On behalf of the leadership team of the National Children’s Leaders Association, we wish all of our members and their families a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year! Please be safe and get refreshed as you spend time with your family making memories during this season. May God bless you and we look forward to hearing from you in 2008.
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encouragement, leadership, misc | 
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Posted by steve b
At least once a week, during our family prayer time, we do a little something we now call “Thankful Fors”. It’s quite simple. Each member of the family takes a turn expressing the things they are thankful for in their life. The name started when we missed a few nights of this ritual and my son asked, “Dad, can we do thankful fors tonight?”
I’m often amazed at my kids’ answers. Their teachers at church. Their house, puppy, and family. The fact that we have not lost power (like we did a few months back during a thunderstorm). Some are funny. Some are encouraging. Some are just plain cute. All are Biblical…
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
- Psalm 9:1, NRSV
What are you Thankful For? Family? Health? Ministry? Be specific, and don’t be shy. Let’s fill this blog up with gratitude and tell of HIS wonderful deeds.
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encouragement, misc | Tagged: thanksgiving | 
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Posted by phil h
This past Sunday we started a three week series on Job. For our game this week, we decided to go back to an ol’ favorite… Lemonade. In this ‘relay race’ game each kid has to:
1. take a big bite of a lemon wedge
2. down a packet of sugar
3. drink a small cup of water
4. jump up and down 5 times to mix it all up
This game is an old favorite, but also perfect for the day’s lesson where we talked about taking our ‘lemons of life’ and making… you know the rest.
What game is an ol’ favorite for your kids?
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creative ministry, misc | 
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Posted by phil h
If you are like me you probably receive tons of junk e-mail every day. Even from Christian-based companies, publishers, etc. But I will say that there is one resource that does provide a plethora of articles that will be a blessing to you and your children’s ministry team. It’s at Today’s Children’s Ministry and is sponsored by Promiseland.
This weekly e-newsletter direct links you to the website and does have some valuable tools you can use. I know that having resources readily available in our line of work is important. And even more importantly, I know how much junk wastes my time. I hope you find this resource to be a blessing to you. I would love to know what resources other’s have used that are effective. Hopefully we can establish a good archive of resources tried and true on this blog site so that we can filter out all the other stuff. If you have something that works, we would love to hear all about what it is and how it has worked for you.
Leave a Comment » | leadership, misc, resources | Tagged: children's ministry resource, newsletter | Permalink
Posted by steve b
Can you believe it? Portland, Maine. King Middle School. Birth control pills available for girls as young as 11 years of age! And, after the parents sign a waiver for medical care at the school, they are excluded from knowing about the care, including the dispensing of birth control pills to their children! The whole rationale behind this is the assumption that kids will have sex. The kids we are reaching and teaching are part of a generation who believes that children’s rights are more important than parental rights. As teachers and children’s pastors, we better stand up and take notice of what is happening in the culture around us. Fashion, music, media, and all the other cultural indicators are impacting the next generation in a powerful way! It is our responsibility to help parents train up their kids in the way they should go. We better not hide our heads in the sand. We need to pray like we have never prayed before. We need to support and encourage parents and families. We need to provide opportunities for exposing parents to what is happening in our communities. We need to stay informed about the issues that our families are being confronted with. Let’s talk about those issues. Let’s stand up and be counted for what is right!
What do you think about this issue? What can children’s pastors and children’s ministry leaders and workers do to combat the enemy when he attempts to deceive and destroy the moral barometer of our community and country? What have you found to be effective? How do you discuss these issues with your families and with the kids in your ministry?
Leave a Comment » | culture, family ministry, misc | Permalink
Posted by tony l
My favorite children’s story is The Velveteen Rabbit. I have given several copies of this book away through the years. I like it because the story of the book reveals a characteristic of effective leadership. As I look at the emerging generation of leaders, I believe I see a call and cry for authenticity. They aren’t interested in the fake. They want the genuine. I think the old Skin Horse gave the Velveteen Rabbit some outstanding advice about being an authentic person. I take the time to share a portion of the book with you for the benefit of those who haven’t read the story or for those who haven’t read it in a long time.
The Skin Horse had lived longer in the nursery than any of the others. He was so old that his brown coat was bald in patches and showed the seams underneath, and most of the hairs on his tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces. He was wise, for he had seen a long succession of mechanical toys arrive to boast and swagger, and by-and-by break their mainsprings and pass away, and he knew that they were only toys, and would never turn into anything else. For nursery magic is very strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understand all about it.
“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?”
“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”
“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.
“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”
“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”
“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
Something to think about and to respond to:
What can we as leaders do to encourage authenticity? Is it possible for a leader in today’s world to actually ‘be real’? Is it permitted? What are some of the dangers, the pitfalls, when you are real?
1 Comment | leadership, misc | Permalink
Posted by tony l
OK! I’ve been asked, “what’s that game we played at Focus?” I mean, really, how could you forget? FARKEL!
I’ve been playing this game for over 10 years. It’s so simple, its almost stupid; except, it brings out so much laughter and hilarity, you have to have it.
If you perform an internet search with the keyword farkel, you will certainly get several versions of the game. The game Farkel was derived from the Farkleberry tree, a small tree native to Texas. When the early settlers came to Texas, they discovered the Farkleberry would harden as they dried. The settlers carved these berries into the shape of dice so that they might play games. Thus, the game Farkel got its name. Some have even called the game Farkleberry, though I doubt that the name ever caught on. While there seems to be several stories about the origin of the game and as many rules, the game is fun and easy to play. Incidentally, there is no such thing as “official rules” for the Farkel game, since it was handed down from one generation to another over the years. Our family, as well as our extended family and many friends, have enjoyed this game for many years. The big winner usually is dubbed the “Farkel King/Queen.” But there is one version, the version we’ve played, that seems to be the “marketed” version. They call it “The Original Pocket Farkel” a game of guts and luck.
I’m proud to announce that “Farkel” has been named the official game for FOCUS. That being the case, I want to encourage you to practice and get your game on before you arrive at FOCUS in April. And in the mean time, you can use this game at your next children’s team outing or other fellowship function. If you can get people to try it, it will be a hit.
For more information about The Original Pocket Farkel click here.
2 Comments | focus conference, misc | Tagged: dice, farkel, fellowship, games | Permalink
Posted by steve b
Ryan Frank of Kidzmatter resources is publishing a brand new children’s ministry magazine called K! Check it out.
Click here to learn more about it.
Leave a Comment » | misc, resources | Tagged: magazine, publication, resource | Permalink
Posted by steve b
The Kidology Report is a publication that discusses important topics in children’s ministry, tapping into the opinions of experienced children’s pastors around the country.
This downloadable printer-friendly PDF document is designed to be shared with others in your church with hopes that you will find it another helpful resource as you minister to children.
This month’s (October 2007) Kidology Report reviews the book Children’s Ministry in the 21st Century. To download your copy of this PDF document go to the Kidology website at www.kidology.org. Please comment with your thoughts of this review or if you’ve already read the book, give us your own review.
1 Comment | culture, leadership, misc, resources | Tagged: book review, culture, leadership, resource | Permalink
Posted by steve b
Joy and I had the opportunity to spend the day at the Georgia Aquarium this past weekend. For her birthday, and to celebrate Madison’s 2nd birthday, Joy asked that we do this. It was a great time to see Madison run from tank to tank to see the thousands of fish as they swam in the water. Green fish. Purple fish. Yellow fish. All kinds of fish. Sea otters and sea lions. Sharks. Whales. I felt like I was in the middle of the Dr. Seuss book. What a treat! But back to Madison…She’s at the stage that when she sees something she has to touch it, feel it, experience it. If she saw a seahorse, she wanted to touch it. The Sea Dragons-she wanted to touch them. The turtle-’touch it, grandpa’. Over and over again, she repeated her desire. Fortunately, she seemed content by just touching the glass when the fish swam by.
As we endeavor to impact kids, I hope that our children and grandchildren will be able to experience and encounter God in the same way I did as a child. I hope we never get beyond some of the emotional encounters that we experience when we find ourselves in the presence of God. I pray that Madison will see Christ followers who demonstrate their love for God in the worship service. I noticed her on Sunday morning at the church, where her dad serves as Student Ministries Pastor. When the praise and worship team was singing, she had her hand up in the air. I’m glad that her parents had her in the sanctuary so she could see and experience and be involved in the worship with the rest of the family of God. Let’s make it our business to make sure that our kids touch God and that God touches them! Yes, let’s raise a generation of kids who worship! Wasn’t it a child who went and sat on Jesus’ lap? Maybe that child just needed to touch him!
6 Comments | encouragement, leadership, misc | Permalink
Posted by tony l
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