denomination, one movement, one expression of faith.

I’ts all about the kingdom of God and the King humself… Jesus.

They may not impact MY world to such a degree as before… But will probably impact the Kingdom of God on earth to a much greater extent.

Which… hopefully… was the reason for the move and call in the first place.

Hmmm…

If you don’t get Time magazine, you will have missed this excellent photo-essay on the 25 most influential evangelicals in America.

Click Here!

Also: Billy Graham may not be as active or as publicly visible as he once was, but he remains the most trusted spokesman for the Christian faith in the U.S. – According to George Barna in a recent poll Billy Graham comes out on top.

Click Here!

Who’s influencing You?

Various quotes about Children’s Ministry.

“According to a 1999 Barna Survey, children between the ages of 5 and 13 are most likely to accept Jesus Christ as their savior. Nearly half of born-again Americans made their decision before becoming teenagers. The probability of conversion drops dramatically between the ages of 14 and 18 and then picks up again just slightly for those 18 and older.”
- World Relief, Winter 2000, page 19

In the United States, children aged 5-13 have a 32 percent probability of accepting Jesus as their savior … Young people aged 14-18 have a 4 percent likelihood of doing so … Adults over 19 have a 6 percent probability of making that choice.
- The Barna Report, Oct.-Dec., 1999

According to Gary McIntosh, ministry to children has changed since many of us were in elementary school. A popular comparison notes that 50 years ago, the top 7 problems in public schools were: 1) Talking, 2) Chewing Gum, 3) Making Noise, 4) Running in the halls, 5) Getting out of line, 6) Wearing improper clothes, 7) Not putting paper in the waste basket.
- Gary McIntosh, The Church Growth Network, September 1994

The top 7 problems in public schools are: 1) Drug abuse, 2) Alcohol abuse, 3) Pregnancy, 4) Suicide, 5) Rape, 6) Robbery, 7) Assault.
- Gary McIntosh, The Church Growth Network, September 1994

Effective ministry to today’s children goes beyond a basic understanding of developmental issues or simple babysitting. It requires taking risks to walk alongside children weighed down with burdens of divorce, physical, emotional and sexual abuse, over committed parents and stress related disorders.
- Gary McIntosh, The Church Growth Network, September 1994

We lead small people, and small things are what we are about. Whenever you do things in children’s ministry it’s a small version of ‘big church’, but often it is the small things that make the difference.

A brief news item told how an express package from England came to a South African town. The man to whom the box was consigned refused to pay the delivery charges, and for about fourteen years the box was used as a footstool in the express office. The consignee died, and later the box was put up at auction with other unclaimed articles. Out of curiosity a man bid it in at a low price.

When he opened it he was greatly surprised to find several thousand pounds of sterling in English banknotes. Because the consignee had refused to pay comparatively trifling delivery charges, he had missed a considerable fortune.

Point: Don’t miss out on the blessing because you didn’t want to pay the price.

You don’t know what little thing may just unearth a massive harvest.

Termites destroy more property than do earthquakes. More fires are caused by matches and cigarettes than by volcanoes.

Back when Walt’s two daughters were young, he took them to an amusement park in the Los Angeles area on Sat mornings. His girls loved it, and he did too. Walt was checking out the merry-go-round. As he approached it he saw a blur of bright images racing around with the lively music playing. But when he got closer and the carousel stopped, he could see that his eye had been fooled. The horses were shabby, cracked and only the ones on the outside went up and down. This disappointment led to the vision of a park where the illusion didn’t evaporate. The vision became Disneyland and the rest is history.

Children can come into our church services each week, and the blur of activity can disguise the chipped paint of their hurting worlds. Our window of opportunity may only be those one or two hours of time on a weekend.

I am constantly searching for the one powerful, impacting moment with each child that connects with them and sticks in their mind. There is a lot that fights for attention, our local Sunday paper has more information in it than someone living in the 17th century would have had access to in their entire lifetime.

We maybe can on our own provide a few memorable moments during a child’s time with us… I remember watching Star Trek 4 when Captain Kirk and crew went back in time to the 80′s in my ‘Sunday School’ growing up and maybe a couple of other moments. BUT I am believing in that everything I am a part of I am partnering with the Holy Spirit to provide God moments that will be with children forever. Whoever or however they happen… I really couldn’t care less, I just pray that somehow Christ will be revealed to them and I am part of a team creating moments that last forever in the minds and hearts of our kids.

- David Wakerley

“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.