So I have seen a few children’s ministry tour/remodelling pictures where there are seemingly amazing facilities filled with beautiful stages, incredible murals on the wall and spectacular entrances and their sitting in the middle of the picture are chairs.

Now first of all I get over the pangs of jealousy generated by the permanent facilities and I realise that of course the room is set up for a photo shoot.

But I have seen it a number of times in photos and videos of weekend services with kids spread all over the room – In the back of the room, in the sides… holes and spaces throughout the crowd.

There is only one reason for this – the chairs are set up before the kids arrive in the room.

Huh?

You mission in life is to help these kids connect with God and with each other and you take one of your tools – seating – and leave it to chance?

Here are three rules of seating I just made up:

1. Have the same amount of seats as kids
2. Never have seats set out during praise and worship times
3. Teach your kids the seating system/plan/fun way of making this tool work for you

One of the first things I did as a children’s pastor was change the way we setup chairs in our services… there were probably more important things but it’s what I did okay

Why do you put the chairs out?

There are a couple of awesome posts I wanted to highlight from our Hillsong Collected Blog.

The first is from our Senior Pastor Bobbie Houston all about doing ministry and life with children well, and the second is a recap of our Kidsong conference at Hillsong Europe!

“How do you balance family life and ministry life?”

This has to be possibly THE most frequently asked question in forums like this, and especially by young women in that fabulous season of early motherhood. However having said that, the question applies to pretty much every season of life, because there isn’t a season in any of our lives, where we don’t (or shouldn’t) feel something of the stretch and pressure of that new season.

Have you noticed that one word dominated this first paragraph … Seasons!!

This is the final installment of this little series. Thanks for everyone’s questions – we finished up the main studio time of our latest album and now it’s time to move on to our latest Curriculum filming. It’s that season which I will affectionally call ‘little sleep, much catering’.

Onwards for some questions.

Question 1: Love to hear about your point system or reward system in kidmin. – Cyrstal

I have found myself drifting over to the ‘no rewards’ side of the debate in Kidmin. I like the idea of example and relationship being the great motivator not lollies. But that being said, one of the most important things you need in order for kids to learn is FUN. Prizes are fun so we will use them!

See this post at Ministry-To-Children for an overview of the debate.

Here’s how we use them – we get little points stickers printed that say Hillsong Kids on them. And throughout our services we stick them on kids who are all divided into ‘pods‘ or teams. At the end of the service our ‘pod‘ leaders count the stickers and the team with the most wins a point for the leader board up the front of the room. At the end of each year just before Christmas we announce a winning team and all the kids in that team go into the draw for a big prize (like a Nintendo DSi or something).

This is for our primary school kids, we don’t really do it in our preteen age group, or with our toddlers.

Question 2: “Why do the All Blacks choke at every World Cup?” – Andy ‘I’m a weasel’ Kirk

For my international friends who don’t really follow Rugby there is a world cup going on right now in my homeland of New Zealand… (Even the U.S. has a team there!)

To answer your question Andy, I think I will just bide my time until the result is announced and the All Blacks win.

According to this infographic at openchurch.org I am kind of a big deal.

You can find me in the white global influencers list in the international section.

At Kidshaper Conference this year we were introduced to a team from ImagineNations Church in Penrith, Sydney.

INK is the band from ImagineNations Kids and they are awesome! They were playing songs from their CD Not Too Young and generally rocking out.

Our Churches need to be producing more praise and worship for our kids. The ratio of adult albums to kids is exorbitant, I would guess 100 to 1??

Well done Allyson Parker (Insert twitter link or similar social media site hopefully soon?) and the team!

And it seems that I may have an exclusive on this, because I cannot find a page or website or even a twitter mention, other than my wife?

So, by the power invested in me by the interwebs, I name this blog post as the official site of NOT TOO YOUNG by INK.

So not sure how to buy it, and not sure how you can listen to it, but I am hopeful that someone from the team will post a comment as the official site emerges!

UPDATE: So as the official Album Page, I thought I better add the track list and some credits from the album…

Track List:

1. Not Too Young
2. Get Up
3. My God Can Do Anything
4. Only One I Live For
5. Yours Alone
6. First Love
7. Super Awesome God
8. You Never Change
9. To The Rescue
10. Follow You Heart
11. Change Their World
12. You Are God

On our Hillsong Collected Blog Julia A’Bell posted this Behind the Scenes video, here’s what she said:

What makes Hillsong, ‘Hillsong’ is all the Jesus-loving, people-focused individuals that call Hillsong HOME. To only see crowds, buildings, albums & large church services, is to completely miss the beauty of each individual & family who has their own unique story of encountering Christ & His plan for their lives. The crowds, buildings, albums & large church services are simply the fruit of a healthy family environment.

One of the legends featured is Kieran Short a part of our Hills Campus team!

Love your work Kieran!

In this years eXchange film and arts festival at our Hillsong Easter celebrations I entered a film with my partner in crime Funny Man Dan.

Now mostly because of the sobriety and importance of the moment that Easter demands a lot of the films are quite serious in nature. A lot of movie trailer voiceovers and artistic shots of nature and out-of-focus moments of contemplation and earnestness.

So we decided to stick with what we know… ie. irreverence.

Here is my synopsis:

‘Had An Idea’ is a short film produced for the Exchange Festival 2011.

Starring David Wakerley and Dan Lee-Archer as themselves.

“What happens when two motivationally challenged young men attempt to film a movie about making a movie. ‘Had An Idea’ is an angst driven cliché-fest about the pitfalls of filming your own movies.”

Had An Idea: On Vimeo

I have met over the last few years a large number of incredibly faithful kids pastors and leaders. A large percentage of the people who lead children’s ministries in Australia are volunteers and give a large chunk of their time to their local Church to see the ministry to children move forward.

I think these leaders have a HUGE amount to say to everyone involved in ministering to children. I am fascinated with the different forms that our little world of ministry takes on. Just last year a network that had seemingly languished here in NSW was resurrected and is finding it’s feet again. I have been able to be a part of a few of the gatherings and it has been such a blessing just to connect with leaders from other denominations across the spectrum of ministry in Australia. The Salvation Army people, Anglicans, Baptists and representatives from World Vision.

Now I don’t travel around very much except perhaps to the Kidshaper conference each year. But mainly I get to invite hundreds of pastors to the kids stream at our annual Hillsong Conference. So for me the net is a vital connection to leaders around this sunburnt land.

Maybe it’s the Tall Poppy thing in our culture – but my experience is that very few leaders in Australia a good at telling their own story.

There is so much God stuff going on with our kids in Australia I want to read some more about this, I want to hear more about this.

The most significant thing we have done in the last few years is start a preteen ministry. I wrote about it here: Re: Ideas for Children’s Ministry and have spoken about it everywhere I get the chance. What a WASTE if I had never shared the experience of starting this program and the blessing that it has been (I think I should talk more about it actually), and simply kept it to ourselves.

Right now someone is sitting on a story that will inspire me (or anyone) to greater effectiveness and new vision but they choose the path of least resistance and keep it to themselves. That’s not humble, that’s irresponsible.

<And Breathe…>

Here are some people telling the story of what God is doing in Aus:

Rob Bradbury is the Godfather Children’s ministry in Australia of has a new blog.

Children’s Ministry 1234 – The Planetshakers kids team

Brendon and Cathie Clancy – Kids worship leaders and pastors

Chris Neal – Keep writing Chris

Nathan Mclean – On Hillsong Kids staff at our Hills Campus!

Andrew Shepherd – 25 years in ministry and passionate as the day is long!

Funny Man Dan – My very own muffin of mirth keeping you smiling since 1984

Kathryn Macdowall – Hillsong Kids staff and the worlds greatest curriculum writer

Uniting Church – News from the Uniting Church in Australia

This was a pretty quick list and far too small. I am sure it needs to grow. If you know of others please leave a comment below and I will edit this post!

P.S. This is kinda like a part two of my last post Blogging Matters.

“The local church is the hope of the world.” - Bill Hybels

I get excited about opportunities to present Christ in media, culture, music and through the influence of politics and entertainment. But most of my enthusiasm is reserved for what I believe can be accomplished through the local Church. YOUR local Church.

It’s the relationships of your Church community as the representatives of God on earth that make the quite confronting reality of heaven and hell seem important right now.

The most exciting occupation on this earth has got to be joining in with what God is up to, and whatever he is up to will have something to do with the local Church. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus makes it pretty clear what he is going to be doing in the foreseeable future, ”…I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

There can be no greater life that one spent involved in what Jesus himself told us he will be building — His Church.

“In the beginning, the universe was created. This made a lot of people very angry, and has been widely regarded as a bad idea.” – Douglas Adams

No matter who you are or what you do, get involved in ‘THE’ Church.

Every weekend in Hillsong Kids we have what are called ‘Ask God’ and ‘Thank God’s', they are modelled off the Praise reports and Prayer Requests that the adults have in their service.

This is my son Brooklyn’s first ever Ask God:

He is asking God to ‘find Bullseye’.

Bullseye is, of course, the horse from Toy Story 2 and 3, and one of his favourite toys.

This is also some of the early recorded handwriting from my son.

Apart from being ridiculously cute, I highly recommend printing out slips like this in your ministry and get your children to fill them out before services. Then during the program read them out and take a moment to pray for needs and thank God for providing!

P.S. Unfortunately God has remained silent on the issue of Bullseye, but we remain in hope and faith and maintain a single candle lit as a memorial to the departed toy.

P.P.S. Only part of that last sentence is true

I feel bad.

Someone asked one of our awesome team (Kathryn Macdowall) to  send them an organisation chart for Hillsong Kids, and she had to write one down from memory because we don’t really have a up to date one.

It’s like one of the first rules of ministry.

Especially if doing multi campus Church!

It’s so important, you have to submit it before entering kidmin heaven along with your child safety policy.

But I didn’t have one.

You need clarity in your communication, which is usually found in the writing of something, but so many job descriptions and charts lie around gathering dust. Having something in the hearts and minds of your team is so much more important than having it just on paper.

What’s the most important document you have that no one has read?

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

Last week we held our annual summer camp for our preteen group (Voltage). It was rad as usual with a whole bunch of fun and good times!

For the first time ever I decided to do a session with the kids on purity. Not that I wanted to lead it myself, I attempted to get one of our brilliant pastors who is a grandfather himself and would have bought a great authority to the message… but it was not to be, so I prepared to do it myself!

…It was brilliant…

The KDG (small group) time afterward (kids are divided into cabins) was probably the best I have ever seen. Kids sitting and talking with their leaders about things that REALLY matter!

I highly recommend it… here was the process.

• The registration letter that was sent to parents included information that we would be doing this session and this link: http://hillsongkids.com/purity
• Two parents contacted us with questions about this. We talked to them and which they found very helpful
• I made it very clear that I wasn’t going to talk about sex (especially the ‘mechanics’ involved).
• I make it clear that our small group discussions needed to focus on purity as well.

Here are some notes from my message (I didn’t use all of this and will see if I can find the KDG notes):

PURITY

So last Friday we returned from an epic SummerCamp with our preteens (Voltage) group.

Lot’s more to write about it, but here is a quick highlights video from our Youth team that includes a sweet flyover of our Voltage camp.

SummerCamp 2011 Highlights

For the first time ever we covered a topic that is sorely needed in our culture – purity. I will be posting the notes I used to talk about this sensitive topic soon, and also giving some insight to the feedback we got from parents.

This post has nothing to do with monkeys and wedding dresses.

But what if it was!

I know one thing, when you search “monkeys and wedding dresses” on google later this week, this post will definitely appear in the top results!

But that’s because there is not much competition for the search phrase. In fact I may be one of the first people to search for it this year (so we’re only five days in, there are a lot of weird searches happening right now let’s be honest).

There is more competition in the phrase “children’s ministry blog” but I manage to squeak into 5th place in Google. But still, not many people in the world are searching for that term. So what if I am number one in the term “david wakerley”, no one is searching for that.

Interestingly I get a lot of traffic at Christmas time for the term “whoville names“. It seems a post I wrote in 2007 still appears at the top of Google.

Anyway.

As I start 2011 I want to make sure that I am scratching where people are itching. Where is the need? Being a computing expert specialising in Windows 3.1 is an exercise in futility. It’s irrelevant.

Being an expert in what everybody needs right now is helpful, but still not the goal. We need to be ready to help where people don’t realise they need help yet.

• Where is the family going to hurt in the future?
• What is the child going to go through soon?
• How will our culture affect people?

God bless the scratch.