Monday’s Discovery: Free download at Go Fish

Today while doing writing Dr. Seuss and the Bible, I stumbled upon something you should know. On the Go Fish website, www.gofishguys.com, you can download a free song just for signing up for their newsletter.

If you haven’t heard about Go Fish, here are 5 things you should know about them:

1. Kids love their music.

2. The guys are just plain fun.

3. Solid biblical truth is included in the songs.

4. The ladybug song is a great addition to the Grouchy Ladybug lesson (ok, you didn’t need to know that but it is a shameless plug for the upcoming Dr. Seuss and the Bible curriculum)

5. They are from Minnesota. I am from Minnesota. If you are from Minnesota, you are just that cool. Actually from October to April, you are just that cold…

Really, check them out if you haven’t heard of them.

Great for kid’s church, carpools and long family vacations. And anything else you need kid’s music for.

Change

For those in kid’s ministry (but families can definitely apply this too)

Today I may or may not have been slightly amused at all the Facebook bashing going on. Just because this free service that we do not have to use decided to mix things up a bit. Change things. Personally, I loved the change. Not so much the functionality of it all. But rather the idea of change. The challenge of having to figure something out. The idea that this entity is not static. It can change.

How many of us have ministries that are static? That look like they did 10 years ago? Five years ago? Even one year ago means it is a bit. . . stale. Ministry should be dynamic. Exciting. Challenging. Full of surprises.

When was the last time you had a great big surprise in your ministry? And I’m not talking about a teacher that didn’t show up or the kid that threw up in the middle of the worship area. No, I’m talking about a surprise that put that little skip of joy in your heart. You know the kind. When the kid asks the question and you let the Holy Spirit lead and suddenly the kids are sitting on the edge of their seats and you are going a direction you didn’t intend to go but it is all good. Or the kind that happens when you wake up at 5 am on Sunday morning with that idea. You know the kind of idea I’m talking about. And you hop out of bed and head for the church to make it happen before the kids arrive. When was the last time you changed things up so the kids would be surprised when they walked in the door? Or does it all look, feel, smell, and sound the same as it always does week after week after week after week?

Because the thing is. . . God doesn’t want us to stay the same. He wants us to change. So shouldn’t our ministries be changing as we are changing? As we are becoming more and more like Him? If our ministry is static, maybe it is time to look at our relationship with Him.

Maybe it is time to dig deeper. Pray more. Love further. Whatever it takes to embrace change. . . not any kind of change. . .but the kind that tells the world that God is all about changing lives and situations and outcomes. I don’t know about you, but I hope that God changes my life in a way that causes a buzz just as big as the buzz about the Facebook change. But I’d like to think it would be a positive buzz. One that challenges others to move out of their static lives, ministries, existence and move toward a dynamic future. Isn’t that what Jesus has called us to do in his name in the lives of kids?

So, yep. I’m all about change.

Chef hats + clay tools + playdough= creative learning retention

Along with our NEW Heaven’s Kitchen Family Concoctions (which you can download for free in Sept. using the code HKblog), we have a whole new line of fun toys and gadgets to complement this resource. New this week are chef sets and chef hats.  Cook for real in your kitchen or use the clay tools for imaginary food production. Dramatic play is one of the best ways for children to retain what they have learned.