Have you heard about Quest to Learn? Quest to Learn is a new school that is using game-based learning to build 21st century literacy skills. Here's a video podcast from the school's executive director of design, Katie Salen, who talks about the philosophy behind the school, including the similarities between the way game designers work and the way good teachers work. Must see web-TV!

I'm sure you've seen or heard of Bob the Builder. It has been on television for the past eleven years and it reaches children in 240 territories and 45 different languages! Author Daniel Pink uses Bob the Builder's signature question, "Can we fix it," to illustrate the difference between positivity and doubt. According to Pink's research: In a nifty set of experiments, three social scientists explored the differences between what they call "declarative" self-talk (I will fix it!) and "interrogative" self-talk (Can I fix it?). They began by presenting a group of participants with some anagrams to solve (for example, rearranging the letters in "sauce" to spell "cause".) But before the participants tackled the problem, the researchers asked one half of them to take a minute to ask themselves whether they would complete the task – and the other half to tell themselves that they would complete the task. What were the results?

Latitude in conjunction with ReadWriteWeb has released research on what children want from their technology. It's a fascinating look at the future from a child's perspective.

I came across another amazing resource with loads of in-depth tutorials on how to paint with light. Check it out.

I've been reading Clay Shirky's new book Cognitive Surplus. The book is challenging my thinking on the impact of social networking and all things digital on society. In the book, Shirky notes that people in the United States spend 200 billion hours a year watching TV and it took only 100 million hours to create Wikipedia. What does that really look like?

I've been researching light painting ever since I saw the effect on a series of Sprint commercials. It's a fantastic effect that requires a lot of time and planning, but the end result would look amazing! Take a look at some of the tutorial links on how to create the tools to paint with light and paint with gusto!

We finished three weeks of Hot U at the end of July. It was an intense time that required over 400 volunteers and served over 1000 kids. One of the things that we looked at this year was trying to find a way to allow the kids a place to catalog what they had learned and experienced. This year we went low-tech. We placed a simple poster in each room with a key question on it and asked the kids to write on the poster. We asked kids when they felt that God was with them. We received responses like, "At my dad's funeral." "Never." "When I worship." It was a simple journal-like way to get the pulse of what God was doing. Next year I might try GuestReel. GuestReel is a Mac software application that turns your computer into a video kiosk. It looks incredibly simple. GuestReel allows users to put in their name and write a message, then record a video using the computer's built-in camera or a connected device. It would be SO awesome to see kids respond after large group in thi

I am a huge fan of mind-mapping. It's an easy way to organize your ideas. Here's a great resource on how to get started (crayons required).

Here is a short list of the tweets that have made me laugh, learn, give thanks, or think twice from the past few weeks...

My recent project for the Cory Center was What Matters Now in Children's Ministry. While the team that developed this resource are still in conversation about how to further the use of the content and expand it, I've been wondering about a new project: what's next in children's ministry? My first port of call is the New Media Consortium's "Horizon Report."

One of the critical questions that children's and family ministry leaders face is the issue of how technology impacts relationships. Regardless of where I travel to speak with children's ministry leaders and volunteers, in every venue I am asked to respond to this issue. A subset of questions on this issue include: Does the Internet and digital communication dilute real relationships? Are the benefits of digital relationality better than the dangers?

This year at our summer half-day camps, we produced another set of original worship songs. James Pomeroy, the KidsWorld Worship Director, co-wrote six songs with Grammy award winning songwriter and worship pastor Leonard Ahlstrom. These songs ROCK! Get 'em today for FREE!

Now that we are finished with all three weeks of our half-day summer camps, I'll share some of the video components we created!

Somewhere in the soul of every children's ministry leader is an inner geek. And if you are like me, you're always searching for cool ways to interact with kids in a teaching environment . I came across this video on how to make Glow Sticks and knew the science could be used in front of a group of kids. Check it out.

Check out this video from Pixar University's Dean, Randy Nelson talking about Collaboration. Read more...

It does not seem that long ago, but in the fall of 2003 I began my journey in full-time children's ministry in Madison, WI. I had Biblical and theological foundations from my newly earned Pastoral Studies degree and loads of volunteer experience working with children. However, lacking a great deal of maturity, I started ministry trying to be someone else. I grew up in the mindset that children’s ministry was event-driven, using puppets, performance, juggling, clowning/miming, Scripture pictures, and gospel magic. Having no real training in those areas, I took lessons in magic and devoted a great deal of time to trying to become a children’s ministry performer. I patterned my ministry after the models I grew up with and it did not take long before the thing that I so desired to become my entire life (a pastor) felt like it was going to kill me and my wife! God taught me an important lesson: Ministry was not going to work unless I was going to be myself.

I came across a couple of great resources for Digital Immigrants who want to become more fluent in the language and tools of Digital Learners. The Digital Diet is a new book by Andrew Churches, Lee Crocket, and Ian Jukes. The contributors have also create some "Small Byte" ebooks. According to the Committed Sardine Blog, each ebook "includes a quick-start guide, examples of how to use this tool in your classroom, and examples of activities which will help cultivate the 21st century fluencies." Please note that these resources were created specifically for educators and school settings, but they are really accessible for ministry. Read more...

Making Cheetos is no easy process. You can read all about the science of cornmeal, friction, frying, and cheese powder here. But after reading about how Cheetos are made, I was most struck by the end of the process: Quality Control. According to Wired Magazine, "Every half hour, an in-house lab analyzes the chemical composition of samples pulled from the cooking line to verify that the Cheetos have the right density and nutritional content. Then, every four hours, a four-person panel convenes to inspect and taste the snacks, comparing them to perfect reference Cheetos sent from Frito-Lay headquarters." Read more...

I just finished reading a Wired Article entitled "Why Aren’t Games About Winning Anymore?" by Jonathan Liu. Liu uncovers a recent trend in video games where modern games are less about actually getting to the last level (a la Super Mario Brothers) and more about gaining achievements during the game. http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2010/06/achievement-unlocked For instance, I have become addicted to the iPhone app Angry Birds. Angry Birds is a great game built on a ridiculous premise: catapult birds into fortresses made of wood, ice, and stone so you can destroy green pigs. As I have played through the game, I noticed that every once in a while a message would flash across the lower part of the screen indicating that I had reached one of the game's "Achievements." The game all of a sudden became less about defeating the green pigs (which is relatively easy) and more about the achievements. Read more...

The ebook sensation that has skyrocketed to over 3000 downloads is now available in print. Here are some ideas for how I would use the resource. Read more...

I love the game of soccer. While many people find soccer boring to watch or play, I find it fascinating. Today, the World Cup begins and 32 countries will vie for the championship. The World Cup is a great way to talk with kids about other countries. In my ministry context, we are always looking for ways we can ratchet up global awareness and give kids opportunities to locate other countries on a map and pray for those countries. This summer, we'll be using the World Cup to integrate international impact into our K-5th summer programming. What about you? Click here for great links to get started...

I want to continue looking at the divide between the digital immigrant and digital native leaders in children's and family ministry and the big questions that all of us need to answer. Let's start with: Bring on the Revolution! Read more...

I have been challenged recently by a series of questions that I'd like to present to you, the readers. These questions are some of the raw materials I work with every day. They occupy my time, effort, and energy. They are the splinters in my mind. I would love to get some feedback from you! Sound off on the comments or send me an email or Twitter message!

I am continuing the series of posts on kidmin and video games. In my research, I came across Evoke. According to Evoke's blog, "Evoke is a ten-week crash course in changing the world. It is free to play and open to anyone, anywhere. The goal of the social network game is to help empower young people all over the world to come up with creative solutions to our most urgent social problems." Evoke is the kind of thing children's and family ministry leaders need to pay attention to! Imagine if we could engage kids in virtual projects aimed at faith formation (serving, evangelism, discipleship, prayer). Expect to see more and more games like Evoke in days to come. If you are a gamer or know any programmers, DM me on Twitter! I'd love to explore this idea!

"I am not an artist." "I cannot draw or paint." "I am not creative." These are all lies that people tend to believe about themselves. I know; I believed all of these fallacies. I remember trying very hard when I was a kid to draw horses or castles or people. The results were nothing more than hard scribbles. So, like any disciplined young man I gave up my dreams of being an artist and turned that passion towards Tecmo Bowl. The problem with these lies is that they keep perfectly creative beings from developing their gifts. Read more...

Part of my role in ministry involves the creation of video teaching resources for K-5th grade and 3-5 year olds. Every month, we create an average of 80 minutes of finished video for these age groups. The more video I create, the more I realize that video is one of the best methods to communicate powerful messages with consistency and quality. Part of our teaching videos with K-5th involves a creative, story-driven element. We've had a boy band, a lost medieval paige, restaurant critics, and a Cereal superhero come to life on the big screen. Our kids go crazy for these characters and become markedly more interested in what we are teaching from God's Word. It's a big win for us. But through the process of brainstorming, creating, casting, writing, producing, shooting, and editing hours of video I realized that these characters are all just really simple ideas that connect to our audience. Read more...

I want to continue our series of posts about What Matters Now in Children's Ministry with a few posts about the answers that really resonated with me. Randy Isola contributed the answer "Wonder" to the What Matters Now project. Randy is my boss, but that's not why I'm reflecting on his contribution (I'm pretty sure he does not read this blog anyway). Randy has re-taught me what children's ministry is all about. I say that he "re-taught" me, because before I met Randy I thought I knew everything about children's ministry. Here's what Randy had to say about wonder: I believe one of the most compelling questions in Scripture is the disciples’ asking about Jesus, “What kind of man is this?” After a glimpse of his power, the disciples were driven to discover the answer. Our churches should instill that wonder in children and propel them to a lifelong adventure of finding out the truth behind that question. Read more...

I want to continue our series of posts about What Matters Now in Children's Ministry with a few posts about the answers that really resonated with me. The final submission to be turned in was by my friend and mentor Byron Ragains. If you do not know Byron, who ministers with David C. Cook, just wait - he'll find you. And when Byron finds you, he'll never forget you. Byron writes, "My word is MORE I am almost 50! I recall the days when my two sons were babies. Occasionally, I got the call to feed them a nutritious meal from a jar. I can still hear the click noise once the lid is opened! I creatively tried everything to magically force the boys to eat: Pickled squash, sweet potatoes and even some peas! R

I want to continue our series of posts about What Matters Now in Children's Ministry with a few posts about the answers that really resonated with me. Many weeks ago when I started asking people to participate in this effort, the first person to respond was Dr. Brianne Friberg. I have had the privilege of being friends with the Friberg's for several years and while many of you have not heard of Dr. Friberg, she is probably the most brilliant person I have ever met. Dr. Friberg's one-word answer to the question, "What Matters Now in Children's Ministry" was empowerment. Dr. Friberg reflects, "We need leaders who work under an empowerment model that is strength-based and family-centered. What does that mean? First, our ministries need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. Read more...

I wanted to post my answer to the question, What Matters Now in Children's Ministry. I chose the word, digital. Here's why… Research makes it clear that the generation of children in our ministries today is vastly different than any other group of children the Church has sought to reach. They engage and edit media, experiment with culture, and experience community in new ways. They are fluent in the language of technology. They collaborate, teach, connect, and relate using a network of individualized digital tools. They prefer a unique learning experience with parallel processing, multitasking, feedback, and relevance. They navigate the digital world deftly and quickly. They blur the lines between the physical and virtual. They are open to the truth of God's Word. Read more...

Several weeks ago I was struck with an epic idea. I wanted to create a book with insight from people across the field of children's and family ministry, education, non-profit, and para-church ministry about what matters now in children's ministry. Like any great idea, it occupied all of my mental space until I finally shared it with others. I am proud today to be part of the release of the culmination of this idea: a free e-book that answers the question, "What Matters Now in Children's Ministry?" The team (Amy Dolan of Lemon Lime Kids, Henry Zonio of Elemental Children's Ministry, and me) have gathered 33 perspectives from a cross section of denominations and ministry contexts to answer our epic question. But we asked every contributor to answer the question with only ONE word. After they honed the one-word answer, they were allowed to support their answer with another 300 words. Not an easy task. Read more...

SortFix is an interesting search tool that incorporates an intuitive, fun interface. You type in the search terms, but SortFix scans and examines your results and kicks back a list of keywords that will help you define a search and narrow the results. Call it "search by word association." Check it out.. sortfix.com

I've been reviewing a study entitled, "Life Support: Young People's Needs in a Digital Age" which looked at the psychological and neurological effects of the Internet on young people. The report, authored by Professor Michael Hulme, provides a new definition for the common term, "digital native." According to Hulme, "digital natives" are people under the age of 25, who have been surrounded by computers, the Internet, mobile phones, and digital video games since a preschool age." One of the biggest obstacles I encounter when talking about digital learners is when leaders think that their characteristics only apply to older kids. While this is true, the Life Support report confirms that digital natives begin their immersion into technology around the age of three! Read more...

I know a lot of people who spend time designing their own graphics for children's ministry, without the benefit of a design degree or professional training. Here are some sites I go to for help: Read more...

I officially received my "I'm old" card when we took my oldest daughter to sign up for Kindergarten. My daughter will be one of the fine members of the class of 2023. In our school district, a lot of information is shared with parents online. I'm wondering, when will the church catch up? I know the big question that many churches and leaders are asking is, how do we resource parents? Are there any web-based connecting tools to link parents and kids to what's going on at church, similar to the tools used by school districts? The most innovative ideas we have at present involve printing a piece of paper or sending a stylized email. In the digital age, that's just not going to cut it (and presently it is not). What are the innovative ways churches are connecting with parents digitally?

I just came across an article entitled, "I Want It Now! The Fierce Urgency of Videogaming's Future." The article identified a key characteristic of today's video game consumer: impatience. Ever heard of Farmville? The insanely popular Facebook game's chief game designer recently pinpointed that many gamers lose interest in a game because the game takes too long to load. Take a guess about how long Farmville takes to load…. Six seconds. Be patient, there's more...

Several years ago I stood in front of a group of children's ministry volunteers and leaders at Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin. For the very first time, I shared my thoughts on how digital kids learned and the challenges ahead for the field of children's and family ministry. One of the big questions from that presentation that has stayed with me over the past six years has been: What if children's ministry became more like a video game than a book? Read more...

Fifty Dangerous Things (you should let your children do) is a book by Gever Tulley and Julie Spiegler. The title explains it all as the book contains fifty different dangerous projects for kids to do with care and supervision. The book includes a section for parents because the purpose of the book (according to Tulley) is to "start a deliberate effort to start a national and global dialogue about what we are really doing when we [parents] overprotect children, which is to keep them from having the kinds of experiences that lay the foundations for creative genius."

In my house, I'm the cook. I cook. I asked to cook. Before we had kids, my wife and I used to share the cooking responsibilities. When we had kids I was given the choice to come home from work and watch the kids or cook. I chose to cook. Please, don't judge me... I really enjoy cooking, mostly because I enjoy eating and compliments. And the more I cook, the more I am reminded of children's ministry. Cooking is an apt metaphor for kidmin. It taxes all five senses It requires adventure and a little creativity, subtle changes, and constant input and feedback You can get burned (like I did tonight) and be surprised about it It could easily fall into the Mike Rowe "Dirty Job" category because it's messy When you get it right, it is pretty dang tasty

This year, I went crazy for the Winter Olympics. I kept up with the medal count, put events on DVR, learned crazy Russian names, and yes, even watched curling. The Olympics are a fascinating event, but as I learned more about the way Olympians are timed I found great parallels to children's and family ministry. Precision - The timing officials brought 220 tons of equipment to Vancouver, along with a team of 650 people (including 400 volunteers) to keep official time of the events. The margin for error is virtually zero with these precise timing instruments, even those that measure distance. Read more...

As a children's pastor interested in technology, media, and the Internet I am always looking for resources related to the way kids interact in the digital world. Recently OnlineFamily.Norton, a background computer program that shows that your children are doing online, released a fascinating report on the most popular search terms for kids 13-18, 8-12, and 7 & under. Read more...

If you're in children's ministry, you know the Wiggles: the part education, part Boy Band, all fun group from Australia. Their meteoric rise to popularity has several lessons for children's ministry. Check out the article...

Legal Disclosure: Baker Publishing provided me with a free copy of Formational Children's Ministry: Shaping Children Using Story, Ritual, and Relationship. Weeks ago while scouring Amazon I came across Formational Children's Ministry and was excited to read it. Several years ago I had the privilege of being in a Bethel Seminary class where Ivy Beckwith guest lectured. Dr. Beckwith walked through the primary themes in her book Postmodern Children's Ministry and her words and work shaped my early understandings of children's ministry. I looked forward to hearing Ivy's thoughts on children's ministry. With the help of some Diet Coke and the natural ambiance of Chipotle, I uncovered several themes in Formational Children's Ministry: Philosophy Clearly the philosophy held about children and the way they are ministered to in the church context is vital. Read more...

I have spent many hours in the past two months preparing and leading EPIC meetings in my ministry context. These meetings set the stage for countless hours of followup, recruiting, and ministry in the next 6-9 months. Here are some key things I learned about how to lead these meetings effectively. Read more...

I'm always looking for new ways to get my ideas on paper. Recently a friend introduced me to the "Personal Idea Pad" or PIP, from Accidental Creative. PIP is a really effective brainstorming tool. It structures your thoughts, gives a framework for connecting disparate ideas, and can be used in a group setting. Check out the video and see for yourself!

In the summer of 1998, the world of chess was changed. Battles between chess grandmasters and computers ten years earlier were dominated by human intellect and intuition. Then in 1997, the $10 million supercomputer "Deep Blue" soundly defeated Gary Kasporov. Then by sheer mathematical brute force, computers became better at chess than humans. But something changed in the summer of 1998 when a grandmaster's match allowed players to play alongside a computer. Kasparov called this style of play "Advanced Chess." Then in 2005, there was an entire online chess event that allowed players to combine their talents with a computer. Here is Kasparov's recap of the event: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/23592 "The surprise came at the conclusion of the event. The winner was revealed to be not a grandmaster with a state-of-the-art PC but a pair of amateur American chess players using three computers at the same time." Read more..

The following paragraphs are taken directly from Stephen Johnson's blog. In his essay introducing The Long Now Foundation, Brian Eno tells the story of visiting a wealthy friend in her downtown loft, in an otherwise destitute Manhattan neighborhood circa 1978: I just didn't understand. Why would anyone spend so much money building a place like that in a neighbourhood like this? Later I got into conversation with the hostess. "Do you like it here?" I asked. "It's the best place I've ever lived", she replied. "But I mean, you know, is it an interesting neighbourhood?" "Oh ? the neighbourhood? Well-- that's outside!" she laughed. Read more...

I recently guest blogged on Henry Zonio's elementalcm.com, presenting a review of Chapter 4 of Reggie Joiner's book, Think Orange. Check it out! Read more...

As a staff team, we think about the life of a KidsWorld volunteer in four simple phases: recruiting, placement, training, and care. Probably the hardest phase for me to address is care. In the remainder of this year, one of my goals is to come up with one significant step in honing the care phase for the 2nd-5th grade volunteers I lead. In the middle of that effort, I came across the research of Richard Ryan, a psychologist at the University of Rochester. Ryan's article in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology came to the conclusion that happiness increases for most people on the weekend. No surprises here (except maybe for some workaholics out there), time away from the daily grind, deadlines, and the pressures of work would suggest an increase in happiness. The interesting thing about Ryan's research is the psychology behind the increase. According to Ryan, the increase is due to "relatedness and autonomy."