We started doing minute to win it games as a way to transition to different parts of our service and build excitement at the same time. We do three rounds of boys vs. girls whichever team wins gets 100 bonus point to our Uptown Store. The kids love it! It adds a great level of predictable unpredictableness.

Bobble head –

1) After the headband/pedometor is on the head, the device is set to zero in steps mode.
2) When the clock starts, , player may begin head and body motion without touching the pedometer to register “steps.”
3) If the pedometer/headband moves, the player may stop motion to prevent it from falling off, re-adjust the headband, then continue.
4) To complete the game, player must record 125 “steps” within the 60-second time limit.

Instead of kids banging their heads we have the put the pedometer on their pocket and jump up and down.

Loner –

1) Set up the pencil on it’s unsharpened end 15′ away from the foul line.
2) Player begins game lying down on their stomach behind the foul line.
3) When the clock starts, player may begin rolling marbles 1 at a time with 1 hand towards the pencil.
4) Player must release the marble behind the line. If a marble released across the line knocks over the pencil, the game is over.
5) To complete the game, player must knock down the pencil with a marble that’s released within the 60-second time limit.

Kidmin tweek – We use a marker and a pingpong ball not a marble and a pencil

Keep it up –

1) When the clock starts, player may release two feathers and begin to blow on them to keep them in the air.
2) If the feather touches any part of the player’s body, or touches the floor, the game is over. Incidental contact on the face is allowed.
3) To complete the game, player must use only his or her breath to keep both feathers from touching the ground for the 60-second time limit.

Kidmin tweek We use three balloons instead

Bite me -

1) Set up the game by cutting each grocery bag to a different height (10″, 8″, 6″, 4″, and 2″) on the floor, right side up.
2) When the clock starts, player may attempt to pick up the tallest bag and may only touch the floor with his or her feet.
3) If player touches the ground with some body part other than the feet while attempting to grab a bag, he or she must reset by standing up before making another attempt.
4) To complete the game, player must have all 5 bags concurrently on the table within the 60-second time limit.

Kidmin tweek – We make the heights of the bag higher than they do on Minute to win it.

JUDGES

– Book of Bible Heroes

Key Point – Of all the Hero’s In the Bible Jesus is the greatest.
Memory Verse – Hebrews 11:33 “Their faith helped them conquer kingdoms, and because they did right God made promises to them.”

Introduction – How many of you kids have a hero. Why are they your hero’s. What amazing thing can they do or have they done? Some people like Michael Jordon, Tiger Woods, Sponge Bob Square pants have accomplished great things but those things are nothing compared to what some of the Bible heros accomplished in the book of Judges. Why do you think they accomplished so many great things is it because they are talented, no. Is it because they are popular, liked by everyone, No. It is because they had the power of God working through them. They were as normal as you and I but they had God’s awesome power working through them. That  is what made them different. You can be a hero if you rely on God’s strength and ability and not your own.

Skit – Faith Man Vs. Mega Doubt Man – have a kid see a bike that he really wants but doesn’t have enough money for right now. Enter Faith Man and Mega Doubt Man they are competing with the boy trying to get him to have faith (Faith Man) or not believe that God provide something like a bike for him (Mega Doubt Man). Both battle it out at first it appears that Doubt man is winning as the boy begins to doubt but his older sister reminds him to have faith and Faith Man wins over Doubt man easily.

Skit – Moms and Dads – Heroes are people we see everyday. – A group of kids are in class and their teacher asks them who their hero is. They each respond who and why. Some say superman because he is strong, some say Bill Gates because he is rich, some say Larry the Cucumber because he is famous, the last kid says his parents because they are always there for him and they love him and sacrificed so much for them.

Object Lesson – Pictures of Michael Jordan, Michael W. Smith heroes are people we look up to respect there are many heroes in the Bible. The MC explains there we see many heroes on TV that is one reason why we like to watch it, we like Superman, The Yankees, etc… Explain to the kids that just like all the heroes we see on TV there are many, many heroes in the Bible we need to read and find out how they lived so that we can follow Jesus even closer.

Object Lesson – Fireman’s hat – ask the kids if a fireman would be their hero if he saved them from a fire or pulled their cat from a tree? Then explain how Jesus has done much more than that for us. Jesus is the greatest hero of all. Ask the kids if someone saved their life from a burning building or from getting hit by a car? (Allow them to answer). Explain how Jesus did the same thing for us on the cross. How because of what he did for us he didn’t just save us from a burning building he saved us from going to hell.

Puppet –Who is your hero – Jesus because he has saved my life. Puppet comes up and explains to his friend (another puppet) that he wants to be a super-Christian. The other puppet says that it is impossible and that you shouldn’t want to be such things because we all sin. The super-Christian puppet explains that we can be even though we sin because Jesus died for our sins. He is our hero we should try to live like him.

Bible Story – Gideon from zero to hero – Judges 6, 7 God used Gideon even though he was the least of his family and the least of Israel God used him.

Judges 6:11-19
11 The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”
13 “But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.”
14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
15 “But Lord , [a] ” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
16 The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.”
17 Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. 18 Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.” 
      And the LORD said, “I will wait until you return.”
19 Gideon went in, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah [b] of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak.

What makes a hero?
1. Trusting in Jesus – the bible tells us that without him we can do nothing if we want to be a hero of faith. It starts with us trusting Jesus with everything. Gideon was the lowest and least likely to be used by God but he did something many people didn’t. He trusted Jesus.
2. Hear and Obey - It’s one thing to hear what you should do it’s another thing to do it. When we hear and obey we will do things differently and in a much better way than we could have ever imagined.

JUDGES SMALL GROUP

Activity – Have the kids write their parents (or an adult that has played a big part in their life) a card saying that their parents are their heroes.

Questions –
Who is your hero?
Who do you want to be like when you grow up?
What makes a person a hero?
Would you ever want to be a hero?
Are there more heroes in the Bible or on TV?
Who would you say is the greatest hero ever?
Why?
Name one of the heroes from the Bible.
After today’s lesson what person are you going to try to be more like?

A while back I did a post about a church I would attend even if I didn’t work for that church. The first church I mentioned was the church I work at Redeemer Church.

The next church on my list is Hillsong. I love Hillsong church

Why I would attend Hillsong.

1. They are inovative. – It started with modernizing worship music, moved to creating a youth movement, then came children’s ministry, next I believe will be media. They do an amazing job of engaging culture in a relevant way. They use the tools of the generation to tell a timeless story of redemption. That is something Charles Finny advocated in his lectures on revival and something I would give my life to be a part of.

2. They are passionate about reaching people far from God. – Every church says that this what they are about because we are commanded by Christ himself to GO not every church lives it.

3. They Honour the past but are more loyal to the future. – I have heard Pastor Brian say this a few time. I love it. In order to keep moving on and keep taking ground you have to…well…keep moving. It is so easy to get stuck in what works or what we used to do that we stop growing and stop reaching out and become satisfied.

4. Every person I have met from Hillsong has made me want to know Christ more. – I don’t know a lot of Hillsonger’s but the one’s I do know are amazing. I am sure some of you out there know someone from Hillsong who is the opposite of amazing but the truth is we all have people in our church who may not be completely representative of who we are, yet. I have formed a freiendship with Funny Man Dan and have had a few interactions with David Wakerley and Nathan Mclean all three men I respect more than they know. Nath actually took time out of his busy schedule to take my pastor around when he was in Hills recently. Thanks Mate! I have had Funny Man Dan call me out a few times when I wasn’t thinking or speaking in a way that reflected Christ (now that’s a friend), he is also currently reading through the bible with me and Kenny. How cool is that? If Hillsong has any more men and women like these fella’s (and I suspect they do) I would attend a church like theirs in a heartbeat.

What about you? Why what church would you attend and why?

If you can donate toward Pastor Marks Run for Love that would be fantastic here is the link. Click on the donate button at the bottom of the page.

Thanks – Go Pastor Mark and Go Love146!

Just came across this online. A free nursery paging system. It’s called Agapage. Basically gives you the ability to send text messages to your parents via a computer. You enter a short message and your parents are notified by SMS. Sounds like a good system to me, on top of that it’s free so you it is definitely worth a try especially for a small to medium sized church. Check it out for yourself.

Maybe it’s just me but I thought every good kids pastor knew the drug equivalent of candy for kids. If you have ever worked an Easter Sunday or a post Halloween weekend service you know what I am talking about. If you have been to kids camp you have walked in on kids “snorting pixie sticks.” On twitter the other night there seemed to be some confusion as to what the drug equivalent to candy was I thought it would be helpful if I did my part to clear it up.

1. Pixie Sticks = Cocaine. - If you have done even one kids camp you know what happens eventually. The double dog dare followed by the snorting of raw sugar.

2. Fun Dip = Heroine - Dipping a candy stick in powdered candy.

3. Crack Cocaine = Pop Rocks – I think eating pop rocks and drinking soda is the kid equivalent of an eight ball – may a child actor have been lost to such a dangerous combination.

4. Candy Cigarettes = Real Cigarettes – I grew up in a Pentecostal house where we 1. did NOT play with playing cards 2. We did NOT buy nor consume Candy Cigarettes.

5. Big League Chew = Chewing Tobacco - Loved this stuff especially on the bus or on the little league baseball diamond. Strangely enough we Pentecostals were allowed this sinful pleasure.

6. Crystal-Meth = Rock candy – Have you seen rock candy. I have. Meth and Rock separated at birth. (on a side note – I have never seen meth but when I imagine what “Crystal” meth looks like I think of Crystals so that’s how I came to the rock candy equivalent.)

7. LSD = Pez – I say this only because if there is any drug out there that would be dispensed from the throat of plastic cartoon characters it would be LSD. Very trippy candy.

There you have it. A beginners guide to the drug equivalent of candy. This is helpful in knowing what candy to avoid giving to your kids or if you are in a dull meeting like Kenny was the other day or in a kidmin lock-in like Jonathan does you may consider your candy of choice to help you self medicate.

One of the other sponsor of Samluce.com is Integrity Music. They constantly put out great music that we use in uptown with their Shout Praises Kids Series of worship music. If you don’t use any of their music you are missing out.

Earlier in the month I did a review of the SPK Curriculum and would like to give it away to a random reader.

To enter to win the SPK Curriculum tweet the following:

@samluce is giving a SPK: My Savior Lives curriculum from http://IntegrityMusic.com/kids  over @ samluce.com http://bit.ly/9Knxh2  #kidmin

I will pick a winner on Saturday. Good luck!

I am very honored and humbled to have revived the award from the Children’s Ministry Expo. To give more people a chance to use Bible Bucks 2.0 we are offering a 50% off discount for the first three months if you sign up by August 31. I have also added a video tutorial page to help people understand the basics of how to get going. If you have any questions fee free to email me samuelluce@gmail.com or call me 315-235-3624.

Thanks again,
Sam

Bible Bucks 2.0 is honored to have won the 2010 Children’s Ministry Expo JawDrop innovation award.  In case you are not familiar with what Bible Bucks 2.0 is I thought I would do a brief blog post explaining it.

why use Bible Bucks 2.0?
I have been a kids pastor for a few years now and in the course of those years have tried everything there is to do bible bucks
1. Custom name tags with points updated for each kid by hand. (was I crazy)
2. Paper money (kids getting beat up for bible bucks in the bathroom (bible buck bullies do exist)
3. Stamp books at check in (slowed check in down massively, and books got lost and washed all the time)
4. Bible Bucks 2.0 (The Best Tool By Far)

Here are couple of posts I have done about Bible Bucks 2.0

Top 10 Kids Ministry Resources: #5 Bible Bucks 2.0

Announcing Bible Bucks 2.0!

Bible Bucks 2.0 Objections

Bible Bucks 21st Century Style.

Joshua

– Book of Boldness

Key Point – With God I am a winner
Memory Verse – Joshua 1:9 “I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged!”

Skit – Loud person vs. Quiet person – Boldness isn’t being loud it is the stand you take have a bully be loud take things from other kids a quite kid stands up to the bully. Tell the bully that it isn’t right to do what he is doing the bully starts crying and asks for forgiveness the quiet kid prays with the bully, and explains that being bold is not being loud or mean but it is standing up for what is right.

Skit – What makes you bold – things or Jesus – Some people think that boldness comes from what they have not who they know. Have two rich kids come out very proud of all their toys explain that they are bold because they have so many things. Then a boy comes out and has no toys but is even more happy than they are this confuses them so they ask how he can be so bold and so happy without any toys, the boy explains because he has Jesus. With God we are winners.

Object Lesson – With God I’m a wiener – comes out thinking that with God we are all hot dogs. Have a not-so-bright person come out eating a few hot dogs. The MC will ask why he is eating hot dogs for? The not-so-bright person will say he doesn’t know. The MC will ask if he likes hot dogs the not-so-bright person will say no. The MC will ask why he is eating so many if he doesn’t like them? The not-so-bright person will explain that he heard the MC say that with Jesus we are wieners. The MC will explain to the not-so-bright person that he didn’t say wieners but WINNERS meaning bold and victorious.

Puppet – Puppet is sad because Jesus wants him bald. MC explains that he needs to be bold to stand up for Jesus. The MC explains that Jesus wants us to be BOLD which means we know that with Jesus we are a winner. The bible never tells us that Jesus wants us bald. The puppet is relieved.

Bible Story –

Joshua 6:1 Joshua takes Jericho -
Joshua 6
1 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
2 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in.”
6 So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the LORD and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.” 7 And he ordered the people, “Advance! March around the city, with the armed guard going ahead of the ark of the LORD.”
8 When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the LORD went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the LORD’s covenant followed them. 9 The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. 10 But Joshua had commanded the people, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!”11 So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. Then the people returned to camp and spent the night there.
12 Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.13 The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the LORD and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets kept sounding. 14 So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
15 On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. 16The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city! 17 The city and all that is in it are to be devoted [a] to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute [b] and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. 18But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. 19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the LORD and must go into his treasury.”
20 When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city.

How was Joshua Bold?

He asked God what to do? If we want to live bold lives we need to start by asking God what he wants us to do? Lots of times we forget this infact the next city Joshua tried to take after Jericho was Ai and Joshua for got to ask God what to do and you know what happened. He made a big mistake. If we want to make wise choices we need to start by asking God what he wants us to do.
He Did What God told him. When God tells us to do something we need to be obedient. We need to do what he tells us to do. Boldness comes in knowing that we are doing the right thing even before we do it. Because if God has told us to do it and it matches up with the Bible we can be 100% sure we are doing the right thing.
How can you be bold? - You can be bold by asking God to speak to you and tell you what to do? How does God speak to you? Through your parents, through pastors and leaders, and through the bible. Let’s practice right now. Everyone close your eyes. We are going to ask God to help us be bold. I want us to all be quite and listen for what God says. (give the kids about a minute) Alright everyone who felt they heard God speak to them? If you had a thought that you should tell your parents that you love them, that is God speaking to you because the bible says we are to honor our mom’s and dad’s. How about punch your brother in the face? Absolutely not the bible says we are to love our neighbors and that includes our family. So today ask your Mom and Dad, pray and ask God what God wants you to do to be bold. Then Do it!

Joshua – Small Group

Activity – Stain remover pen (relabel it bold stain remover) – When we get sin stains in our life the only thing that will take it out is Jesus Christ. Put a stain on a piece of clothing and explain how when we sin it takes away our boldness. Use the bold pen on the cloth and explain that because Jesus died on the cross for our sins we can come boldly before God throne and find grace in our time of need. Because of Jesus was Bold and listened to His Father We can be bold and live a life that pleases him.

Questions –
What does it mean to be Bold?
Should Christians be bold?
What is the difference between being bold and being mean?
Who helps us be bold?
What can you do to be more  bold?
Was Jesus bold?
What makes us bold?
How can we tell others about Jesus if we aren’t bold?