Ministry-to-Children.com » Book Reviews

Transition Plan: Passing on Church Leadership

Emily A Mullens — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 21:04:16 +0000

How does a legendary pastor hand over his ministry to someone else? What are the secrets that saved his church from self destruction during the transition? How can this story help your kids ministry now and in the future?

Keep reading to find out.

Transition Plan, by Bob Russell and Bryan Bucher, is a very short, very succinct story of how to gracefully pass the baton of leadership. It is broken into 5 easy-to-read chapters, and 1 bonus chapter of articles on leadership. Beginning with Bob telling the story of how the “transition” took place for him at Southeast Christian Church after 40 years as senior pastor, the book is an enjoyable read right from the beginning. Topics such as “setting a plan” and “letting go of pride” are approached in a truly humble and truthful format. He leads us through, why we need a transition plan, and backs it up with a full chapter of research. Then he choreographs us through the “goodbye” and, the “what’s next?” phase of retirement.

Bob Russell explains humbly and humorously how to practice the transition. Every chapter is very personal and wonderfully motivational! He tells the story of returning to visit his church after a couple of years of retirement. One man saw him in the restroom and declared, “Hey Bill! Good to see you back!” In two years, he had forgotten Bob’s name. Bob Russell’s humility is apparent in every chapter and antidote. His style truly makes you feel that we are all apart of the same team trying to get to the same finish line. His advice is easy to swallow as it is so graciously shared.

My first impression was, that this would never apply to me — I’m not the pastor — I do the kids stuff. But as I read, the clarity of Bob’s idea came to me. The idea of having a a transition plan is invaluable. What if this concept was used not just for the senior pastor but for the leaders in kids programming as well?. As the mission statement is created for a ministry, a basic transition plan could be too! As I pondered how this would reflect in our kids ministry, I realized the impact this concept could have on our leadership. The “my ministry” concept would never happen. Right away leaders would realize they are a part of an ongoing vision that has been there before them and will still be there after them. Everyone would be visualizing the future of the ministry immediately, where it will go and what it will become under their lead. Finally, it puts a leader in the position of mentoring and training up new mature leaders. Wow!

I especially loved the bonus chapter with articles published by Bob Russell on Leadership. Titles include “Combat Procrastination Today!” and “Mentoring Future Ministers”. These quick two page articles read like a devotional and inspire like a good pep talk before the big game. All have great value, and are supported by scripture reference.

I only hope the word about this book gets out to leaders on all levels, not just senior pastors, so everyone can benefit from this book. I believe that secular organizations could benefit from Bob’s experience as well.

Bob’s humble teaching style is contagious and energizing. It has motivated me to share this book with my senior staff above me and to the incredible servants I mentor in kids ministry! I encourage you to order copies for your entire leadership team so you can take this wonderful journey together. Although I received a complimentary copy of the book for this review, I will be ordering a copy for all of my leaders this year. Thank you, Bob, for sharing your gifts with us: the teammates in this race. May we all give our best run and pass the baton to the next runner!

If you’d like more information on Bob Russell, you can find it at www.bobrussellministries.com. You can also follow the Twiter account and Facebook Page for this book.

Stripped Clean: Down to Nothing but the Cross

Emily A Mullens — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:58:47 +0000

Stripped Clean, by Jeff Storm, is a devotional created for ages 13 and up. The back cover reads,” Take a guilt-free, life changing look at what you have… what it means… and discover how to tread lightly in the world as the steward Jesus calls you to be. Oh, yeah: and don’t get too attached to this book. As you change, it changes too.” The book is set up in 63 quick devotionals. It follows Ecclesiastes, or as it is coined, “Solomon’s research journal.” It puts Solomon’s words into direct reflection of a teen world today. The book’s goal is to peel away the layers that stand between us and a passionate relationship with Jesus.

This book is awesome by design. Each devotional has a creative title, and fun artwork. It is about 8″x 5″ and is spiral bound and right from the cover page instructs the reader how to “destroy” the book (Ecclesiastes 3:3) –each of its 128 pages is designed to be torn out, folded, ripped, written on, and even burned. It says, “This devotional is an active reminder of getting past or getting rid of the layers we put between us and Jesus everyday.” I personally love the design — the tactile destruction of the book — especially for young middle school boys. It would definitely keep any group of teens engaged! It was a very easy read, and lived up to its guilt-free promise. The author never hesitates to point out his own struggle with pulling away from Jesus when the layers of stuff get in the way. This helps teens to understand that this a journey we are all traveling and we will make mistakes. The message is very clear and has real “light bulb” moments.

Many of the devotionals could be used for younger age group as well, but I do want to caution leaders and parents that there are a few chapters on tougher subjects, like pornography. This particular subject is approached honestly and tackled head on, stating that, “watching porn corrupts your relationships right now, and it also damages your relationship with you your future wife.” The subject of sexual sin is broken into gender specific devotions, hitting the above mentioned topic of pornography with the boys and the subject of self-love and respect for girls. Both are done tactfully and truthfully.

This book is so wonderfully written that I wish I could go back and reference topics as they become relative in the daily struggles of gossip, loneliness, and temptation. Some of the “activities” can be a little embarrassing, especially from a teen perspective. For example, teens are asked to wear a sign for a day that says “What do you think of me?” They could begin to skip over the activities. Although one of the first instructions the book gives is to get a bible, “one you’ll actually read”, I wonder how many teens will actually open a bible to read the scripture reference. At the same time, I love the fact that the verses weren’t listed, and it would encourage teens to open a bible and read!

Stripped Clean is a fresh approach to bible study. Overall, it is a well written, out-of-the-box approach that will definitely have kids rethinking their priorities and refocusing their lives on Christ. What an awesome way to give a teen a true heart for Jesus! It would be an excellent way to start each ministry year. This book is published by Group and Simply Youth Ministry. It is available for $9.99 at group.com or amazon.com. Group.com offers a discount for quantity orders.

What’s so simple about “Simply Strategic Stuff”?

Emily A Mullens — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:33:41 +0000

As we begin to prepare for fall, and get everyone excited about the next year in ministry, I return to an old favorite — Simply Strategic Stuff. Simply Strategic Stuff, by Tim Stevens and Tony Morgan, and published by Group, claims to be “help for leaders drowning in the details of running a church”. These two men hail from Granger Community Church in Granger, Indiana. In 99 easy-to-read 2 page chapters, they cover a myriad of topics from staffing and training to the more difficult, firing a volunteer. Each chapter is stand alone in nature and the book can be read cover to cover in just a few short hours. They even include a discussion page with open ended questions giving the opportunity for your team to read and discuss it together. Finally, there is “The Granger Story” that gives the history to their beginnings.

There are many things that make this a book that will never make it to the bookshelf in my house, but rather, it will stay in the small shelf on my desk. First, it is a fun read! Humor and cute stories always make an easy read and these guys do with ease! It is done with honesty and humility, using their own mistakes and humbling life experiences. Most importantly, it is just plain good advice. They offer quick, simple, but effective answers and strategies that are tried and true, in a format that can be returned to when you need it. Today, I may need to read and strategize about recruiting volunteers, and in 6 months can return to the book for a new strategy on retaining those same volunteers. I also love how this can be catered to fit the church in many ways. It is written for pastors overseeing the whole church, it can be directly applied to the volunteer who is leading children’s ministry to implement with teachers and volunteers. It attacks the tough scenarios in administration from a relational standpoint with practical advice that can work in a church of any size.

My only disappointment would be a lack of scripture support. Many of the chapters have a scripture verse but several do not. I found when scripture was listed, I opened my Bible and pondered on the words. I reflected and prayed for God to guide me in this area. When I first read the book cover to cover as an overview, I did not notice the lack of scripture for every chapter, but as I returned to a chapter to help me with a particular dilemma, the scripture brought me home to the true source of success in ministry: Jesus.

So as a resource for anyone in a leadership role in a church ministry, I would highly recommend Simply Strategic Stuff. It can be a great resource for an individual or a team. My team will be reading it this year as a part of our training.

It is available through Group.com for $19.99 and it is currently on sale at Amazon.com for $13.59. Can anyone say gift opportunity?

Review: Joey Allen’s “Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers”

Lauren Foster — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:53:49 +0000

One of the members at my church recently asked me if I knew of any good books for young children who were asking questions about spiritual matters. There is a plethora of books and curriculum geared towards older children, but it can be difficult to find foundational materials that invest in younger children. A series with which I have been particularly impressed that is intended for ages four to seven is Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers, which was written and illustrated by one of my good friends, Joey Allen. He states the purpose of his series when he relates the following:

“The Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers series was born out of the conviction that children need to be exposed to systematic theology from an early age. Moses instructed the people of Israel, ‘Impress (God’s commandments) on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up,’ (Deuteronomy 6:7). A foundation in theology enables our children to relate properly to God and His world.”

In his series, Allen takes theological concepts and breaks them down into bite-size pieces for his young audience. The Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers series consists of four books: The Trinity, The Scripture, The Mission, and The Gospel. Each book begins with “A Word to Parents and Teachers” where Allen explains the importance of the subject, as well as describes how this topic can impact young children. Allen’s pictures capture the attention of his young audience. Throughout the pages of his books, Allen has Scripture in parentheses so that one can have a Scriptural basis for the truths he is presenting.

In The Trinity, readers get to meet Angel and hear how she describes God’s attributes, followed by her relating the concept of the Trinity. She states, “The Trinity cannot be completely explained because God is not like anything in the world. God is greater than we can ever imagine. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit live united as one God. The Trinity teaches us how to live in unity with different people.” From here Allen wraps his message in the Gospel and presents each person of the Trinity in relation to the work of salvation.

The Scripture is presented by little Gabe who walks his readers through why the Bible is important. He begins by discussing how terrible it would be if God never spoke to us or told us how to live. Gabe cheerfully announces that God has spoken to us through the inspired words of the Bible. He takes us on a journey of the Old Testament and relates that it points us toward God’s Son Jesus. Gabe then turns to the importance of the New Testament and how it explains Jesus’ life and how we can follow Him. Allen then goes on to illustrate how the Bible can apply to a child’s life today.

In The Mission, Allen introduces the readers to Mikey who will tell them about the importance of spreading God’s love. Allen explains the Gospel message in simple terms that children can understand. He then turns to the importance of telling other people this Good News and writes on ways they can share with others and encourage missionaries.

The Gospel is presented by Gracie, who wants to share the best news with the readers. Allen explains the gospel message to his tiny readers and includes examples to which they can relate, such as when Gracie states, “When you ride in an airplane, you don’t need to flap your arms or jump up and down. You cannot help the airplane fly. All you need to do is trust the airplane to get you where you need to go. In the same way, there is nothing you can do to get to heaven on your own. You cannot save yourself. All you need to do is trust Jesus to take you to heaven.”

Allen’s series Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers is a great resource to have for sharing with young children the importance of God’s Word and the message of the Gospel. His passion for reaching young children with the Gospel is evident throughout his four books.

You can buy these books at WTSbooks.com for a great price and even download a PDF preview.

Bonus Interview with Joey Allen

Back in May 2006, Tony interviewed Joey over email. Here is a copy of those remarks. Enjoy

Can you tell me how you came to Christ?

While I was still in the womb, my parents were telling me the gospel message. They had both become Christians in high school and wanted me to come to faith in Christ as early as possible. I knew that I was a sinner and deserved to be punished. I believed in Jesus when I was a little boy. I knew my parents loved me and wouldn’t lie to me about something as important as that. As I grew up, I began to be enticed by the world, but after my junior year of high school, I went to the Philippines on a short-term missions trip. It was on that trip that the Lord did a work in my heart and opened my eyes to see how life altering the gospel truly is. Since that trip, it has been my heart-felt desire to direct other people into a personal relationship with Almighty God through God the Son, Jesus Christ.

Were there people in your life that encouraged you to use your talents as an artist to glorify God?

Yes. My parents recognized my talent for drawing and encouraged me to study art in college. I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Georgia. Many of my professors there pushed me to improve. They exposed me to sculpture and other art mediums.

When I was in college, I felt called into ministry, so studying art didn’t make a lot of sense to me. I had no idea how God would use it in the future. But it was not a waste. Besides the children’s books, I currently support my family by using my skills in graphic design.

How did you first become interested in writing Theology books for children?

My second semester at Dallas Theological Seminary, I took a class called “Trinitarianism” from Dr. Scott Horrell. One of the assignments was a creative project. We could do anything from a poem to a painting. I decided to do a children’s book on the Trinity. Thanks to the direction of another professor, Dr. Reg Grant, a publisher showed interest in the book and partnered with me to published the Big Thoughts series.

Who are the major figures that have shaped your theology?

My parents and the Bible had the biggest impact on my belief in and understanding of God. Besides them, I have been influenced my professors, especially Dr. Jeffrey Bingham. Authors who have influenced me include A. W. Tozer, Jim Elliot, J. I. Packer, John Piper, Blaise Pascal, Plato, and C. S. Lewis, among others.

How has your experience as a missionary influence your children’s books?

Our concept of God has a direct bearing on how we live. The story is told of a woman weeping at the door of her hut while her husband goes to the temple to consort with temple prostitutes. Later, the women is weeping at the door of her hut while her husband takes their only son to the temple to sacrifice him to his gods. The woman’s makes an insightful comment, “If he had a different god, he would be a different man.” The woman is exactly right. How we think about God is not an idea floating disconnected from everything else, but a highly practical doctrine that influences our daily lives. People all over the world are living out the ramifications of their views of God. Not only that, but people all over the world are living disconnected from God. Since God is the creator, he is the source of life. A life disconnected from God inevitably leads toward death. That’s what makes the gospel so essential. The gospel is God’s plan for getting us reconnected with him, the source of life.

The gospel is a revolutionary message! I have witnessed its power to change individual lives and as a result, impact collective societies. I have experienced the thrill of sharing the gospel message with people and seeing them experience freedom from fear of demons and fear of condemnation, and the joy of knowing the God is their Father and the joy of knowing that they have a home in heaven. I’ve never experienced anything so wonderful as directing another person toward faith in Christ.

How would you like to see this type book used?

I would love to see the books used to lead children to faith in Christ. I would love for children to receive a solid biblical and theological foundation that guides them the rest of their lives. I would love for children to avoid cults as a result of reading these books. I would love for the books to lead children to become fervent worshippers of God.

I would also love it if parents and teachers benefit from reading the books. If parents and teachers find a way to teach that there is one God who exists as three persons without comparing God to an egg, I will be very pleased. I hope the Scripture references on each page help, as well.

Do you have any other writing project on the horizon?

I am in dialogue with Evantell concerning a gospel tract project for kids. I also have plans to write and illustrate another book on the doctrine of God for an older audience (8-12 year olds).

What are your plans after you finish your degree at Dallas Theological Seminary?

My wife and I hope to serve in the 10/40 window sharing the gospel, organizing new believers into communities, and being involved in their discipleship process. We would be grateful for your prayers as we seek the Lord’s direction.

“Our Home is like a Little Church”

Tony Kummer — Tue, 11 May 2010 13:30:00 +0000

This week kicks off the blog tour for “Our Home is like a Little Church.” This post is your chance to win 25 copies of the book. This would be a great way for you to encourage families in your church around Father’s Day.

This contest is now closes and the winner has been notified by email. Thanks to all who entered!

Just watch the video below (or read some of the blog reviews) and then leave your first impressions below. I will randomly draw one comment as the winner on Tuesday 18 May 2010. If this is your first time to comment, it may take a few hours to appear – I moderate 1st time commentators to prevent spam. I can only ship to U.S. location on this giveaway.

Coupon Code: Here is a special offer for our website readers. Use the special code LITCHRCHKUMMER to save 32% off retail on this book from WTSbooks.com – That means you’ll pay only $3.39 per copy of this very helpful little book.

Check Out the Blog Tour

Please encourage these bloggers by checking out their reviews too. Their posts offer a good balance on this book and how you might use it in ministry. I will update these links throughout the week. Email me if I’ve missed your review – Tony@Ministry-to-Children.com

Check Out the Video

This video features a few of the people at Sojourn who made the book possible.

If you’re church is new to these concepts, you should check out my resource page for family worship. To learn more about the book check out Jared’s blog post or visit the listing on Amazon.com. It’s also available on WTSbooks at a great price.

New Family Ministry Book “Our Home is like a Little Church”

Tony Kummer — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:07:07 +0000

Back in 2008, we posted a review of a little book from Sojourn Kids called “Pastor Daddy.” That self-published effort has done so well that the book will be released again under the new title “Our Home is like a Little Church.”

I’m excited about the book for several reasons:

It puts the whole family ministry movement in a format that will greatly help families.
This little book is Gospel-centered.
My friend Jared Kennedy was a part of making this book happen.

My church is already making plans to pass this book out on Father’s Day. You can get it from Amazon.com or WTSBooks.com We want to give dads every encouragement to provides some spiritual leadership in the home.

Here is a little video I helped make about the book. It gives some background and a peek inside the book. For more information check out Jared’s blog entry about the book.

You can also watch that video about “Our Home is like a Little Church” directly on YouTube. We also have a resource page with Family Worship ideas and materials.

DVD Review: “What’s in the Bible” from Phil Vischer

Tony Kummer — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:24:00 +0000

Phil Vischer is back with new DVD series for Christian kids, but is this something your family should buy? Can these videos really teach kids about the Bible? Keep reading my review to find out more.

Our regular readers will know that I’ve had mixed opinions about Veggie Tales. On one level I loved them for their kid-safe entertainment value. On another level I’ve always wished they would point kids more to Jesus and the Bible. Apparently Phil Vischer (the creator of Veggie Tales) had some of the same conflict in his heart. Check out our interview with Phil Vischer to learn more.

His new project is different in many ways but has similar goals. Phil wants to help media saturated kids learn about God. “What’s in the Bible?” is a new DVD series being published by Tyndale House. They were kind enough to send me a free copy to review. Here are my thoughts on the new “What’s in the Bible?” DVD series from Phil Vischer. For more information be sure to check out their official website.

Great Big Audacious Goal

Can these DVDs fulfill their potential? One thing I’ve always loved about Phil Vischer is his ambitious dreams. “What’s in the Bible?” may be the most impressive to date. This series aims to bring back Biblical literacy to a generation of kids overloaded by technology. When complete, these DVDs will provide children a comprehensive overview of the Bible. After watching the sample disc, I think he might be able to make it happen.

Excellent Presentation

Will kids enjoy these videos? When working with children, you know that presentation matters. I was very impressed with the creativity and professionalism of these videos. At fist I wondered if puppets would have the same appeal as digital animation, but “What’s in the Bible?” proves that puppets are still a relevant genre of kids entertainment. I love the characters, the humor, and the creative variety.

Excellent Content

Will these videos teach Bible background? I was most impressed with how this series was able to communicate important information about the Bible. Tricky concepts like the canon of scripture were handled with accuracy and in a kid friendly language. “What’s in the Bible?” does a great job of defining new words and concepts for children. This series will be a powerful tool for helping kids understand the Bible and what it’s all about.

Suggested Use

Who will use these videos? This resource will find a ready place in our family DVD collection. The entertainment value will keep children interested for multiple viewings. I could imagine families watching them together and grown-ups learning just as much as their kids. Some churches might find it useful in a smaller group setting, but the depth of content really requires multiple viewings for full effect. “What’s in the Bible?” would be a powerful tool for families who are becoming more serious about family devotions. This DVD series might also find a niche among home-school families as a supplement to their Bible curriculum.

Some Concerns

My main concern is about the depth of content in each video. Maybe I have internalized the low expectations of our culture, but I suspect that a few of our more media-saturated kids would sniff out the educational purpose behind these videos. That is not a flaw in the videos, but a reality of the generation God is calling us to serve.

My second concern was with some of the character voices. There were points were I could not follow the dialog. Some of this was the funny voices and some was likely due to the early stage of production. I expect they will have those issues resolved before the final product is available in March 2010.

Watch My Video Review

In just over two minutes I explain what I like about these videos and some ways I would recommend using it. Watch it here or check out my What’s in the Bible review on YouTube.

What’s in the Bible DVD Preview

Some Related Articles Then check out our review of the Veggie Tales DVD library or read my thoughts on using Veggie Tales in church.

New Book “Holy Subversion” by Trevin Wax

Tony Kummer — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:25:52 +0000

Earlier this week, my friend Trevin Wax sent me a copy of his new book “Holy Subversion.” I’ve been a fan of this book since he started writing it a few years back. He even let read a draft when he was finishing up.

Now that the book is finally out, I am glad to recommend it. Trevin shares some real insights into being a Christ-follower in our modern culture. This book will challenge you to give your first allegiance to Jesus, no matter what pretender “Lords” our society follows.

The book giveaway has now ended, here is the link to future giveaways on our blog. Be sure to check out the book anyway.

Here is my short video review. For more information, you can download a sample chapter from WTSbooks.com

Video Review: Children’s Storybook & DVD about the Atonement

Tony Kummer — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 20:54:46 +0000

Here is a short video clip where I talk about the Prince’s Poison Cup by R.C. Sproul. This book has been around for several years, but was just released as a DVD storybook. This will make the excellent theological content of this story even more useful for ministry. You can also watch my clip about the Prince’s Poison Cup directly on YouTube.

The Prince’s Poison Cup story on DVD is only 13 minutes long. So, it’s handy to have around to fill up extra teaching time. I would also recommend using the video as part of your family devotions time. With all Christian allegories, the kids do best when they discover the connects for themselves. I like to ask leading questions like, “Does anything about the Price remind you of Jesus?”

You can hear samples from the Ligonier website. I bought my DVD and book from available from Westminster Books.

Video: The Christian Adoption Book I Want You To Read

Tony Kummer — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 19:26:23 +0000

Here is my short video recommendation of a new book about Christian Adoption called “Adopted for Life.” The book was written by Russell Moore, a professor I knew in Seminary. He does a great job showing how the Gospel relates to adoption. In the process he makes a strong case for Christians getting more involved. I read this book while in the middle of our own adoption story and it was a real encouragement to me. Here’s the description from his website:

A manifesto calling Christians to adopt children and to equip Christian families going through the process, this popular-level book offers biblical foundations for adoption and identifies adoption as a Great Commission priority in Christian churches.

If you want a more in-depth review I will point you to Terry Delaney’s book review. You can watch a video of Dr. Moore explaining why he wrote the book when you check out his blog. You should also have a look at the excellent Together for Adoption organization.

What Do You Think?

Have you read this book? I would love to hear what you thought or you could share your Christian Adoption stories. Our family has been doing foster care for about 10 years and just adopted last summer. To share your stories, leave a comment below.