We’re supposed to be talking about Christmas, you say? What does Hanukkah have to do with Christmas, you say? Well, I’m glad you asked! Check out this clip from Phil Vischer’s latest video, “Why Do We Call It Christmas.”

In the ever growing commercialization and secularization of Christmas, we tend to toss things like Hanukkah aside or ignore it. Sometimes we are even threatened by it–scared that we are “taking Christ out of Christmas” if we acknowledge anything other than Christmas. Little do most of us realize that Jesus grew up celebrating Hanukkah (or as Sunday School Lady so aptly pointed out, the Feast of Dedication). While Hanukkah isn’t a celebration about Christ, per se, it is a celebration of God’s miraculous provision for his people. I think that’s definitely worth knowing about and recognizing.

If you pick up Why Do We Call It Christmas? (and why wouldn’t you… along with the curriculum?), here are some ideas/thoughts to take into consideration when discussing Hanukkah:

• The lampstand was supposed to stay lit all the time (Leviticus 24:4). It represented God’s light of goodness and righteousness that was always there.
• Why do you think it was a big deal for the lampstand to stay lit for eight days when it only had enough oil to stay lit for one day? How do you think the Israelites would’ve felt if the lampstand had gone out?
• Read John 1:1-12 together. What is Jesus compared to in these verses?
• Read Matthew 5:13-14 together. Who is the light in these verses?

I highly recommend picking up this video for your family or the curriculum for your church. As is characteristic with Phil Vischer’s work, there is something in this video for all ages.

Thanks to the generous people at Jellyfish Labs, I have a copy of the Curriculum DVD ($79 value) to give away! In order to qualify to win, you need to do two things:

1. Leave a comment telling me what Roman name you’d like to have.
2. Share this post on Facebook (be sure to tag me) or on Twitter (include @henryjz in the post).

I will choose a winner at the end of the day on Wednesday, November 16 2011.

(picture originally uploaded to Flickr by ePublicist)

At the end of August, the entire Family Life ministry team at MPPC (children’s, middle school and high school ministries staffs) went on a retreat–together–to talk about our shared vision for reaching kids and families. Never in my 20+ years of being involved in ministry have I ever heard of something like this happening anywhere! It’s amazing how those few days together built respect and trust across all of our teams.

Why doesn’t stuff like this happen more often? I’m sure there are varied legitimate answers to that question. I’d like to propose one reason for the chasm between the children’s ministry and student ministry worlds: each ministry acts as an island unto itself. As ministry to kids and families became more specialized with the dawn of youth and children’s ministries, church staffs began to build their ministries around their specific age demographic. They began to created their own languages, customs and values. In some churches this siloing of student and children’s ministries has even created animosity between the two.

I bet, by now, you’re wondering how this is ever going to be a post about Orange… Well, it’s this culture that Orange is trying to dismantle and redefine. Of all the conferences out there, the one thing that makes Orange stand out among the rest is the value of synchronized vision and strategy of ministry from birth through high school and beyond. Orange is the one conference where leaders from children’s ministry and youth ministry can come to learn a common language and come together to partner with families to help children develop a lifelong love and transformational relationship with God.

It’s not easy trying to forge a merger between children’s and student ministries. The momentum of ministry to families that you create, though, when it happens is well worth the effort. If you are truly serious about ministering to the families at your church and in your community and you realize the value of a common vision and strategy that spans birth through high school, then Orange is a great place to start that journey. Orange is also a great place to meet other churches on the same journey.

Registration started on September 22. Take advantage of the early bird registration. Don’t just come as a children’s ministry or as a student ministry. Come together and form a new culture of family ministry and your church.

In 2009, Brian Haynes came out with his book, Shift, which outlined for ministry leaders a strategy for capitalizing on certain milestones in life to partner with parents in passing faith to their children. In fact, I was part of a blog tour in October 2009 for the book. If you haven’t checked out Shift and are curious, you can check out my review of Shift here. You can also pick up some Shift resources here.

Well, Brian has come out with a complementary book entitled Legacy Path. Legacy Path is written for parents and outlines Biblical principles pointing to the importance of parents passing on faith to their children, the necessity of parents cultivating their own faith, and strategies for passing on faith that are connected to certain life milestones.

Legacy Path is an easy read. I completed it in a couple of hours. It’s brevity makes it a book that would be easy for busy parents to pick up and get through. Don’t be fooled, though, by it’s length. Legacy Path is packed with solid material that is hugely practical. Brian gives parents strategies they can use or adapt to intentionally pass on the baton of faith to their children. I recommend this book for new and veteran parents alike. I also recommend that churches consider Legacy Path as a resource they can provide to families.

I was given the opportunity to ask Brian a few questions about Legacy Path and the Legacy Milestones. Following is my interview with Brian:

Kidmin and Culture (KAC): What do you say to a parent who reads Legacy Path and says, “Our family life is so busy, I just don’t see doing something like this as realistic. Does that make me a bad parent? What are some baby steps I can do to pass on faith to my child?”

Brian: “Most parents feel like their life is really busy, making it a struggle to prioritize the faith training of their child. That does not make them a bad parent. It does mean that, if they are Christ-followers, they should wrestle with how to rearrange life to have time to be intentional in the faith development of their children as they sit at home, walk along the road, lie down, and get up.

“That being said there are some great ways to ease into being intentional spiritual parents. Just praying with your kids before bed is a great way for them to hear your heart for God and for them as your children. Reading one verse in the morning, in the car on the way to wherever, or at night before bed is an easy way to bring the Scripture home. A great simple step is to go to church together consistently for worship, Bible Study, and community.”



KAC: There are some families who are already passing on the faith in their own way. Do those families need to readjust what they are doing to conform to what is outlined in Legacy Path? Are there other ways to pass on faith that are different than those in Legacy Path?

Brian: “The Legacy Path is a plan based on biblical principles. There are many plans out there that are great and will work very well. If a family already has a plan that is working I would say stick with that. If anything in my book helps, adds to, or allows you to tweak your plan, then by all means go for it. I don’t have the only plan . . . just a plan. I heard someone say once, “If I have a plan and you don’t have a plan then I like my plan better than your plan.” If you have a plan, work it. But if you don’t have a plan, I think The Legacy Path is a relatively simple way to train our children with intentionality.

”

KAC: While the principles you lay out in this book are meant for all types of families, it seems that much of what is written is targeted at more traditional families with a father who works and a mother who stays at home with the kids. How can these principles apply to non-traditional families?

Brian: “I am writing from the perspective of a biblical worldview to an audience of Christ-followers in all stages of their faith. On the subject of faith training, it’s easy for ministry leaders to sometimes get hung up on differences between traditional and non-traditional families. But these principles are not necessarily limited to only work for a family with a husband, wife, 2.2 kids, and a dog. The truth is the principles will work in any family with an adult committed to Christ. That’s the key.

“Every family has unique issues and obstacles to overcome. Biblical principles super-cede all of those obstacles. That does not mean it is easy for a single mom or dad to go it alone at home. It doesn’t mean a blended family won’t have issues. It doesn’t mean a traditional family will have it easy. Truthfully, faith training our children from any perspective is a struggle, but a battle worth fighting. I have seen these principles work in any family where an adult is committed to Christ and willing to make an effort.”



KAC: How do the strategies in Legacy Path translate across ethnocultural lines?

Brian: “I think the building blocks of the strategy apply across ethnocultural lines. A faith talk can happen in any culture. God moments happen in any culture. Milestones happen in any culture.  Many of the illustrations and ideas I give likely have a suburban to urban middle-class flare because that’s my experience. Adaptability is the key here. Families can decide how they will practice the principles of The Legacy Path. Houston is an increasingly diverse city. Even just in our city I see the milestones play out different ways in different families based on cultural and socio-economic realities. One example of this is the use of the Quinceanera as the rite of passage ceremony for girls. With such a large Latin population in our city, we see Christians from that culture adapt Milestone 5 in a way that fits their culture. Since parents are the primary faith trainers, they have the responsibility and freedom to adapt the strategies in ways that make sense for their particular culture.

”

KAC: What is the biggest take-away from Legacy Path?

Brian: “The biggest take-away is that every parent is a primary faith trainer and is building a legacy whether they intend to or not. The only difference is whether it’s positive or negative. We can be intentional about building a legacy of faith, but the path to legacy is filled with sacrifice.

”

KAC: What is your vision for this book? How do you see it impacting families and culture?

Brian: “My prayer for the book is two fold. First, that parents would find this to be a simple road map to help them know where to step next in the journey of spiritual parenting. I also hope that ministry leaders who have adopted a form of milestones in their church after reading my first book, SHIFT, will now have a simple tool to hand to parents to help them understand their role as intentional faith trainers. The book is written so that ministry leaders can lead small groups of parents through the book. There are discussion questions at the end of each chapter to springboard conversation. I pray that God uses this to bring glory to His name throughout the generations.“

You can find Legacy Path at online retailers like Amazon. You can also check out other stops on the Legacy Path book blog tour here. If you are interested in finding out more about the Legacy Milestones, you can check out the Legacy Milestones website as well as follow Brian Haynes on his blog.

It seems like I see more and more conferences pop up all the time. It’s not that I’m against conferences, but, really… do we need another one? It’s not like there is anything new or revolutionary being said at them. More and more, I find myself going to conferences to make connections and expand my network… which according to Seth Godin is a good thing (and, hey, if Seth Godin said it, then who am I to argue?). It would be nice, though to gather together with others in kidmin to discuss and explore new frontiers in children’s ministry. I may have watched too many episodes of Star Trek as a kid (The Next Generation is, by far, the best of the series!), but I have to believe that there are places in children’s ministry we can “boldly go where no one has gone before!”

A few months ago, my good friend Amy Dolan, told me about this guy, David Csinos, who was putting together a conference in 2012 that would explore the implications of emerging and missional thought in the church on children’s and youth ministry. I can’t tell you how excited I was. If you’ve followed Elemental CM for a while, you know that I am passionate about finding a missional approach to children’s ministry… something that goes beyond the educational/informational paradigm that has dominated children’s ministry for the past century. I’ve also found it disturbing that much has been done in the adult arena to address the seismic shifts happening in how we do church, yet very little has been done to effectively change how children’s ministry is done at those churches in the emerging and missional church worlds!

That brings me to my excitement about a new conference coming to Washington, D.C. May 7-10, 2012! Check this out from the official site for the conference:

“Something is happening in the church. A new kind of Christianity is taking root and growing across the globe. New forms of ministry, worship, and community are emerging. Questions are being asked. And change is happening.

But amidst these changes and shifts, children and youth are being left behind. Innovative approaches to ministry with adults are emerging around the world, but little critical reflection and attention has been given to how to nurture young people within a new kind of Christianity.

In May of 2012, leaders, ministers, volunteers, parents, and students will gather in Washington, DC, USA to spark conversations about youth and children within a new kind of Christianity. They will talk about innovative practices, critical issues, and controversial topics like violence, racism, interfaith dialogue, and sexuality. They will emark on a journey together to engage in life-giving ministry with young people. And they will blaze a new trail for the 21st-century church.”

Also take a look at this video from Brian McLaren about CYNC:

Check out the official CYNC site to keep up-to-date with what’s going on with the conference as well as ways to get involved and register! Also, be sure to check out and subscribe to David Csinos’ blog and follow him on Twitter. (He’s a pretty cool kidmin guy!) Lastly, if you haven’t already checked it out, be sure to pick up David’s new book, Children’s Ministry That Fits. This book should become required reading for everyone in children’s ministry or anyone who has an interest in helping children connect with God. If you can’t afford the book, do like I did and ask your public library to buy a copy

(picture originally uploaded to Flickr by teapics)

Up until the past month, I was planning on attending the Orange 2011 conference. Then the timing belt went out on our car! In getting that replaced, we found out that we needed to get the A/C compressor replaced… Lucky us! So… to make a long story short, we’ve had to put money aside for the past month or so to pay for the costly repair meaning my Orange flight fund was depleted. While I am sad not being able to reconnect with friends and meet new ones, I have chosen to be a conference stalker!

A couple of years ago, there were a number of conferences all happening close to each other. Since I couldn’t attend any of them, I tried my hand at following along online. I discovered that I was able to keep up with most of what was going on at most of them. In fact, with one of the conferences, some people on Twitter thought I was at the conference because of all the interacting I was doing… I even helped connected two people who were looking for tickets to that conference with ppl who had extra tickets! It was fun, but I have to admit that I didn’t get much work done those couple of days…

So, how do you become a conference stalker? I will share my secrets in this post that are specifically applied to the Orange 2011 conference.

Take advantage of online resources provided by the conference

• For the past couple of years, Orange has streamed the opening session from the conference, and this year is no different. You can watch this year’s opening session live at MakingOfOrange.com. It starts at 7:15 p.m. EST.
• On Thursday and Friday there will be live interviews on MakingOfOrange.com with people like Sue Miller, Jim Wideman, Doug Fields, Craig Jutila, Tom Shefchunas, Carey Nieuwhof, and many more! You can check out the schedule at MakingOfOrange.com. Remember that the times posted are EST.
• You can even download the Orange Leaders app for iPhone or Android and take a look at all the interactions and schedules and other goodies in the Orange Conference section. It’ll either depress you because you aren’t there, or you’ll feel like you are there.

Read the bloggers who are at the conference

Here is the list of official bloggers who will be chronicling the conference in their own ways:

There will be other bloggers at the conference as well. (If you are attending the conference and plan on blogging about it, leave a comment. I’ll add you to the list below.)

http://barbaragraves.net
http://savedsister7.blogspot.com
http://kidminjournal.wordpress.com
http://katiewetherbee.wordpress.com

You can even set up a folder for the blogs on your favorite newsreader. See the video below to see how to do it with Google Reader:

Twitter

I think Twitter is one of the best ways to experience the conference as it happens. It’s like being able to be a virtual fly on the wall of the conference. (If you don’t have a Twitter account, it’s easy to set one up. Go to Twitter.com and follow the directions to get your very own account.) The only thing about following a conference via Twitter is that you are dependent on the attendees tweeting what is going on and using a common hashtag. (I may have lost some of you already… don’t worry. Check out this post for a quick post about Twitter.) Luckily for us at home, many of the attendees at Orange are adept Tweeters. One advantage you have over the attendees is that you can sit for hours on end watching the Twitter feed for the official Orange Conference hashtag, which is #Orange11. If you do that, though, be prepared to get not work done.

Here’s a video on how to set up Twitter online to keep track of the #Orange11 hashtag:

Here’s a video on how to set up TweetDeck (may favorite Twitter client) to keep track of the #Orange11 hashtag:

Now, go forth and be an Orange Conference Stalker!