Genealogies are fascinating. Boring, but fascinating. I remember back in Bible College listening to a professor unpack the profound insights found in the names and arrangements of the various Jewish genealogies. It didn’t make genealogies any more easier to read, but it make it far more relevant and fascinating. Take Jesus’ two genealogical records for […]
If the Exodus were to have happened in our tech-savvy world pervaded by social media, perhaps the digital footprint would look like this: HT Youth Ministry Geek source YouTube
This year in Main Street we’re trying to get the students to memorize the New Testament books of the Bible. A couple of Sundays ago, we printed the names of all the books of the NT on posterboard placards and had many of the students participate in holding them on the stage and we all […]
“This resource is a super fun video-driven game that encourages lots of crowd interaction. There are 25 short video clips of athletes (skateboarders, bikers, snowboarders…) attempting some pretty cool jumps, flips, and tricks. To play the game, simply play the clips – they’ll pause at the pinnacle of each trick so your students can guess: […]
The Dot Game This is a classic game that we adapted for the stage and a crowd. It went great. The Main Street students especially liked beating me on the last round! source YouTube
How to Play “Bite the Bag” Game: You need a paper bag cut down to about 3-4 inches. The object of the game is to grab the paper bag with your mouth while bending down and balancing on one foot. Your hands or arms cannot touch the ground as well. Some people play this game […]
How to Play the “Man, Gun, Gorilla” Game: This is a life-sized version of the popular game: Paper, Rock, Scissors. Man – embodied by the showing of “muscles” Gun – embodied by, you guessed it, the showing of a “gun” Gorilla – embodied by the “beating of your chest” The contestants stand back-to-back. On the […]
In Acts 8, a man named Simon, known in Samaria as “The Great One” or “The Great Power” believed and was baptized. When Peter and John arrived, they realized these new converts in Samaria did not receive the Holy Spirit. So they laid hands on people and they received the Holy Spirit. Simon desperately wanted […]
We have played this game in both Main Street and Middle School Youth. How to play Heads or Tails: The only supply you need is a coin, and possibly a prize for the winner. Prior to flipping the coin, the students choose either HEADS or TAILS. They “choose” HEADS by placing their hands on their […]
Jesus is Nailed to a Cross Mark 15:22-32 The Death of Jesus Mark 15:33-39 Jesus is Alive Mark 16:1-7 HT Lifetogether source YouTube [1], [2], [3]
I get this question fairly often. It’s one of those questions that children’s pastors and leaders ask each other. The Database / Checkin System is BVCMS I’ve been on the lookout for a full-featured, web-based database system for a while, however our youth and children’s ministry could not afford what the companies were charging. So […]
I forget about these stories until Amanda tells me: “You should write about ______.” Then I’ll go: “Oh yeah, I forgot about that.” Here is one of those stories: The situation: We were flying from Minneapolis, MN to Spokane, WA on an evening direct flight and Sari was a baby; probably around 6-7 months-old. Back […]
We are not the perfect family nor the perfect parents by any means. I’m a recovering control freak. I’ve even lost my temper a few times (okay, more than a few times). I won’t mention what my wife is not perfect at… because that’s not my job! My kids tend to get hyper (because of […]
I’m often asked by other churches or children’s ministry leaders what we do for an outreach during Easter and how we do it. Here’s my typical answer: Easter Eggstravaganza The Easter Eggstravaganza starts @ 11am on the Saturday before Easter. Everyone starts in the sanctuary where we put on a brief program for the kids […]
Stephen is described as a man full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3). He did “great wonders and miraculous signs among the people…[and] men began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke” (Acts 6:8, 9-10). Stephen was dragged before the […]
Interesting infographic on how the brain interacts with input (i.e. teaching): HT ym360 source Chris Lema
These kind of figures always astound me: HT Youth Ministry Media
Jonathan McKee has an interesting resource he’s working on called: “R U Listening?” About “R U Listening?”: We are asking thousands of teenagers across North America, “What advice would you give to your parents if you knew they would actually listen?” The responses are amazing… if you really listen. Listen in right here each week, […]
This video has been making the rounds among the various blog feeds in my Google Reader. It’s pretty cool! HT the overflow source YouTube
HT the overflow source YouTube