So I got this interesting piece of material in the mail today with a sampler from SparkHouse. It has 2 sample video lessons with a small sample of a workbook.

This curriculum is geared towards 7th-8th grade students and is geared towards the confirmation type of service for students.

Here’s a sample of one of the video lessons:

I think the graphics and content of the 2 video lessons that I saw were pretty awesome. Especially for preteen ministry. I’m thinking my 5th and 6th graders would eat those videos up. They are humorous and are filled with great content aimed towards answering some of the questions that students have about faith.

The activities in the sample seemed to miss the mark a bit. Thumb wars and graffiti wall could be accomplished outside of the material provided and would fit better in a younger context. However, there was a cool activity that could apply to that age group called tower races. It seemed to match well with the content and I know my students would get into that.

Would this work for a Sunday morning in our context? Definitely not. But, if you do a more small group centric midweek program, then this could work effectively in that environment as well.However, if you have a class set aside for Confirmation or basics of faith class, then this is something I would definitely check out for 4th-6th graders.

I feel like the price point is right on as well. DVD with 40 sessions for $50 I think is a great deal.

You can find out more about the re:form confirmation curriculum on the SparkHouse website.

Or check out some sample vids on their youtube page.

Have you checked out re:form? What do you think of their stuff?

This is meant to be a beginner’s guide to creativity. For peeps, that ask themselves the question, “How can I be more creative?” So it’s quite possible that you creative person might be underwhelmed by this list and for that I apologize, but please contribute in the comments to help everyone be more creative with out thoughts.

Well it’s one of the things that I pride myself on. I absolutely love the time where there is no box and we are going to create something wonderful. But maybe, you aren’t thinking that. You are thinking this is one of the times that you loathe. I can get that, some of my best friends hate out of the box thinking. But in order for us to understand one another better and maybe you are just looking for some inspiration. Here are a few ways to be more creative.

1. Take and View Pictures- 

Flickr is a great place to start. They have an explore feature that allows you to see some of the best photos uploaded. It’s a great feature and it’s where I find most of the photos for jcisonline.com. Even find a blog that has some awesome pictures on it. For instance, Jared Erickson, who is a designer that always has killer pictures of furniture and creative brands like this one, Nathaniel Cooper.

2. Go Outside-

I know this may seem weird, but to me, being outside is one of the most creative places I can be. Now don’t plan an activity outside just be outside and take it in. The smells, the colors, the animals, and plant life. Just observe. Nothing better than observing the most creative Creator

3. Watch Youtube and Vimeo-

A couple of my favorites are Mysteryguitarman and Nice Type channel on vimeo. Check their stuff out, I’m sure to give you some great ideas.

4. Pandora- 

I absolutely love Pandora. Listening to Music is big for most people, but Pandora will tell you about the artist and will also link you to the lyrics of the song. Both have given me loads of creative energy.

5. Talk to People-

As much as I love technology and there are so many other ways to use it to be creative, there is no substitute for talking to people. I’m not talking small talk. I’m talking Real Talk. Talk to them about how they met their spouse, how they came up with their kids’ names, or if they have any pets. Get them to tell you stories, not just facts.

These are just a few ways that I get some creative juices flowing.

How about you? What do you to get inspired?

So Family Worship is something that you are going to be seeing a lot more of in the future. I saw this post from the Resurgence on some music from The Rizers. They specialize in making scripture easy to learn and memorize by putting it to music. The songs are pretty catchy and in a new school pop format. You can test drive a few songs here by giving a little bit of information.

You can also buy their full album from Amazon for only $7.99 by clicking this link:
Meet The Rizers

You guys know of any other music like this out there?

Few people have the kind of resume in their respective industry like John Wooden, the long ago UCLA Bruins head coach. 10 NCAA Championships, Longest winning streak in NCAA Basketball History, 7 straight national titles. But more important than his basketball success was his faith. Here’s a quote about his view of priorities between basketball and faith:

“I have always tried to make it clear that basketball is not the ultimate. It is of small importance in comparison to the total life we live. There is only one kind of life that truly wins, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Savior.”

John Wooden is one of my favorite people to read about for so many reasons: Basketball prowess, incredible active life of faith, poured into young people, His incredible relationship with his wife, incredible balance between excellence in industry and excellence at home, etc. Since his wife Nellie passed away, on the 21st of every month he visits her grave and writes her a love letter and puts it into an envelope that he adds to the stack on the pillow that his wife slept on while they were married. John Wooden is someone that I look up to from afar and I read everything that involves him. The world lost a great one yesterday, but he is in a much, much happier place now.

So today I posted his pyramid of success and I will leave you with this:

John Wooden’s Seven Point Creed, given to him by his father Joshua upon his graduation from grammar school:

* Be true to yourself.
* Make each day your masterpiece.
* Help others.
* Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
* Make friendship a fine art.
* Build a shelter against a rainy day.
* Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.

No human thing is of serious importance.
Plato (427 BC – 347 BC)

You are probably asking what the heck are you talking about JC? Well every year Pantone selects a color for the year. They are pretty spot on for the most part. So here are the colors from last year and for this year:

So I want to know what you think: Mimosa or Turquoise?

I keep your love locked down, your love locked down., originally uploaded by Kelly West Mars.

Tonight I’m speaking at Varsity, the high school ministry here at Brookwood. I’m teaching on a series called Flirt by Room 1228. Great resource for student ministry stuff.

This passage has been stuck in my mind.

“As we talked about in our last two sessions, Jesus had been crucified and buried. Hope, air, and opportunity had been sucked out of the atmosphere. Now the disciples were huddled under lock and key because they had their love locked down Kanye West-style. Then all of a sudden, Jesus appeared by walking through a wall and surprising His disciples, and then He said, “Peace be with you.” Once again, as He had done in other appearances, Jesus turned desperation into hope and sorrow into joy. Most of all, He turned fear into peace.”

Man what a powerful story. The disciples are locked in a room because of fear after Christ had died. The fear of being crucified, made fun of, and probably some of them felt as if “Did I waste a lot of my life following this man?”

But in the middle of that locked room. Jesus appears and says what he said earlier in John’s book. “Peace be with You”. So in your life today. There might be some areas that are completely locked down for fear or doubt or maybe even they are painful. But allow God to enter into those locked down areas.

Let Jesus Unlock your Love Lock Down today.

I figured that I would begin a new thing here on jcisonline.com I know that in production you are looking for great grooves all the time. I will try and post one band every month that has some nice grooves you could use as a backtrack. Check out LCD Soundsystem this month. They have a new-age funk/electronica sound. Anyway I love them. Possible uses: stop motion, animation, time loop, etc.  Great sound, lighthearted and cool beat. Check them out with the song below and find them on Amazon with the links below that.

[audio:http://jcisonline.com/wordpress/audio/timetogetaway.mp3]

Time To Get Away single

Sound of Silver Album

how to grill the perfect steak, originally uploaded by Caribbean Pot.

Today as Mike Hepola our Family Pastor is leading us through Life Hurts, God Heals as a staff. A question stood out to me.

Is my heart tender or tough?

I love to grill. In fact, I am really really passionate about it and also pretty good at it. I have two dishes that I just love to make. Caribbean Jerk wings and Chilean Adobo Chicken. I am a Marinate the meat guy. I use rubs and spices and bastes and mops and sauces as well, but I always love the meat that is marinated the best.

The Adobo chicken that I make is incredibly simple, but full of flavor. It takes about 6 hours of marinade. Lime juice, Orange juice, the zest of both fruits, the spices, and also some secret spicy sauce are the flavors that are present in this crazy tasty dish.

It’s ridiculous the way the chicken is tenderized, filled with flavor and juice. It becomes incredibly different than the original boring piece of chicken.

I think that God desires for our hearts to be pliable and full of life. In fact this verse talks about that very thing.

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26 (NASB)

So be intentional about putting heart tenderizers in your life. Scripture, books, movies, music, and people that all tenderize your heart. That move your heart from tough to tender. From bland to full of passion and zest.

What are mine?
Hardball – the movie. Full of foul language from kids. Incredible message of being present in a kid’s life. I’ve watched this movie so many times and I have cried every single time that I watch it.

300- the movie. Fight for your country. Sacrifice for something that you believe in. Passing on a legacy

Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry – book about racism in the south. Written in a southern dialect and incredibly emotional. Story of an African American family in Mississippi, in the middle of the Great Depression. I’ve read this book about 7 times starting when I was in middle school.
Always had a place for me in my heart.

My Story – Da Truth. is very close to my testimony….except for the rapping part

These are just a few of mine. Make a list of things that keep your heart tender. Work them into your life on a more regular basis.

What are some of your heart tenderizers?

PlanB Promo from Cross Point Church on Vimeo.

Plan B by Pete Wilson is a book that I recently picked up to read as a part of booksneeze.com blog for books. I picked this book up, because I’m a huge Pete Wilson fan. He is the pastor of Crosspoint Church in Nashville, TN. He writes an awesome blog.
This book is one of the books that I had always thought about writing. I don’t have enough life experience for it to be really effective though. So I am so excited that you have a chance to pick this book up. Summary is easy. Pete says it on page 1,

“Do you remember the day you discovered your life wasn’t going to turn out quite the way you thought?”

Whether it be tragedy, circumstance, failure, or disappointment, sooner or later life takes a drastic turn from our Plan A. Pete desires to offer genuine, honest encouragement and doesn’t take the normal route of traditional Christians might when explaining real life.

I was continually impressed with how cordial Pete was in giving heartfelt encouragement to readers, who if they are in the middle of a Plan B situation, would certainly need. Discussion questions in the back were a huge asset for me to digest content and begin to ask myself tough questions. Really, really hope to see this in Small Group/Devotion format. This book combined with real talk of a person’s most intimate stories could bring small groups, families, and churches so much closer together.

One criticism from my point of view. Wish he would have fleshed out the Bible Stories a little more, but I’m a geek. I really would have loved to been more involved in the stories of those characters as he relates their Plan B’s to ours.

Awesome book and a great gift for someone whom is fighting thru their Plan B. I’m praying that God rocks some people with this book and that the church can face life in a new, exciting, supportive way.

You can find out more about Plan B, here at planbbook.com

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”