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This is an interesting article in the news. Teachers speak a lot. We use our voices more than some people in other professions. Anyone who speaks a lot and uses his/her voice to talk to any age group must take care of the voice, an important tool of communication.

I took a speech class in graduate school taught by Dr. Rhonda Kelley, speech pathologist. I learned a great deal about voice care and the proper way to prepare for public speaking. Drink water before speaking. Coat the throat with cough drops. Avoid caffeine drinks and lemon.

Last spring I had an episode in which I lost my voice. My throat had been hoarse and raspy before from a lot of talking or cheering at ball games or concerts, but never completely went out. Rhonda reminded me of a hot tea called Throat Coat. This works wonders and tastes good, too.

Take care of your communication instrument.

Tags: Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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This has been a question for many years in churches. Should we take children out of the main worship gathering and do separate children’s worship or should the children stay in the main worship gathering with their families?

Read on…

The answer to this popular question depends on the location and atmosphere of each church. Some churches lend themselves to family worship gatherings. Other church situations are better and more effective if adults learn and experience worship in place and children experience worship on their own levels. There is no right or wrong answer to when and how to do worship settings. We must all do it according to what fits best with our region, our attenders, and our age groups on their levels of understanding. The entire family, however, can learn from one another and can have worship experiences together. Worship is not the Sunday morning thing. It can be any time a group of people are gathered to experience Christ and learn from Him.

Tags: Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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Movie writers and directors often make movies based on popular books and stories. Sometimes maybe the story should remain in book form, not feed to the visual senses. Read this article on this popular children’s story book made into a movie. I have the book and have read it many times in my early education classes. Kids love the book. It’s great for the imagination and lends itself to great art projects. However, making a story like this one into a movie with graphic visual scenes can be scary for some ages.

Tags: Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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Our friend, Len Sweet says most all things are better understood if they are EPIC — experiential, participatory, image-rich, connective. Is this EPIC?

epic-tivity

Tags: Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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There have been constant warnings that video games are bad: warnings that kids should not play video games, there’s no learning or educational benefit to video games. According to the findings in this study, video games are ok and can be good for the brain. However, everything must be done in moderation. Too much video game time can’t be good. Games that too violent can’t be good. But it’s ok, go ahead and play that video game. Go ahead and allow kids to play video games — in moderation and monitor what games they are playing.

Tags: Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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Here is a story about a teacher who encourages her students to use their cell phones in class for educational purposes. This is a case of allowing students to use something that is normally banned, however, giving students freedom within limits. I would imagine that, as with any freedoms, there are students who misuse their phones, but there are those students who benefit from the privilege and are actually able to learn something new using this new teaching technique. It is a Google world.

Tags: Educational by Brenna Phillips
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I can remember my elementary school P.E. classes, outside on the P.E. field playing softball, soccer, kickball. We even made a running track on the grass around the edge of the entire field. Every afternoon we ran or walked the track. There was something to do with pennies on each lap, but I can’t remember if we collected them or deposited them. It was a contest between grades in the school. (Maybe someone who attended Caldwell Elementary who reads this post can comment and fill me in on that.)

Anyway, P.E. classes in my day were filled with outside activities and exercises and team sports. I read an article about a new kind of P.E. Schools are more technologically advanced than when I was in elementary school. They are building schools equipped with large screens and the Wii. Students are getting their physical education via the Wii. Talk about a Google world. I understand there are many Wii programs designed for exercise and fitness and can be beneficial for getting students to exercise and maintain healthier lifestyles. Let’s not forget about all aspects of exercise and P.E.: outside activities, enjoying the sunshine in cooler weather, full team sports and sportsman-like attitudes.

Tags: Educational by Brenna Phillips
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Think Tank #6 question:

How do you teach children to pray? How do you approach this differently with children you know to be unconverted? How do you encourage kids to develop self-initiative in their own prayer lives?

One of the easiest ways to teach children to pray is by modeling prayer times with them. Pray with children. Show them that simple conversations with God are the best. Help children to understand that they do not have to use big, fancy words and long prayers for God to understand their hearts. God is their Heavenly daddy and wants to talk with them and hear from their hearts. The best way for children to hear how to pray is for them to hear their leaders and other adults praying in simple conversations to God.

Unconverted children will learn how to pray from these same simple techniques and it may even lead them to ask further questions about salvation.

Encourage children to develop self-initiative in their own prayer lives by encouraging them to simply talk to God. He’s listening. He loves and cares and wants to hear from them. Children do not have to hide in a closet or be all alone to pray “high and mighty” prayers. Simple God conversations will do fine.

For other responses, click here.

Tags: Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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I saw the movie “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” tonight. I have the book, too, and have read it many times in my early childhood classes. It’s a favorite book of all my students. The movie is just as good, though not written exactly, but it is based on the book.

I recommend the movie for all ages. There is a lesson in perseverance, never giving up even when things don’t go exactly right or other people make fun of things. There is a lesson in not being greedy. There is a lesson to look for the best in others and build others up. There is a lesson in looking out for others and helping in any way possible.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Tags: Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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Here is a story about a pastor who baptized a special needs autistic teenager. I will repeat the request of this blog author: please keep comments on topic and avoid criticism of the special need, whether you agree or disagree.

I’m sure this topic comes up more than we realize in churches, as there are many levels of special needs and autism in today’s children.

Tags: Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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