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In the book Opie Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, the author, Walt Mueller, says if we care about our kids and our youth and children’s ministries, then we need to be living signposts that points them to a destination. These signposts must be bold and clear and point in the right direction.

Today’s kids have many signposts grabbing their attention and giving them many different directions. Some kids have decided to follow the sexual signposts. These signs are so big kids just can’t miss them.

Some kids have decided to follow the signposts of postmodern relativism. Mueller says this direction points to “amoral places where the thread of commonly held standards running through the tapestry of our culture has been removed from the fabric.” In other words, we each have our own truths and those truths are right for each one of us and nobody else unless that person chooses those truths as his own.

Still other kids follow the signposts of the deconstructed God. Kids have become open about talking, singing, and reading about God. The bad news is He is not the God of the Bible; He is the God created in the image and personal preference of those talking and singing.

What do we do? How do leaders position themselves as signposts leading in the right direction?

I go on weekly field trips with summer day camp. I am responsible for 15-20 kids in my entire camp group but I have 1-3 other assistants with me. Each counselor is assigned 5-7 campers for the trip. On the journey the campers are lined up all in a straight line but counselors are standing on the outside border near their assigned campers. We are providing a “fence” to keep the kids inside the field while watching only 5-7 kids at a time instead of 15-20. It is easier for one person to keep a small group inside the field.

Leaders, stand around the edge of your group and guide your kids to follow God’s signposts. Lead a small group of kids to follow the signposts leading them in the direction of God.

For Opie Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,

Tags: Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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I recently read an article in the January/February issue of Children’s Ministry Magazine titled “Wired Beyond Belief?” by Tracy Carpenter. http://www.childrensministry.com/Â The article talks about how kids today are way more technologically wired than we may realize. I completely agree. Kids have cell phones, CD players, iPods, mp3 players, XBox, PS2 & 3, Wii, Gameboys, and Nintendo DS …of which they link to another kid’s DS and play games with each other.

As ministers reaching out to this generation, we must be equally technologically wired. If we don’t understand kids’ interests, then they won’t listen to us. I’ve recently been told “I’m the coolest after-school care teacher ever.” Why? Because I received a Nintendo DS for Christmas. I’ve never really been a gamer but I became fascinated with the technology of the DS and some of the brain games. I take my DS to work with me in the afternoons and link with the kids to join in their games with them …after homework time, of course.

This has allowed me to relate to the kids in their language and see how I can minister to them. There is no better way to understand the cultural characteristics of Millennial kids than to interact and share in their interests.

Tags: Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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I’ve been reading Bill Cosby & Alvin F. Poussaint’s book “Come On, People.” Although the book is written mostly to the African-American community, it has some good points and advice to benefit all people. I have been a fan of Bill Cosby’s view on education and his encouragement to stay in school and get all the education a person can get. He encourages young people to work for themselves, do work by themselves, and strive to be the best they can be.

In this book, the authors give tips on how churches can help young people achieve their best goals. One of the first and best ways of achieving your goals in life is to maintain a healthy lifestyle through healthy eating habits and meeting your physical needs first. When those physical needs are met then you can more easily meet the other deeper needs and goals. Sometimes it is difficult for some people to obtain healthy foods, including healthy vegetables and fruits to make up a well-balanced meal 2-3 times a day. I like the authors suggestion for churches to plant a community garden on their church property to offer home-grown vegetables and fruits to families and individuals who may not have the funds to buy these healthy foods. What a great creative way for Christ-followers to use their gifts to plant, maintain, and harvest the garden crops for God’s Kingdom!

Tags: Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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Many parents ask me to recommend a devotional they can read and do with their children. The best devotional I’ve found is Tyndale Kids “The One Year Bible for Children.” I’ve used this Bible with school-agers and summer camp kids. There are daily readings and questions at the end of each reading.

Tags: Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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I was recently introduced to the Reggio Emilia education philosophy. I was not familiar with this approach by this title, but after reading about this philosophy, I realized that it is similar to my viewpoint of Early Childhood Education. In my years of experience with preschoolers, it is important that we offer them various activities and experiences for them to use each of their senses and be given ways to explore their environment.

I’ve been involved with teachers who like their classes to do paperwork and sit-down activities. Children in my classes have retained more and been happier children when they are allowed to explore and move from learning center to learning center (within limits, of course). They are often easily bored with one experience after a few minutes and want to venture to another one. I’ve been in the classroom with teachers who will not allow those children to change learning centers. The students are only allowed 10-15 minutes of center play a day; that’s not near enough time for them to adequately use their exploring skills. They should be allowed about 10 minutes in each learning center. That time gives the children enough time to explore the kitchen center, then the block/building center, then creative art center, then reading center, etc.

The next part of the Reggio Emilio approach involved parents. They are seen as partners in their child’s early education; they are their child’s first teacher. Schools must partner with parents by equipping them with resources in the education of their children.

Tags: Educational by Brenna Phillips
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