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 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 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...

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...

From the fog of past memories, I recall a televangelist show named the "Hour of Power." I do not recall what happened on the show, probably because I often changed the channel to something more like the "Hour of Cartoons" (which I was obsessed with as a child). Recently my obsession has turned to the subject of productivity. In my ministry context, I try very hard to limit meetings but they happen. Many run long. Some begin with great hopes for future production but end with faint glimmers (and those are often the meetings I've led). So I took a hint from Scott Belsky of the Behance Network and put into practice the Hour of Power. Belsky presents these guidelines: Stop thinking big picture and zoom in on the particular factors that impact outcome on a daily basis. Place an hour on your calendar every day to focus on issues that have an immediate impact and a measurable outcome. Read more...

I know, the debate over Harry Potter is essentially over. However the debate comes to haunt those of us who lead children’s and family ministry because the movies are still being released. This debate has a fairly polemical nature to it. The two sides (pro and con) routinely write books and fire away in articles and blogs. But I’m less concerned about the polemic nature of the actual debate. My brother John is.

So I went to see the new Hannah Montana movie for my daughter’s third birthday and here’s what I learned.

How are we setting up kids to hear the Gospel? What can we learn from messaging professionals in other fields?