Seen to Unseen

Seen to Unseen - Elisha from Rachel South on Vimeo.

Hard to hear the skit...and a little blurry (what can I say... I'm a poor college kid)...but oh well, check it out!

Starbucks...

So today I decided to get off campus and where else would I go besides Starbucks. There is just something about this place. There is something about the way it smells...the way it looks...the warm cup in my hand. People come into Starbucks with anticipation. They come in knowing that this is going to be a highlight of their day. Sad...maybe...true...definitely.

This post isn't about Starbucks. I think we have all heard about the "community" that Starbucks brings...and we have all discussed how this relates to the church. We all now understand the stark reality that people yearn for true community...we get it.

This post is about understanding the importance of perspective. This week has been a whirlwind. I came back from spring break so excited for my future. I was refreshed. Something about being home with my family and seeing the excitement on their faces about what my future might possibly look like brought a joy into my heart...an anticipation for God's coming plans for my life.

Then I came back. I came back to the "bubble" (as some have termed it). I came back to IWU. I love IWU. I love my friends, my classes, my professors...I love our coffee shop, but something about putting 3,000 20-somethings together in one spot creates some anxiety. We are in the final stretch (for me ...of my final semester). People are worried about ...everything. They are worried about future jobs, future families, current grades, relationships, money...purpose.

This week many of my friends have been going through some difficult experiences...including me. It has been a week full of stress. Family illnesses, future plans changing, relationship stresses, etc.

I had the opportunity to meet with a professor this week. He helped me to sort through some of my confusion. He really cared. I also got a chance to meet with a mentor of mine from this summer. We talked about ministry, about storytelling, and about life.

Perspective. I sit here in Starbucks looking back at this past week...realizing that nothing really has changed from the week before ...except perspective. I sit here realizing that stress... emotions... confusion... and the unknown do not or, better yet should not, have the power to change my perspective. In six weeks, the future is the present. In six weeks the stresses of today will be stresses of yesterday. In six weeks the worries I had will no longer be worries...it will work out and life will continue on. I sit here realizing that no one person or scenario should have the power to change my excitement into dread.

Now...I look forward to the week that is coming. I choose to walk in anticipation of the future and not in fear of the unknown.

Thank you Starbucks.

Skits, Clips, and Stories ...oh my.

So, the past few weeks or so I have been trying to figure out new ways to tell stories in children's ministry. My goal has been to get the same message across to the children in the ministry in as many ways as I can ...while still keeping them interested.

This semester Jil Mazellan has given me the opportunity to teach on Wednesday nights. For these teaching moments I have been going through the book "Soul Shift" by David Drury and Steve DeNeff. All of College Wesleyan has been going through this series as a church...including sermons, small group time, Sunday school, and classes...this "shift" is a church-wide "shift."

That being said, some of these lessons have been a real challenge for me to teach. Drury and DeNeff outline many "shifts" and a few that I have taught on are: me to you, slave to child, ask to listen, and sheep to shepherd. The reason these lessons have been so challenging is not because they lack content, not at all, but because they have been very abstract ideas that I have had to bring down to a concrete level.

Some of the ways that I have been trying to help the children better understand the concepts are through skits. Each lesson has begun with a skit that takes the main story or idea and translates it in a way that they can better understand. My favorite skit has been the week that we focused on slave to child. My friend Bryce came in as a "slave" and explained to the kids how slowly after he began sinning more and more the handcuffs just appeared on him along with a name tag which read, "slave." He eventually decides to ask Jesus to break his chains and come into his heart. Then Bryce asked the kids to pray with him as he accepted Christ into his heart...and at that very moment the children had become so enthralled by the skit that they had forgotten it was a skit. It was incredible.

It amazed me to see how interested the kids were in hearing Bryce's story. It was real to them. They would listen intently...ask questions...and even bring the skits up later. They got it. Something about those beginning skits really click for them.

Another teaching tool that I have been testing out lately are video shorts. In preparation for one of my lessons I began searching the inter-webs for some sort of clip that I could show...to add some variety to the lesson. While searching I found...just about...nothing. It was frustrating. I found no clips relating to Bible stories. Sure I found sermons...or songs...or testimonies...or gut-wrenching, tear-jerking sermon introductions...but for children's ministry ...my options were very limited and the options I did find cost money.

So...I decided to try out my own "clip."

Sure it isn't fancy...in fact I got a little embarrassed when watching it the first time...I could see my hands in the background, my voice sounded completely ridiculous, and well it was just plain hokey. But... but I decided that I had worked hard on that little clip and wanted to play it anyways...if it flopped...oh well, move on...

So I played it on a Wednesday night...and funny thing is ...the kids loved it...especially the squirrelly boys who can't seem to sit still or be quiet...they loved it. They giggled and quoted it again and again.

What did I learn? I learned that it is less about fancy graphics or perfect videography (I taped my camera to my roommates desk...yes taped...with the blue painters tape...) And it is even less about my talent as a comedian or entertainer...but it is about being real. It is about telling the stories that have been told for centuries. It is about helping kids understand more about who God is.

and...

And I love it.

Sheep 2 Shepherd

So, this is a short clip used to help tell the parable of the lost sheep. Enjoy!

Sheep 2 Shepherd from Rachel South on Vimeo.