[Kid Inspiration]

I honour of the beginning of another year of our awesome Bible College I present a few helpful pick up lines… only for use in second year

“We have to go to a restaurant now! Because I have been praying and fasting for you all my life!”

“There you are, I have finally found my rib!”

“I tithed today… want to help me spend my 90%”

“Do you need help carrying your Bible? It looks heavy.”

“Your name must be Grace, because you are amazing”

“I noticed you crying during altar call, can I help?”

“I’m an Arminian unless of course you believe we are destined to be together.”

“I see that hand… holding mine.”

“Man it’s hard getting up for quiet time at 5 every morning, do you think you could give me a ring everyday just to help my time with the Lord.”

**results not guaranteed.

A great conversation that I promised to get back to last year was the original Story = Danger? post.

Basic premise: Are our kids developmentally ready for the violent narratives found all through the old testament?

So it gathered a lot of comments and lead to a post called Sanitising the Bible for Children? from an English Bishop.

And here now is part the second, in which I put forth a solid hypothesis founded on much introspection, prayer and solid Biblical analysis… and keep it below a few hundred words. After all this is a blog not a thesis.

I think we are quite naive about the developmental stages of humans.

Doesn’t the death of someone close to us give us a greater sense of the fleeting nature of life and a greater empathy/understanding for others going through this. I would dare to say that a child who has experienced tragedy is far more ‘developed’ in certain areas of understanding than myself. The most traumatic experience was the suicide of a friend while he was in Bible College.

Contrast this to the orphans and children affected by the conflict in Uganda. Child soliders that I witnessed at our Church a few weeks ago present their story of unimaginable horror at the hands of the LRA.

I am not even suggesting that children are more ‘advanced’, I am suggesting that you are probably not as far along the ‘development’ curve as you think.

Before you can be old and wise, you must first be young and stupid – Anon

The wiser you get (age never guarantees wisdom), the more you realise how little you knew as young person. Surely this is as true in your spiritual life.

Have you ever taken parenting advice from a teenager who hasn’t even finished negotiating puberty?

So, unfortunately I did what I usually do when I don’t have a solid answer… create more questions in your mind, dear reader. My hope is that I simply made you a little less sure of what you thought you knew.

He who knows others is learned; he who knows himself is wise – Lao-Tzu

In our latest curriculum: Supernatural, we are trying something different — the first two series had memory verse segments using actions and spoken word. In this one we have gone for songs that teach straight scripture.

So I can identify with a brand new album from Seattle Dads Tyson Paoletti and Greg Lutze, they have created the Rizers (short for Memorizers).

Writing songs to straight scripture can be quite restricting flomax mg and a challenge and these guys have done a magnificent job! I love music that comes out of local Churches, especially responding to a need, in this case teaching their kids scripture.

Here is a preview of some of the tracks:

And a vid of the creators talking about the project:

Youtube: The Rise of the Rizers

Check it out at their website therizers.com

I love that like Gorillaz it’s basically a virtual band. Gracie (lead vocals), Matty C. (guitar and vocals), Mei Mei (keytar) , A-Yo (drums) and Johnny Danger (bass). This is a cool way to help kids connect with the group while keeping the focus off personalities/superstars.

Anyway, enjoy!

So apparently there is an International Bible Competition for Jewish young people

A student from a girl’s school near Tel Aviv beat 15 finalists to win the 2010 International Bible contest, traditionally held on Israel’s Independence Day. Or Ashual, 17, whose name means “light,” is a student at Amana girls’ school in Kfar Saba. Her father, Shimon, won the contest 27 years ago.

Like father, like daughter!

Not discount generic claritin sure exactly what the questions are… probably doesn’t include the new testament.

What you value as a parent WILL leak to your kids!

One of the many great things about keeping a God Book (which is just a cooler way of saying prayer journal), is that you can look back and be reminded of the trials, the blessing, the tough times, the miracles, the dry and so many other things that happened in your life that are so easily forgotten. They stand as a memorial to your story, like the lasting symbol of God’s provision for the Israelites when they crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land (Joshua 4), your 12 stones are written down and remembered.

Life is a script ready to be written, we don’t always control the circumstance, but we always control the response. So write down your responses and you will learn from them.

This last year I have used the SOAP style of spending time in the word. Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer – which comes from Wayne Cordeiro.

It’s a simple and great method that had been working for me big time.

Here is the best part about it, I sat and read through all of the Applications of the Scripture that I have written down and you have a running list of what I believe God has spoken to me over a year. So here are a bunch of thoughts and/or questions from my God Book that sum up the year!

• When diflucan buy I correct somebody, it’s because I want the best for them. Why can’t I see that when it happens to me?
• Am I about the fathers business?
• Believe in the power of God beyond your experience.
• I want the testimony of my life to be this: that I was not moved, that I was not shaken!
• My growth is found through patience.
• Do signs follow me? (Mark 16:20)
• I need to lead with the mind of Christ. Follow His lead.
• The most important moments in life can be missed if we are not tuned into God.
• Every weekend my job is to bless children. We have been given authority from God to do this.
• Keep my faith simple, keep my message simple. Almost no ones life message is about quantum physics.
• Look at the heart as you lead. That is what matters most.
• Is the word really producing fruit in my life?
• God responds to desperation no matter who it is.
• Chill out – relax – don’t be so picky Dave. (This revelation had something to do with the sabbath and pharisees)
• Seek first the kingdom of God. So may things pull at my heart, but I really just want to do what is right by God.
• Have a go. Jesus did not reprimand His disciples for trying.

Soupy twist.

Dave.

Seminary?

Bible College?

Leadership College?

Whatever you call it – check out Hillsong International Leadership College.

We have a Children’s Pathway, which is a fancy way of saying you can study to do pastoral ministry with a focus on working with Children! And you will get to do it with the best Children’s Ministry staff in the world (in my humble opinion).

Here is what our students this year experienced:

Go to: hillsongcollege.com

I am excited!

And not just because it’s Fri and a full weekend in Church is ahead of me with loads of opportunities to be a blessing.

Not just because I’m sitting here at home on my computer looking out at a beautiful afternoon listening to my son play Wii Fit.

But because there are new things on the horizon.

I’m excited to see new projects coming, to see new initiatives and new seasons.

It gives me a hope for the future.

I’ll bet that it’s the same for you.

And if you and I feel the same then why should detrol la order it be any different for those we lead.

So next year for your teams and leaders, even if they are staying in the same role and serving with the same kids give them fresh vision that gives the expectation of a new season ahead. Because it IS a new season. In my experience God elevates and promotes in a moment and you can’t plan for it, but you can prepare!

Prepare your people.

It’s what leaders do.

And when opportunity arises, in the fullness of time… there will be people around you ready to rebuild the wall. (So we built the wall…for the people had a mind to work. Neh 4:6)

So I spoke at the Kidshaper conference last week about keeping perspective in our lives… here are some great quotes about perspective and a summary:

• In order to keep a true perspective of one’s importance, everyone should have a dog that will worship him and a cat that will ignore him.
• Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts. Albert Einstein
• Every generalization is dangerous, especially this one. Mark Twain
• I’ve creatine retail price missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed. Michael Jordan
• Won’t you come into the garden? I would like my roses to see you. Richard Brinsley Sheridan
• A penny will hide the biggest star in the Universe if you hold it close enough to your eye. Samuel Grafton
• When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute – and it’s longer than any hour. That’s relativity. Albert Einstein
• There is no burnt rice to a hungry person. Philippine Proverb

GIDEON: Judges 7:1-8

• God bought about a victory from an army too small (Midianites 135,000 = 450 to 1)
• With weapons that were completely inadequate (empty clay jar, a torch, a trumpet)
• And a leader who was determined but felt completely insignificant (Judges 6:11)

Love this post from Wayne Stocks brilliant random thoughts blog, which is what you call your blog before you realise there are approx. 18.7 million with the same title.
(Man, I really know how to build up and tear down in one sentence)

Anyway read it today!

8 Reasons to Get Involved in coreg generic Children’s Ministry from Psalm 78

More than anything else, I want to finish well. So many times when asking a young person the vision they have for their life, what they would love to do they talk about the task, the job, the mission they can see themselves doing. compazine 10 mg I just want to finish my ‘race’ with a wife and family that loves me, knowing that to the best of ability I lived with faith, hope and love (1 Cor 13:13). What I ‘Do’ accomplishing this goal is up to God.

A new “teaching document” issued by the Roman Catholic bishops of England, Wales and Scotland warns that Catholics should not take the Bible literally — that it’s not infallible. “We should not expect to find in Scripture full scientific accuracy or complete historical precision,” they say in the booklet, “The Gift of Scripture”.

So what sorts of things aren’t accurate?

Creation, for one. Genesis, they note, has two different, and sometimes conflicting, creation stories and cannot be considered “historical.” Rather, the bishops say, it simply contains “historical traces.” (London Times)

Just spoke at our Hillsong Bible College on Wednesday about the Internet and Media.

For all those at the class, or even if you are just curious… then the notes are available for download.

This is a quick little primer for anyone who would like to use/search the net for Childrens Ministry related info, and also a basic outline of how the web works.

Well, haven’t I been slack.

Just a quick post… We are teaching this month on Heroes of the Bible. And all our kids and leaders are dressing up today in their favourite hero… I went as a Gladiator.

Russell Crowe…

Although was mistaken as a couple of different people… roman soldier (you know the ones that crucified Jesus), and the Centurion that came to Jesus with the sick servant (a lot better than the soldier).

Anyhoo… I will post up a picture ASAP.

God Bless.