[Kid Inspiration]

One of the awesome guests we had at Kidsong World this year… (I should write some more posts about that ) was Natalie Miller…

If you are in Australia, and you need a puppeter/ventriloquist then you need to look her up…

Start at her website and go from there.

She is really brilliant and way better at ventriloquism than I am (really not hard, I mean I have seen mute meerkats throw their voice better than I can).

Anyhoo… get her round for your event or outreach, tell her Dave sent you… won’t get you anywhere, but would be very funny.

George Barna’s Latest Report:

Parenting is a controversial and complicated issue. Bookstores are filled with volumes written about the most effective methods of raising children, and millions of adults attend parenting courses and conferences each year. A new nationwide survey of parents, conducted by The Barna Group, offers some surprising insights into the outcomes parents are most eager to achieve in their children, the qualities they believe are most important for parents to have in order to be effective, and some of the critical choices and tradeoffs they make in their child-rearing efforts.

Click Here to read on

(more…)

Is your “next act” (Service, Program, Phone Call, Meeting) up to the Cirque du Soleil Standard?

…Is today a “Masterpiece”?

In your service to God today are you leading an orchestra… or just playing in the band?

Cirque du Soleil, for the uninitiated, is the human circus originating from Montréal, Canada (http://www.circusnet.info/cirque/circarte/soleil.htm).

Every performance is a triumph of audacity, of the relentless pursuit of perfection, of reinvention, of mastery.

Can that be said about your ‘performance’ today as you serve God with all your heart and mind and soul?

(more…)

“Thousands of people who do not know Jesus Christ attend church each week. Most of these people never received the Christianese Sunday school training that began with large felt boards. As preachers deliver their messages and the members back-slap each other with approval, a lot these visitors walk away without any clearer understanding of Jesus Christ.”

Drew Goodmason writes at the-next-wave.org…
How much more should we explain our lingo for children!!

Every christian concept MUST be explained and given meaning.

We can (our image/explanation) be the reference point for the child discovering the things of God…for the rest of his life!!!

Chuck Colson argues that not all moral issues are equal…

“We oppose abortion because we respect the fact that all humans are made in the image of God.”

Are issues like poverty, social justice, abortion, AIDS worthy of our equal attention?

Or should the christian rightly focus on abortion?

Think… then read… HERE

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.

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