New Puppet Ministry

AF,

Amen! For wanting to do something, other then warming a pew!

I personally can't help you in this matter, but can make a suggestion. First, bath this in prayer. And then look into developing your own style and puppets. Apply Biblical stories and also apply these to modern day trials. Also, keep it on a childs level and not so deep.

Hope this helps.

God's speed, brother!

 

How about starting with a simple, straightfoward Bible story or parable?

 

Yes, you will find a great book of puppet plays (non-musical) on this site that sells Christian piano music (at the bottom of the page):

"PUPPET PLAYS THAT TOUCH THE HEART (AND OTHER CHURCH PROGRAMS): Contains 145 pages of material that is useful in every area of the church program--Christmas play, Easter drama, poems and stories for banquets, more! Price: $14.95 plus $2.00 shipping & handling."

Here:

http://www.angelfire.com/biz2/mjmpiano/catalog.html

 

Not necessarily. Head can mean break down into manageable pieces and delegate and oversee.
Go to google.com. I would be surprised if there are not a variety of puppets for purchase.
A lot of puppet stages are very simple painted plywood shields to cover the workers, with an opening for the puppets. Start small and manageable.

Karen

 

Absolutely. Don't try to get too sophisticated too soon.

 

AF,

With God, nothing is impossible!

Please pray and do your best for the Lord.

 

Hi AFGuy -

I will begin by saying that children are not my forte either. However, I have volunteered to work with the kids in my church on various occassions in Sunday School and VBS. Here's a few things that I have observed about working with them:

</font>[*]Children are not impressed by technical ability in prop building. Their imaginations are so vivid they can see the intent of the prop or puppet even if very crudely done. Make sure the "villian" is obvious from first sight: furled brow and a scowl. Do your best with what you have and it will go over just fine.

</font>[*]Children LOVE humor. They are more into sight gags than vocal jokes so if you can make a puppet "fall down", slip on a banana peel, or run into a wall and slowly slide down you'll hold their interest much better.

</font>[*]Try to allow participation from the whole group. If you have a question and answer period, have them raise their hands with an answer. There is always those one or two kids that always have the answer ready. Stall for a few seconds on the third or fourth question and wait for one of the quiet kids to raise their hand. You will be absolutely amazed at the depth of some of the answers you get.

</font>[*]Don't say that a kid has given a "wrong" answer. Say "maybe, but that's not exactly what I was looking for" or something to that effect.

I'd recommend that you try it for a while. Like I say, kids are NOT my forte but it is some of the most rewarding work I have done in the church. I am blessed with a wife that can keep things simple and on the child's level for the stories. She turns it over to me for deeper questions or to work with a kid who isn't participating with the group. We take for granted how much we know as adults. One Sunday a boy asked me if Jesus was born after the founding of our nation! Who would have thought that it required explanation?

If your experience is like mine with the youngsters, you may learn something about yourself in the process.

 

If a child (or anyone) gives a wrong answer then we need to be truthful and tell them it's wrong. Failing to do so is teaching children that there are no absolutes which is contrary to God's Word!

What is a 'puppet ministry' for anyway? Entertainment? Jesus said in Matthew to "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Jesus didn't say to suffer them to come to a puppet show to come unto Him. The Bible never indicates that neither Jesus, nor His disciples, used worldly tactics to draw ANYONE to Christ! But, rather, they just preached the gospel, plain and simple!

"For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." ~ I Corinthians 1:21 (KJBible)

If you 'win' children with entertainment then you'll have to 'keep' those children with entertainment.

 

Farmer's wife -

Agreed, a blatantly wrong answer is not what I was referring to, but rather an answer that is indirect or not quite on target. If you stifle children, they will soon stop participating.

As for the rest of your post, "suffer" in the King James version of the Bible means "let", not cause boredom or misery. Children should hear preaching, witness the ordinances of Baptism and Lord's Supper, sing hymns and learn from their parents and fellow church members how to worship and be active church members. However, there is nothing wrong with allowing children to have some fun with their education in the church from time to time.

Whenever one of these types of topics comes up, there's always someone who wants to criticize any type of children's ministry. WE do not win children to Christ. The Holy Spirit does. If we treat children as adults and don't kindle their interest, aren't we guilty of leading them away from Christ just as the verse you pointed out warns against?

 

Originally posted by Clint Kritzer:
Agreed, a blatantly wrong answer is not what I was referring to, but rather an answer that is indirect or not quite on target.

"Gray" in other words...kinda like non-absolute, huh?

If you stifle children, they will soon stop participating.

The Bible teaches that something is either right or it's wrong! You don't stifle children when you teach them truth..."And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free ." ~ John 8:32 (KJBible) There are wrong answers and right answers. Stifling them would be to tell them that they are wrong and then, fail to show them from God's Word why they are wrong. Leading them to believe that there could possibly be another answer to life's questions is where evolution came from! But, then again, that's not what this topic is about.

As for the rest of your post, "suffer" in the King James version of the Bible means "let", not cause boredom or misery.

Since when is hearing God's Word preached plain and simple, loud and clear...boredom or misery?!

However, there is nothing wrong with allowing children to have some fun with their education in the church from time to time.

I cannot think of one example where Jesus or his disciples entertained the people while they were teaching them. However, we do find where they fellowshipped with the saints when they were not preaching/teaching!

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1

Whenever one of these types of topics comes up, there's always someone who wants to criticize any type of children's ministry.

Do I critize children's ministries? NO, as long as they are Biblical! Children's education according to the Bible: Deuteronomy 6:7, Proverbs 22:6, Titus 2

Where did the 'idea' of using puppets come from?! The world!

"Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen..." ~ Jeremiah 10:2

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly..." ~ Psalms 1:1

WE do not win children to Christ. The Holy Spirit does.

Exactly!

If we treat children as adults and don't kindle their interest, aren't we guilty of leading them away from Christ just as the verse you pointed out warns against?

Kindle their interest? Where in the Bible are we told to do this in regards to teaching our children? Children by nature are not 'interested' in God...they are interested in the flesh and fleshly desires. So, no, we should not kindle their interest but rather teach them the truth of God's Word and let the Holy Spirit convict them so that they WILL have an clear and direct interest in God and Godly things.

This is what I call fostering the 'Sesame Street' mentality in children...who in turn, *do* grow up to be adults. We have been trained from infancy that we must be entertained at church. That's why there is so much theatrical preaching in our pulpits today. People want to be entertained instead of just hearing good ole plain Bible preaching such as Jesus and his disciples did!

 

Ma'am, the Bible DOES recognize the difference in the cognitive abilities in adults and children:

 

I thought we were discussing entertainment or 'having fun while educating'(as you put it). Yes, babies aren't capable of eating 'meat'... but that's not the issue. The issue is bringing worldly ideas into the church and confusing entertainment with teaching.

 

I assisted in the children's choir at my former church. The children did enjoy the "fun" songs, but they also enjoyed learning the hymns just as much, of not more so than Adam, Adam. We learned one verse a week, and as I taught them the meanings of verses, I required that they sit quietly and let me talk and only respond when I asked questions.

I didn't have to do a song and dance to hold their attention.

And in the more informal evening services, these 1st and 2nd graders were requesting Immortal, Invisible and singing it with gusto.

Kid's like what they are taught to like.

I said this to say that you don't have to do a song and dance to hold kids' attention.

If you start thinking you have to make something funny to reach kids, then your efforts will be spent trying to make the instruction funny, and not on the simple communication of the Word of God.

Keep it simple. There are a lot of easy-to-make puppet books available. If you can cut and paste, you can make a puppet, and they don't have to be fancy to be effective.

BTW, the word "marionette" means "little Mary." St. Francis of Assisi made puppets to teach children the Bible stories. Little Mary refers specifically to his little Mary figure. That's why we call puppets "marionettes." Over the years, though, it has become used only for puppets on strings.

 

I encourage the puppet ministry you're church is trying to start. The main goal is to attract children so that they can hear the gospel and learn what the Bible teaches. I believe God will bless this ministry if it is based upon a sincere burden for those children. The kids will appreciate your effort and will clearly understand the purpose of the puppets if they're told. If the truth is presented clearly the Holy Spirit will do His job. It's true that some children can get hung up on the entertainment. Just like some of the people that were present when Christ fed the 5,000 & the 4,000 got hung up on the food. Some of those people left no better spiritually than when they came. Does that make Christ wrong for feeding them. He had compassion, wanted them to hear the truth. He knew that it was worth it. Are those children worth the work and effort? Sure they are. If a puppet show will bring a lost soul to a place where they can hear the gospel then so be it. There's nothing morally wrong with entertainment. It's just wrong when it replaces sincerity and truth. The church in America has a lot to compete with in this day & time. Sometimes we have to try something new to let people know we still care. Always remember who it's for.

 

Simple puppets can be made with brown lunch bags for the head and body, and popsicle or craft sticks glued on for the holders. You can use just markers or a variety of sequins, yarn, fabric, rolleyes you can get at craft stores.
You can stuff the bags or keep them flat.
This is suitable also for when you want the kids themselves to make them and use them.

Not good to pressure shy kids, but a lot of kids will enjoy helping put on the play.

Karen