Category: Children’s Ministry

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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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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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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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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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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The “How to Juggle” Trilogy

January 5, 2016

Today, I posted a short video on how to juggle five balls. That completes the “trilogy” of instructional videos on three, four, and five ball juggling. Here are all three (in order of three, four, and five). Let me know what you think!
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Teaching Kids About Money

January 4, 2016

Thanks to Dave Ramsey and other financial teachers, we were inspired to use clear labeled jars to show our daughter how much money she has and how to categorize it. I know that she will grow up in an even more digital world than we did, which means money will become more and more “invisible”…
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My Predictions for 2016

January 3, 2016

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…
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The Wreaths of Williamsburg

January 1, 2016

One of the benefits of being a traveling performer is the opportunity to see a lot of neat places. I often arrive extra early to my events because I like to scope out the area and have plenty of time for set up and “Murphy’s Law.” I had a gig last night at a restaurant…
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Top Blog Posts of 2015

December 31, 2015

Hello readers! Like many other sites, I’d like to offer you the top ten posts of the year from right here at jessejoyner.com Thank you to all of you who take time to read my blog. I’m not a professional writer. I hope to provide blog content that is helpful to people who work with…
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Juggling and the Meaning of “Immanuel”

December 29, 2015

Having fun at the Christmas Eve service at Commonwealth Chapel a few nights ago. This is a video of Jacob and I knocking the candy cane out of Pastor Rob’s mouth while passing around him! The teaching focus was on the fact that Jesus entered the world as a gift to community (Immanuel means, ‘God…
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Merry Christmas from Jesse Joyner Juggling!

December 27, 2015

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…
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Virtual Reality and Faith

December 1, 2015

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…
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What Kind of Fruit Did Adam and Eve Eat?

November 29, 2015

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…
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Five Ways to Redeem Halloween

October 27, 2015

As a Christian who grew up in the church and in a Christian family, I have seen many various ways that Christians respond to the cultural phenomenon that has become Halloween. Like many things in life, there are extreme ways to celebrate (or not celebrate) something. Some Christians avoid Halloween and anything having to do…
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It’s How You Finish – Peter Sagan Wins 2015 UCI Gold

September 29, 2015

This past Sunday, I witnessed an incredible feat that proved the old mantra, “it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.” My hometown of Richmond, Virginia, just hosted the UCI World Championships. The “UCI Worlds” are the annual global competition of the best road cyclists in the world. These are the cyclists who race…
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Expect the Unexpected

July 30, 2015

I 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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Library Shows This Week in Richmond, VA

July 5, 2015

Here’s the schedule for my library shows this week in the Richmond, VA area (they’re actually in some of the surrounding counties around Richmond). These are all part of the Pamunkey Regional Library System. Click on the picture on the right for the library system’s website. Monday – Mechanicsville Branch (11am) and Atlee Branch…
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5 Fun and Easy Summer Camp Games

July 2, 2015

Millions of kids across the country are participating in some sort of summer camp experience this summer. Camp is such a meaningful time for kids because of the memories they make, the friends they meet, and the fun they have. Since I travel to many camps each summer, I get to see a lot of…
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Behind the Back Whip Catch with the Chinese Yo Yo

July 2, 2015

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