Category: Camp Ministry
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GaGa Ball Variations
Read More: GaGa Ball VariationsThe GaGa ball pit game is becoming more and more ubiquitous as each summer camp season passes by. It’s an incredibly fun and simple game. It is like dodgeball in a pit where you hit the ball with your hands and you get out if the ball hits you on the legs or feet. Here…
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Awesome Crowd Game Ideas
Read More: Awesome Crowd Game IdeasI do a lot of large group events. I’m always on the lookout for games that are fun and easy for huge crowds. When people come together in large groups, there is a lot of potential energy that can be tapped in the form of socialization, laughter, competition, and shared human experiences. So here are…
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His Name Endures Forever: An Object Lesson
Read More: His Name Endures Forever: An Object LessonI’d like to share a worship response object lesson we organized at summer camp last month. It was a little risky because we had about 300 campers and it could have gotten chaotic, but the kids did great and the end result was very moving. First of all, when I say, “worship response,” I’m referring to…
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Juggling While in Motion
Read More: Juggling While in MotionLast month I successfully juggled while flying down a zip line. I had tried the feat three or four times previously and I always dropped about halfway down the line. This most recent time, though, I made it the whole way (about 100 yards). Here is the video evidence, followed by some thoughts on the…
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Scripture Memory for Kids
Read More: Scripture Memory for KidsI have an acronym for scripture memory that I use at camps: MVOTW. It stands for “Memory Verse of the Week.” You pronounce it, “muh-vah-twuh.” Kids love saying it and we put motions to the words to help us remember whatever verse we are working on. Most camps and vacation Bible schools have a theme…
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Faith Development Resources: Late Elementary
Read More: Faith Development Resources: Late ElementaryEIGHT TO TEN YEARS Adventures in Odyssey. Produced by Focus on the Family, Adventures in Odyssey is a long-running radio program that is set in the fictional mid-American town of Odyssey. Whit is the wise elder statesman of the community who helps kids figure out solutions to life’s problems through a Christian and Biblical perspective.…
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Large Group Game: Super Bible Trivia
Read More: Large Group Game: Super Bible TriviaI’ve played a fun game with large groups of kids over the years that I call “Super Bible Trivia!” This contestant-driven stage quiz game is more of a staged drama than an actual serious quiz game. But it is set up so that the kids think it is a normal quiz game at first. Don’t worry, they’ll…
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The Line Up Game
Read More: The Line Up GameHere’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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Lance Brown: Speed Painter
Read More: Lance Brown: Speed PainterWhen 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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Is Jesus Our Superhero?
Read More: Is Jesus Our Superhero?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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Large Group Game: Hot Potato Extreme
Read More: Large Group Game: Hot Potato ExtremeHere’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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A Brain Game for Ministry
Read More: A Brain Game for MinistryI 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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Super Easy Scripture Slides and Images
Read More: Super Easy Scripture Slides and ImagesI 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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Bring Me Game Ideas
Read More: Bring Me Game IdeasThe ‘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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Overcoming Stage Fright
Read More: Overcoming Stage FrightI 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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One Body, Many Parts
Read More: One Body, Many PartsWhen I spoke at Camp Dixie last weekend, I was given the theme “Submerge,” which was focused on God’s deep love for us. As I was pondering some topics to go along with that, I learned a little bit about the creatures of the deep ocean. By the way, scientists say that we know more…
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Expect the Unexpected
Read More: Expect the UnexpectedI tried a new trick at Highland Lakes Camp near Austin, TX this week. I did an illustration where I tried to explain how we are weak by ourselves but when Christ is in us, we are strong (because it is no longer us, but Christ who lives in us – Galatians 2:20). I finished…
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Not Your Ordinary Vacation Bible School
Read More: Not Your Ordinary Vacation Bible SchoolStarting tomorrow, I get to share at the “Not Your Ordinary VBS” at the First United Methodist Church in Monroe, LA. My family is able to join me for this trip as well! Please come if you’re anywhere near central Louisiana. Programs are in the evenings for the next few nights and start at 6:30pm.…
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Children’s Pastors are Bible Translators
Read More: Children’s Pastors are Bible TranslatorsI have a great deal of respect and admiration for the people of organizations like Wycliffe or New Tribes Mission who spend decades with an indigenous group of people. learn their culture and language, and then translate the Bible into that language. I believe that those who teach the Bible to kids (in any language…
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Winter Fusion 2014
Read More: Winter Fusion 2014Last night was the kickoff for Winter Fusion, a retreat for youth from churches in Virginia. I got to perform my unicycle routine as a little teaser for the full show tonight. It’s been a lot of fun so far interacting with these young people and meeting their leaders as well. The fun thing for…
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The Power of a Family Camp
Read More: The Power of a Family CampI recently spoke at a Family Camp at Camp Dixie in North Carolina. The idea is simple: create a camp experience that involves the whole family. Most camps offer programs for age-specific groups, particularly children’s and youth camps. But Family Camp is where all the members of the family come to camp together and enjoy…
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Bright Ideas You Can Use This Sunday
Read More: Bright Ideas You Can Use This SundayI’m happy to announce a new book to which I contributed. It is a collection of practical creative ministry ideas that you can use in your Sunday School, Children’s Church, camp, youth group, or other ministry setting with kids. The book categorizes the ideas so that you can find a quick and easy idea whether…
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Praying for Missionaries
Read More: Praying for MissionariesAnother one of our worship response stations at camp a few weeks ago was a station where kids could pray for world missions and the missionaries scattered around the globe. This was a very simple station – we simply hung up a large world map on the wall – at the eye level of kids.…
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Prayer Counseling in Children’s Ministry
Read More: Prayer Counseling in Children’s MinistryIn a previous post, I explained the idea of worship response stations and their use in ministry to children. I am going to unpack each station in a series of posts, starting with the prayer station. The Bible teaches us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), so I believe prayer is essential to Children’s…
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How to Memorize Scripture
Read More: How to Memorize ScriptureI personally learn how to memorize things better when I associate the thing I want to memorize with something else that is unique and/or familiar to me. For example, if someone tells me their name is John (a very common name), I might quickly imagine that person dressed up as John the Baptist baptizing Jesus…
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Popular Posts
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“Holy Fools”: Exploring the Journey of Calling for Christian Variety Performers
I am happy to announce that my PhD dissertation has been published to ProQuest, an academic database for published research. I have made the dissertation open source, which means anyone anywhere can access the full content free of charge. Here is the full dissertation: https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/holy-fools-exploring-journey-calling-christian/docview/2622316783/se-2 Please share far and wide. I am very much excited…
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The Easiest Large Group Game Ever
This is probably the easiest large group game ever invented. If you can think of an easier one, please let me know in the comments. Heads or Tails! This game of heads or tails involves EVERYONE in your large group. It is actually better the larger the group gets. There is an elimination factor to…
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Merry Christmas from the Joyners!
Greetings from our family in Richmond, Virginia! We are thankful for you, our friends and family. We are also thankful to the Lord for His gift of the love to us all this season. This past year has been a roller coaster of experiences and emotions, specifically regarding our spunky little Annie, who is now…
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Book Release! Incredibly Bad Dad Jokes
I have been writing down my original Dad jokes for several years now, but recently they dramatically increased. While the past five months of my life have been the toughest for me as a Dad (with Annie’s medical crisis), the Dad jokes actually came out in full force during this season. You see, in my…
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A Children’s Ministry Poem
From the mouths of children come questions galore about heaven and angels and Satan and more. They speak what their hearts say without holding back, so the wonder of God is something they never lack. Oh God, who are you? Who inspires the minds of little ones many, so that they may find this Jesus…