Fascinating that we need to look at development and education in a “whole” person-centered way. Students are not just in need of physical or mental education. Rather students need emotional, spiritual, and social learning environments as well.
There is an interesting article on Good.is referencing a particular approach to public school education called “Whole Child-Centered Education.”
The components of this unique model are nothing new, but put together, they are.
HT iblogo
ChurchMag had a great post a while back called “Can Christians Influence the Internet Culture.”
I appreciated how the post pointed out how few people there are actually creating content on the Internet, while there are many lurkers.
The post showed how realistic it can be to be able to make a difference. I remember reading not too long ago about Christian leaders are very popular and influential on Twitter.
I think are calling as God’s people is to influence the world, not through our own means or strategic ends, but rather through God’s means and what He wants us to do. Our influence is directly tied to our faith and our commitment to Christ. The more we believe, the greater we grow in maturity in Christ, that’s when we become influential. On our own power… we aren’t influencing for God, but more for ourselves.
The remarkable thing about the way in which people talk about God, or about their relationship with God, is that it seems to escape them completely that God hears what they are saying.
We used 5 gallon pails ($2.87 from Walmart) along with some Tiki torches (around $4.00 from Walmart), and some rocks “borrowed” from our landscaping at the church. We used these as a “hanger” for the signs for the different stations at Adventures on Promise Island VBS @ Hayward Wesleyan Church.
Every summer, students who have completed grades 3-5 in our area are invited to Kids Camp. It is such a fun week of learning about Jesus and how he changes our lives.
We purchased a website domain [wikidscamp.org] and parked a blog-based website there where we could easily update and add content. We also used the site for camp information as well as registration.
It was received well. As you can see from the graphic below, WI Kids Camp was in the month of June.
During the actual week of camp, the site averaged 400-500 hits a day. We uploaded videos of the music they were singing, photo slideshows, games the students participated in, and the teaching from our camp speaker.
I had thought about doing this last year, but didn’t because I thought it was too extravagant to acquire a web domain and cumbersome to update and operate it. After having blogged for over two years now, I am quite familiar with WordPress and its abilities, so getting the domain and a website behind it was actually very easy and cost conscientious.
I’m glad we did it. It worked very well.
This picture was taken when we invited the Christian Motorcycle Association to come and share their testimonies with the middle and high school students. Then Kathy Baker took the picture and placed it on an “imaginary” magazine cover!
I have always loved raspberries and I couldn’t wait until I could grow them on my property someday. Well that day was about a month ago, when I picked the first raspberry on the Mavis property.
I know, I know, these kinds of plants grow and spread like wildfire. Yep. That’s what I’m hoping for!!
Ministering to families ALWAYS seems like an overwhelming task. This is life we are talking about… regular, average, normal, everyday life. Messing with “their life” seems invasive and most passively (with smiles) resist. Have you ever tried to tell a family what to do?
Most families are content with giving up an average of two Sundays per month to attend the church service (children to their area and adults to theirs). And that’s about it for a child’s discipleship in the ways of Jesus. Around the end of middle school and the beginning of high school, teenagers with this “light” version of discipleship begin to come unraveled, and parents begin to wonder what went wrong. Why doesn’t my teen want to come to church? Why does my formerly innocent child not want anything to do with God anymore?
Short answer? They never really had anything to do with Him to begin with.
As a “family” pastor, I’m trying to think and pray through how to both encourage families as well as scare the snot [expletive removed] out of them when it comes to looking down the line toward the teenage years.
Below is a picture I took of the whiteboard in my office that begins to categorize some of the basic first steps we need to take as a church not only organizationally, but also personally. We can’t “sell” this way of life if we are not doing it ourselves.
Although this task seems overwhelming, I hope and pray that we can both encourage and challenge families to engage with their children and their spiritual discipleship in the coming and ensuing years. And not only their kids, but also their own hearts.
At Youth Camp a couple of weeks ago, Dave Ward shared a message in the middle of the week asking this question:
Are you a practicing Christian? Or a cultural Christian?
This message seemed like the one that got everyone really thinking and assessing their Christian life. Here are Dave Ward’s categories, or list, of what it looks like to be a “practicing” Christian.
Note: This list is not exhaustive, nor is it the Gospel. It is a synopsis of sorts to help one assess whether or not they are a Christian who is engaging in the practices Jesus commanded and promised.
Since being involved in the Banderdinker, I have learned that the number 23 is a big deal. One for the 23rd Psalm. Two for the circumference of Nelson Lake = 23.4km. And many for times in Banderdinker Pam’s life where the number 23 would show up.
I couldn’t think of a better way to continue the #23 tradition than to offer a 23-word Banderdinker Blessing.
Pay close attention, it goes fast. Pastors aren’t usually known for their brevity, but I mainly work with children, so I’ve learned being long-winded isn’t in my best interest!
May your paddles be swift,
your time in the drink few.May this trip on the lake renew
your heart, straight and true.
Lord, keep us safe. Amen.
My in-laws own a sign company in Spokane, WA called National Barricade and Sign. While we were visiting them last week, my father-in-law was telling us about a robin who was trying to build a nest in their shop on top of the garage door opener. Every time they would remove the robin’s attempt to build the nest, the robin would persist and keep at it.
Not to be out-done by a robin, they setup a fan atop a ladder that blew continuously. Every time the robin would lay a twig it would blow away.
He said it was fun to watch the robin try to figure out why the twigs weren’t staying!
