Posts Tagged ‘News’

Posted on February 6, 2010 - by rfrank

What I remember about Veggie Tales

I remember the first time I heard about Veggie Tales. It was 1994. I was in college and a children’s ministry director named Jaena told me I need to check them out. She had a story about how her cousin (or friend of a cousin, or friend of a friend of a cousin) was a college roommate with the guy who started making these cartoons on his computer. She introduced me to Bob and Larry for the first time.

I remember the first time I showed a Veggie Tales movie to the kids in my church. They loved it. My adult workers loved it even more. Back then you could show Veggie Tales to a room full of kids and most of them had never heard of it. Good luck doing that anymore.

I remember the first Bob and Larry stuffed toys I bought for my office. My office was a baptism changing room at the time, but gosh was this young children’s pastor excited to have Bob and Larry sitting on my shelf. Why? I was relevant.

I remember when 3 2 1 Penguins hit the market in 2000. Man was I excited to see a new line of videos. I was so bored with Adventures in Odyssey and McGee and Me.

I remember the first time I heard that Big Idea Productions was being sued by Lyrick over distribution issues. This was before K! Magazine and before I had “connections.” I couldn’t pick up the phone and call someone to see what was happening, I had to rely on Google, and Google confirmed the story.

I remember the spring/summer of 2003 when the court found in favor of Lyrick and awarded them $11 million in damages. I remember hearing the news that Big Idea (as it had been known) was dead.

I will always remember hearing Phil Vischer speak at Children’s Pastors’ Conference 2009. Since I’m on the board at INCM, I had the opportunity to meet Phil before the session when he spoke and talked to him for a few minutes back stage. What a great guy. I remember sitting in that room with 2,000+ other children’s pastors with my wife one one side and Evan Doyle on the other side. There, Phil shared his story. He shared the tough lessons he had learned about business – but most importantly – the lessons he had learned about his relationship with God. I bought the DVD of that session and have shared it with so many people.

Is Veggie Tales over? Obviously not. The company has new leadership and they are cranking out new products  like mad. I got something in the mail at the church this week about their new DVD called Pistachio.

Is Phil Vischer done? Nope. He has a new company called Jelly Telly. That’s another blog post of it’s own. I’m real excited about a new DVD series that Phil is creating called What’s in the Bible. It’s designed to walk kids and families through the entire Bible. The 13 DVD-series will release beginning March 1, 2010.

Some of my friends (Todd and Sean at Timbuktoons) have been working with Phil and the team on this project. Timbuktoons is the company that does the animation and video enhancements on our Kitchen videos. I got a sneak peak at What’s in the Bible a few weeks ago when I was meeting with Awana. It’s going to be great stuff that every Christian parent and children’s pastor will want to snatch up.

Enough rambling about Veggie Tales. All this food talk has made me hungry. I better hit the fridge.

Posted on February 4, 2010 - by rfrank

Roger Fields, curriculum and the new purple gorilla

God has blessed me with some great friends. It seems like most of them live in other states and I only get to see them once or twice a year. One of those friends is Roger Fields.

Roger is one of the most creative guys I know and he is a loyal friend. He also knows what he’s talking about. Roger is one of those guys that when he talks – I listen. He sent an email yesterday to his eBlitz subscribers (you should sign up) and it got me thinking. I thought I would share his thoughts with you.

Curriculum is a Disease.

That’s right! I said it. Not only does the word “curriculum” sound dry, stale and academic, it sounds like a disease! Pronouced “kuRIKyoolum,” say it out loud slowly and tell me it does not sound like a disease. The only word it rhymes with is “diverticulum” which is a herniation through the muscular wall of a tubular organ such as the colon. That’s right. There’s a link between curriculum and hernias. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

Can’t you hear it now? “My aunt Thelma has pancreatic curriculum.” “Bobby got acute curriculum and had it for 13 weeks. It hit him on a Sunday morning at 11:00 when he glazed over and stiffened up in his metal chair while staring at the white board.” Any day now the World Health Organization will declare an outbreak of curriculum a pandemic sweeping through Sunday Schools across America. This virus must be stopped now before if bores children into a comatose state and shuts down blood flow to the heart.

Research shows that children exposed to dry curriculum through their elementary years develop hardness of the heart. They acquire a resistance to the Spirit of God and a blockage in their inner ears.

We need another word. There is nothing wrong with using materials to help teach kids. I am a curriculum publisher. But the WORD “curriculum” has got to go. It encourages the flawed idea that we can subject kids to an academic lesson and expect them to get excited about God. The bug is not so much the curriculum itself but the curriculum mentality that is the ailment. Until we can come up with a better word that sounds more alive, there is, however, a four-step remedy for the curriculum malady. Think of it as curriculum bypass surgery.

1. Use curriculum that uplifts the amazing character of God and what He has done for us. Remember it is ultimately about what God has done for us not about what we do for Him.
2. Encourage your teachers to read over the “lesson” at the start of the week to give the Holy Spirit time to make it real and practical in their lives before Sunday rolls around.
3. Get kids involved with what you are teaching. Guard against creating a spectator environment where kids merely sit up straight and listen.
4. Don’t be afraid to change direction at a moment’s noticed based on how God leads.

Together we can stop this dreadful disease from sweeping though our churches and choking the spiritual life out of kids.

Roger Fields

P.S. Have you seen the Bo Zerk, the new purple gorilla, in Kidz Blitz Live? Go to http://www.kidzblitz.com/go.htm

Posted on February 3, 2010 - by rfrank

Standard Publishing VBS program voted “Best VBS”

Yesterday it was announced that Standard Publishing’s 2010 VBS, Hero HeadQuarters, Where Kids Join Forces with God!, was been voted “Best VBS” by Your Church Magazine (published by Christianity Today).

Each year Your Church Magazine conducts an independent study with many VBS programs and evaluates those programs based on music, content, crafts and more.

“The strong theme of unsung Bible heroes and the message to kids of being an everyday hero is exciting to churches who are using Hero HeadQuarters this year,” states Larry Carpenter, president of Standard Publishing.

Standard Publishing is the original publisher of VBS material, having produced VBS programs since 1922. Standard Publishing’s material was true-to-the Bible then and still is true-to-the Bible to this day.

The independent survey conducted by Your Church magazine can be found at www.yourchurchmagazine.com.

To learn more about Hero HeadQuarters, visit www.vacationbibleschool.com.

Posted on January 18, 2010 - by rfrank

Helping Kids Cope with Disaster

My friend Kurt Jarvis emailed me a great article today and told me I could post it on my blog. I think this will help you as you help kids cope with disaster in light of Haiti. I hope you find this helpful.

When global tragedy happens it is not uncommon for Christians to wonder why God allows such things to occur. Children often have the same question. The Bible, God’s Word, can help give us understanding of these situations.

In Luke 13:1-5 we read an account where this very issue of tragedy is discussed. This account is of a time when Pilate had murdered many from Galilee and had used their blood in pagan sacrifices. Jesus answered the questions asked by many if this was God’s punishment by posing a question Himself. He asked those around him “Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? … Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them, do you think they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?””

Here are two examples of tragedies, one that was the direct action of a person (Pilate). The other tragedy might have been from a natural disaster such as an earthquake or negligence by those who constructed the tower. In both incidences people died. Jesus clarified that it was wrong to think that these people died because they were worse sinners than others. Jesus also said that when these things happen it should be a wake up call to everyone to consider their own relationship with God.

If we think global disasters are God’s judgment on people we are going against the very words of Jesus. Earthquakes happen because this is the way the earth was created; they are part of nature and what makes life. Scripture does not support that they are events triggered by God against certain nations or people. It is part of nature, part of life and part of death. Jesus calmed the storm when he was in the boat with His disciples but Jesus did not end storms forever. Storms, earthquakes and tsunamis are all part of nature. (more…)

Posted on January 15, 2010 - by rfrank

Top children’s ministry websites

The other day I was reading the Jan/Feb issue of Children’s Ministry Magazine, and on page 44 they listed the top children’s ministry websites. I found this too be interesting (especially since KidzMatter made the list). Here’s what was reported in CMM:

A recent ranking of the most-visited children’s ministry websites found these sites at the top:

1. ministry-to-children.com
2. childrensministry.com
3. kidology.org
4. kidzmatter.com
5. cmconnect.org

Source: compete.com

Posted on December 27, 2009 - by rfrank

Email or text later!

Justin Carrell (Calvary Baptist Church) told me about a cool service called EmailFuture.com. It is a free service that lets you send emails in the future. Send a message in 10 minutes or in 10 years! He thought it was something children’s pastors should know about and I agree! They also have a text messaging service at textitlater.com where you can send texts in the future.

Cool stuff, huh? Think these could be tools for training volunteers in this digital age? Thanks Justin!

Posted on November 19, 2009 - by rfrank

Volunteer Time

I was flipping through the Nov/Dec issue of Outreach Magazine this morning. Yes, I read more than K! Magazine! I came across some interesting info on page 38.

According to the Corporation for National & Community Service (did you know there was such a place?) more than 61 million Americans volunteer their time.

Want to know where they serve? Here you go:

Religious 36%

Educational 27%

Social Services 13%

Health 8%

Other 7%

Civic 6%

Sports/Arts 4%

Let this serve as a good reminder to all of us that people like to feel needed. I bet there will be some people at your church this weekend who would like to volunteer – but they might be waiting to be asked!

Posted on November 18, 2009 - by rfrank

A new blog from Mike Johnson

Mike Johnson is one of the coolest children’s pastors in America. I have enjoyed getting to know Mike and his team the past few years. In fact, the past two years we have told each other that we would get a meal at Children’s Pastors’ Conference but we always get too busy and never get around to it. Maybe this year!

Last year I asked Mike to talk write an article about his office at the church. Though I have never been in his office, I have heard about it and the picture (see it on this page) is awesome.

Mike just launched a blog. I’ll be checking it out often and I think you should too. It is at www.mikejohnsonblog.com. Go check it out for yourself. Mike has a lot to say and we we will grow if we stop and listen.

Posted on July 14, 2009 - by rfrank

Today’s big announcement: ACMA

What if…
There was a way to raise the standard of children’s ministry across America?

What if…
There was a better way to encourage and assist local children’s ministers at the local level?

What if…
American children’s ministers coordinated together to impact a small nation where 50% of the people…were children?

What if…
A church had a recognizable symbol that indicated to parents that it placed value children’s ministry?

What if…
There was a professional association for children’s ministers that helped bring all of this together?

What if…
It starts today?

I am excited about the new American Children’s Minister’s Association. Not only because I serve on the board, but because of how it’s going to change the face of children’s ministry. The ACMA will not only raise the flag for children’s ministry on a large scale but will elevate the standard of children’s ministry on a local church level. Here are some words that describe what ACMA is all about:

Encouragement
Collaboration
Recognizable symbol
Professional association
High standard
Consistency in churches
Local chapters
Exchange ideas
Global reach
Cool benefits

Enough from me. You need to check out ACMA for yourself and consider joining. For more information visit the website at www.acmaonline.org or call the ACMA office at 859.245.9530.

Posted on July 11, 2009 - by rfrank

Fritz Henderson, Bankruptcy & Children’s Ministry

I’ve been very interested in the current GM bankruptcy crisis. Not only because of national economics, but because we have a GM plant just stone-throw away from my church.

This week the new CEO of GM, Fritz Henderson, held a press conference. I was very interested in what he had to say. Man, I’m listening to this guy! He’s got some things right.

“We recognize that we’ve been given a rare second chance at GM, and we are very grateful for that.” (Henderson)

Let me let you in on a little secret. Listen and I’ll whisper it into your ear: You’re gonna need a second chance before long. I will too. We all screw up now and then.

Last fall we decided to do our trunk or treat in conjunction with our town’s parade and pumpkin walk. Great idea. Poor execution. We planned for 400 and over 800 showed up. We ran out of hot dogs and popcorn in the first hour. It was bad and it was all my fault. I failed to execute the right plan. The good news is there’s always next year. I’ll take another hit at it and I bet this year I’m ready for 1,000 people. Learn to accept second chances with grace.

“Business as usual is over at General Motors.” (Henderson)

Repeat after me: “Ministry as usual is over at (the name of your church).”

Are you in a rut? If you have to stop and think about it, you probably are. One way to get out of a rut is to learn from others. I challenged our KidzMatter team yesterday to always be in a good book. Only hungry minds can grow. It’s been said that it’s what you learn after you know it all that counts. The bottom line is this: you are the captain of your own ship – start sailing out of that rut!

“As a culture, General Motors needs to be prepared to experiment and adjust.” (Henderson)

GM is experimenting with eBay and will allow customers to start bidding on cars. You’ll never succeed in ministry until you start experimenting with change.

Some pastors I know want their ministry to grow without change. Impossible! John Patterson said, “Only fools and dead men don’t change their minds. Fools won’t. Dead men can’t.”

Henderson said that GM will create a single, eight-member executive committee to speed up day-to-day decision-making, replacing two senior leadership forums.

Fast-acting leadership is increasingly essential for companies to stay ahead of the curve. We often justify our procrastination and fear of moving ahead by saying we are “praying” or “waiting on the Lord.” Sound familiar? Yes, prayer and waiting are important, but don’t use them as an excuse for your failure to move.  Why do you need to make decisions (and fast)?

1. Until you make a decision, you are traveling in a car with no wheels. Go try it and see where you get.

2. Great ideas and important projects often fail when it takes you too long to make a decision.

3. When you choose not to make a decision, you leave the decision to others. Take the steering wheel yourself or whatever it is you need to decide on will go a million different directions.

4. Wrong decisions are better than no decisions? Why? A boat with no rudder sits still.

Start making decisions fast. This doesn’t mean in two minutes – it means as soon as possible. The important thing is to set a deadline and stick to it. General Georage S. Patton said, “Be willing to make decisions. That’s the most important quality of a leader.”