[Kid Inspiration]

Here are a few posts that hit it out of the park in the last few weeks!

Pudge on Leading for Tomorrow

A bunch of posts from Henry Zonio about the Conspire Conference Rewiring Ministry for the Digital Learner,  Spiritual Formation in Children

Fascinating stuff from The Connecting Church and Home Conference from Jared Kennedy via Doug

Shane Hipps on Technology from the Q blog! MUST WATCH! Hipps discusses how technology shapes your faith and offers a critique of the cliche “the methods change but the message doesn’t.”

How to Blog 101 from churchrelevance.com

Now that we have three main campuses we don’t get to see each others room setups. So last kids staff meeting we had a fun competition. But I will let Kathryn MacDaddy tell you the rest of the story:

We had a competition between our Hillsong Kids staff called “Pimp my Set up”… The idea was that we each take 5 photos of our age groups room set up and we present them to the team. We then choose 3 finalists and vote on the winner. And I WON!! Yeah Baby..I WON IT!!! My prize was a gift card for the movies, which I will enjoy every second of!!! Read On

Love reading Erwin Mcmanus.

Read Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul a while ago and wrote down this quote (Paperback pg. 63):

If anonymity was the price you would have to pay for significance, would it be too great a price?

Would it be?

Peer recognition is one of the most powerful forces in the human psyche. Learning to serve without it is one of the greatest skills this culture/generation schooled in the allure of instant fame needs!

Teach your kids that God is the only one they need recognition from!

I just sent out an email to our key team… thought I would post it here:

(And if you want to post your answers in the comments).

====================>

Are you growing in your passion to reach children for Christ and grow His church?

We never become mature in our leadership or love for God. The thing about mature fruit is that it is just a few days away from becoming rotten fruit. We have to be leaders that are growing, not stagnant.

Really search your heart and address the issues that are holding you back. This break Beci and I are on right now is time for me to address one of the things that is holding me back. Devotion – I need to develop
the time I spend in devotion to Jesus Christ.

I have something different for our key team meeting this Wednesday.

We will not be meeting at church, instead I would love you to take the time and read this article.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/childrensministry/articles/becominganauthenticleader.html

Then simply reply to this email and write down some thoughts for me about one of the areas Jim talks about.

eg. 2. Leaders are problem solvers. Let me know a challenge or something God has spoken to you about problem solving, or even a problem you have solved in your ministry.

Looking forward to your answers!

God Bless

David Wakerley

I just read a short article in which Mark Batterson was talking about a book by Garry Kasparov titled “How Life Imitates Chess”.

Kasparov won his first world-championship chess match in 1985 and he dominated the chess qworld for several decades. In the book he shares some of the lessons he learned. Here is one of them: “A Grandmaster makes the best moves because they are based on what he wants the board to look like ten or twenty moves in the future.”

That is exactly why I serve children.

In their hands is the future – ten or twenty, or fifty years in the future.

The older you get the more you realize you don’t know.

Just when I think I have an insight or handle on things I see or hear a quote that blows me away.

I am a student of culture. I study it, disect it, look for the good in it and generally spend my life searching for the glimpses of God that can be found in it. Especially the culture as it relates to kids.

So what you need to do is visit the Catalyst conference website and watch their promo video.

(www.catalystconference.com)

“There’s far too much preaching today coming from culture instead of speaking Gods word to the culture.”
- Craig Groeschel

Anyway it may not be life changing to you, but it reminds me to make sure our kids bring God to their worlds and not let the world overwhelm their God.

Dave out.

Now in my previous post Theophilus…

I did use the metaphor about giving birth, which I understand is a foolish thing for a male to do under any circumstance. But just read this quote from Ryan Adam’s;

What I do and what all musicians do is easy. All we have to do is sit down for a couple hours a week and write a song or two. That simple task is all the world asks of me, so I do it. The other musicians who don’t are just lazy, because again, we aren’t being asked to tar rooftops or clean out dumpsters. We just have to write a couple songs!

So true!

Read the rest of the post here

So this blog functions as a repository for most ideas I come across. I found this little thing on better behaviour. Not sure where it came from, but if I stole it from you, let me know and I will attribute it!

Building Better Behavior

Disruptive behavior may come from a child feeling ignored or misunderstood. Sometimes reflective listening may be all that’s needed.

Children need to feel accepted and understood, especially when they’re upset. This frees them to relax their guard and look at other options and points of view. (Remember, acceptance doesn’t have to include
approval.)

Reflective listening can have three parts:

* inviting children to express themselves
* listening
* reflecting back what we hear

Inviting. Let the child know you understand he or she has a problem. Offer to listen if the child is open to that invitation. This means offering, but not pushing.

Listening. First listen—whether or not you agree, whether or not the child is “right,” whether or not the feelings are “ugly.” Say things like “Hmmm” and “I see” to show you’re listening. Ask questions to clarify and make sure you understand.

Reflecting back. Share with the child the feelings you have heard him or her express. It’s best to show empathy, not sympathy or pity. Empathy means letting the child know you can understand how he or she
feels. It’s important not to insist an attitude or feeling is wrong, since the child will then want to defend it.

When children feel understood, positive behavior slowly replaces negative behavior.

Great post from Marcy Ribeiro about the Orange conference – which I really would love to attend some time… maybe next year… we’ll see.

So there is some very thought-provoking thoughts from Reggie Joyner.

The Role of the Small Group Leader.
They model five faith skills and model the top 5 defining moments.
They are there to show up in their kids lives!
People coming besides others is huge
SGL holds the KEY to spiritual growth
5 Faith Skills [Every SGL should create a safe place and implement:]
Navigate the Bible
Personalize/Memorize Scripture
Dialog/Pray to God
Articulate/Share their faith
Worship with your life:
Leaders/Volunteers should be worshipping with the kids
We do it together to remember that the next day is a sacrifice. [Corporate- like when we take the Lord’s Supper/Communion]
Worship plays as a symbol; we live it everyday

Read on here Orange Forum…

Just a quick link to Christine Caine’s report on conference!

Love this!!

A powerful moment for me was when I was teaching an elective on evangelistic preaching and altar calls and halfway through I just felt to stop and do a salvation altar call. (Remember: I was in the midst of teaching how to give one.) Twenty-four people surrendered their lives to Jesus then and there – it was AMAZING…

Hillsong Conference 2008

In 2001 my Dad began his first journey to India that would set in motion the journey towards establishing the Children’s Home in Bhachau…

On January 26, 2001, a large earthquake, registering 7.9 on the Richter Scale, devastated the area of Gujarat, northwest India. Five year old Rukshana emerged from the rubble an orphan. Her mother had been killed a week before in an electrical accident; her father was crushed in the rubble of their house. A photo of Rukshana, with a bandage over one eye, featured in the March edition of World Vision’s Impact magazine last year. Her image haunted many New Zealanders, among them Steve Wakerley of Christchurch… [Read On]

It has been a massive journey for my parents… as their three boys (me being one of them), left for parts uncharted (to Australia), they both have found that better late than never is the theme of the second half of their lives!

When I was growing up I remember conversations/discussion/prayers about Bali, which I imagined an exotic paradise filled with wild natives (any one who has grown up hearing about missionaries will know exactly what I mean). In some parallel universe it seemed I could have grown up a missionary kid, instead of playing left wing in my local Southbridge Rugby team in country New Zealand.

Now I may be completely off course and remember things through the filter of memory but Bali could have been an opportunity that never eventuated for whatever reason for us.

Now that their life has taken them to this incredibly challenging, frustrating, totally out-of-depth, but eternally significant experience I am in awe at their tenacity and faithfulness to the call of God in their lives.

They are making steady progress toward the finishing of a fantastic facility to eventually be used for::

• An orphanage for local children
• A free medical facility for those who can’t afford any kind of health-care
• A vocational training centre.

The people that will benefit from this ministry will be the poorest of the poor – children and adults who haven’t the means to bring up their children, eg. widows, orphans and the disabled.

So anyway, check out the site at: bhachau.org for more info.

As you may know I am holding a domain auction with the (however small or large) proceeds going directly to them, have look here.

I’m proud of you Mum and Dad!

There are two things I have negated to do here on this blog:

1. Talk about what my parents are doing in India (building an orphanage).

2. Brag on my awesome team.

Allow me to rectify the second… I will fix the first soon!

How to be a great volunteer: Sarah Petchell

I cannot remember when Sarah started on our team. But for a number of years now I have watched and have been a part of her growth as a person and leader. Despite challenges she rises up and continues to amaze me by taking on what she really believes in!

She currently is one of the Primary Age four key team members overseeing two Sunday night services! This is a team very heavy with young leaders and she has moved from be put into a position to really building trust, respect and relationship with them all!

My lesson for leaders from Sarah is: Be Honest.

Let your yes be yes, and if you have to say no, say it! I am never in doubt about how Sarah is feeling or coping with life and ministry – can your pastor/leader/oversight say the same about you?

Rock on Sarah!

Just found this vid online, gives you a look at the opener from 2007! Enjoy!

Hillsong Conference 2007 Opener

So the Children’s Ministry Today site is really rocking out some great content recently! (Which is run by Willowcreek and I guess by David Staal – anyway I give him the credit).

Check out two recent articles:

Community—The Other Key Ingredient

Just imagine how a strong small group experience sticks in the hearts of kids. Imagine the “super strength” of children’s ministry that mixes community kids love with creative, relevant Bible teaching.

Make God Real to Your Kids

Many of us feel we’re not doing that great a job at the most important task facing Christian parents. But before you don sackcloth and ashes, consider the hands-on approach advocated by child-education specialist Karyn Henley.

“Kids can learn from the direct teaching approach,” she says, “but they really learn better in other ways.”

One of my favourite books is Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels. And my favourite section in the books talks about the fact that Bill’s key team/close ministry friends who have worked side by side him for years all have houses in the same area. They are growing old together near each other.

When longtime friend T. W. Wilson accepted the invitation to be Billy Graham’s personal assistant, he had no idea how God would use him. But as he followed God’s call, T. W. became the right-hand man whose wise counsel and dedicated service allowed Billy Graham’s ministry to flourish.

At our last Worship and Creative Art’s Team ‘Elevate’ night, the volunteer of the month was a long serving member of the choir from our Hills Campus. It was a very moving tribute and appreciation of her faithfulness

Why do these stories resonate with us powerfully?

They represent proof that longevity and integrity can be attained.

I want to be the kind of leader that develops relationship that grow old not tired, that go the distance. Pr 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend.

One of the biggest keys to success is simply keep turning up.

A long serving staff member is one thing, but a long serving volunteer is a blessing like no other!!!!  They really are living proof of a life given to the kingdom of God!!

So give it up for the volunteer!

Shout out to Mike V, Louisa K, Taryn M, Sarah P the front line of our primary team in the city campus! – Amazing volunteers committed to the children of Sydney and the world. (Taryn… not officially a volunteer, but her amazing heart and capacity qualifies her!)

Following up from my Rant on Blogging, here is advice from Al Mohler, the President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary:

Mohler emphasized the importance of taking “the new media seriously, not making it a bulletin board for isolated, disconnected, reckless ideas, snarky comments and anonymous diatribes, but rather, a place where seriously-minded Christians do the seriously-minded Christian thing and make serious Christian arguments in a serious Christian way with love and with charity, with boldness and with courage.

“Should Christians go into the wild, wild, west? Yes,” said Mohler. “But we need to go in understanding that there is no sheriff. But that doesn’t mean that we do not have a higher accountability, certainly we do.

Read the rest of Godblogging USA