Jesse Joyner, PhD

Category: Upward

  • Fun at Eagle Church in Indiana

    Enjoy this short video of the machete juggling at the Upward closing ceremony for Eagle Church in Whitestown, IN!   @jessejoyner juggling machetes at the Upward Awards Program 😳😁 Thanks for the incredible gospel presentation and show. You rock! #jessethejuggler #eaglechurch #upward #machetes A video posted by Eagle Church (@eagle_church) on Mar 5, 2016 at…

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  • Lance Brown: Speed Painter

    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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  • How to Find a Good Upward Sports™ Entertainer

      If you are an Upward Sports™ league director, then you have probably run into the tough decision of finding a good speaker or entertainer for your closing ceremony. There are many very effective, talented, and Gospel-focused speakers out there. But there are also some entertainers floating around that are just not the right fit for…

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  • The Upward Show When My Luggage Didn’t Arrive

    In nearly 15 years of doing shows, there have been two times where my luggage did not arrive in time for the show. The first time was on Easter weekend about five years ago. My flight was diverted (due to weather, I think) to a different city than originally planned. I rented a car and…

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  • What is an Upward Sports™ Entertainer?

    Upward Sports™ Entertainer – an individual or group who performs and presents the Christian Gospel for the closing awards ceremony of a local Upward™ Sports league. That’s the basic definition.  The goal of this outline is to be informative and helpful for Upward Sports™ league directors, Upward Sports™ parents/family members, Upward Sports™ participants, Upward Sports™…

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  • A Trip to Upward Headquarters

    Sarah, Kezzie, and I just got back from a camp in Mississippi (Lake Forest Ranch).  On our way back, I performed at Hillcrest Baptist Church in New Albany, MS.  It was at these recent shows that I first tried out the new light-up stickman costume with LED juggling props – definitely a hit with the…

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Popular Posts

  • “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…

  • The Easiest Large Group Game Ever
    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…

  • When God Calls Kids

    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

    “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…

  • Not a Single Bone Shall Be Broken

    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…