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Philippians 3:13 The Message:

“I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. … By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward–to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.”

This is my life verse, the verse I strive to follow and to hold. I’m not perfect and get off the path towards THE goal, but I’m not all I’m going to be YET. “I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forget the past and strain toward what is ahead” (New Century Version).

Tags: Educational, Ministry, Personal by Brenna Phillips
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This blog takes a break from it’s regularly scheduled programming of children’s-family ministry to bring you this video on the rivalry between the Florida Gators and the FSU Seminoles.

Go Gators!

Danny W @ Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Tags: Personal by Brenna Phillips
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Coming soon. A movie starring Christian singer Rebecca St. James, Sarah’s Choice. The main idea of this new movie is about a young career woman who suddenly becomes pregnant and is faced with the important choice to make. Watch for the release of this movie.

Sarah’s Choice

Tags: Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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During the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons, when it is better to give than receive, watch this commercial: the ultimate scene showing the generosity of a child.

ultimate generosity

Tags: Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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Family worship in the gaming world?

Family worship game

Tags: Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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Drumroll, please… The Word of the Year for 2009, according to The New Oxford American Dictionary, is ‘unfriend.’

Really? Unbelievable! In today’s craze of social media and networking and everybody trying to add more and more friends to their pages everyday, the word of the year means deleting friends.

What? Are we 3 years old again? In my classroom of 3-4 year olds, when a group of students are playing together and something doesn’t go just as one student wants, he says “you’re not my friend” and immediately another student says “we’re all friends; right, Ms. Brenna.”

It’s true. We are all friends. We may not always agree with everything our friends do or say, but we are still friends. It is too easy to ‘unfriend’ a person. I guess unfriending is the social media version of divorce.

We need to use the ‘talk it out’ method like in my early childhood classroom — 2 students sitting face-to-face talking it out until they come to a conclusion of how to work out their differences -at that age they usually end up changing the subject and forget all about what caused their ‘unfriending’ issues. The same thing probably happens more than once with social media unfriending situations. The 2 feuding parties probably unfriend each other one week then friend one another again the next week.

What would Jesus do? Remember the song, I am a Friend of God? Would He unfriend us? Of course not!

Friend of God

Tags: Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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Students learn through music. Even the youngest students (preschoolers) learn through music. When a preschool student is disruptive in class, if the teacher sings the words she wants him to hear, he will listen. I teach 3-5 year olds. There are many times my students are getting too active and I need their attention. Instead of raising my voice to get their attention and tell them what I need them to do, I sing the words in a simple rhythm. It’s a different tone to capture their attention and much more calming than yelling or loud talking. One of my teacher friends can make up a song about almost anything and her 2 year old students listen and learn.

Read this article about older students learning through music.

Tags: Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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Here is the latest Children’s Ministry Think Tank question:

* What do you teach about concerning a child’s condition (sometimes called age) of accountability for responding to the Gospel?

There is no age of accountability about when a child (person) responds to the Gospel. A person can make a faith decision at any age in which he understands.

* How would you counsel a parent who is concerned about a preschool aged child who seems disinterested in learning about Jesus?

Preschoolers develop and mature at different ages and stages. As an early childhood teacher, I see 3-5 year olds learn at different levels and in different ways. Some 3 year olds students can write their names and letters of the alphabet. Others struggle to simply identify their written names. They learn differently at different times. Early childhood teachers continue to teach using different methods and preschoolers develop and learn all along the way. Therefore, Christian education teachers and parents must continue to teach preschoolers about Jesus using different teaching methods. They may seem disinterested but they are listening and comprehending the message on their own levels. Little tidbits of information are connecting in their minds. Through relationships with those preschoolers, teachers and parents will hear them say something and repeat something that they have heard and learned.

* If you had to estimate (and you do), what is the chronological age that most children become fully accountable for their decision about Christ?

The answer to this question is a grey area. There is no age of accountability when children (people) become fully accountable in their decisions about Christ. The Scripture does not speak about accountability ages. God holds a person accountable when he/she is totally woo’ed by Him in making a decision. Believing and accepting Christ is as easy as A-admit, B-believe, C-choose and a person is instructed to come to Christ with faith as a little child. When a person comes to understand and make a faith decision, then he is held accountable. There is no set age for this accountability.

For answers from other children’s ministry professionals, click this link.

Tags: Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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