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Category Archives: Christian Education ~ Ideas and Advice
Blue eyes in the Bible, and other misconceptions
The germ of this article started years ago when a teacher complained about a video depicting a “white-looking Jesus with blue eyes“. What is Jesus “supposed” to look like? A few years ago, an anthropologist came up with this “likely … Continue reading
A Bible Plug-in for our Brains
Neil’s “Bible Snapshot”… Sunday School as a “Bible plug-in” Recently I posted about the importance of explaining “What Sunday School is”, as many don’t seem to believe in it anymore. Sunday School has a P.R. problem. See my “tree” post … Continue reading
Sunday School is a Tree
“Sunday School is a tree.” That is what I’ve finally concluded after all these years of trying to explain what Sunday School is to people in a way that was simple, imaginative, and yet profoundly true. Sunday School is the tree Zaccheus climbed … Continue reading
Mike Yaconelli’s Broadside on Youth Ministry
I’ve just posted an article about the failure of youth ministry that I’ve been sitting on for a number of years. I didn’t write it. It was written by Mike Yaconelli, the founder of Youth Specialties and Youth Worker Journal, … Continue reading
Ten Characteristics of a Healthy Youth Ministry
This link takes you to one of the best written pieces about youth ministry I’ve read in a long time: http://kendadean.com/636/what-are-the-top-10-characteristics-of-a-healthy-youth-ministry/ “Top 10 Characteristics of a Healthy Youth Ministry” I don’t know anything about Kenda Dean, other than she does youth … Continue reading
Tashlikh -A New Year’s Ritual
In my church, we are distributing stones on New Year’s Day worship and encouraging members to “throw stones” in the tradition of Tashlikh for the New Year. We also dipped apples into honey receive a blessing for the new year. … Continue reading
Rethinking Youth Ministry
I ran across the ‘Rethinking Youth Ministry’ blog recently and it’s full of interesting thoughts. www.rethinkingyouthministry.com In addition to some good thoughts, research and ideas, my biggest take-away from their site was that there are many veteran youth workers and … Continue reading
Memories, the Science of Commitment, and Rebalancing Teaching vs Worship
This post is one in a collection of continuing posts about Brain Research, Memory Formation, and what teachers and pastors need to know about both. ———– The latest brain and memory research continues to underscore the importance of Sunday School … Continue reading
The Problem with Teenage Sunday School Class
Not for the faint of heart… I’m going to make a HUGE UNCOMFORTABLE CRITIQUE of traditional Youth Sunday School here. I’m doing it as a three decade veteran of youth ministry, which by the yardsticks at the time (ie “numbers), I … Continue reading
“Priming” -the Science Behind the Reason for Sunday School
This post is going to get around to the reasons WHY Sunday School and youth groups really are IMPORTANT. They are the primary way we “PRIME” our kids to become receptive to matters of faith, knowledge and a relationship with God and … Continue reading
Good Stories Really Do Get Inside Your Head
This past year, Princeton neuro-scientist Lauren Silbert put herself in an fMRI and recorded her neural patterns while she recounted a VIVID STORY from her personal experience. Then she put volunteers in the fMRI, played back the story over headphones, … Continue reading
The Positive Effect of Even “Some” Attendance
Even some attendance by children & teens can be the difference between being churched and unchurched as an adult. This was the intriguing conclusion from Barna Research’s 2009 poll of church/unchurched Americans. “… the study shows that most American adults recall … Continue reading