Connect Magazine | Aug-Sep-Oct 2016

aug-sep-oct 2016

A Tale of

Two Services

High Five Sharing the sweet story

Our Family is a Miniature Church

the team (09) 526 7958 childrensministry@baptist.org.nz www.bcfm.org.nz NATIONAL TEAM LEADER

Karen Warner (09) 526 7958 | 021 279 0919 karen.warner@baptist.org.nz

NATIONAL ADMINISTRATOR

Marelize Bester (09) 526 7958 childrensminstry@baptist.org.nz

REGIONAL ASSOCIATION C&F COACHES AND MISSION LEADERS

produced Baptist Children & Family Ministries design WindsorCreative © cover design Andrés Carrió art cover "Circles" by Filomena Baeza (Chilean artist)

Northern

Wellington

Raewyn Moodie 021 797 427 candrmoodie@gmail.com Elke Keeling 021 623 540 elke.keeling@ihug.co.nz

Paul Edlin 027 692 1440 paul.edlin@npbc.org.nz

Waikato

Mike Walker (07) 843 5959 | 021 793 431 mike@hamsouthbaptist.org.nz Bay of Plenty

Jan Ozanne (07) 576 2523 | 027 733 3298 jan@obc.org.nz

Canterbury/Westland

Donna Reid 027 329 3250 donna.reid.23@outlook.com Otago/Southland

Derek Pyle (03) 448 5177 pyle-dm@ihug.co.nz

editorial

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do love to take a holiday - reading books, coffee and shopping with friends, going to the movies, sleeping in – it’s the coming back I’m not so fond of! This morning there were far too many emails to reply to and the next issue of Connect to edit. Oh, and there are 30 people coming for a safety workshop tomorrow and the budget is due on Friday.

At times like this coffee and a wonderful co-worker are truly a must.

I am excited to share this issue of Connect with you all. We have asked some of our churches to share what is happening and where they are seeing God at work. There are stories to make you laugh, some that will tug on your heartstrings and lots that are sharing how the ages are mixing together to share and grow faith. I find this the most exciting. Churches are wrestling with ways to help their children know that they are a valued part of the faith community. And they are reminding the older people what it is like to see God through the eyes of a child. I look forward to hearing more of your stories over this year.

I am also looking forward to the upcoming CM Block Course at Carey. David Csinos is coming all the way from Canada to be our guest lecturer. If you haven’t yet read his book "Children’s Ministry in the Way of Jesus" I highly recommend you add it to your reading list. There are still some

audit spaces left so it’s not too late to enrol. Be there or be square!

I know that life gets busy and that ministry can be draining. I wonder what you are doing to refill your ‘tank’? I enjoyed seeing the movie Love and Friendship last week. I am also auditing the Thinking Theologically paper with Myk Habets at Carey this semester. Both these things refill my tank and give me fuel for the journey ahead. I strongly encourage you to take the time to do things that bring you joy and fill your soul. Not only will your family love it and your ministry flourish, but your relationship with the Father will also blossom. To that end I leave you with one of the prayers of St Patrick:

May the Strength of God pilot us.

May the Power of God preserve us.

May the Wisdom of God instruct us.

May the Hand of God protect us.

May the Way of God direct us.

May the Shield of God defend us.

May the Host of God guard us.

Against the snares of the evil ones.

May Christ be with us!

May Christ be before us!

May Christ be in us, Christ be over all!

May Thy Salvation, Lord, Always be ours, This day, O Lord, and evermore.

Amen

Blessings,

Karen

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intergenerational

Messy Church NIKKI TROWBRIDGE – VILLAGE BAPTIST – HAVELOCK NORTH

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t’s 4pm on the third Sunday of the month.

The theme of this Messy Church service is ‘God Delivers’, using the story of Moses and the rescue from Egypt. There are around 8 large tables (low and high) scattered around the auditorium – no rows of chairs facing the stage here. Sitting at one table you will find Fergus, Scottish grandfather figure to many adoring fans. He is helping a 3 yr old who has come along with her

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family to hammer a roof onto the wooden home they have just built. They just drew ‘blood’ around the doorframe and stuck a verse on the door to help the child remember the story later at home.

The family of the 3 yr old have never stepped into a Sunday morning service, but they hardly ever miss Messy Church. In fact, they have just arranged to hang out later in the week with a friendly member of our congregation who takes the

opportunity to invite mum and child to come along to playgroup next week.

At another table nearby a couple of teenage girls chat to a noisy group of children from our church community as together they all paint different scenes of the 10 plagues. The teenagers taught these girls at Sunday school this morning, and they laugh together as they discuss school and life. At the front of the room, toddlers play with insect toys in a red

dyed water trough as they experience the story of Egypt in a new way with others.

Similar stories are taking place all over the room as I look around at the noisy, busy, messy and fun room.

Songs familiar to mainly music and Sunday School play in the background. Dads stand around chatting with each other. A mum arranges to bring a meal round to another mum struggling. This is Messy Church in action.

It’s 5pm. A funny Bible song clip plays on the big screen, cueing children to come to the front as craft tables are packed down. Miriam grabs her guitar and leads everybody in some worship songs. Several beaming children jump up on stage to lead the actions for the others. In one song, scarves

are handed out to dance with. A blindfold game makes everybody giggle as we talk about trusting God through dark times! The room falls to a hush as we all watch the Jesus Storybook Bible DVD clip weave the redeeming love of Jesus into the story of Moses. As Nikki wraps up the message, we sing our quiet ‘grace song’, which includes a prayer time in the middle of the song.

It’s dinner time! Families pour through to a nearby room, where American hot dogs and salad are ready to be served by a smiling team.

The room is buzzing with chatter and noise. Kids sit with their friends. Families from our wider church family sit alongside community who have just experienced their first church service

ever. Invitations are made to come along to various other activities through the coming weeks. Discussions about the Bible story theme continue as each table includes some suggested conversation starters. This is Messy Church in action.

At VBC, we have been running Messy Church services for over 2 years now.

We have around 70 people attending each month, with an average of 2 new families coming along every time with whom we have never previoulsy connected. Every age group is represented and people come from all walks of life. My own children ask me every week if it is a Messy Church Sunday. This is a space where God is moving. aug-sep-oct 2 016 connect | 5

intergenerational

A Tale of Two Services HELEN BRERETON, LIFEPOINT BAPTIST

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t was the best of times, it was the worst of times: As a pastoral leadership student responsible for leading the children’s ministry team at Lifepoint (One Tree Point/ Ruakaka) my role requires facilitating an All Age Service (AAS) each term - and Dicken’s classic introduction is a fair summary of the two AAS I have facilitated to date.

The first one took place on Easter Sunday – providing a fantastic opportunity to tell this very familiar story in a new way. Inspired by the release of the movie “Risen”, we chose the theme of CSI Jerusalem.* On arrival at church, individuals and families were sorted into one of three groups: Disciples, sympathetic Jewish leaders and Roman soldiers. Attendees were ushered into a dimly lit auditorium to participate in a secret memorial service for Jesus. After naming and thanking each group and their leader (Mary and the poor disciples, Nicodemus and the sympathetic but wealthy Jewish leaders, and Claudius and the rough and ready Roman soldiers) the service began with anointing the body but “oh no!” the coffin was empty (cue the CSI theme tune) which launched us into a treasure hunt for clues and a selection of

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Easter Sunday craft activities. The disciples found scripture clues – the words of Jesus that predicted his death and resurrection.

The Jewish leaders found scripture clues from the Old Testament predicting the coming and suffering of God’s messiah. The Gentile Roman soldiers found scripture clues that this Messiah was coming for all peoples.

Once the ‘mystery’ was solved we celebrated with Easter eggs and communion. It was highly engaging, interactive and lots of fun.

Feedback from many attendees described it as ‘awesome’ the best AAS Lifepoint has had so far. The best of times…

It was also exhausting, time consuming, expensive, and there were a number of people who didn’t attend simply because it was an AAS and not ‘real church’. Whilst many deemed the service a big success, I was left unsettled. As I reflected on the service, I realised that this really hadn’t been an all-age service – it had instead been children’s church transplanted into the main auditorium.

So the second AAS took a different approach.

It was the Sunday of 40-Hour Famine, an activity our youth group was heavily involved with. For the AAS we took our normal order

of service and very intentionally made each element all-age friendly, accessible, and easy to track and engage with. We had visual, audio and kinetic components throughout the service - from our opening congregational prayer to our closing benediction we aimed for simplicity and variation so all ages could track with the different elements of the service. It had a great underlying message that was layered and reinforced by the different elements in the service. Feedback from many attendees described it as… ‘meh’. Okay, it wasn’t the worst of services, but it certainly was not as triumphant as its predecessor.

On reflection, we realise that in many ways we have been training our kids to ‘zone out and endure’ in big church until their high energy and exciting programmes start in kid’s church.

This has spilled over into our all age services – where we have almost recreated children’s church rather than facilitating a truly all age service. If we want to equip our young ones to be lifelong disciples and independent worshippers, we need to make some changes.

A key revelation has been that there needs to be a real agreement between service leaders and parents and guardians. Service leaders who commit to making service elements accessible and understandable across the ages and parents and guardians who commit to orienting and reorienting their children to the movements of the service until they are mature enough to do it for themselves.

Personally, I had not recognised how important the second part of this agreement is. And how both leaders and parents need to actively contribute to teaching our kids to track, engage with, participate in, and even facilitate different parts of the service.

It would be grossly unfair to give a child a kidfriendly bicycle then berate them for not using it if we’ve never actually taught them how to ride a bike in the first place. So at Lifepoint we are backing up the bus and looking at ways we

can help our busy, tired and stretched parents and guardians help their kids engage with all aspects of the service. At the same time we are looking at ways to make our normal service elements - especially those that occur in the service before the kids go to their programmes - more accessible for all age groups. This I think, is a far, far better thing to do. *A description and run sheet for the CSI Jerusalem service is available from Raewyn Moodie…

Kinetic Congregational prayer

(Congregation reads bold, and touch es the body parts named; prayer leader reads the ‘so that…’)

Go d ble ss ou r eye s - so that we can see when som eone is being bullied or treated badly.

Go d ble ss ou r ea rs - so that we can hear the cries of people who need help.

Go d ble ss ou r mo uth s -so that we can speak words of welcome to newcomers and especially refugees.

Go d ble ss ou r sh ou lde rs -so that we carry the burden of finding protection and help for people who are sick or weak.

Go d ble ss ou r ha nd s -so that we can work together for justice and peace.

Go d ble ss ou r he art s - so that we can care for the peo ple you care for.

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intergenerational

Alpha Prayer – Intergenerational Style FRANKLIN BAPTIST ANDY BEALES-WHITE, YOUTH PASTOR

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hen I started at Franklin Baptist Church this year, we made a conscious decision to align youth ministry with other church ministries by having them run from the church on the same night.

One of the dreams of this aligning of ministry nights was that it would create natural opportunities for youth and other church groups to gather, learn and share as appropriate. In Term 2 this year, we planned to have a series on prayer for part of the term and it happened that the parents of one of the young people were wanting to run the Alpha Prayer series over the same timeframe. I called up his Mum,

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Liz, and asked if it would work having the youth join in the Alpha Prayer. Liz was very excited at this happening and was very accommodating in making the youth part of what was happening.

The way a typical night worked was gathering at 7pm where we recapped last week’s content and anyone could share how last week’s topic led them to pray differently throughout that week. We then sang a worship song together before watching the 15-20 minute Alpha video. After this, Liz highlighted a few things that stood out to her, which she wrote on a white board along with the main points of the video, which helped us all to reflect on what we

As our human tendency is to remain in groups that we feel comfortable and connected to, we decided to intentionally mix the two groups. had seen. We then split into small groups of around 4-6 people - the women and girls stayed together in small groups and the men and boys went into small groups together.

The small group times were most helpful for fostering relationships across a range of ages.

In a small group there would be a mixture of teenagers, younger adult youth leaders, and those who were a bit older. These small group times were my favourite time, partly because of the reflection on the Alpha video but mostly because of the questions the young people were asking and the wisdom the older people were giving. Everyone had something of value to contribute.

In youth ministry, hearing words such as “lifelong follower of Jesus” is quite common, but seeing someone in their retirement stage of life who has been a lifelong follower of Jesus wonderfully illustrates this desire for faith and makes it seem achievable to a teenager. The feedback from both older and younger was of real appreciation of different life experiences, the realisation that there are things to bond over across what would be a 50-year age gap. People learnt names of others and had conversations with them! This would not have happened if we had not decided to join together for those six weeks.

In future, I would love to see collaboration between ages and stages normalised. I want to continually find ways for older people to share their wisdom and stories with younger people in youth environments, and encourage youth participation in wider church ministries.

Mix Them Up LIZ KELSEY, ALPHA CO-ORDINATOR

As a church we decided to run the Alpha Prayer Course. Our senior pastor suggested that the youth group could join us. What a blessing!

As our human tendency is to remain in groups that we feel comfortable and connected to, we decided to intentionally mix the two groups. When seated for the teaching session we had alternate rows of youth and non-youth.

In the follow up small groups we also encouraged a mix. It was challenging for some but what a blessing this turned out to be!!

Some comments I had from the adults:

“I enjoyed the prayer course but the best thing was having the youth join us and getting to know and pray with them.”

“I loved how the course opened up relationships with the youth.

It was such a blessing to hear of their love for the Lord and their heart for prayer. I now feel comfortable to go up to them and say Hi! at church on Sunday.”

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children's ministry

High Five - Divorce Care Recovery for Kids GAYLE VAN HOFFEN, WINDSOR PARK BAPTIST

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have worked in Children’s Ministry for over 20 years and loved every minute of it. Okay, okay, almost every minute of it!

While working to give of our very best each Sunday I often felt frustrated when I saw families who were obviously struggling. I wanted to support them but there was just never the space and time. I felt God call me out of the Sunday children’s ministry and into the day to day care ministry, supporting, praying, resourcing and encouraging families through the hard times.

We observed that children right from preschool age through to adolescence were struggling with post separation and divorce adjustment. As a church we began looking for ways to support these families.

At the time the High 5 course was being run by the local Salvation Army. A number of our children attended, with families speaking very highly of the course and the resulting changes in their children.

When the Salvation Army funding stream dried up we were in a place to take over and have been running it since 2009. The course is originally from Australia and we want to acknowledge what a great platform it has been for our course, which we have continually adapted and tailored to meet the unique and changing needs of each group of children that attend.

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The programme runs over 8 weeks with a follow-up session six weeks later. Each child who attends is paired with a coach for the duration of the course, which facilitates and enables the development of a strong bond. Coaches receive training and are fully supported.

Topics covered in the course include guilt, anger, change, worry, self-esteem, making good choices, positive self-talk and forgiveness. The children arrive at 5.30pm and enjoy freetime with their coaches before a teaching time and a shared dinner. The dessert is always the favourite part! After dinner they go into one on one time with their coaches where they talk about the teaching and complete various tasks. Each week the children learn a memory verse that helps them earn badges and more importantly the power of the Word of God. The evening ends on a high with the Surprise Box. What’s that

* Children's faces blured due to confidentiality

and the potential they see in them. It is a powerful moment and often there is not a dry eye in the house! These letters are laminated and taken away to be treasured.

you say? Well, I can’t tell you otherwise it wouldn’t be a surprise!

Our High 5 team and parents are continually encouraged by the transformation that happens in the children. High 5 is an environment where these children can find stability, be listened to and heard and most importantly make the discovery that they are not the only ones experiencing separation and divorce. Both reported and observed outcomes include: improved confidence, end to bed wetting, less anxiety, better outcomes at school, better sleeping, better relationships with parents, step parents and siblings, greater self-awareness and use of more effective coping strategies.

We are also able to help children who need further support by referring them to counselors.

At the end of the course we have a graduation that is attended by all family members involved. This is an amazing evening of celebration. Each child receives a Bible and a letter their coach has written them. The coach then reads this letter aloud to the child about the journey they are on

We have started another ministry called Refresh, partly in response to the number of women we got to know through High 5. We get together once a term for a meal and speaker while the children have pizza, a movie and ice blocks in another room. It is wonderful for these women to have an evening out where someone else cooks and looks after their children. It has allowed us to build deeper relationships with the families and establish extra measures of support. This could be food parcels, help with heating, advocacy with WINZ, counseling, parenting support and encouragement that they are not alone.

As with all healthy ministries we have dreams and goals. We hope to develop a similar course for intermediate age children and a short course helping children cope better in blended families.

Please pray for us as we welcome another 10 children to our course starting on the 1st August.

“My heart is broken because my people are destroyed. Children and babies are fainting in the streets of the city.”

Lamentations 2:19 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of the sight for the blind, to release the oppressed. To proclaim the year of the Lords favour.”

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church & home

Our Family is a Miniature Church ANDREW MAUDE, PL STUDENT, CAREY BAPTIST COLLEGE

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ast year I had the privilege of being involved in a weekly intergenerational group which was specifically purposed for young families. To my surprise, I quickly discovered a vacuum in resources for groups who want to explore the concept of being a family after God, together.

So, together, we developed a curriculum of our own, beginning with a simple discussion around what it means to be a family, and then, more specifically, a Christian family. After a couple of weeks, we settled on the following theme: “Our family is a miniature church; the church is the family of God.” The purpose was to develop and embed a living theology of what it means to be a family that walks in the way of God, together: “Our family is a miniature church; the church is the family of God.” The theme got mixed into eight affirmations (seven would be better!), which were served each week on a piece of paper ‘pavlova’.

On the reverse of each piece was a brief explanation of each affirmation:

PILGRIMS TOGETHER

In our miniature church, which includes all generations, we are spiritual pilgrims together. We are co-learners, and explorers on a journey of discovery in our relationship(s) with God and the world He’s creating.

UNIQUELY CREATED

Within our family, just like the church, each of us, no-matter our age, is uniquely created to glorify God, together.

THE STORY OF THE BIBLE

As a family after God, the story of the Bible is our own family story.

It’s the story of our lives, because it defines who we are as a family, and as individuals, together.

KINGDOM VALUES

As a family, we live in an environment of God’s grace, which includes love, acceptance, wisdom, encouragement, discipline and direction, forgiveness, support, honesty, truth, and worship.

Our family/home is an environment where the values of God’s kingdom are expressed and experienced together.

MODELLING JESUS

In our miniature church parents and role-models are like pastors.

It’s not enough just to teach. Instead, through dependence on the Spirit, we practice what we preach, and are captivated by the love and the glory of God together.

GOD’S BIGGER FAMILY

As a family after God, together, we are intimately connected with the life and journey of the much bigger family of God’s people – the church.

A FAMILY OF PRIESTS

Our family is a family of priests. Together, we are called and responsible to lead, testify, reflect, and participate in the ongoing ministry of Jesus in the world.

FUN AND JOY

In our miniature church, we never forget that the fruit of the Spirit includes joy, which we regularly interpret as having fun!

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These formed the basis of our curriculum, but always, the challenge was to engage with each category in a way that enabled everyone to participate. Through exploring these themes together, we discovered that the way children learn is often the way that adults have forgotten and can benefit from re-learning.

It’s a way that’s communal, it’s a way that involves repetition, engages the senses, and laughter, and movement. It’s a way that enables us to all feel empowered, and a sense of ownership in the playful, participatory worship that we offer to God. And it’s a way that appears to come naturally for children, yet which is also dependent on the prayerful, intentional direction of those with a bit more experience.

In this, we discovered the benefit of prayer and worship that incorporates our bodies, so too a variety of senses.

piled up our hands, one on top of another’s. Whoever’s hand was on the bottom had the moment to pray. Short and sweet is best - for the

3. Theology – Our discussion would be introduced by an engaging illustration, game, or spiritual practice - in story or song, in play-dough or marshmallows, in poetry or pictures, or physical creations (something that is suitable for all ages). Eventually, having contributed to the activity or discussion, the children would usually go off and play, which is fine; short and sweet is best.

Each evening would follow the same basic format:

1. Prayer - We always began with a “together prayer.” My favourite was the “hands prayer,” (which revolutionised our prayer times at home with our three under-fives). With all of us squashed around the coffeetable, adults and children, we

2. Worship in song – I believe it was Martin Luther who wrote something like: The King is theology, and the Queen is music. And I have enjoyed seeing the beauty of such a marriage. At home, we do much of our Bible and theology in song. Likewise, in an all-age group, music is an excellent tool that enables all to participate in the worship of God together. Also, having an instrument in their hands, helped the children (and adults!) to feel more engaged and included in the music.

younger ones, just a word is plenty. The point is that each person is able to participate, and feels valued and included. There should never be pressure.

So far as the adults were concerned, we had fun, we encouraged and supported one another in fellowship and prayer, and we embarked on a journey of discovery; discovering what it means to be a family of families that walks in the way of God, together.

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children's ministry

Sharing the Sweet Story DON BENN, ST ALBANS BAPTIST

Sometimes it all starts with something as simple as a chocolate biscuit, half an Easter egg, and some tooth picks.

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n Easter Sunday this year we decided that rather than having a structured lesson in our kids programme we would get our children to make empty tomb biscuits to share with the congregation. Usually, the church puts on a morning tea with hot cross buns, or something a little different to the usual. I suggested that the kids could provide the morning tea this year. We made 140 of these biscuits, talking about the parts as we put them together. When church finished, each child had a tray with the morning tea they had created which they then served to the congregation. It went down extremely well.

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There were enough biscuits that some came back for seconds, and this is where one story really hit the mark. One of our congregation lives in a fairly close community and so she took one of these biscuits home for a neighbour. The neighbour was curious about the biscuit when she saw it. So the church member shared the meaning. As the story was explained to her, she broke down in tears at the message which was conveyed so simply. The next day the neighbour said to our church member, “Guess what I have been doing? I have been reading the New Testament.�

Something as simple as a chocolate biscuit, half a hollow Easter egg, and some tooth picks, in the hands of someone prepared to share the message as a gift can lead to some wonderful conversations and the beginnings of transformation for those who receive it. And this came from the hands of the children.

integrated strategy

We’ve Moved DAVE DIACK, MANUREWA BAPTIST

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ost of us now live crazy busy lives and our young families often feel it the most. Families can end up with kids out almost every night of the week and the church can end up being a part of this problem. We were starting to find that families were complaining they were having to take their kids to events at the church 2 – 3 times per week. As a father myself, I understood their frustration. But what to do? In talking with my colleagues we began to brainstorm ways that we could alleviate this problem, and create a greater sense of community in the process. This was the birth of Monday Nights.

This year ICONZ (boys primary school age), Extreme (intermediate age) and Tribal (high school age) are now all running on a Monday night between 6:30 and 8pm, in the church building at the same time.

While it creates some logistics issues, having the programmes all on one night has opened up many exciting possibilities and further plans are already in the pipe line. The three main reasons everyone is enjoying the change are because it puts a lot less stress on families with only one night out, it creates stronger relationships because when the kids transition from one ministry to the next, both kids and parents can stay connected with leaders and finally, because it develops stronger leaders. With the leaders from all three ministries being at church on the same night we are able to support each other more effectively through the sharing of ideas, resources and prayer. It’s a win, win!

We are only one term in but already we have experienced wins in all 3 areas. We

have happier parents, our kids are feeling a lot more confident about going from one ministry to the next and a great vibe has developed in the leadership team.

Why don’t you take a look at what your church could be doing to mix some of your ministres and to see community develop in new and fresh ways?

We love it when churches start to think outside of the box and look at ways to encourage church and community ministries to mix more effectively. If this idea resonates with you, here are some questions to ponder: • What ministries do you run during the week and are there ways to create some form of overlap?

• What would you gain if you had greater overlap and interaction?

• What obstacles would you need to overcome?

• What would you gain in the longterm?

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resources

The Big Little Bible App The Big Little Bible brings together 30 of the most important stories straight from God’s big story – the Bible. It’s a stepping stone to help developing young minds get used to reading the Bible. Featuring the Contemporary English Version Bible text and original illustrations from Kiwi artist Meesh Holswich, The Big Little Bible will help children discover that the Bible tells one big interconnected story about God and his plan to rescue the masterpiece of his creation – people.

The Bible App for Kids The Bible App for Kids is the newest member of the YouVersion family of apps. Available now for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, the Bible App for Kids is completely free! It’s an interactive experience that gets kids reading the Bible. It also has a “Read to Me” when an adult can’t assist with the reading. The app is made fun by having colourful graphics, easy navigation, and incentive based challenges for kids to remember what they have learned.

The Bible App for Kids Curriculum and Parent section Life.Church has also developed the Bible App for Kids Early Childhood Curriculum. This curriculum works hand-in-hand with the Bible App for Kids and is 100% FREE. Engagement, quality, and ease-of-use are the heart of this 23-unit curriculum. As imaginative as your preschoolers' favourite TV shows, these lessons point them to Jesus. There is also a parent section that allows parents to stream or download 30-minute Bible App for Kids video episodes. They can also download other free companion resources like colouring pages and activity sheets. There are heaps of extras like wall art, ideas, articles and much more. Definitely worth checking out. www.bibleappforkids.com 16 |connect aug-sep-oct 2016

editor's top pick

Telling the Same Story

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hat if there was a bible computer game that was actually good? How long would that take to make? The answer: Around 80 years.

Back in 1938 Robert Laidlaw (of Farmer’s Trading Co. fame) was considering how his mail catalogue system could be used to put Sunday School lessons in front of isolated rural children that couldn’t get to a Sunday School. He and James Rowan developed a curriculum that could be completed by correspondence, inviting an entire generation of children to engage with the story of God in scripture.

Fast forward to 2016 and the

world has changed. Today’s kids are no longer playing in the front garden and checking the mailbox. They inhabit the online space and they play games. Jane McGonigal, game designer and cultural commentator, writes: “Gamers want to know: Where, in the real world, is that gamer sense of being fully alive, focused, and engaged in every moment? Where is the gamer feeling of power, heroic purpose, and community?”

It’s in this environment that Laidlaw’s vision is more important than ever. Biblical engagement has fallen away across the western world.

According to one study, 20% of kiwi kids don’t know a single Bible story and over 50% have never read one themselves. The Aetherlight: Chronicles of the Resistance has been created to address that issue.

It’s an online, multiplayer adventure game aimed at 10 - 12 year olds, built around an allegory of

scripture. Like Narnia in an earlier generation, it creates an exciting world for young people to immerse themselves in a story with profound meaning.

The Aetherlight traces the story of scripture, paralleling people and events with clues along the way that point to the deeper meaning.

Alongside the game sit parent emails that highlight the stories being told and offer discussion starters, as well as a soon to be released app with mini games that connect the game and Bible even more explicitly.

The vision that inspired Laidlaw and Rowan hasn’t changed, but the world has.

The Aetherlight is a response to this new context, but telling the same story. It’s interactive, it’s exciting, and it’s growing as more young people join the Resistance in Aethasia and realise that they are called to be part of an epic story in the real world, too.

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pin these dates

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27

aug

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Pray Day

Messy Church Resourcing Day Auckland.

Special to God: Meeting the Needs of Special Kids Course, Auckland 9.00 am - 2.30 pm 9 Walters Road

Friday 5th August 2016

sunz.org.nz

9.30 am - 3.30 pm 38 St Johns Road messychurch.org.nz

aug Messy Church Resourcing Day Nelson messychurch.org.nz

cbm.org.nz

4

1

5-9

sep

sep

sep Children's Ministry Block Course Auckland

Random Act of Kindness Day Father’s Day

13

14

17

19

1

sep

sep

sep

sep

oct

Way2Go Conference

Way2Go Conference

Way2Go Conference

Blenheim – Elim Church 6-9pm

Nelson Salvation Army, 6-9pm

Greymouth – Holy Trinity Anglican 9.30 – 3.30pm

Orders for Christmas@ Home booklets open online

Orders for Christmas@Home booklets close

bcfm.org.nz

See website for details

31

oct Light Parties and other alternatives to Halloween

18 |connect aug-sep-oct 2016

3-5

BAPTIST

20 16

27

nov

nov

Dunedin City Baptist Church

Advent Starts

baptist.org.nz

Christmas

@Home

Orders open 19 September 2016 Christmas@Home is back again this year with fantastic new ideas for families. This resource has been designed to use in the home in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

The booklets are available for churches and related organisations to purchase and gift to families. This is a great way for the church and the home to partner together.

Online orders will open on 19 September 2016. Booklets will be $2.90 each with a minimum order of 10 booklets www.bcfm.org.nz. (Postage and GST not included.)

FREE

This year we have an additional resource specifically for use in churches. It’s jam-packed with creative large and small group ideas for the Advent and Christmas season. This booklet will be available at $10 each, or if you order 50 or more of the Christmas@Home booklets you’ll receive it FREE. A sneak preview of this booklet will be available soon. aug-sep-oct 2 016 connect | 19 www.bcfm.org.nz

Children’s Ministry Course with Dave Csinos Equip yourself to be more effective in your Children’s Ministry

BLOCK COURSE

5-9 September

Carey Baptist College 473 Great South Road, Penrose, Auckland

9.30am – 4.45pm each day

The Children’s Ministry Course is a challenging course that explores biblical and theological foundations, current trends, and relevant issues in ministry to children and their families within a local church context.

Whether you are new to ministry or an “old hand”, you will receive teaching that will grow and challenge you while spending a week networking with, and learning from, like-minded others.

Dave Csinos is assistant professor at Atlantic School of Theology where he teaches in the areas of practical theology and ministry studies. He also serves as founder and president of Faith Forward, an ecumenical organisation for innovation in ministry with children and youth.

Attend the Block Course for personal interest or study for the full semester as part of the Certificate in Child and Family Leadership or towards other Applied Theology qualifications.

For more information www.carey.ac.nz

COST

0800 773 776 Rachel.roche@carey.ac.nz

Audit $340

(personal interest – no assignments – just attendance of the block course)

Credit $765 (full Semester - working towards qualification)

20 |connect aug-sep-oct 2016 25th July – 18th November

90 years Anniversary 1926-2016

Spaces are limited so book early to avoid disappointment