Mike Johnson

Children's Ministry - The Fun Factor

When it comes to teaching children, you have to capture their eyes and ears so that the Holy Spirit can capture their hearts. To do that, you need to make sure they are having fun. Fun is the currency of a child. If they think something is fun, they will want to do it. If they don't, then they will not want to do it. It's that simple. Just ask any kid if he or she would rather go to the doctor or Disney World. You'll get your answer quickly. So it stands to reason that if you want a child engaged, attentive, and involved in your ministry, you need to make sure they are having fun.

I don't believe that having fun in church means "making fun" of the Bible or the applications of the Bible to our lives. I just believe that having fun while learning is the best way to create an experience that can increase the retention of knowledge and encourage the children to return.

So, if you want to make a church experience meaningful for kids, make it fun.

C3 Kids West Starts Today!

Hey everyone, here we are in Sunny San Diego for C3 Kids West! If you 
can't be here (sorry) then be sure to follow along on Twitter under 
the tag #c3kidsWC. All our "twitterers" will give you minute by minute 
coverage!

If you couldn't make C3 Kids Dallas either, make plans now to attend 
C3 Kids East Coast in October. Dates and location will be announced 
next week!

It's all about volunteers...

 
 

Curriculum Essentials - Teaching the Bible

"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1

The Bible, to me, is an inspirational book. The Bible is where I learn about God and how He wants me to live. The Bible is a place where I hear life-changing messages directly from God. The Bible is...holy. It is set apart. There is no other book like it and no other book can have an impact on this world like the Bible can. So when I teach the Bible, I want to reflect that. I want my audience to be inspired and awed at what God did in the Bible, and hopefully by what He can do in their own lives. When teaching the Bible I like to use musical underscoring, because music can set a mood like nothing else. I like to use visuals, because my learners respond to them better than just looking at a speaker. I like to teach the Bible in such a way that the learner gets swept up in the story. In fact, when I teach the Bible, I like to get swept up in the story, so that the audience can get a glimpse of what I feel. 

That's how I like to teach the Bible. It may just be me, but I'm not one for off beat Bible story presentations. The kind with a goofy wig and bad bathrobe. To me, that makes the Bible seem silly. Now hear me please, I think comedy has its place in children's church; it can be used for many fun activities that kids will enjoy, making them want to come back for more. But when it comes to teaching the stories of the Bible, the goal should be to inspire, to allow the Word's penetrating message to do the work. Then, when God's message settles into the heart, we must help the child see how to use that message to make a difference in their world. When we impart God's Word into the hearts of our kids, it will not come back void. 

The Bible is God's word. Listen to it, obey it and most of all respect it. After all, the Bible is...holy.

What can I do with a blog?

Over the past couple of years I have struggled with the question, "Should I, or shouldn't I, do a blog?" I mean, after all, what can I do with a blog? Well, after much deliberation I have decided that, with a blog, I can share my thoughts on life, on family, on church, on volunteers, on ministry, and on being a Children's Pastor in today's world. And because I love connecting with people and I get excited about the conversations we all could have, I have decided to give it a whirl. 

At mikejohnsonblog.com, I am going to share the insights of 16 years as Children's Pastor of Fellowship Church. We will get into the nitty gritty, the ups and downs, as well as the challenges and victories of ministry today.

Some of the things I will share are:

• Leadership strategies.
• Tackling and overcoming the challenges of ministry that happen Monday-Friday.
• Video of strategy meetings and conference planning sessions.
• Behind the scenes looks at the production of our curriculum, Elevate/Elevate Jr./Elevate Family.
• A peek backstage to look at the jam sessions of Cloud Nine, the band behind all the music for FCKids and Elevate.
• Concept art.
• First hand knowledge of new releases from FCKids.
• Insights from the FCKids staff in all areas of children’s ministry: nursery, preschool, and elementary weekends, large events, discipleship, and curriculum development.
• Thoughts on curriculum essentials.
• Team building ideas.
• Behind the scenes of our C3Kids conference planning.
• Building/sculpting tips.
• Set design.

In a nut shell, if it makes FCKids go, we'll talk about it here. God is doing many exciting things in Children's Ministry today. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you and hearing your ideas!