Meet ParentLife, maybe get a free subscription!

We are excited to announce a new addition to what you'll find on centrikidblog.com.  Each month, we will feature a guest post from Parent Life Magazine (found online at http://www.lifeway.com/parentlifeblog).  Don't worry if you aren't a parent ... you work with kids in ministry so I'm pretty sure you'll benefit from the things they share.

In order to kick this off right, we are giving away a subscription to ParentLife magazine to somebody who writes on the CentriKid Facebook page and completes this sentence:  "I'd like to hear from ParentLife about...."   (it can be something funny, serious, ministry-related, kid culture-related ... anything).  We will choose one person to get the subscription from those who comment.  It won't be based solely on "likes" for your comment, but it doesn't hurt to have a lot of "likes" beside your submission.

Here are 3 things you might want to do today as a show of support for our friends at ParentLife Magazine...

1. "Like" ParentLife on Facebook (and jot a note on their wall!) if you want to see their updates in your News Feed.
2. Check out a sample issue of ParentLife Magazine - download it from their main site... lifeway.com/parentlife
3. Bookmark the ParentLife blog so you can check it out from time to time.
4. Try winning the OMC Game Kit they are giving away today over on the ParentLife blog..... we've partnered together today for great giveaways!

Don't forget to finish this sentence:  "I'd like to hear from ParentLife about...."  on the CentriKid Facebook page to try winning a free year-long subscription to ParentLife magazine!

Jeremy Echols leads the CentriKid team and is a new parent ... so he will be trying to win that ParentLife subscription today too!  Keep up with JE and Emily's antics with thier sweet little girl Baby Madison through the twitter hashtag #BabyMadison and on JE's twitter.

Always Reading, Always Learning

As a kid, I never wanted to carry around multiple books, so I would only read one book at a time until it was finished.  Now I’ve got a few books going, and as always I’ve got a stack lined up to read “soon.”

All my reading material lives in the #3 basket at home.  Generally it is half to three-quarters full of books, magazines, or articles. Reading is one of my favorite hobbies, so I love having a few different books going at the same time. My Kindle is my favorite device for reading, but I never pass up free books, so I've got a number of "physical books" in basket #3 as well as e-books on my Kindle.

Books I Read in 2011
Linchpin - Seth Godin
Beyond Talent - John Maxwell
Out Live Your Live - Max Lucado
The Final Summit - Andy Andrews
Max on Life - Max Lucado
The Confession - John Grisham
Lions of Lucerne - Brad Thor
Theodore Boone: The Abduction - John Grisham
Transformational Church - Ed Stetzer & Thom Rainer
Do the Work - Steven Pressfield
Poke the Box - Seth Godin
Casino Royale - Ian Fleming
The Cardinal in the Kremlin - Tom Clancy

Currently I'm Reading
21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership - John Maxwell with the interns at work.  This is one of my favorite leadership books to read over and over again with young leaders.
The Steve Jobs biography - Walter Isaacson
Path of the Assassin - Brad Thor

What is in Basket #3...to be read next? 
The Litigators - John Grisham
What is the Gospel?  - Greg Gilbert and D.A. Carson
Worlds Apart: Understanding the Mindset of 18-25 Year Olds - Chuck Bomar
Bringing Up Girls - James Dobson
The Grace of God - Andy Stanley
EntreLeadership - Dave Ramsey
80/20 Principle - Richard Koch
Wealth Is it Worth It? - Truett Cathy
The Best of Guerilla Marketing - Jay Conrad Levinson

That’s what I’m reading right now, and what is coming up next … here are some of my favorites too!  Share what you are reading now or books that you love on our CentriKid Facebook Page.

What is The Gospel Project for Kids?

This is a guest interview with Tim Pollard, who works on the Childhood Ministry Publishing Team and works specifically with a new curriculum coming out next year! We wanted to get more information on this new curriculum and pass along what we found out!

Who is Tim Pollard? Tim has been at LifeWay for 12 years working in various ministries within Childhood Ministry Publishing. Tim serves in his church where he teaches third and fourth graders in Sunday School each week. Tim and his wife have two daughters, the oldest of whom is a kindergartner. 

What is The Gospel Project for Kids? Picture Sunday School curriculum meets kid-friendly, fun theater. Picture powerful, video-enhanced stories that come to life and put biblical chronology into big-picture understanding of the gospel like kids have never seen. Picture boys and girls who get that each Bible story they learn about is actually woven into and part of God's ultimate plan of redemption through Christ. And finally, picture easy teaching partnerships with parents that help bring it all home week in and week out.

Why should we be excited about this new curriculum? The Gospel Project for Kids is a new approach to Sunday School teaching. This resource will be delivered how you want it, either electronically or in print. It will treat the Bible in chronological fashion and will be built around 36 themed units. The visual display will consist of 12 super-sized posters when put together will have a timeline running from creation to Christ's return that will show kids where each story they learn about is placed in history.

What are the best features of The Gospel Project for Kids? The chronological study of God's Word is an important way to teach kids the truths of Scripture and keep them flowing in a way that will help them make sense of Scripture. 

How much is this going to cost? The resource is a subscription based model and we have not figured out the pricing for it yet. The pricing will in someway be predicated on church size.

When is it available? June 2012

We are just beginning to get the word out about The Gospel Project for Kids! Stay tuned to our blog or the Kids Ministry 101 blog for more information. Find out more about how The Gospel Project got its name from LifeWay editor, Trevin Wax in a recent post on his blog. 

Boys & Girls are Different, RIGHT??

Today we are giving away a free copy of a great resource from LifeWay ... Raising Boys & Girls: The Art of Understanding their Differences.

The book unlocks the differences between raising a son and a daughter. Experienced children’s counselors introduce you to what’s really going on in the world (and in the minds) of your boys and girls and help you learn to better communicate and connect with them. And it’s also a great resource for children’s workers, to give to grandparents, and for any other adult that relates to and loves kids.

We are giving away a Leader Kit and a Member book today...you just have to share a comment on the CentriKid Facebook wall about a difference you've seen from your ministry experience between raising boys & girls.  It could be something about their development stages, something about their interests, or something about how you've seen them react differently to talking about the things of God.  We can't wait to read your comments, and we'll pick one winner and contact you via Facebook to get your mailing information.

Just in case you are interested in this book, but you don't win the free copy...you can buy Raising Boys & Girls at lifeway.com, at LifeWay Christian Stores, or by calling 800.458.2772.

Children in Action (WMU)

Our friends at WMU joined us for our 2011 Kids Ministry Conference and we wanted to share with you what they are all about. Through their programs, Girls in Action and Children in Action, they are helping to expand the faith of young girls and guys all across the country. Check out the video below to find out more information about these great programs.

Royal Ambassadors

Most of you may be familiar with Royal Ambassadors or RA's, for short.  As we continue to help resource your church to be missions focused, we wanted to introduce you to the RA program from our friends at the North American Mission Board. To give you a better idea of what they do and how this missions-focused organization can be used in your church...check out this video!

Courageous Movie... from a man's point of view

Have you seen Courageous yet?

My friends and I were among the one million people who saw Courageous on opening weekend, making it the #1 new movie of the weekend! Courageous is a movie with a message for men, regardless of age or life stage. It’s a movie that you should encourage all the men in your church and your life to see. Have you seen Courageous yet?  Take some tissue! Don’t worry, you’ll laugh as much as you cry.

Leaving the theater my friend, Jim, confessed that he auditioned for one of the lead roles! Though he didn’t appear in the movie, he’s still passionate about its message. I interviewed Jim to get a man’s perspective, and I’d like to share his viewpoint with you.

Q: Jim, did you cry?

A: Yes, several times. (Laughing) So many times I lost track.

Q: What did you think about the overall theme that challenges men to be the leaders of their homes, marriages, and children while strategically creating a Godly legacy?

A: It’s a timeless, needed message for men. Men innately don’t go into marriage equipped with an understanding of how to take care of a family. Women are equipped innately with raising family, finding hope, and loving the unlovable. We (men) need to be trained, called out and equipped with an understanding of our Biblical role as a servant leader in our households.

Q: Can men do this before they get married or become a father?

A: Yes. There are several avenues for a man to prepare—scripture, prayer, spiritual disciplines, being mentored or discipled, and going through great courses like Men’s Fraternity. Our destinations determine our preparation. If our destination is to be a great leader in our family, then we must prepare for that goal.

Q: The movie depicts kids whose dads are not in their lives and how it affects them—many ending up in gangs or turning to drugs. What do you think about this?

A: I completely agree. Our parents give us our first picture of God. So you can imagine what kind of pictures kids get until they are old enough to dig into scripture and see a real picture of God. Dads have a powerful impact on a son and a daughter, and the movie addresses both. Kids who don’t have dads need to search out a man with a good influence. Influence is also non-verbal. Men should expect to be watched in every scenario—shopping, eating out, and responding to life. A young boy needs to see that. He’s going to be taught by someone—either society or a real man.

Q: The movie reveals a Resolution signed by friends. What did this mean to you?

A: I think the Resolution was a good bar to set for obtaining high goals. The movie encouraged me not to do it alone. Together is better. Men should find other guys who can encourage one another.

Q: Any other take-aways from Courageous?

A: The movie showed the most important thing—the need to have a relationship with God through Christ—that the ability to be a good father and husband starts with redemption.

Q: So Jim, are you going to audition for the next movie by Sherwood Pictures?

A: If they ask, I’d be honored to (big smile).

Go see Courageous for yourself! LifeWay has also created resources for your church or Bible study groups that can help extend the ministry impact of this film within your church. Check it out!

Preteen Ministry

Preteens. Caught in that special age that most of us choose to block from our memory. Middle school can be pretty brutal. These are arguably the most moldable years of your life. This is the time normal is established and the time a person will form the majority of their spiritual beliefs. What better time to really focus on intentional ministry!?

FLYTE is the newest preteen curriculum from the LifeWay family. FLYTE stands for Faith. Life. Together. The curriculum speaks to the way this age-group learns - using quality video elements, discussion, connecting ideas and truths to the world they are living in, and talking through how we should respond as Christians.

Each session centers on a particular question. Preteens will see the world’s answer and God’s answer to the question, leading them to discover how they should respond, and helping them understand God’s answer to the question. 

FLYTE has a fantastic blog with training videos and lots of fun visuals.

Not only does the blog help you understand FLYTE, but more importantly, it helps you understand preteens. Don't miss a great oppotunity to build up strong Christians who are ready to take their teenage years by storm, teaching others about the hope they have in Christ!

I'm Going to See the Courageous Movie

This weekend, I'm going to see the brand new movie - Courageous. It releases Friday, so find a theater nearby and get tickets.  

I guarantee you'll laugh, and at times you might cry. But the message for families is spot-on. As you can tell from the preview, there are some intense scenes with police action and gunfire ... so the film carries a PG-13 rating. 

Earlier this year, I had a chance to preview an early screening of the film with some of our CentriKid Camps leaders and it is a really powerful movie. There are some familiar actors if you've seen Fireproof or Facing the Giants ... but this is my favorite film yet from Sherwood Pictures. What I appreciate about each of these films is that they deal with real-world problems in a genuine way.  

As a dad and a husband, I have to say - this movie is definitely worth going to see!

There are lots of teachable moments and opportunities for discussion and follow-up. LifeWay has created resources for your church or Bible study groups that can help extend the ministry impact of this film within your church. In fact, we have one FREE Courageous kit to give away!

To win the Courageous Church Campaign Kit, just comment on the CentriKid facebook page telling us why you want it & how you will use this kit in your church. The contest is open TODAY and TOMORROW only...Sept 27-28. (The winner will be selected from the comments on our facebook page and contacted on Thursday, Sept 29.)

Take it Home: Adult Gathering 2011

CentriKid is not just for kids!  This summer, every adult who came to camp had the opportunity to be a part of what we call "Adult Gathering," where we provide a chance for adults at camp to worship together.  As kids studied how God provides this summer, adults reflected on how God provides through the work of Holy Spirit in each of our own lives.

Typically on Day 3 of camp each week, we set up stations around the room. Leaders could visit each of these 5 stations at their own pace. Each station provided an opportunity to read from God's word and reflect on the impact it has on our lives.

Whether you participated in this activity at camp or not, we would be happy for you to use it back home with leaders and volunteers in your ministry, or with your church in general. It provides a unique experience and a very personal way to worship our big God.

The station outlines, instructions, supplies needed, and details are all available on our Take It Home page. Simply download the Adult Gathering file, and use whatever pieces you'd like. For your convenience, we've also included the outline we used for Day 2 of Adult Dathering, when we taught on Holy Spirit, as well as the discussion questions we used on Day 4. Comment below if you have questions about any of these free resources!

And remember, you can also find a lot of other fun stuff on our Take It Home page. Things like playlists of all our camp music, after-camp devotions, and information about the cool new products we highlighted in our GLOD element at camp. So head over there now and check it out!