ADVOCATE
Thinking outside the box while on a firm foundation
By: On a regular September afternoon in Trenton, NJ, loud joyful sounds of teenagers and children filled the room of our church’s afterschool program. I methodically counted my volunteers in order to most effectively distribute my helping hands, when suddenly a...
Pringles versus Chex Mix
By: There is something nice and neat about a can of Pringles. They stack so perfectly into that round can, and the taste and shape are entirely predictable. A bag of Chex Mix, however, has variety in taste, shape, texture and look. When you put your hand in that bag,...
Why do we need church?
By: Nobody goes to the store and buys a grape; they come in bunches. So too, nobody sings in a choir of one or plays ping pong by herself. These things make no sense. So it is with the Christian faith. It is, by definition, a team sport. Yet there is a growing...
Youth Ministry – Building on the faith of parents
By: Through college and seminary, I spent numerous years volunteering as a youth minister and in 2007 took a job in Bonn, Germany as the associate pastor for youth for an international congregation. This unique position afforded me the opportunity to work with some...
Song, worship & playfulness
By: The other day my daughters (ages four and six) taught me something important about being open to the Spirit. They were dancing around a sofa-cushion house they had assembled on the floor of the living room. As they skipped in circles, they sang this song: There’s...
The effective—and fun—use of drama
By: Drama is a means of expression that may be used to build up or to bring down, to heal or to hurt. Drama can be a powerful tool in church. It can be used for worship, evangelism, or Christian education. As with any means of expression, it is necessary to determine...
Finding creative ways of renewal
By: Lis Van Harten Much to the delight of some, renewal occurs in surprising, unintentional ways North American culture is such that we work too hard, and too much. While the resulting productivity is a good thing, it often leaves us spiritually, emotionally,...
Girls just wanna have fun!
By: Picture this scene on a September Saturday at your local church: A girl band rocking out to Cyndi Lauper’s feisty song, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” A team of amateurs painting rock-star symbols on smiling faces before they step into a photo...
The intertwining of worship and play
By: All the pews are filled and the sanctuary is silent. Every person holds a noise maker. We clasp old plastic bottles filled with beans, last year’s plastic Easter eggs filled with rice, little sticks decorated with Crayola markers, or even our own keys. We...
Let us play!
By: Bible Games for Church School, Anna Baker. Graphic Gallery, 1984. This resource provides directions for teachers to make 48 games for use in a variety of educational settings. The Christian at Play, Robert K. Johnston. Wipf & Stock Publishers, 1995. Johnston...