Tag: Bible literacy
Guest Blog: Discipleship Training for a new generation
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.
Guest Blog: Buck Denver, Professor?
No, Buck’s not really a professor … just a full-time newsman with a goofy sense of humor and an undying love for scones. But John Dyer, our guest blogger today, shares just how much he’s learned from Buck and the gang by comparing it to his seminary education. You can check out more from John at his awesome blog here. Enjoy!
When I was growing up my parents purchased some VHS cartoons that told Bible stories for my siblings and me, and those videos were how I learned about Abraham, Noah, Rahab, Paul, and the rest. As a result, during grade school and even college, I consistently knew more biblical characters than most of my friends. But I had one big problem – I didn’t know how any of it fit together. I honestly thought Abraham, David, and Jesus were next-door neighbors. Even if I could tell the order of two stories, I didn’t really know how they related to each other.
It wasn’t until I went to seminary that I was taught the big picture of how all those stories in the Bible fit together. Now, as the dad of a 2-year-old boy and a brand new baby girl, I’ve been looking for ways to teach both the individual stories of the Bible and the Big Story of the whole Scriptures. And I’ve been looking for something that wasn’t boring or poorly put together.
So my wife and I were delighted to see how fun and informative “What’s in the Bible? with Buck Denver” is. We love the characters, the songs, and the incredible depth of what the DVDs covered. When my son sees our TV, he points and shouts “babies!” which is his word for puppets. What’s in the Bible? is all he ever wants to watch (and incidentally, it’s all we do let him watch.)
Although I cherish my time in seminary and all I learned there, sometimes I wish I had saved a few bucks and just waited for all 13 DVDs to come out. The good news is we’re gonna save a ton on private school. All thanks to Buck Denver.
Do you have a What’s in the Bible? story to share? You can guest blog too! Just email melanie@whatsinthebible.com.
Kids + Smartphones = New Tools for Bible Literacy?
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?
The Bible and the “Big Bang”
If you’ve watched “What’s in the Bible?” #1, you probably noticed that I made a very brief, joking reference to the “big bang theory” when we talk about Creation. I’ve had a few fans write to complain about the joke, because they believe the big bang theory is anti-Christian, and therefore shouldn’t be mentioned in any way in a Christian video. At first I was surprised by the response, since the reference was just a humorous aside, but I’m thinking now I probably need to address it head-on before too many people get concerned at Phil making “un-Christian” jokes. So let’s talk a bit about the big bang theory, because it actually isn’t un-Christian at all. Actually, it’s quite the opposite.
Here’s what I mean: The big bang theory states that the universe is expanding in all directions from one point (which is verifiably true), and therefore must have come into existence at one point in time and space. In other words, the universe has a beginning. This was a very radical thought at the time it was suggested because many scientists, especially atheist scientists, previously maintained that the universe was “eternal.” It “always was.” This was their best way of getting around a need for God. “We don’t need an eternal God to explain the universe,” they would say, “because the universe itself never had a beginning. The universe itself is eternal.”
When other scientists discovered the expanding universe and suggested that the universe DID in fact have a beginning (the “big bang” theory), many atheist scientists initially opposed the new idea because it sounded too much like the Genesis account of Creation. If the universe had a beginning, once again we need to explain who or what made it start. Who set off the “big bang” that flung the universe into existence? Scientists who aren’t opposed to the idea of God of course said, “God! He’s the force that created the universe!” In fact, the astrophysicist who found the evidence proving the universe is expanding actually said it was like “seeing the footprints of God.” He knew his discovery once again supported the idea that there was a Creator behind the universe.
A stickier issue is when to date the big bang. When did it happen? Some scientists, of course, would say “billions and billions of years ago,” whereas some Christians would say, “No, if Genesis 1 is literal, it couldn’t be more than 6000-7000 years ago.” The big bang theory doesn’t speak to a date at all. So either point of view could be true, and still work just fine with the big bang theory. Which is why I felt comfortable making my reference in “What’s in the Bible?”
I hope that explanation helps. Again, rather than feeling the big bang theory is “anti-biblical,” many scientists believe it actually supports the Bible. The big bang theory cries out for a Creator. That’s why I included it in my show.
As always, I hope any of you who have a concern about something you see in one of my films will drop me a note and ask about it. I really do think these issues through, and I’m more than happy to explain my reasoning to the people I’m serving with my ministry!
Now I’m going to get back to trying to explain all the violence in the book of Joshua…
“Puppets give key Bible lessons” – A Review
Here’s a great review from Marketta Gregory at the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Thanks, Marketta, for capturing the heart of What’s in the Bible? so well!
PUPPETS GIVE KEY BIBLE LESSONS
I’ve heard many feisty sermons — the kind that step on toes and challenge even good, moral people to improve. Those are the sermons you remember years later.
Sometimes those sermons are delivered by clergy. Sometimes by a frail grandmother who refuses to complain. Or, in my case, by a kids’ show.
The guy who created VeggieTales, Phil Vischer, just came out with a new DVD series this month called What’s in the Bible (Tyndale, $14.99). Even though everyone loves his singing vegetables with their great lessons, Vischer wanted to provide more context — more of the big picture — for kids and the adults they hang out with.
“Through Sunday School and kids’ videos like VeggieTales, kids get snapshots from the Bible. Moses. Noah. Jesus. They’re like pictures in a photo album,” Vischer told me. “What we’re missing is the ‘connective tissue.’ What does Jesus have to do with Moses? What does any of this have to do with Adam and Eve? How do all these stories fit together to tell one story, and how does that one story explain our world today?”
I kept that in mind as I watched the first video. I thought my 11-year-old was going to roll off the couch laughing at some of the clever jokes and silly songs. But I was busy thinking of something else: the realization that I have never read the Bible cover to cover.
I’ve tried to read it straight through several times, and I know I’m not alone — even local places like Browncroft Community Church in Penfield have huge initiatives to get people reading more. But this is one time I don’t feel comfort in numbers.
I’ve done lots of devotionals and Bible studies that are based on one book or one theme. I’ve jotted notes as ministers read from the pulpit. I’ve even considered myself pretty knowledgeable about the Bible, when in reality, I’ve only read the CliffsNotes. And I haven’t even read those in order.
I’d never open up another bestseller and start reading in the middle and then jump back to the second chapter. That would make it almost impossible to follow the plot. Yet I do that all the time to a book that’s central to my faith. And it took some puppets to teach me that.
Thank God for challenging sermons, no matter how they are delivered.
Do You Know What’s in the Bible?
Who translated the Vulgate?
What IS the Vulgate?
Can you name Noah’s 3 sons? What about Noah’s wife?
What does “Genesis” mean?
How many books are in the New Testament? The Old? Both?
Did the answers to those questions pop into your head as soon as you read them? Did you have to stop and think? Did you know all? Some? None?
What’s in the Bible? aims to confront the growing crisis of Bible illiteracy within the Church. It’s more than a DVD series; it’s a movement aimed at our children and their families, at churches and pastors … at Christians who know Bible stories, but may not know all that much about the Bible itself.
We want to test your Bible knowledge, with questions like the ones we’ve listed above. Are you up for the challenge? Here’s how it works:
- Go to Facebook and click the “sweepstakes” tab or Twitter
- Enter the sweepstakes
- Take the 8 question quiz to see if you know What’s in the Bible? (all of the questions are from DVD 1 & 2)
- Tell as many of your friends as you can!
We will announce TEN winners of a special AUTOGRAPHED DVD on Monday, Feb. 22!
Have fun!
A Few Friendly Reviews
What a great weekend we had!
Our team spent Friday out in Colorado Springs and Denver meeting with some people who are VERY EXCITED about What’s in the Bible? and hopefully we’ll be able to announce some things soon. Let’s just say that important people are catching the vision for our series, and we truly believe that it will make an impact on the Church and the next generation.
While we were gone, we had several people review our DVDs on their respective blogs. Here is what some of them had to say …
“What the What’s in the Bible videos do is teach children about the word of God- literally from cover to cover. I can tell already that they’re not planning to take the easy route. In the first two videos, they took on issues like ‘Why does the Catholic Bible have more books?’ and ‘Was the world created in 7 literal days?’- I have to admit I held my breath, just waiting to see HOW IN THE WORLD they were going to do it. The answers were perfectly, beautifully, excellently addressed, focusing not on the details of the stories but the Author of them. I found myself smiling, nodding, and WAIT FOR IT…. learning! (…) If you have elementary- aged children, you can’t afford not to add these videos to your library. This is not a paid endorsement… but it is an endorsement by a girl who, after 19 years of studying, teaching, and ministering to kids thinks these DVDs are pretty much the the coolest thing she’s seen in a really long time.”
“I’m here to tell you that Vischer’s newest show is AMAZING! What’s In The Bible tackles the mission that is long overdue: to create a kid’s video series to really take children through the Bible. All of it. Not just Genesis, Exodus, and then Jesus. Everything. … The best way I can describe it would be a Christian version of The Muppet Show.”
Children’s Ministry and Culture
“The goal of these videos is to help kids understand the structure of the Bible, its overarching message, and to give kids a comfort level that will let them dive in on their own. I watched the disc with my kindergarten and fifth-grade boys. In spite of their age differences, they were both hooked on it. (…) I loved the diversity of the puppets. There’s a priest in a collar, a doughty Sunday School teacher, and an African American preacher. Much attention went into making sure these videos would appeal to children in a variety of cultures and faith traditions.”
