Worship For Kids

Worship For Kids – Music Your Kids Will Love

gift from God

Parents, the most precious resource you have is your kids. They are a gift from God and, with that gift, comes great responsibility.

You have the best intentions, right?

You want your kids to be respectful of others, to do well in school, and hopefully have a family of their own someday. But, what about their relationship with Jesus – the most important relationship of all?

In a world full of distractions, keeping this next generation of Christians engaged in worship is not an easy task. Even worse, some kids claim they don’t even like church and would rather sleep late or spend their day playing a video game.

children's ministryChurches have a big responsibility to keep their youngest members excited about Jesus.

Unfortunately, merely having a Children’s Ministry is not a guarantee of success. Sometimes, it’s budgetary restrictions that hamper the programs and, at other times, a church’s primary focus is on adult worship.

Why It’s Important to Invest in Kids

I would love to share some thoughts on this from a new friend of mine.

If churches took a cue from Disney, they would realize that the secret to reaching families is their kids.

Investing in kids is the biggest growing harvest anywhere, no matter which town you visit or country you explore! – 

Jill Anderson, WorshipForKids.com.

It’s Time to Start Harvesting

How can you reach kids for Jesus in a fun and interactive way?

Two dynamic worship leaders, Jill Anderson and her husband, Craig, have an answer for you. Worship For Kids ministry

Observing a lack of kid’s worship music in churches, they created their own called Worship For Kids. Jill shared some of the exciting details with me.

Jill – whose idea was “Worship for Kids”?

This was a fusion of Craig’s writing kid’s music and my looking for kid’s worship music. Craig was No. 4 in a family of 10 kids. He knew about kids! He had some kid’s songs that he would sing in concerts for fun. The kids responded to his few songs. Then I realized after looking for music for our kid’s worship time, Craig needed to write kid’s music because the need was far greater than for adult worship. So, it was God opening my eyes, telling Craig what I saw, and then the two of us began the journey of engaging kids in their relationship with Jesus through music. We’ve been doing Worship For Kids for over 15 years now.

The Anderson’s passion to impact young lives didn’t just pop up overnight. For over ten years, they served as adult worship leaders until they realized that God had something else in store.

I love how God works, don’t you? Creative juices start to flow and then a recognized need fuses together in God’s perfect timing. After that, great things start to happen.

Fun and Faith Go Together With Worship For Kids

worship music isn't boringThis might surprise some people, but fun and faith do go together. Sadly, there are many negative headlines right now that capture our attention. Even so, as Christians, God wants us to walk in this world, to reflect His love, and pierce through the darkness with His shining light. Kids hear about the negatives in the world, probably every day. They need the peace of Christ just as much as adults do, so why not show them that worship music isn’t boring?

We can have fun while we engage with God! I don’t think the average kid is looking for a quiet, contemplative session with God. They go in with their eyes wide open, wondering what is going to happen next? They are ready to get into it!

 – Jill Anderson, WorshipForKids.com.

 

The WorshipForKids.com website has a lot to offer to parents and church leaders. I encourage you to explore the many resources, including CDs, videos, and worship kits. Trust me; the kids love the music. In fact, the Andersons’ biggest hit, “Wonderful Books of the Bible,” had over 1 million hits on YouTube from all over the world. That’s quite an achievement.

I wanted to share a short video with you so you can see how kids enthusiastically respond to the music.

Jill – Can you recall a moment when you and Craig knew that you were making a difference in the lives of young people?

Actually from the very beginning the kids ate up the interaction, fun in worship, and eye-to-eye contact. I realized that singing with them and to them was a “God Grammy” because of the investment in their lives while they were in their own development. I was hooked. Every time I am with kids, they blow me away with their truthfulness, sincerity, and honesty to God. The raw investment in kids hit me one Sunday when I asked for prayer requests. A little boy about eight years old stood up in the middle of our large group of about 60 and said, “Miss Jill, my family needs prayer. My dad left us last night, and we are a real mess….” We stopped and prayed right then, as he looked to God for his help.

The power of the Holy Spirit blew me away at a camp in the Los Angeles Mountains. We had been singing a song in the worship time called “I WANNA BE LIKE YOU.” We had only sung it 1 or 2 times. That night on the hay ride the kids started singing it while they were riding and having fun with each other. It hit me that the gift of songs TO God will stay with them for a lifetime.

A Better Alternative to Video Games

For parents, the music available from WorshipForKids.com can be a lifesaver. There are so many uses.

kids just wanna danceHow about entertaining your kids with a sing-a-long on an otherwise boring car ride? Or, for kids who have trouble sleeping at night, the music might help calm them down.

And sometimes, kids just wanna dance! Parents too 😉

Worship For Kids music is typically for preschool ages up to about 5th grade, depending on the particular church.

Does your church know about this ministry yet?

Kids are just too much fun and such an incredible investment. The impact for their lives is HUGE, from birth through their developmental years.

 – Jill Anderson, WorshipForKids.com.

Live Concerts? You Bet!

The Andersons offer live events. They’ve traveled from the East to the West Coast, and even internationally to Canada and England. Depending on a church’s needs, they can do a one-time concert or even a one week camp, complete with music and Bible stories.

Their enthusiasm has now expanded into another important ministry and that’s engaging and showing appreciation for children’s pastors and leaders.

Jill – What is REFRESH and how does it relate to “Worship for Kids?”

REFRESH is an event for Children’s Pastors who minister to kids through church, school, and leadership events. These precious people put in hours of selfless commitment and dedication to plan weekly Church activities, special events, and help to provide the church with childcare needs for events. REFRESH connects Children’s Pastors and Leaders by engaging with them, equipping them for ministry, and encouraging them to continue the good work and not get discouraged.

Conservatively the average number of kids and families influenced by one Children’s Pastor is about 100. When 15 – 20 Children’s Pastors come to a REFRESH, the lives of an estimated 1500-2000 are affected by the encouragement these leaders receive. After interviewing a group of Children’s Pastors, we found out that what they miss most is uninterrupted worship time. So, during REFRESH, we have a time of worship music and scripture, devotion, interaction and then a catered lunch. We then send them home with gifts that are simply fun and let them know that they’re appreciated for all that they do.

A Thank You

Many thanks to the Andersons for sharing information with me about their Worship For Kids ministry and growing REFRESH events. I pray that God will continue to bless their outreach as they record new music and strive to create more online resources for parents and church leaders.

Meet the Andersons

Worship For Kids ministry

Craig and Jill graduated from Liberty University. Craig has a degree in Youth Ministries and a minor in Counseling. Jill has a degree in Public Relations and a minor in Spanish. Married for thirty years, they are blessed with four children, ages 14-25.

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Praying for Your Spouse

Hey, good-looking!married couple

That means you. 🙂

Sit down for a sec while I ask you an important question that all married couples need to ask themselves.

(p.s. This has nothing to do with who fell in love with whom, first! It’s funny the answers you get when you ask couples that question.)

No, the real question is …

Did you know that you should pray for your spouse every day?

I would love to be able to say that I do, but my honest answer is “sometimes I forget.”

Every day?

I’m lucky if I can remember where my reading glasses are.

I know that praying for my spouse is what God wants me (and you for yours) to do.

Even when they’re being a stinker?

Yes, even when they’re being stinker.  🙂

Praying for your spouse can happen almost anywhere. You can pray while you’re in bed at night, on your lunch hour, or in the car. How about in the bathtub?

Sure. Why not?

I am going to make a conscious effort to pray for my husband every day from now on.

Appreciate your spouse

Ideas About What to Pray

Here’s a little guideline:

  • Your spouse’s relationship with the Father.
  • That he/she will make wise decisions during the day.
  • That he/she will keep the faith and avoid temptations.
  • Pray that he/she will have a good day at their jobs.
  • Pray also that you will be a better listener and partner to your spouse.

Please commit to praying for your spouse. It’s the right thing to do.

After all, your spouse is a gift from God.

Delight in God and Delight in Your Spouse

Praying for your spouse

When’s the last time you told your spouse how much you appreciate him or her? Just a simple and heartfelt expression like, “I’m blessed to have you in my life.”

Then, if you really want to put some icing on the cake, why not add,

“You SURE ARE good-looking!”

Trust me.

It works.

You’re welcome.  🙂

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Memorial Day 2016

Wishing You All A Blessed Memorial Day 2016

dont forget military families

In honor of Memorial Day 2016, I wanted to post a song that I first heard while we were on vacation in the Bahamas.

It’s a lovely song by Brandon Heath called, “Paul Brown Petty.” The lyrics are beautiful and the ending is especially tissue-worthy. It seemed fitting for a time such as Memorial Day 2016.

I want to take this opportunity to say how much I appreciate all military personnel, men and women, who died in service to our country.

They and their families have paid the ultimate price to protect our freedoms here in America.

May we never forget their courage under fire.

May we never forget that these service men and women gave up precious time with their own families so that we, here on the mainland, could spend time with ours in peace.

God bless you all

Memorial Day 2016

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Hurt People Hurt People

Hurt People Hurt People – You’re Not Seeing Double!

We’ve all come across a nasty person in our lives who could be classified as an enemy. It seems as if this person is bound and determined to destroy our peace and joy.

Why don’t they just leave me alone?

Have you ever asked that question? The harassment can happen at work, online, at a store, or in our daily interactions with aggressive people.

Sometimes the harassment is downright frightening.

They Have Nothing Better To Do

I remember once I had gone on a conservative women’s Facebook website and wrote a positive comment about the excellent work they were doing.

Hurt people hurt peopleApparently, there are sharks circling on every website now looking to devour anyone who supports conservative, God-honoring values.

Shortly after I made the comment, I got a threatening message from someone I didn’t recognize. Turns out this “gentleman” had seen my comment and didn’t like it. He called me the most awful, four-letter name that crude people use to describe a woman they don’t like. I was horrified at the language and the other threatening words that he used. This person didn’t even disguise his avatar. This man (and people like him), in internet terms, is commonly called a “troll.” I can’t even imagine the mindset of someone who would purposely seek out a stranger and call them names like that. There must be a deep-rooted misery in this person to strike out like he did. Hurt people, hurt people. It’s a sick world indeed, in need of a Savior.

How Should We Deal With Belligerent People?

So how did I handle this online, very sad, person? At first, I had the immediate reaction of wondering if this attacker knows where I live. After blocking him, I then informed my husband and some friends about the whole incident. It’s a good idea to make people aware if you’ve received a threat of some kind.

hurt people hurt peopleAfter I calmed down a bit, I decided to pray for him that night. And I did pray that God would change His life around. Praying helped me feel a lot better.

I don’t know if this man ever turned to God. We can only hope. But, praying was an important step – even though this man had enough anger in his heart to threaten me with violence.

It’s Hard to Pray for Our Enemies

I know firsthand that it’s hard to pray for God to bless our enemies. We don’t pray for them to become rich or anything. We pray for them to learn of His saving grace. It takes practice and it pleases God. Why should we bother?

  • The Bible tells us to pray for our enemies.
  • We’re showing obedience to God.
  • A prayer for our enemy can result in him/her turning to God.

Perspective is Everything

We may never know which of our enemies will have a changed life. But God wants us to pray regardless.

Not one of us is worthy. We all became enemies of God once sin entered the world. But, as Christians, we have the hope of eternal life. Before we became born again as His new creation, how were we any different than our own worst enemy? As painful as it is to think about, all of our sins (yours and mine) sent Jesus to the cross. All of us have access to His saving grace and that includes praying for the salvation of our enemies.

Remember Saul in the Bible, who later became Paul? Saul hated Christianity. He was an instrumental figure in trying to destroy the Church. And yet, he was prayed for by a devout Christian. Saul’s life dramatically changed thanks to God’s providence. What an amazing and inspiring encouragement Paul’s life story is to remind us to pray for our enemies.

I found a wonderful article that demonstrates this very well. Thank you in advance to a talented fellow Christian writer, Abby Kelly.

Who Prayed For Paul?
By Abby Kelly

The headlines ran red. If there were a secret first century parchment bearing news, prayers and encouragement, circulating the dispersed believers, surely it read, ” Steven, our beloved brother in the faith, perished at the hands of Saul and the religious leaders. He breathed his last yet full of the Spirit and testifying to the goodness of Jesus.”

Maybe, John picked up that parchment or maybe he wrote it, heart aching. What a loss for the early church! No doubt Christians across the known world knelt in their homes and small gatherings, praying fervently for Steven’s family, the progress of the Gospel, their own safety and Christ’s soon return. But who prayed for Saul?

The early church knew who was responsible for much of their terror, and God asked them to do the unbelievable. After Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus, He approached one of His own, a man named Ananias, and told him to go to Saul and lay his hands on him: ” ‘Lord,’ Ananias answered, ‘I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.’ ” (Acts 9:13, 14)

I wonder about that as our own headlines run red. Every single day we learn of more Christians, more People of the Cross, losing their lives for the name of Jesus. And, I kneel. I kneel by my bed and pray with tears streaming down my face. My emotions boil, a hot alloy of anger, fear, compassion and longing for justice. I lift up the Coptic Christians, those in Syria, Pastor Saeed Abedini, the orphans, the widows and those fighting for freedom.

But who prays for ISIS? Who prays for the Muslim Brotherhood? Who prays for Boko Haram and Vladimir Putin? Who prays for Al Queda?

Last Sunday, I served on prayer team at my church. Five of us huddled in the church office praying for the service and everything the Spirit laid on our hearts. We prayed for the church worldwide, but in that hour, none of us prayed for the persecutors. I have to confess, that even on my own time, I am reticent to pray for them. It’s not that I haven’t thought of it; it’s just that I don’t want to.

But in the biblical account, God didn’t let prayer warriors off the hook. In Acts 9:15-17, He replied to Ananias, ” ‘Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.’ Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, ‘Brother Saul, the LordJesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ “

If Ananias had refused God, if he had found praying for the murderer of his Christian brothers just too hard, what would have become of Saul? Who would have become Paul? Who would have written the majority of the New Testament? Who would have written Romans, the consummate doctrine of salvation by grace through faith?

God may have asked Ananias to do the unbelievable, but God proved that He will do the impossible. The bulk of our sacred New Testament was penned by the very man who once slaughtered People of the Cross.

Might God dramatically change the trajectory of history if Christians today pray for the persecutors? Can you imagine, for a split second, the magnificent manifestation of God’s glory if those perpetuating evil turned their hearts toward Jesus? Do you think we should be praying for terrorists? What should we pray?

# # #

Article url: http://articles.faithwriters.com/reprint-article-details.php?id=31272
Learn more about me on my website: http://predatory-lies.com/about-me/
Please find my book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Predatory-Lies-Anorexia-Kelly-ebook/dp/B00HFGMBJA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389645006&sr=8-1&keywords=predatory+lies
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com–CHRISTIAN WRITER

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Our Good Father

Our Good Father That’s Just Who He Is

We have such a good, Holy, and Infinite Father. He sees all of our sins and yet freely offers us a path to forgiveness.

good FatherThe path?

It’s not a mystery.

As we trek through the rat race of this life, God doesn’t make us jump through hoops or sign a written contract. There’s no wearing a scarlet letter or public shaming for our sins.

No, none of that, as far as God is concerned.

The one, true God, is good and He cares about us.

Eternal Embrace

The truth is humbling. We have the blessed assurance that He will always welcome us back, if we are truly sorry for our sins. No matter what they are.

In our prayers, we must show up at His throne with our broken, wounded, and repentant hearts.

We deserve nothing, but instead of rejecting us, God embraces and forgives us for the prodigal sons and daughters that we are, desperately in need of His grace.

Jesus never fails

God is Good All the Time

He doesn’t allow difficulties to enter into our lives out of some twisted desire to see us suffer.

We fail Him often, but He never fails.

There’s a song we sang in church recently that’s a favorite. The chorus has been on my mind a lot lately, especially as I’m watching joy-killing news on television or reading sad headlines on Facebook.

I’m grateful that a song like this one can come to me when I need some encouragement. It always comes to mind at just the right time. I’m thankful to God that I can turn off brain-clogging mainstream news and focus on what is, ultimately, untarnished hope.

The title is “Good Good Father,” sung here by Chris Tomlin. I’ve posted it so you can delight in God too.

Our Past Does Not Have To Dictate Our Future

Life has it’s share of disappointments and trials, but there’s one constant we can hold onto. God wants none of us to perish. As the Apostle Paul tells us in the Book of 1 Corinthians:

*18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 1:18. ESV

God bless you this week!

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*Scripture quotation is from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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