Ryan Frank

Archive for June, 2009

Posted on June 30, 2009 - by edoyle

Tuesday Talk: Gil Johnson

Tuesday Talk is a weekly feature on Ryan Frank’s blog. Each week, I interview one children’s ministry expert and ask for their answer to a question. Check back every Tuesday for a new interview.

This week on Tuesday Talk:
Gil Johnson answers the question, “How can children’s ministries use video to enhance their worship time?”

As we all know, the kids that we work with in our churches are living in a visual world. They see videos on television, computers, iPods, and even billboards as they move through their daily lives. While it’s always great to use video for funny intros, Bible teaching and game times, we should use the same attention grabbing technologies to help these kids engage in their most important task- worshiping God.

Children’s ministries can strategically use video in their worship time by first using video to set the mood as kids arrive. This will help get them prepared for worship by letting them hear worship and possibly even watch other kids worship.

Videos used during the music portion of the worship time will help kids by letting them see the words they are singing and some videos even have something going on in the background to add context to the message. On a practical level, using video can help hold kids’ attention and help them focus on worship instead of being distracted by the environment they are in or the other kids around them. All of these elements help make the worship time more relevant and meaningful to the kids.

Gil Johnson is the marketing manager for the Integrity Kids worship product line of Integrity Music and is also Children’s Pastor at West Mobile Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama. He spends his free time with his beautiful wife Jennifer, their 12 year old daughter Hannah and 9 year old son Justin.

Posted on June 27, 2009 - by rfrank

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-06-27

• Jesus helps the nobleman's son in kids church, Revelation chapter 2 in Sunday School and VBS kicks off tonight. What an exciting day! #
• VBS is off to a great start!! Crazy but great! #
• Enjoying a morning off with the fam and planning something special for a friend. Night 2 of VBS is tonight! #
• The drive thru at McDonalds can be eternal at lunch time. #
• 120 minutes and counting until VBS starts back up. I need oxygen. #
• We have some of the best VBS volunteers in the world! I'm so proud of our team! #
• Driving to the KidzMatter office to take a last look at the July/Aug issue before it goes to print. #
• Driving to the KidzMatter office to take a last look at the July/Aug issue of K! before it goes to print. #
• The AC in the KidzMatter office is screwing up. I hate it when that happens! #
• I don't know why, but @jimwideman 's articles always look cool in K! Magazine. #
• Beth and I are taking dinner to some friends on our way to VBS. #
• In the middle of VBS and loving it. #
• I'm trying to make my way around to every man who is volunteering at VBS this week and giving a personal thank you. Real men do love kids! #
• I am giving away 25 free copies of Reggie Joiner's new book next week. Make sure you get the @KidzMatter emails. #kidmin #
• What are some ways children’s pastors can make the message stick with preteens? http://bit.ly/3w10h5 #kidmin #
• Is it really a day off if you have VBS in the evening? I'm thinking about tomorrow. #
• We are hanging with the youth pastor and his family at the water park. It's packed today. #
• Part of me wishes VBS was every night. Then I remember how much sleep I haven't had the last 2 weeks. #
• Just wrapped up a three-hour meeting. I need some fresh air! #
• I just overheard @kidzmatter2me say that he has a gingerbread cookie jar in his bedroom. #
• Last minute prep for @kidzmatter staff meeting. #
• @kidzmatter meeting adjourned. Now it's time for @kidzmatter2me and I to go clean up from our VBS closing program last night. #
• Eating lunch with @kidzmatter2me. #
• @kidzmatter2me is trying to decide what to order t the one and only Sweetser cafe. http://yfrog.com/0w4x9kj #
• Stickers from VBS are showing up on the carpet in my office. My office is not in a different building. I'm getting weirded out. #
• I love it when someone in the church calls for computer help because "I'm the techie person at church" #
• Putting off desk-work because of VBS can be very stressful. There are 8 piles on my desk as I speak. #
• Eating dinner with some friends from Sunday School. #
• The Wiggles music has a way of sticking in your brain and never leaving. #
• I enjoy…that we're making new stories that'll be around in 50 yrs, not just cranking out merchandise.
  -Scott Clark, Pixar (via @thampson) in reply to thampson #
• @ChristineYJones I feel your pain about the BMV! 2 weeks ago I was there for 2 hours!! in reply to ChristineYJones #
• Confessions of a Shopaholic just started. I think I'll work on email while "watching" the movie. #
• #followfriday: @thampson @Kathrynjoy25 @kidzmatter2me @tyrelhatfield @michaelchanley @ronhunter #
• Driving to church while tweeting and drinking coffee probably isnt smart. #
• I'm glad I'm not the youth pastor who is living at the fireworks tent this week! #
• I'm still trying to find it in the bible but there have to be strawberry limeades in heaven. #
• Started season 2 of #24. This is how addictions start. #
• @kidzmatter2me: Tweetboard looks good on your blog. Way to go. http://www.evandoyle.com #
• Eating at Red Lobster with the in-laws cebrating a birthday. http://yfrog.com/59vxxxj #

Posted on June 26, 2009 - by rfrank

New Kids Conference

I just learned about a new kids conference and family night that might be coming to a city near you! It’s called KICKIR (Kids In Christ Keeping It Real).The theme of the ’09-’10 event is Grow & Go.

You can even host a KICKIR event at your church. You’ll get some great entertainment, worship, teaching – both for kids and adults. You’ll recognize some of the names behind this new event; names like Brandon Rushin, Uncle Charlie, Keith Coast and Brent Weber. Get over to their website and check it out for yourself! It looks like a winner to me.

Posted on June 23, 2009 - by rfrank

What matters the most

What matters the most in ministry? I think the answer can be found in one word: relationships. Any program or ministry (I don’t care how big your budget or staff is) will only be as effective as your ability to develop relationships. Relationships matter.

Today I got a call on my cell phone from one of my volunteers. They had a golf cart accident on their street. Her daughter fell out, hit the road pretty hard and experienced a small concussion. She was calling to ask for prayer and to tell me that she wouldn’t be at VBS tonight.

Beth and I made a special effort to show that we care. Before VBS we took dinner by their house. It wasn’t homemade – we aren’t that good! It was some fried chicken and sides that we picked up in town. We stopped by and visited with the family on our way to church.

The old saying is true: People don’t care how much you know until you know how much you care. The devil wants to get us so busy that we don’t have time to focus on the important things in life – like relationships. I wish I could tell you that I always get this right. I don’t. I need to do better just like we all do.

Remember what matters most and give it your time and energy! Relationships matter.

Posted on June 23, 2009 - by rfrank

Tuesday Talk: Patrick Snow

Tuesday Talk is a weekly feature on Ryan Frank’s blog.  Each week, I interview one children’s ministry expert and ask for their answer to a question.  Check back every Tuesday for a new interview.

This week on Tuesday Talk:
Patrick Snow answers the question, “What are some ways children’s pastors can make the message stick with preteens?”

One way to make the message stick with preteens is to be interactive. Involving them in the lesson works great because preteen students are instantly attracted to what’s being taught when they are actively a part of the teaching. They love being involved and they love watching their peers be involved. This can be accomplished by including just one preteen or the whole group.
Building active elements into the message is another way of helping the message stick. Active elements are anything that gets them up and moving such as a game or a dance. The body of a preteen is constantly changing. As it grows, it builds up energy. When that energy is released it can be very distracting. Using these elements not only helps preteens to release that energy during the parts of the lesson that are appropriate, but it also uses it in a way that is beneficial to their learning.
Finally, it helps to bring the message down to one point, and repeat that one point multiple times during the lesson. Repetition is an important part of the learning process. Most preteens need to hear something more than once before they can grasp it.

Patrick Snow sworks at Christ In Youth where he is the Director of SuperStart!, a national-touring weekend event for preteens. Since graduating from Johnson Bible College in 1999, he has been involved with preteen and children’s ministries for more than ten years.  Patrick is the author of the book, Leading Preteens.  He lives in Joplin, MO with his wife, Samantha.

Posted on June 20, 2009 - by rfrank

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-06-20

• What a great day! @yancynotnancy in concert this AM, fun hangin with Mrs.@jimwideman, 30 CEF people teaching our kids SS classes. How fun! #
• @yancynotnancy Great job this AM! The kids loved the Yancy Praise Party! Let's do lunch this week while you're in town. #kidmin #
• Standing over the coffee pot and catching up with the church staffers about the weekend. #
• Eating lunch with a missionary to Australia. #
• Buying kitchen appliances for the childrens building at church. #
• Stop people pleasing! I'm downloading a preaching series from @jamessmacdonald. Beth heard it on the radio and raved. http://bit.ly/VJXkD #
• Watching a video that will change your perspective on life. A must-see! http://bit.ly/1816vP #
• Up early approving the July/August issue of K! Magazine. This one is all about creativity. I think you're gonna like it. #kidmin #
• Installing a TV in our church bookstore. Oh the many hats of a children's pastor. #
• How can a ministry help parents raise modern-day Josephs? http://bit.ly/IHwMO #kidmin #
• Beth and I are taking Luci to swim! I love my day off. #
• Making some phone calls about VBS next week. #
• @jimwideman When do I get a peak at your new website Jim? Julie was telling me about it Sunday. I can't wait! in reply to jimwideman #
• VBS starts in 2 days! I can't wait. #
• My friend Justyn Smith has a few questions for you. Can you answer them? http://justynsmith.com #kidmin #
• I told myself that I wasn't going to get out of the chair until I replied to 30 emails. It worked. The 30th just sent and I'm out of here! #
• @danscott77 It took me about half 30 minutes to reply to those emails. It wasn't too bad! Have a great weekend. in reply to danscott77 #
• #followfriday: @danscott77 @Tannerman @mattguevara @PhilHarris @TeacherTim @LShallenberger @steveconley @henryjz @SusanHughes #
• Watching a movie with Beth while doing some staff planning for @kidzmatter. #

Posted on June 16, 2009 - by rfrank

Why I Use OmniFocus

If you’re a task-oriented person, you’ll enjoy this blog post. If you’re people-oriented go ahead and keep reading, you just won’t find it as interesting. Since I opened that can of worms, let me tell you that I’m a task-oriented guy that is growing to be more of a people-oriented person. The ministry is all about people, amen? People work always trumps paper work.

Two years ago I came to a breaking point. My task lists were overwhelming me. I’m a full-time children’s pastor, the publisher of a growing bi-monthly magazine, the leader of a growing company, and serve on a handful of boards. Each of these have a way of creating some nice task lists. My breaking point came when I realized I couldn’t manage my tasks. I was working off a task list in Mail, several Excel spreadsheets, a few Stickies, and a pad of paper. It was a classic mess.

Then I discovered OmniFocus. It’s powerful task-management software. Here’s what I like about it.

1. Tasks (called actions in OmniFocus) can be as simple or complex as you want. You can simply add a task (Pick up some goldfish crackers before Sunday) or add a task complete with a due date, context, reminder, and the whole nine yards.

2. You can organize your tasks by category. Some of my categories include: This Week, Personal, Church, KidzMatter, K! Magazine, INCM, etc. Each of these categories even have subcategories with tasks under each.

3. You can send yourself to-dos from your email. Omnifocus will watch for incoming emails that are tasks and will automatically add them to your Omnifocus inbox. Come on, you’ve gotta admit that this is cool.

4. The context feature is one of my favorite things. Remember, I probably have 30 different task lists in OmniFocus. Since each task can have a context, like “Errands”, I can view all of my tasks by context. This means all of my errands will show up in a nice list when I am ready to start shopping.

5. You can capture tasks anywhere. This is good if you have the memory of a goldfish like I do. OmniFocus is based on David Allen’s popular Getting Things Done (GTD) productivity system. The first principle in that system is that you should be able to add (capture) new to-dos whenever and wherever they occur to you. If you are typing an email and think of a task, with a few keystrokes, you can add a task to Omnifocus. You can do this from any application on your Mac.

6. There’s an OmniFocus app for the iPhone. This means your task list is always synched with your iPhone. Nice!

OmniFocus 1.0.6 (the current version) is the coolest task management software I have found. If you’re like me and you spend as much time managing your to-do list as you do actually completing the tasks on it, you’ll be hooked. That’s my two cents worth.

Posted on June 16, 2009 - by rfrank

Tuesday Talk: Larry Fowler

Tuesday Talk is a weekly feature on Ryan Frank’s blog.  Each week, I interview one children’s ministry expert and ask for their answer to a question.  Check back every Tuesday for a new interview.

This week on Tuesday Talk:
Larry Fowler answers the question, “How can a ministry help parents raise modern-day Josephs?”

Wow–there could be so many responses, so let me mention three that I think are key:
1. Don’t let them off the hook.  In other words, never stop talking about the fact that, Biblically speaking, parents are first responsible for spiritual training.  Keep reminding them in every communication that you do, but of course in a loving, encouraging way.

2. Work on motivating parents.  We do a pretty good job of making parents feel guilty, but what do we do to help them to want to raise their kids spiritually?  Use both extrinsic and intrinsic–recognize, reward, celebrate, personally commend, challenge, and whatever else might motivate.  I believe this is the missing piece; the Biblical pattern is clear, and there are certainly enough tools available.  So why don’t parents use them?  They’re not motivated.

3. Give them a target.  Parents are so motivated when they have a target; just let them hear that their soccer player could star on a club team with more practice, and watch them respond.  That’s why I talk about a modern-day Joseph so much: because the Old Testament Joseph story so beautifully portrays what we would like our kids to turn out to be once they leave home.  Then, add intermediate targets–what children should know and become at two- to four-year intervals throughout their growing up years.  Celebrate with and honor the parents who work with their children to reach those targets.

Larry Fowler serves as executive director of global training for Awana, an international organization committed to helping churches and parents raise children and youth to know, love and serve Jesus Christ. He is an author of two books and a speaker to audiences worldwide both inside and outside of Awana. Larry and his wife, Diane, have two grown children and seven grandchildren. The Fowlers reside in suburban Chicago.

Posted on June 15, 2009 - by rfrank

Death is not dying

Today my wife heard about a mother of two named Rachel from Vancouver, Canada, who only has a few weeks to live. Her story is amazing. She has a website that you have to see. Be sure to watch the video on the homepage. It was recorded on March 4th of this year. What started out as a speaking engagement for 40 women from her church turned into an event attended by over 600 women.

This story will is amazing and is life-changing. Click here to go to Rachel’s website.

Posted on June 13, 2009 - by rfrank

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-06-13

• Our youth pastor is preaching. "We aren't owners of our children. We are stewards." #
• Day one of kids camp! http://yfrog.com/9u4u7j #
• The first day of kids camp is over. The kids are in bed. Praise the Lord for a great day! #
• MHaving another great day at camp! http://yfrog.com/0ta5eaj #
• The kids have gone home. We had a great week of camp! #
• Playing games with Luci at Chuck E Cheese. #
• Luci playing air hockey with Beth. http://yfrog.com/0yfbeej #
• Speaking at our youth group Junior Senior Banquet. What a great group of young adults!!! #
• Speaking at our youth group Junior Senior Banquet. What a great group of young adults! #
• I spoke tonight at our youth group Jr/Sr banquet. We've got a great group of seniors this year! #
• #followfriday #kidmin @scottberkey @pastor_ben @mattguevara @yancynotnancy @Kathrynjoy25 @robbradbury @kennyconley @jimwideman #
• Sitting in a church bored meeting. Oops. Board meeting I mean. #
• Setting up for a Yancy concert in kids church tomorrow! #