For some of us, it has been a long time since we were a kid. And in the words of an epistle writer, most adults have put their childish ways behind them. So how do you converse with children (especially today’s children!)? What do you say? What questions do you ask?
This is a great resource for starting a conversation with a kid: 100 Questions to Start Conversations
Enjoy the little things,
for one day you may look back and realize
they were the big things.~Robert Brault
via Slowing to See
Wow… convicting. I was talking with a friend the other day about the evolution of my thinking as a pastor. More and more I’m asking myself the question: “Is what I spend the majority of my time doing, what I should really be doing?” I spend a lot of my time planning events, curating and studying content and resources for teaching venues, archiving and linking video, curriculum and graphics, and other “computer” stuff. It seems to me that the organizational beast needs to be uniquely fed to continue to work. Most of the articles and thinking out there is on how to feed the beast, rather than asking: “Should we be feeding the beast?” Or “are we feeding the right beast?”
Another question: “Is what we are doing in children and youth ministry helping to disciple kids and teens?”
Hmmm…
via Ministry-To-Children
source YouTube
Wiggle a box filled with ping pong balls and attached to your waist until the box is empty in under 60 seconds.
source YouTube
You’ll need some pantyhose (I had to tie two “leggings” together to get the length needed), a heavy ball that can swing well (I tried a tennis ball, but it wasn’t quite heavy enough), a case of water bottles, and an area safe enough to swing an “elephant trunk”!
Participants are to place the open end of the pantyhose over their face and the ball is to be placed inside the other end of the pantyhose, creating an “elephant trunk.” Set the water bottles in a line to the right and the left. The further apart and the longer you can make the “march” the more difficult it will be. The game is designed to be completed in 60 seconds or less (minute to win it style) or can be a timed race between participants to see who does it in the shortest amount of time. The participants also have to stay in the middle between the two lines of water bottles on the right and left (otherwise they could just stand over the water bottles and knock them over easily… standing in the middle forces participants to swing the “elephant trunk”!). We used masking tape to mark the places the water bottles should go in between rounds and we laid out a center line for the participants to stay between.
Lots of fun and laughter with this game!!
source YouTube
source YouTube
There are so many variations one can do with a bin of bean bags. In this iteration we played a sort of “bocce” version where the students had to get the bean bag “on” to an object, or the “closest” to an object. For the objects, we just used things that were readily available. We had cones that we set out and divided the group into 3 teams and the team with the most bean bags the closest won. We moved the cones back and forth, closer and further away during each round. Then we had one of the students grab the cone and hold it toward their teammates, who in turn tried to throw the bean bag into the cone.
In the video below, we were doing a handful of challenging group throws, and we challenged the students to try to land the bean bag on the garbage can. One person was able to do it!
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In one hand you have a noodle and in the other hand you have a bean bag that lays flat on the back of your hand. The object of the game is to knock off the beanbag of your opponent with your noodle before they knock your bean bag off your hand.
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This is a sign that hangs outside the chapel building @ Riverside Bible Camp (the location of our summer Youth Camp).
Flip a playing card hard enough to stick into a watermelon half placed at a distance in 60 seconds or less.
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Contestant must transfer cotton balls, one at a time, from one serving bowl to another many feet away using only the nose in 60 seconds or less. Vaseline on the tip of the contestant’s nose is used as a transfer agent.
source YouTube
Hmm… I came across this intriguing post from a blog entitled True Woman (interesting reading I do, eh?!). It has to do with summer time projects that families can do with some of the freedom they have in the summer. I thought the article was worth sharing. You can read the post below or go to its original location here:
I’ve noticed a strange look on the faces of my friends with school-aged kids lately. It’s a look I see about the end of May every year. It’s one part delight and two parts panic, and I think I know the source—school’s out for summer! For many moms, that means having all of their children home all of the time.
Many families I know take the summer fun approach. They fill their days with trips to the pool, excursions to the lake, and movies in the afternoon. I’m all for fun summers. I love to take my boys swimming, cool off with red popsicles, and stay up late enough to catch lightning bugs in old mason jars.
But, I think summer also offers a unique opportunity to do ministry together as a family. A whole lot of free time offers a whole lot of opportunities to reach out to others and minister side by side. If your kids can get a taste of the value of serving like Jesus did, they’ll be learning an important lesson.
So, here’s a starter list of family summer ministry ideas:
Help with Vacation Bible School
Many churches host VBS during the summer. Instead of just sending your kids off to attend, grab your pre pre-teens and teens and get involved yourself with serving. If your church doesn’t have a VBS, look for ways to serve in another church, or launch a one-day VBS for a few kids in your neighborhood.Plan a local short-term missions trip
You don’t have to be a missionary to take a missions trip. Simply think of a group of people who have a need, and find a way to meet that need while sharing the love of Jesus. You can go for a day, a weekend, or a week. Here are a few missions trips my family have done:
- Clean up a playground in a low-income housing area, and then offer a free hot meal to the residents (hot dogs and chips work great!).
- Find an area of your state that has been impacted by a natural disaster, and get plugged in with a relief organization such as the Red Cross or Samaritan’s Purse.
- Ask your pastor for a list of widows or shut-ins, and call and offer to do lawn work for free during the hottest days of summer.
- Call that same list of widows and shut-ins and offer to bring them fresh produce from your garden. They likely don’t have the oomph to garden themselves, but would love to share in the bounty of your back yard.
- Call your local pregnancy care center and offer to come and sort supplies for moms in need.
This list is just the tip of the iceberg. The possibilities are endless!
Serve lemonade
Encourage your children to set up a lemonade stand to raise funds for people in need. Even young children will enjoy creating and decorating a lemonade stand, making lemonade and treats, and collecting money from “customers.” (I would recommend calling friends and neighbors and encouraging them to stop by). Then, give your child a few options of organizations and let them go with you to deliver their hard-earned money.Adopt a family
Not every momma gets to stay at home with her kids in the summer. This can be especially true for single moms. That means some kids are left to fend for themselves while their parents work. If you know a family in this situation, offer to take the kids during the day for the summer, and be sure to specify that you don’t expect any payment in return. Will it be a sacrifice? You betcha! But God’s Word urges us to look after each other in practical ways like this. Be intentional about looking for a family that you can help by being generous with your time.Chalk up some blessings
Grab the sidewalk chalk and hop in the car to visit people in need of an extra boost. Write an encouraging message in chalk on their sidewalk or front stoop, or write out a verse that is applicable or encouraging. Taking the time to give an encouraging word can go a long way . . . doing so in bright colored chalk is even better!Summers provide a unique opportunity for families who have the time and flexibility to break free from routine. Using that window to serve others in Jesus’ name is one of the best uses of your family’s time. Any other ideas? How can your family minister together this summer?
via True Woman
Using a designated hand for each box, remove all tissues from 2 tissue boxes in under 60 seconds.
source YouTube