The Melheimian Sabbatiblog

Reinventing Worship for a Post-Television Generation

Well, I've got Carmichael, CA, and Tacoma left on the Maniacal Melheimian Mystery Tour - and then the 79 cities and 2009 tour is history.

I'll do a complete recap of what I learned on the road, but here's a sneak peak:

The hottest hot button I hit this year on the road was the concept of re-imagining worship for a post-television generation with our brain-based learning on arts-based platforms. I.E....

Bible Song AS worship.

The reasons this seemed to resonate with people on the tour this year:

• Most Christian education directors get NO time in worship.
• Most Senior Pastors spend NO time in Children's Ministry.
• Most families are doing NO intentional Christian education in the home.
• And most Worship Leaders KNOW that the so-called "contemporary age-segregated let-me-put-on-a-show-for-you" worship service isn't impressing the baby boomers, isn't drawing the baby-busters, and isn't engaging the hearts and minds of the post-television generation.

Basically, I'd like to launch a national conversation about reinvisioning worship (Old English weorthscipe, from weorth worthy, worth + -scipe -ship) as an activist, constructivist, engaging community vehicle that brings worth to God by unveiling the key Bible theme for the week on Sunday with a blurring of worship and education where parents and kids stay TOGETHER, followed by sending the theme home to households committed to "every night in every home" FAITH 5 faith encounters seven nights a week. What we must create is an worship/education blur where instead of trying to put on a show for the post-television generation in worship, and instead of sending kids and parents into separate rooms for education, families (and adopted grandparents, singles, etc.) come together an hour-and-a-quarter  GIFT (Generations In Faith Together) event that looks something like this:

    1.  Open with the theme/song/verse/story for the week unveiled in an energetic, fun, engaging encounter with the text where the brain meets the body meets the environment (20 - 25 minutes), then
    2.  Break into small group to model the FAITH 5 every week (5 - 10 minutes of modeling and connecting this week's text with their highs and lows), then
    3.  Engage in the creation/interpretation of the key theme through the arts (15 - 20 minutes)
    4.  Celebrate the week's new theme through a "show and share and tell and prayer" closing - with sacraments and the prayers of the people coming directly from each group's "highs and lows" (15 - 20 minutes), then
    5. Send the theme home seven nights that week  - now that they have a frame of reference... Er... Frame of reverance -  to form the core of the FAITH 5 nightly encounter with the text (the theme verse) and the context (their highs and lows). Explain that Sunday is just the time to get the new "play" for the week. Now that you know it, go and live it!

This, of course, means the preacher isn't going to be the only preacher and interpretor of the text on Sunday morning. The preacher is going to have to be willing to share the spotlight with a whole church full or people engaging with and interpreting the text. The IHS (one hour service) is going to have to shift from a spectator sport attempting a quickie religious fix into the kick-off of a week of the Bible theme followed by a week-long engagement with the text and context (the peoples' highs and lows).

SIDEBAR: What preacher in his or her right mind wouldn't want the majority of the households engaging with and applying Sunday's text to their lives seven nights a week? What worship leader in his or her right mind wouldn't want the majority of households singing and signing the text from Sunday seven nights a week? What Christian education director in his or her right mind wouldn't want to send Sunday's theme home for 5 - 10 minutes a night - every night? What Christian education board in their right mind wouldn't want a highly motivated teaching team engaging in faith incubation every night of the week in caring, intimate, loving settings? A GREAT teacher to student ratio? And faith encounters at the most effective time for Christian education - the five minutes each night before the brain goes into Maximum Meaning Mode on a good night's sleep.

Now that's Christian education. That's worship. That's family ministry as families DOING ministry rather than families doing programs! That's faith incubation.

I've got two days off in Tacoma next week and have started putting the RCL texts and Bible Song texts together on a spreadsheet to see how they meld/mix.

I'll post it when I'm done, then let's look at some dates in the cold, dead winter to gather some movers-and-shakers-and-systems-breakers in Florida or Puerto Rico to think this through.

Maybe we could kick off a post-Lenten experiment with a dozen churches ready to blur the lines between Worship and Education... and finally create the worship to education to home link that will replace Sunday School forever.

Kill the drop-off Sunday School before it kills the church.

God Sees All Snacks

 

Susan Mathew at First UMC in Van Wert, OH, is making food out of every Bible Song lesson. Here's "God Sees All" (Elijah and the Ravens) one in mini chocolate chip cookie dough, pretzels, animal crackers, red hots and red licorice, plus a pretty cool raven.

 

Preschool Bible Song

Hey Tanya,

Great to hear from you, and great to hear the graphics won over your husband!

Yes, I've spent a year working on preschool theory, systems, models and proto-arts-based curriculum designs. It hasn't quite made its way into Bible Song yet, but I'm anxious to get that started (after I finish my last dozen cities this fall - including Fort Dodge, IA this Sunday afternoon/evening and Omaha later on).

And yes, when the time is right, I'd love to have you consider testing.

Now, for the preschool problem: Sorry to hear the preschool kids didn't have a good experience.

If the parents and kids are together experiencing the theme opening, arts creation time, and show-and-tell closing, you have an infinitely better chance of the verse going home Monday - Saturday, and them continuing the faith incubation all week long.

The very best way to do Bible Song - and all faith education if you want it to get home and make a maximum impact - is to KILL the drop-off mentality and have parents AND kids together. That means the preschool director is NOT EVER bringing a group of 3 - 5 year olds into a strange room. That means parents bring their own kids into a fun, active, energetic space and from the safety of the parent's lap, they are drawn in to the music, motion and joy.

Imagine a preschool teacher bringing a pew full of 3 - 5 year olds into a regular worship service.

It's just not going to work.

If you have specific suggestions for what the little ones - and their parents - should have in their hands to supplement the theme materials at their cognitive level, I'm all ears.

And, if you know of anyone near Fort Dodge who needs a little Melheimian shot-in-the-arm-kick-in-the-pants, send 'em over to www.faithink.com.

Blessings, blessings, blessings!

Your servant in Christ,

Rich

________________________________________

Rich,

Again, I know you are very busy. So, I will try to make this short.  I
attended a conference in Des Moines (Plymouth Congregational) a few
months ago, purchased Bible Song and had our first Sunday yesterday.

You mentioned to me at the conference that you are in the development
stage of a preschool program but that you might be interested in a
church willing to test it and provide feedback. What are your current
thoughts on this?

Our preschool director brought kids into my first Sunday teaching Bible
Song that were from 3 to 5 years old.  (They have always been in their
own class and some have recently moved up from the nursery!)  I had kids
crying and scared and I was so disappointed because I have become quite
passionate about FaithInk, knowing it is just what our church needs.

I have made a proposal to our director to consider some other options
and wanted to know if the possibility of being a 'tester' for your
preschool program was even on the horizon.

If you have time, maybe you could let me know about that.

Thank you for using your skills to create something so relevant.  My
husband, the skeptic, looked over my shoulder as I was preparing and
said, "Wow, I'm really impressed with those graphics.  That is high
quality."  Then he spent four hours helping me get my room media-ready!!

Tanya Milledge
Oskaloosa, Iowa

Fun Church

Very early on the first day of the week...

Song "Easter Morning" (Mark 16:2-16 NRSV) by  Rich Melheim

Orchestration & Arrangement Todd Ernster of the Killer Hayseeds

Sung by Lauren Redpath of LaurenRedpath.com

Cartoons from Bible Song: The Good News

Sign Language for Mark 16:2-16 by Christy Smith

Online Games for Mark 16:2-16 at FINKlink GN13

Amazin' Christy

We're in Aspen for the next couple days, taping 30 verses in sign language with Christy Smith before she heads out on an Asian/Australian tour. If you'd like to see a sample of a Bible verse song turned into sign, CLICK and scroll down to the bottom.

The verses we're doing this week are for our "Word Spreads" and "Songs of Israel" curricula for Bible Song elementary. "Word Spreads" cartoons the book of Acts and teaches a verse from Acts and each of Paul's letters in song and sign. It will be out after Christmas. "Songs of Israel" takes kids through 15 Bible stories and teaches 15 Psalms.

Here's half of what we're taping this week, and the stories I'll start cartooning next week:

Word Spreads Themes

1. Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4)     The disciples are meeting in a locked room when the holy spirit comes in the wind, and they have little flames appearing on their heads.

2. Road to

Damascus

(Acts 9:4-5)    Paul's encounter with Christ.

3. Philip & the Ethiopian Eunich (Acts 8:26-39)    Philip is baptizing the Ethiopian official in a river. His chariot and horse are in the background. A dove may be coming down from heaven, or a light breaking forth from the clouds.

4. Paul's Escape (Acts 9:23)    Late one night, Paul's friends help him escape from those who want to kill him by lowering him down the city wall in a large basket.

5. Tabitha Raised from Dead (Acts 9:36-42)    Peter raises the dead woman from her death bed as her old women friends stand weeping.

6. Peter's Vision (Acts 10:9-16)    Peter has a vision of a large sheet lowered from heaven, filled with four-footed creatures, pigs, reptiles and birds.

7. Peter Freed from Jail (Acts 12:6-8)    Peter is in jail, chained between two sleeping soldiers when an angel appears in a bright light shining in the cell and taps him on the side. The chains fall off his wrists and feet and he is freed.

8. Paul Stoned (Acts 14:19) Angry civic leaders pick up stones and throw them at Paul to kill him.

9.

Lydia

and Paul by River (Acts 16:13-14)

Lydia

and her friends wear elegant purple robes and rich golden jewelry. They sit by the riverside as Paul preaches to them. (They wear purple because

Lydia

was a wealthy business woman who made her money by selling purple cloth... made from crushing up snail shells! You might have some snails in the picture for fun and educational interest).

10. The Prison Earthquake (Acts 16:25-31)  Paul and Silas are in chains in prison singing hymns to God with other prisoners listening to them when suddenly there is a violent earthquake. The jail doors swing open and stones in the walls loosen and their chains fall off. The jailer draws a sword to kill himself but Paul holds up his hand to stop him.

11. Sermon at the Greek Theater (Acts 17:22-28) Paul speaks in the theater of Areopagus to Greeks wearing white robes.

12. The Riot at

Ephesus

(Acts 19:23-28) A great riot breaks out in the city of Ephesus when the makers of the silver Artemis statues. Paul and his friend are dragged into the theater.

13. Forty Assassins (Acts 23:12-15) Forty assassins make an oath to not eat or drink until they have killed Paul.

14. Paul Before King Agrippa (Acts 25:23-27) A great king and queen sit on thrones, surrounded by soldiers, beautiful banners, and trumpeters. Paul stands in chains before them to be judged.

15. Paul's Shipwreck (Acts 27:39-43) A terrible storm smashes Paul's ship against the rocks. All the soldiers and sailors are afraid. Paul looks to the heavens with peace and confidence in God.

Easter Color Page

Here's a little something from Bible Song that isn't out yet. Dupe it and hand it out during the children's sermon on Sunday. Ask the children if they can tell you the story from the cartoon. Then hand out colors and markers and tell them you'd like them to color the cartoon and make their own cartoon on the back of the sheet. They have until the offering to finish. Place the drawings in the offering plate and have your 7th grade techno-nerds ready with a digital camera to shoot the drawings and project the work on the PowerPoint as the closing hymn goes by.

Post them on the wall at the close of the service and tell them they can pick them up next week to bring home!

Guess the Bible Story?

I've got the roughs just about ready for the new 15 themes of Bible Song's "The Good News." (Matthew - John)

Print this out and ask kids to guess the story.

Guess the Story II

Print this out and ask kids to tell you the story.

Christian Educator Burn-out

What am I learning on the road this winter as I visit with hundreds of church folks?

Christian Education Directors are under-valued, under-paid, under stress, and their gifts are regularly under-utilized.

Other than that, things are peachy in most churches.

They are expected to do more and more ministry with less and less money, support, and training.

Most are extremely frustrated and a majority are willing to tell you so if you only ask. The problem is, most churches don't ask. Few have mutual ministry committees set up to listen, care, support and fix problems before they get out of hand. When it comes to Christian Education directors, most feel if  they just do their job, stay in the basement, and don't bother anyone or try to impact other ministries in the church, they are left alone. The moment they start thinking systemically, ask to help shape ministry strategies, or expect to have imput in what gets preached and taught outside the basement fellowship hall, they get in trouble.

Most of them want to impact families, but are stuck baby-sitting. Most of them have a passion for the Gospel, but get no "air time" in worship. Most have amazing relational gifts, but are stuck in a system where 3/4 of their jobs seem like busy work.

And many of them are looking for solutions in a workbook or new curriculum, when the curriculum is only a sub-set of their problem.

The real problem? It's name is legion, for it is many.
1. Pastors give lip service to children's ministries, but rarely invest any time in it.
2. Parents drop kids at the door for a weekly religious "fix" then head off for coffee, expecting an under-trained volunteer to undo in 52 minutes a week what the rest of the world does to their kid in the other 10, 028 minutes.
3. Carpet funds, organ funds and parking lots easily get the money they need from tight budgets while children's ministry has to beg for enough to grow the kids who will come to walk on the carpets (and who will never listen to the organ or be around as a teen to drive on the parking lot).
4. Volunteers are willing to team teach for a season, but don't expect them to show up all year.

I could go on and on, but this is a blog. You finish the list yourself.

Maybe it's time we start listening.