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BREAK THE MOLD!

I often say there are Sundays that you just need to “break the mold,” and make the experience completely different for the kids. As soon as your lesson format is predictable, it is time to do something different! I often use 5th Sundays to do this, or when there is a holiday that doesn’t fit nicely with the curriculum schedule. This year is a perfect example! Easter is the 2nd Sunday of April, meaning that a 4 week Easter series needs to be started on the 2nd Sunday of March in order to end on the first week of April. This year, I’ve got two FUN “Mold Breaking” Sundays planned for the kids. For the first Sunday of January, before we kick off Secrets of the Ancient Scrolls, we are doing BIBLE-O-RAMA! Every year I tweak and improve them, and I love when users of it Bible Curriculum make their own additions! This year, Pastor Doug Olson added a really cool new feature designed to keep kids moving and encourage them to visit every station. It’s a Bible-O-Rama Passport! The kids get a sticker as they visit each station and a special prize if they complete each activity. If you…

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Goodbye 2020, Welcome 2021!

I can’t remember a New Year in my life where everyone was as eager for a New Year as this year entering 2021. It was a challenging year, to say the least. If you are reading this in January 2021, I don’t need to explain why, and I’m pretty sure if you are reading this years from now, I still won’t need to explain it. I suspect 2020 will be infamous for years, right up there with 1929, 1941 and 2001. This past year contained elements of each of these horrific years, financial attack, attack on freedom from a foreign country and the nation brought to it’s knees. However, the one major difference between 2020 and many other times of national crisis, the People of America rallied together. This time, they tore apart. And that’s as close to political commentary as I’m going to get. The impact on the church was devastating. Churches closed, services moved online and so much more that threatened our ability to be the church. Or did it? Some have said that 2020 broke many church. I disagree. If I’m thankful for anything in 2020, and I’m thankful for a lot, actually, I am thankful that…

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STOP THE DEBATE “Should Kids Be in Big Church or Kids Church” Already!

Recently, a children’s ministry leader I respect (so I shall not name them) posted this on Facebook: “Should children be a part of the corporate worship service, or will children benefit most from a discipleship environment designed specifically for them during the same time their parents are in church? From the New Testament church, and for nineteen hundred years of Christianity this question was never asked, because there was a universal answer and universal practice.“ The comments go with people stating their “position” on whether kids should be in “Big Church” (which is always the more spiritual position, of course) or in children’s church, and those folks seem to have to defend it. I’M TIRED OF THIS DEBATE. No one should even be arguing about this. It seems to me that it is a friendly fire attack on the Church – arrows launched at brothers and sisters in Christ, as though if you lead a children’s church (which MOST churches do) you are somehow less spiritual or even (gasp) harming children because you offer a FUN, engaging, and might I mention highly effective learning environment for children. BUT, I’m not even going to argue for kids being in children’s church!…

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Hymn Humor

    What’s Your Favorite Hymn? The Dentist’s Hymn: Crown Him with Many Crowns The TV Weatherman’s Hymn: There Shall Be Showers of Blessings The Contractor’s Hymn: The Church’s One Foundation The Tailor’s Hymn: Holy, Holy, Holy The Golfer’s Hymn: There is a Green Hill Far Away The Politicians Hymn: Standing on the Promises The Optometrist’s Hymn: Open My Eyes That I May See (or) Be Thou My Vision The IRS Hymn: All to Thee (or) I Surrender All The Gossiper’s Hymn: Pass It On The Electrician’s Hymn: Send Out Thy Light The Shopper’s Hymn: In the Sweet By and By OR… for those who speed on the highway… 45 mph… “God Will Take Care of Me” 55 mph… “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” 65 mph… “Nearer My God to Thee” 75 mph… “Nearer Still Nearer” 85 mph… “This World is Not My Home” 95 mph… “Lord, I’m Coming Home” 100+ mph… “Precious Memories” (or) “I Will Enter His Gates”

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