Merry Christmas from the Joyners! Here’s a little bit of our life this past year. We hope and pray the Lord’s peace and blessing over you this Advent season. D – Our little guy is now 5 years old! This year he played Tee Ball in the Spring and started soccer this past Fall when…

One Sunday last month, I taught the children’s sermon. In our church, the children are with the adults for the first half of the Sunday morning worship. Then they come to the front for a blessing and/or children’s sermon before being dismissed for a separate teaching time during the adult sermon. I have found that…

On September 26th, I will be facilitating a breakout session at the KidzMatter Conference in Evansville, IN called “When God Calls Kids: Helping Kids Discern and Grow in Their Callings.” If you’re going, come find me on Thursday at 4:30pm in Locust D at the conference! Check out my free resources from my talk right…

“Out of the Mouths of Children” Sermon from Sunday, April 21, 2024 Dr. Jesse Joyner *Scripture passages are from the NIV unless otherwise noted. Matthew 21:6 “…and they said to him, ‘Do you hear what these are saying?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and…

Today is Good Friday on the Christian calendar. I would like to share a Good Friday reflection with you. Thank you for reading… When I speak at children’s events, I tell the story of Jesus and his ministry on earth. I point out that Jesus was the only human in history who lived a perfect…

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, the day of the Christian calendar where we celebrate the Triumphal Entry, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey while the crowd shouted “Hosanna!” That means, “Save!” The choice of donkey versus a horse demonstrates that Jesus is the humble king. But there is another detail of this story that…

Mr. Belton was an elderly gentleman who lived next door to my wife and I when we lived in the first house we purchased. It was a small fixer-upper. I was determined to breathe new life into this house and make it a fine little abode for us. Every day, for as many hours as…

For lowly academics like myself, getting something published in a peer-reviewed journal is an exciting achievement. For a recent conference, I summarized the findings of my dissertation research as a paper presentation. The editor of the journal affiliated with the conference asked me to submit the paper for consideration in the journal, which I did.…

I was an early adopter of Facebook, joining sometime around 2007. In its early days, I appreciated the value it brought to my life – connectivity, networking, posting pictures for friends and family, engaging in shared interest groups, finding local deals on their marketplace, etc. But over the past several years, I discovered that though…

Merry Christmas! How many wise men (or magi, more on that below) came from the East to visit the baby Jesus? Most traditional depictions show us three. But what does the Scriptural text say? Simply put, Scripture is ambiguous on the exact number. We know there were three gifts (gold, frankincense, and myrrh), so it…

Watch three of us professors from Ascent College discuss what we think about Christians and Santa Claus (among other Christmas ideas for children and family ministry:

For those interested, I’d like to share with you the paper I presented at the 2023 SPCE conference in Chicago, IL (Society of Professors in Christian Education):

November 1st is a day where Christians worldwide celebrate the saints who have gone before us in the faith. Preacher Charles Spurgeon implored parents to teach many things to their children, including the “deeds of the martyrs and reformers” (see the slide below). When we teach our children the stories of the saints, we are…

This is my favorite time of year. The weather will be cooling down soon (hopefully :). Sarah and I celebrate our anniversary next month. My birthday is shortly thereafter. The leaves will be turning. But it’s not just all those things. School is back in session. And for some reason, I have always loved school…

Screens and digital devices are not inherently evil, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to observe that the overuse of them can lead to unhealthy effects – especially for children and youth. The Mayo Clinic points out that the overuse of screens for young people can lead to such negative outcomes as “obesity, irregular…

Have you ever heard a child say something surprisingly profound? We adults have a saying for that: “from the mouths of children” or “from the mouths of babes.” For example, when our six year-old Annie wants to “cheers” to something, she proclaims, “To the life of God!” We have no idea where she got that…

If you haven’t heard, an extraordinary event has taken place in Wilmore, Kentucky. I called this small rural town home for 5 years when I attended Asbury Theological Seminary from 2002 to 2007. In early February, one of the chapel services for students at Asbury University (the school across the street from the seminary) spontaneously…

A dear friend and colleague (Danny Yamashiro) recently interviewed me on his radio program in Boston. He gave me the opportunity to share about my recent dissertation research about the sacred calling of the variety performer. He made the episode available on Spotify and I’d like to share it with you here:

A sermon by Dr. Jesse Joyner, delivered at Eternity Church in Richmond, VA on Nov 13, 2022. Read full text below or listen to the podcast here. First Reading Isaiah 65:17-25, English Standard Version 17 “For behold, I create new heavens    and a new earth,and the former things shall not be remembered    or come into mind.18 But be glad and…

Last month, an old seminary friend of mine (Dr. Andy Miller III) called me up for an interview on his podcast. He was interested in learning more about my dissertation research. It means so much when people care to listen and learn about something that took up a good two years of my life. Yes,…

At Ascent College (where I teach), we believe that children are active participants in the kingdom of God even now. We don’t have to wait until they grow up for God do do great things through them. Furthermore, we as adults have a lot to learn in life from children (especially how to have faith).…

Tomorrow morning, I have the privilege of teaching a workshop at a conference (the LEAD Conference for the Potomac District of the Assemblies of God). The topic is about how to affirm and support children in their God-given callings in life. The content of the workshop comes from my recent research about calling. Here is…

Here is the sermon I preached yesterday at Eternity Church in Richmond, VA: “His Hesed Endures Forever,” March 27, 2022, by Jesse Joyner Scriptures: Psalm 136, Micah 6:8, and 1 John 4:7-12 The Ironman I have been a fan of the game of baseball my entire life. My mother got me into it. She herself…

My First Job Do you remember your first job? My first job was working as a waiter and dishwasher at Gayton Terrace, an assisted living community in the far West End of Henrico County. I was in high school at the time, about to get my learner’s permit for driving, and my parents were not…

In my PhD research about Christian variety performers, I am coming across a theme known as “agents of vocation.” That term comes from scholar Kathleen Cahalan, who found in her own research that “many people first experience a sense of ‘calling’ through another person.” Someone spoke into their lives in a way that led them…

My family recently visited the Claudius Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel near Shenandoah National Park. Originally constructed as a train tunnel in the 1850s, the tunnel went defunct near the end of WWII (1944) when a newer tunnel was built close by to take it’s place. The old tunnel was left unused for some time, until…

Can you think of a time when someone spoke life into you through an affirming word? Did anyone ever tell you, “You’re really good at that” or “You should consider doing such-and-such with your life, it would really help/serve others”? I’m studying the topic of calling for my research and I am learning that we…

We continue our Eternity Kids Club series with two episodes for Thanksgiving! This is a ministry of our church in Richmond, VA (Eternity Church). Join Mr. Mike as he wanders around our house looking for things he’s thankful for….

On Monday night, I experienced a first in my life: I performed an entire show while wearing a face mask. Here’s the story: a retirement home had originally booked my show for March 28th, but that date got postposed for obvious reasons. Skip ahead to September 2020 and now the retirement home is letting people onto…

Hello! In today’s episode, we are finishing up our series called “Children of the Bible.” Over the past few weeks, we learned about different kids in the Bible and how God used them for big and important things. Click on this link to find all the Eternity Kids Club episodes. Simply click on the one…

Join Larry the Lizard and some of my other friends as we learn about the Bible and have fun at the same time. Warning: there will be flannel graphs! Every Wednesday and Friday at 11:30am EST at the Eternity Church Facebook page.

If you read or study about calling and vocation (which, by the way, comes from the Latin vocare, “to call”), you will most likely come across this poetic quote by Frederick Buechner: “The place God calls you to the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet” (1993, Wishful Thinking: A Seeker’s…

We just wrapped up our third annual youth circus arts camp in Richmond, Virginia. This is the only camp of its kind in the state of Virginia. For two weeks every August, a few dozen youth participate in a day-camp where they learn how to run away with the circus! We teach them juggling, hooping,…

I recently got this question in an email from someone who is struggling with the way others perceive his love of juggling…. “I’ve been losing a bit of inspiration in the juggling world and could use someone with faith to support my hobby which is usually frowned upon. People just don’t welcome juggling. In my…

On one of my plane rides this past month, I watched a new documentary about the late Reverend Billy Graham. The film is called Billy Graham: An Extraordinary Journey. It is a wonderful summary of the life of Graham and the prolific reach of his ministry. There was one thing in particular about the documentary that…

I know we are a long way off from Christmas, but I want to share a resource with you that I came across recently. It is called “Miracle in a Manger.” I met the founder, Kim, who assisted me at my merchandise table for one of my juggling shows in Mississippi last month. She told…

There is a famous children’s song called Deep and Wide. You’re probably familiar with it. It goes… Deep and wide, deep and wide. There’s a fountain flowing deep and wide (x2). -Sidney Cox, early 20th Century The song was written by Sidney Cox, a major in the Salvation Army. He wrote hundreds of songs, but…

The word “vocation” comes to us from the Latin vocare, which means “to call.” Keller and Alsdorf point out that calling indicates a caller – and that caller is God. In their 2012 book, Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work To God’s Work (New York, NY: Riverhead Books), Keller and Alsdorf say that vocation is…

Revelation Memory Verse. We made it! Thanks for joining me on this journey through the Bible for one memory verse per each of the 66 books of the Bible. They are all now archived at #mvotwyear on Instagram. May the Lord bless you. And know that in Him, it is finished.

My grandfather-in-law, now a great-grandfather to my children, is named Julian Walton. I like the designation of “great” for him, because not only is he a great family man, but also a great servant to our nation. He is among the few veterans of the Second World War still gracing our planet. He was at…

Your daily work, no matter how seemingly glorious or menial, can be an act of worship unto the Lord. #mvotw #mvotwyear

His abundant riches never run out. He will always provide our every need. #mvotw

#mvotwyear

Reminds me of the Delirious song “Message of the Cross.” #mvotw

A most beautiful summary of the Bible. And it is this week’s memory verse in our #mvotwyear (covering the Bible in a year with a verse or two a week from each book of the Bible).

We WILL find God. He will allow us to find him. He will reveal himself to us. No matter how long it takes or how tough it seems. He is there. And He will be found by us. #mvotwyear

Gideon protested to the Lord that he was the weakest and the least in his family. Yet God (through the angel) calls Gideon a “mighty warrior.” God sees past our size, our rank, and our place in the pecking order of the world. During Lent (which starts tomorrow with Ash Wednesday) we will be doing…

The US Presidential Election will dominate the news cycle and thus the culture and conversations of Americans. The media will exploit the opportunity for every dollar they can get out of it and we will be terribly exhausted from it all. The global economy will be strong and on an upward trend overall. Russia will…

My buddy Jacob Clarke and I got to share some juggling at the Christmas Eve service at Commonwealth Chapel in Richmond, VA a few nights ago. Here is a video of us practicing at my house before the service. May you and your family have a wonderful Christmas season as we celebrate the birth of…

Now this is very intriguing, definitely worth some more reflection. But I’ll just put it out there: When the Paris terror attacks occurred a few weeks ago, someone took a screenshot of an online role playing game. Where were the players? In the virtual cathedral paying their respects to the victims of a tragedy that…

Ask a group of kids (or adults for that matter) what kind of fruit was growing on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden and most people will quickly say “the apple.” The problem with that answer is that the Bible does not say what kind of fruit…

The kids and the shepards enjoyed having Jesse as our camp pastor again this year!! Posted by Sara Hangtagool on Friday, June 12, 2015

Join me in New Albany, MS today and tomorrow for a fun early elementary day camp. Jesus welcomed the little children. Let’s do the same and tell them of the greatness of God and His love! The camp is from 3pm to 7pm today and tomorrow at Hillcrest Baptist Church in New Albany, MS. Click…

Sorry, we weren’t made for ourselves. God made us so that we can glorify Him (Isaiah 60:21). Got to share a little Westminster Catechism with over a thousand preteens this morning. That stuff was written for kids originally.   

Want to know more about the Powhatan Fair in Virginia? Read all about it here: www.powhatanfair.org

I was just sent this simple yet well produced lyric video of the old kid’s worship song Father Abraham. Kids today love lots of movement, color, and energy. That’s what you get in this video. They put a unique twist on the lyrics about moving your limbs without losing complete resemblance to the original, which…

I had the priviledge of being interviewed by my friend Keith Coast for his podcast about Kid’s Ministry (called KidMin Nation with Keith Coast). Here’s the link to the episode, enjoy! http://api.siteamp.com/podcast?key=0$n5Qp7DnXajc   

I use a lot of props, tricks, and audience participation to teach kids about the Bible. Sometimes I wonder if I am just getting a kick out of doing fun things and somehow blurring the real message that needs to be taught. That fear can potentially lead me to want to ditch props altogether with…

I love juggling rings. So it is inspiring to watch one of the greatest large ring (hoops) jugglers of all time. His name is Bob Bramson. Check him out in this video from 1993. It starts off a little slow, but he gets going as the video continues. I love the five hoop juggle down…

Psalm 100 (ESV) Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with…

Paul finishes out his list of “virtues of the mind” with “if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things….” (Phil 4:8). Excellence is something we as Christians often put to the side. We figure that we are children of God, so anything we produce is going to be just fine without the same…

When Paul tells us to think about pure things (Phil 4:8), I believe he is talking about keep our thoughts free from clutter, dirt, garbage, and sin. Purity is about cleanliness. When we take a shower, we are cleaning off the dirt and starting fresh with a pure body. So also our thoughts become darkened…

The second type of virtuous thought Paul tells us to have in Philippians 4:8 is that which is “noble” or “honorable.” This is the Greek word semnos, which is used only four times in the Greek New Testament, all by Paul. Here are the four uses (copied from the teknia.com website in the Greek Dictionary…

Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8 to think about things that are true, noble, right…. (and a long list of other virtuous things). Let’s look at the first one: True. True is a term that represents the standard for something. You can travel northward and go generally north or you can go “true north”, which…

A few years ago I started taking interns along for some of my summer camps. They assist me by teaching juggling workshops to campers, running my merchandise table, and sometimes even speaking and performing on the stage during gathering sessions. I love having these interns around. It takes a lot of weight off my shoulders…

One family tradition that we have recently started is a simple dinner time question: “What was your favorite part of the day?” Kezzie loves to both ask and answer this question. It makes for a fun time to recap the day’s events and talk about the things we value in life. I thought I would…

Since I’m in the Quad Cities, here’s a little local trivia: Name the Quad Cities area radio announcer who went on to bigger and better things in life, like leading the free world.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, here is some helpful sage advice for all us guys out there. You’re welcome.

There is a fascinating example in science of an “eternal” living animal: the Turritopsis nutricula. It is a tiny jellyfish-like creature that reverts to a juvenile after maturing to older life stages (an so on and so forth). It is a cell development process called transdifferentiation (say that ten times fast). It tops any list…

These are my top 5 posts from 2012 – based on number of hits to each post.  I had no idea my top post would be about Facebook’s little favicon, but apparently I struck a chord with the curious computer geeks out there.  Next were some resources for Children’s Ministry, including my top ten songs…

I believe in eternity – that God created us to be in communion with Him forever. From a temporal perspective, our lifespans on earth are essentially a blip compared to eternal life. So humans on earth are all kids. We are simply growing up here on this earth until we die. Kids are full of…

Just found this listing site for entertainers.  You should see my profile on there soon: www.LocoloboEvents.com

The turn-of-the-century ragtime sensation Scott Joplin may be best known for his songs “The Entertainer” and “The Maple Leaf Rag,” but he produced many more pieces, my favorite being “Bethena: A Concert Waltz.” He wrote this following the death of his new bride (of ten weeks) Freddie, who succumbed to pneumonia.  While many of his tunes are…

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MailChimp is a great newsletter-maker program that is great for ministry purposes.  Here’s why I think it is a good fit: 1. Very user-friendly.  They give you lots of pre-made templates for newsletters.  It works for amateurs or pros at web knowledge. 2. Very affordable.  As in “free” (for up to 12,000 e-mail “sends” a…

Just run with it and have fun!  You never know what good may come out of unexpected situations….  

Stay tuned.  I’m working on one of the most dangerous juggling feats of my career.  Today is a research and development day for this new project.  I love coming up with new routines for my show each year (this is the time of year to do it, now that camps have more or less finished…

The latter half of last week through the weekend, I had the privilege of ministering with Pastor Mike Nortune of Life Church East Bay in Concord, CA (Bay Area). Mike took the time to show me around San Francisco (my first time) and treat me to a Yankees vs. the A’s game at the classic…

The oversized yo-yo that’s not connected to the string is called the Diabolo.  Some people mistakenly think that the name comes from the Spanish word for “devil”, which is diablo.  But the case is quite to the contrary.  The Spanish word came later etymologically, since “Diabolo” comes from the Greek for “throw across”.  Check out…

Dave Ramsey speaks of “gazelle intense.” I like to think about the persistence of a puma, as shown in this video, which is among my favorite all-time YouTube videos due to the illustration it makes. Whether you’re juggling, serving in ministry, or building a tower out of Legos with your child, NEVER GIVE UP!

We are surrounded by many forms of prejudice and discrimination in church and society.  One that I see first hand is age discrimination in local churches.  This applies to both younger people and older people.  Let’s start with the younger people: Prejudices Against Kids in the Church: 1. Even though 50% of people who profess…

I believe God made humans in His image (Genesis 1:27).  One the the defining characteristics of God is His creativity, primarily because He created the universe out of nothing (ex nihilo).  So clearly, part of our “imago dei” involves being creative beings. I think one of the best ways to worship God and reflect His…

A favicon is that little icon that your browser shows when you bookmark a page.  I’ve had Facebook bookmarked for some time and I just noticed yesterday that instead of the small “f”, there is now a small blue triangle with one point facing in the left direction (like an arrowhead pointing left). I tried…

I learned a few things this week:  First, that we are simply God’s hands, feet, and mouthpieces on this earth.  We don’t deserve it, but by His grace He works through our fallen lives.  Secondly, that prayer works.  All week long while speaking at camp I requested prayer to simply speak what God wanted me…

Years ago, I sensed a call from God to shepherd his people.  At the time, I had no idea He was talking about children!  But that’s what ministry has been for me for the last ten years.  And though I travel a lot with my juggling show, I still get to shepherd one flock of…

This is my article that was recently published at www.cmbuzz.com Ten Ways to Recruit Volunteers This is in descending order, from least effective to most effective, with examples given for each…. 10. Mass Message Sent Via Social Media Please, please, please volunteer to watch our kids during church! #desperatekidminpastors #signupnow @everybodywithapulse @evenmyneighborsdog 9.    Last-Minute New…

I usually “oversee” the morning Children’s ministry at my church.  When I have all my volunteer teachers lined up, then I can float and make sure everything is doing fine in all the classes and offer my assistance where needed.  This morning, one of my PreSchool teachers called in sick, so I filled in her…

“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.  God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:40). Wow – talk about legacy.  I plan such measly goals in my life, thinking that I should take life…

Caillou wins!  At least, that is, in a recent study of 60 kids done by researchers at the University of Virginia for the journal Pediatrics.  The study found that kids who watched 9 minutes of Caillou as opposed to Spongebob did better on mental tests immediately following the TV viewing.  The kids who were assigned…

Here’s what I’m working on – I’m digging this thing up! http://www.amazon.com/Five-Miles-Away-World-Apart/dp/019983685X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315337439&sr=8-1

I wish I had a good “what to read” list for every city I visit. While looking for the Fodor’s guide to New York City at the library before our trip this past weekend, I stumbled upon Here is New York by E.B. White. I checked out both, along with an archaeology book and Stephen…

I usually “work” on Sundays.  That means I am responsible for leading the Children’s Ministry at Commonwealth Chapel or traveling and presenting my program at another church or event.  This morning, I was at Commonwealth Chapel.  We got to welcome a brand new lead pastor into our family this morning, Brandon Samuel.  He has been…

I have started to write down some of the funny things kids say. Working in a field that involves lots of kids, I hear quite a few quotable comments. The other day, I was juggling fire for a group of kids. As I was preparing to start juggling, I overheard two 7-8 year-old girls talking:…

Watch the video to find out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFcK9yBY590 Note: I remember learning about the physics of this idea in 7th grade and it is very fascinating! Thanks to Becky for shooting and posting this video.

Upward Sports is a great organization.  Each year, I have the privilege of speaking and entertaining at the closing ceremonies for many leagues around the nation.  The heaviest time of the year for these programs comes in late February and early March. Here is my schedule for the next week and a half.  I might…

We are officially redoing the kitchen.  This is a FULL remodel.  We bought the house as a fixer-upper and got a good price because of that.  The kitchen was the worst room in the house, and we have put up with it for a year and a half and now we are ready to do…

  When most people retell the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, one of two accounts are usually used as the source – the Gospel of Luke or the Gospel of Matthew.  The four Gospels are basically ancient biographies of Jesus Christ.  Matthew and Luke are very direct in their narratives of the birth…

After 4 and a half years of waiting and praying, God has blessed us with a child. We are officially going public with it – and we have the ultrasound to prove it. Sarah is due in September, and we know that it’s going to be a little girl! Naming will be kept a secret…

Sarah and I have officially started our very first garden – ever. And we have absolutely no idea what we’re doing. I figure we can learn by trial and error and lots of phone calls to Grandma (who has a fabulous garden). I had already cleared an area in the backyard and we have been…

So I successfully re-wired our house (haven’t done the basement or kitchen yet). I put in brand new wires throughout the upstairs and downstairs so all the receptacles are grounded and all the light fixtures are rated for 90 degrees. It was a bear of a project, escpecially working with plaster walls. We have company…

Sarah and I have made it for 6 years of marriage without ever owning a dishwasher. Before that, we were college students that ate at the dining commons and didn’t have to worry about the dishes (except for the times that we each worked in the dishroom, but those tenures were short-lived). So I walked…