Author: Jesse

Questions Kids Ask About God

January 30, 2016

One of the worship response stations that I’ve used at multiple retreats and summer camps is a table where kids can go and write down questions they have about God or the Bible. We call it “Question Cards.” There are Bibles on hand at the table and adults on hand as well to help answer…
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The Easiest Way to Learn Juggling

January 29, 2016

Perhaps you took a how-to-juggle seminar in third grade gym class, like me. Or maybe you warmed the bench (like me) on the baseball team and taught yourself how to juggle baseballs with all that time on your hands. But maybe you haven’t learned yet. Or the things you’ve tried have all failed. Over the…
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Cardboard Craft: Noah’s Ark

January 28, 2016

My daughter was making a zoo with blocks and her little plastic animals. I figured, “Why don’t we just make a Noah’s Ark since we have all these animals?” I’m not the most crafty person in the world, but I know how to cut cardboard boxes. So I started cutting up an Amazon shipping box.…
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The Role of the Children’s Pastor

January 27, 2016

I’m reading a great book on ministry with children right now called Children Matter by Scottie May, Beth Posterski, Catherine Stonehouse, and Linda Cannell (Grand Rapids: Eerdman’s, 2005). Here is a quote that made me stop in my tracks: “Our responsibility is to create an environment in which the child can learn about and enter…
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Fun in the Snow!

January 26, 2016

Happy Monday and enjoy this little video my daughter took of me trying out the fire during this past weekend’s snowstorm….
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The Line Up Game

January 25, 2016

Here’s another great group game that requires ZERO set-up or materials. It’s called The Line Up Game. There are many variations to the game. This can work with any group with three or more people. You can split the group into smaller groups to compete against one another. The goal/point of the game is for…
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An Undivided Heart

January 24, 2016

I love the simplicity of Scripture. The ability to rely on God and to have an undivided heart comes from Him! “Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness: give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name” (Psalm 86:11).
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Lance Brown: Speed Painter

January 23, 2016

When I spoke at Mt. Lebanon Camp last summer, I got to meet someone who brought a very creative presentation to the campers on an evening in the middle of the week. After our worship service was over, we had a special program for the campers where they could wave glow sticks and wear glow-in-the-dark accessories in the…
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Godly Play: A Model for Ministry with Children

January 22, 2016

Godly Play is a teaching system used by many churches around the world to educate children about God, the Bible, and also invite them into the Christian narrative. Jerome Berryman developed the curriculum and he was influenced by the educational theories of Maria Montessori. I observed Godly Play in action once when I was in…
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Is Jesus Our Superhero?

January 21, 2016

A metaphor that some people use for describing Jesus Christ is that he is our superhero. But, I feel that the metaphor (like most) breaks down here – and so much so that I am uncomfortable saying that Jesus is my superhero (and teaching kids the like). Here’s why: I believe that Jesus is beyond the…
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Juggling Ice

January 20, 2016

I ordered some silicone molds that make perfect ice spheres about the size of a baseball. I put them in the freezer and out came the ice balls for juggling. I went outside and tried them out. I was able to do it – and of course my hands got very cold! The balls began to…
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Large Group Game: Hot Potato Extreme

January 19, 2016

Here’s a great group game that actively involves everyone and no one gets “out.” It also involves an element of juggling that anyone can do without practice. It is like large group hot potato juggling. Here’s how it works: Have the group sit in a circle. You can do multiple circles if you want to…
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Talking to Kids About Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 18, 2016

The great thing about a holiday is not just the fact that many people get the day off, but it also carves a memorial into the annual calendar that commemorates something or someone that we as a society deem important. When children see that they have a day off of school and that people are…
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We Were Made to Marvel

January 17, 2016

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Sunrise at Masada

January 16, 2016

Masada was the final Jewish stronghold when the Romans took Jerusalem and the surrounding areas in the early to mid 70’s AD. It is small rocky plateau in the desert just west of the Dead Sea. Herod built a grand palace atop Masada in the 1st Century and ruins of his palace still remain. Today…
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Longest Celebrity Marriage?

January 15, 2016

Celebrities, including Hollywood stars, music icons, and famous people around the world have a reputation for short and numerous marriages. But there are always examples to the contrary, and I write this to show that lifelong monogamy is still possible. I personally believe it is only possible by the grace of God. I think I…
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A Brain Game for Ministry

January 14, 2016

I like finding neat science tricks and visual illustrations that can be used to help communicate Biblical concepts in teaching. I found this neat brain game trick which I like to call the “curved arcs” from Steve Spangler Science. He sells the pieces I bought below. But you can also make your own and he…
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How to Balance a Hat on Your Face

January 13, 2016

Enjoy this new video I just posted on balancing a hat on your face. Always remember two main things: Keep your eyes fixed on the highest point possible on the object you’re balancing. Tilt your head back farther than you think you should. Let me know if you have any questions!
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Super Easy Scripture Slides and Images

January 12, 2016

I recently stumbled upon a fast and free way to make Scripture slides for Children’s Ministry (or any other ministry, for that matter) with an array of free and attractive backgrounds. And it may already be in your phone/device. It’s built into one of the popular apps out there – the free YouVersion app of the…
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Vintage Richmond in the Public Domain

January 11, 2016

I love Richmond, VA history. I especially love finding old photos showing the way things used to be in this lovely east coast city. Some things have changed dramatically and some things have stayed mostly the same. I just found out from smithsonian.com that the New York City Library recently made nearly 200,000 photographs, documents,…
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Guess the Mystery Location

January 10, 2016

I passed this little community on the way home from one of my shows recently. You are very familiar with the name. Perhaps some clues in the pictures will tip you off. Where am I?
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The Power of Collaboration

January 9, 2016

We visited the Auguste Rodin special exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts yesterday. We learned something interesting that caught my attention: at lot of Rodin’s work as a sculptor was done collaboratively by “the school” of Rodin. In other words, while Rodin was the creative genius behind the design of his works, there…
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Bring Me Game Ideas

January 8, 2016

The ‘Bring Me’ game is a group activity ideal for engaging children. The leader requests random items, and the first person or group to bring the item gets a point. The game uses technology as it allows for internet-based scavenger hunt challenges. The leader needs to adapt the items according to the group’s characteristics. The…
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Teaching Kids About Street Performing

January 7, 2016

I performed for a small group of three to five year-olds at my daughter’s school today. They were studying about Europe, so I figured I would teach them about Europe’s rich tradition of busking (another term for street performing). I showed them a picture of a busker at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland as…
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Overcoming Stage Fright

January 6, 2016

I performed at a company holiday banquet on Sunday night in Pennsylvania. As I was eating dinner with the owner and his family, one of his children asked me, “Do you ever get nervous before your shows?” My answer was a quick and simple, “Yes.” Then I explained a little more. Yes, I still get nervous…
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