Not every Sunday School Lady (or Gentleman!) has a magic flannelgraph … and those that don’t will soon be able to have the next-best-thing to teach children about the Bible!

Sunday School Lady, Buck Denver, Clive & Ian, and the whole What’s in the Bible? crew will be available to come to a Sunday School near you starting November 15, 2010.

DVD 1 will release November 15, and DVDs 2-4 will be ready in January 2011. Each DVD features 4 weeks of lessons and will be available physically or digitally.

Here are some highlights:

- Videos, music and more from Phil Vischer

Each lesson features videos from Phil Vischer’s new series What’s in the Bible? as well as music and interactive games. See an example at the bottom of this page.

- Bible literacy

Bible literacy-focused lessons aim to teach children more than just Bible stories, but how all the little stories fit together to tell one BIG story of God and what He’s done for us.

- Comprehensive and chronological

13 DVDs will walk your class through the Bible from GENESIS to REVELATION! It’s a comprehensive and chronological look at God’s Word.

- Flexible format

The flexible format means you can use What’s in the Bible? in the way that works best for YOU! Large group-small group? Just large group? Either one works! You can also download and customize the lessons to suit your class.

- Mobile access for leaders

Leaders will have access to a mobile web site to help them prepare for each week’s lesson from anywhere. They can also lead from their smart phone on Sunday mornings using the online leaders’ guides.

- Family interaction

Families can interact with the What’s in the Bible? characters, videos, and lessons online. Family activities and a weekly “Big Question” will help parents keep up with what their kids are learning at church and give families ways to learn more about the Bible together!

Here’s a sample video from the DVD 1 Curriculum:

Well, we wrapped up the fourth “What’s in the Bible?” DVD, which takes us through the book of Ruth. It should start showing up in stores around the beginning of October.  I’m now in the midst of writing DVD #5, covering the lives of Samuel, Saul, David and Solomon.  Fun stuff!  That one will come out in the Spring of 2011.  Response to the DVDs has been great, though we still need to keep getting the word out to churches and families who don’t know what we’re up to.

The church curriculum version of What’s in the Bible? is coming along well, and will probably be available this November.  (Yes, we had hoped for an earlier date, but, well, we haven’t made Sunday School curriculum before!  We’re getting the hang of it…)

On the JellyTelly front, we’re deep in talks with our partner Focus on the Family about plans for JellyTelly over the next few years.  Too soon to say, but we’re talking about some fun stuff.  We’re also looking at ways to create a TV series out of some of the stuff we’ve created, perhaps for Christian television.  Oh, and 24 episodes of “Clive & Ian’s Wonder Blimp of Knowledge” are headed to your local Awana Club this Fall!  (They’ll also probably show up on JellyTelly, but I’m not certain when that will happen yet.)

So… yeah… we’ve been busy.  On top of that, our editor, Bill Ebel, has spent a bunch of the summer helping the Kendrick brothers (Facing the Giants, Fireproof) with their next feature film.  Bill had a co-editing credit on Fireproof, and will probably have another one on the next film.  He’s learning lots about theatrical production that could come in handy as we take on progressively more elaborate productions here at Jellyfish.  We had a couple great interns in from our friends Huntington University to help out while Bill was gone.  They were up to their elbows in Awana episodes!

Hmm… what else… oh, Sunday School Lady may be coming to a radio station near you to give Beth Moore a run for her money as America’s favorite female Bible teacher!  We’re producing a series of 1-minute radio shorts where Sunday School Lady teaches different facts about the Bible.  Those shorts are being picked up by numerous radio networks, including Moody and American Family Radio, so our slightly-deranged Sunday School teacher should be popping up all over the country!

What does it all add up to?  Well, the goal is to provide multiple ways for kids and parents to bump into good, in-depth biblical teaching.  We live in a world where 65% of our kids are walking away from the church as soon as they graduate from High School.  We’re losing a generation.  I recently spoke at the national Christian retail show, and, in reference to the shrinking budgets facing Christian producers everywhere, I said that if I have a chance to work with Pixar-sized budgets to produce Pixar-caliber animation, I will.  If not, I’m going to grab a puppet and start shooting.  Our kids need the content.  We need to be resourceful enough to get it to them in as many ways as possible.

So… back to the lab!  There’s more work to be done!

Today’s guest blog is from our friend Melissa, a self-proclaimed “What’s in the Bible? evangelist”:

I consider myself to be a “What’s in the Bible?” evangelist.  Why, you might ask?  Well, their names are AJ and Joanna and they’re 3.5 and 1.5.

You see, when I was a kid, the Southern Baptist church where I grew up used the standard set of SB curricula which was split into three primary parts – Sunday School where we learned Bible stories and values; Mission Friends/GAs/RAs where we learned about putting our faith into practice through evangelism, service, and missions; and Discipleship Training (or School of Disciples) where we learned about church history, the over-arching themes of the Bible, the layout of the Bible, and why we believe what we believe.

Even when I was a child, DT was fading away.  I believe it ended at our church when I graduated into the youth group and my mom lost her vested interest in teaching it.  Since then, the church as a whole has shifted its focus to becoming more “seeker-sensitive.”  Even the missions organizations at our church have become more like Sunday School and less about learning to serve others.

As this shift has taken place, we have raised a generation of children who know the stories and the values of Christianity – they know about worship and sometimes about fellowship – but very few know why they should believe or practice these things.  Even fewer know the history of how we got to where we are as a church.  We no longer know about Christian figures in the past and why what they did was important or extraordinary.  And as a result, our children are leaving the church in record numbers.

Well, if VeggieTales is “Sunday morning values…,” then What’s in the Bible? is Discipleship Training – set to great music, with memorable characters, and a whole lot of fun.  When we get into the car, the first CD requested is our What’s in the Bible? CD – and everyone sings along, even Joanna.  AJ knew probably 100 nouns by the time he was 20 months old.  Joanna’s more of a “phrase” girl, not so much with the nouns.  So how precious is it to be driving and have the only decipherable words from her be “the Bah-ble…the Bah-ble…?”  And how much fun will it be when AJ understands the irony of “Genesis begins it all, and appropriately it’s at the beginning of the Bible…” when he sings those words (yes, he sings every, single word of every, single song!)?

I had the privilege of meeting Phil at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) convention a few weeks ago (Phil, I was the geek who showed up half an hour early to your talk just because I was so excited about meeting you!), and now I’m even more confident that What’s in the Bible? (and JellyTelly – another family favorite) will continue to be quality entertainment, but fulfilling an awesome purpose – helping us teach our children what we believe and why, among other things.

And to all my friends out there, you can expect to continue receiving What’s in the Bible? DVDs for every birthday party we attend!

Melissa Jones is wife to Ryan, mom to AJ and Joanna, a real, live, part-time “rocket scientist,” a member of the FBC Laurel, MD MOPS group and steering team, and blogs occasionally (i.e., not nearly enough to please the grandparents) at leiacellaa23.blogspot.com.

Our friend Jen Dover, a mom and Christian store employee, shares her family’s experience with What’s in the Bible?:

I grew up learning the all the good Bible stories: Adam and Eve, Noah, Jonah, Jesus with the fish and loaves, the Easter story.  The method was always the same-five minute story, three questions, and the coloring sheet. But facts were always missing; stories were disjointed. No one ever mentioned that Jonah didn’t actually repent after faithfully going to the Ninevites; that Moses was only cared by his natural mother for a few years, or that Mary and Joseph escaped Herod by fleeing to Egypt.  Apparently, these were not considered important pieces of the story (or maybe it made the stories too long for an 8-year-old’s attention span).  One story had nothing to do with another.

I had to go to Bible College to fill in the gaps in my Scripture knowledge, and only then did the Bible become the Living, Breathing Word to me.  I began to realize that I didn’t want my children to suffer the neglect I had obviously had in my young Biblical education.  I made a vow to correct any gaps in my family’s Bible knowledge.

Now, there is nothing wrong with studying the Bible with your family.  I recommend teaching your children God’s Word.  However, I do not suggest doing the following:

Each night, we would sit at the kitchen table.  In between ‘shushing’, ‘tsking’, and exhorting our children to pay attention, we would read a portion of Scripture.  We explained in detail failings of the children to follow certain commands. We would ask for reflections.  Frankly, there was a reason that our three, five, and seven year old didn’t have answers…they are three, five, and seven.    Every night, our short family devotion turned into an hour of tears, whining, and aggravation.  My husband felt overwhelmed trying to control squirming kids while I tormented them with concepts too advanced for them to grasp. I stubbornly disagreed-kids are smart cookies!  Eventually, chaos won, and we discontinued the in-depth bible readings.

It was during a home school Bible unit study that we discovered “What’s in the Bible with Buck Denver”.  We were all delighted in the songs and the silliness.  After repeated showings, the discussions came–discussions they started…about sin, separation from God, suffering, and at what cost Salvation came.  They once knew the story of Adam and Eve; now they know its impact on their own personal lives.

On the home front, the kids are happy because they get to watch something fun with songs.  Daddy is happy because mom isn’t forcing them all through her personal Bible Boot Camp.   Mommy is happy because the kidlets are learning important things that can only further their Biblical understanding.

As a Christian store employee, I cannot recommend these videos to my customers enough.  I don’t care of your age range or education level.  Many Christians have never expanded their Bible knowledge beyond Sunday school stories.  Entire families can benefit from the fun and educational introduction to the Bible provided by “What’s in the Bible with Buck Denver”.

Our awesome friend Sherry Domer, who blogs over at Sundayschoolpages.com, recently hosted a family movie night featuring What’s in the Bible?. She kindly agreed to guest blog for us to share with all of you about the event and how it went. As Sherry mentions, this is a great idea for families who want to get together on a Friday night, for special nights at church, even for extended family get-togethers and after-school parties!  You can also watch it with your own immediate family and enjoy laughing and learning together.

Here are Sherry’s thoughts about the experience:

I love community.  I enjoy gathering with friends and family.  But with my large busy family, I struggle to make time for that important component.  I am always looking for ways to make it easier for families to gather.  Family Movie Night with “What’s in the Bible?” was born out of my desire to fellowship and grow with other families.  Our church encourages this type of event, so it was a great place for us to hold our movie night.  Besides, what child hasn’t thought about how cool it would be to come to church in their PJs?   I had a secondary objective.  As a Sunday School teacher,  I think “What’s in the Bible?” is the type of series that should be in every family library.  This is a great opportunity to get the parents to see how wonderful the videos are, before they buy them.

Family Movie Night with “What’s in the Bible?” could also be a great neighborhood gathering time in your own home.  It is a great tool for evangelism.  It addresses a lot of the popular Bible myths prevalent in our culture today.  And it’s not just for the kids, many adults need this too.  This is what makes it a great event for the whole family.

Know your audience.  The first time we held our movie night we watched both half hour segments on the disc.  My media deprived children were able to enjoy it all.  But there were some folks that felt this content rich time was a little too long.  If you need to, I suggest combining two great movies (meat and milk).

This is how it works: Set a date and invite families!  Dress the kids in PJs and bring their blankies and special stuffed animals.  Make lots of popcorn and enjoy the show!  We happen to have a “no sugar policy” near bedtime, but we do offer corn dogs for those who can’t get dinner before they come.  This is meant to make fun community events as easy on the parents as possible.  Water and/or sugar free tea are good drinks to wash down the popcorn.  Stress free fellowship and learning for all!

What is What’s in the Bible?
It is a DVD series starting with Genesis and they intend to go the whole way through to Revelation.  Phil is really on fire for Jesus!  His commitment to reach children with the message of Jesus has reached new heights of excellence.   VeggieTales told cute Bible stories that made you laugh.  But “What’s in the Bible?” is solid food that children can understand.  This is solid content that most adults don’t know, repackaged to delight children as well.  Simply awesome!  It’s what I always wanted, but couldn’t find.

Sherry also sent us some cute pictures of kids enjoying their What’s in the Bible? Family Night:

Do you have any ideas about how to use What’s in the Bible? as a family? Or how to share it with other families? Let us know!

CNET.com published a really interesting article today about kids and smartphones. A recently published study from The Department of Education and PBS suggests that kids who spend time playing certain apps on smartphones can actually learn while they play.

An excerpt from the article (it can be found in full here):

To glimpse the potential of mobile apps as a new educational medium, the study first tested the vocabulary level of a group 90 Title 1 school children, ages 3-7. Then, the children were each given two weeks with an iPod Touch loaded with the Martha Speaks app created by PBS Kids. The study monitored how the children used the iPod, how long they used it for, during what hours, and in what context. A call-in voice mailbox was also established so that parents could relate any anecdotes or observations about their child’s time with the device.

On average, the study found kids played with the iPod Touch for a total of 5 hours across the two weeks, with half that time spent playing the Martha Speaks app. It’s important to note that the study didn’t require kids to play with the device or the app–all play was self initiated.

At the end of the two week trial, the children were given another vocabulary test, which revealed an increase in vocabulary acquisition by as much as 31%.

So what does this mean for What’s in the Bible? and your family? An aim of the series is to increase Bible literacy in the next generation. Those of you who have seen the DVDs know that they are full of lessons about the Bible – from who wrote what books, to why the Catholic Bible has more books than the Protestant, to explaining all those crazy rules in Leviticus. Did you know that our digital downloads are compatible with iPods, iPhones, and iPads? You can download them here and then convert them in iTunes to play on your mobile devices! Additionally, the curriculum companion for What’s in the Bible? will feature iPad and iPhone apps for leaders, students, and families.

Technology is changing fast. Bible truths stay the same, but the mediums with which we can teach them will continue to change. It’s exciting to think about all we have planned and all of the possibilities? Do you have any ideas about how we can improve Bible literacy using digital means?

Those of you on our email list know what a funny little mistake I made last week … When describing DVD 3: Wanderin’ in the Desert, the email said, “discover why we CAN’T believe what the Bible says.”

It should have (obviously) said, “discover why we CAN believe what the Bible says.”

Ooops.

Thankfully, the What’s in the Bible? audience is forgiving … but more than just forgiving, you all are also rather witty. So I thought that I would share some of my favorite responses to the unfortunate error (which was quickly corrected in a second email and a Facebook post):

- “So what you’re saying is that Sunday School Lady needs to get her prescription checked, right.  Hahaha.”

- “So, like the infamous “adulterer’s Bible” would this be the atheist’s VeggieTales?”

- “Its all good ‘as long as Clive and Ian get it right!‘”

- “Hey God forgives, why shouldn’t we?  Trust me I have to deal with typos all the time. Church bulletins are notorious for them.”

- “So would this be something like in Leviticus and punishable by death? Oh wait, we are not an earthly kingdom anymore so I guess not!”

Thanks for being so quick to forgive and so funny while doing it … The community we have is a blessing for sure, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!