I Found This
Joy and I are working on some Future Hope business and I found the article below which appeared in the "Bring Them In" newsletter a few years ago. It might encourage you and you might even learn something fresh!
Creatively Teaching God’s Word with Freshly Fun Songs
She was standing there in front of the television, watching our Krazy Prazy Worship music DVD. The television was on our product table beside our music CDs and books. That particular DVD accompanies our first two children’s music projects and teaches people the fun motions to our songs.
I was teaching at a Bring Them In Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Now, we don’t normally have too many young people at these conferences. It’s mostly teachers, children’s pastors and other ministry type people, but this young lady had accompanied her mom to the conference. She had attracted my attention because, not only was she singing along with the DVD, but she knew all the motions…and all the dialogue between the songs. She knew the entire DVD by heart!
She kept laughing and telling me how they use the songs at her church. I asked her if she wanted to help me lead the music in the general session. She said, “Yes!” with a giggly, girly-girl enthusiasm. The adults got a kick out of her involvement. She told me later that she had never been in front of crowd like that before because she was always too scared. Not that day! She loved those songs and she wanted to lead them. (Great job Sarah Ann!)
Children love fun music and they love to move! Using music to teach God’s Word is incredibly effective and surprisingly easy with the new resources out there. Buy a CD or DVD and do the motions! Let the CD lead the singing so you can get those kids moving around. They remember it so much better because they are involved on so many different levels. You become a “funner” teacher and your influence increases.
Paul tells us in Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly... teaching… one another…singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Music is a great way to teach and memorize the Bible. One of our boys teased me the other day, “Hey dad, did you notice that every time we quote a Bible verse around here, we do it in rhythm?” It’s fun to learn the Bible with music. And to do it, you don’t have to be a great singer or musician! Notice the verse says, “…singing with grace…” not “singing on key!”
Psalm 40:3 “He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, and will trust in the LORD.” Every generation brings in new music and new sounds: from Isaac Watts to Fannie Crosby to…Dan Cutchen! God is doing new things (Isaiah 43:19). We need to remember the past and celebrate it, but move into the future with the new things the Lord is doing and expressing it in music.
Music is a great way to teach God’s Word and you don’t have to be an expert…let the experts help! God is putting new songs in people’s hearts to reach this generation for Jesus Christ!
Dan Cutchen is the president of Future Hope Ministries. A composer, worship leader, author, multi-generational minister and all-around funny guy, Dan has been active in camps, conferences, worship services and many children’s events. He also serves as adjunct professor of music theory and composition at Dallas Baptist University. Dan and his family live in Dallas, TX.
Visit www.dancutchen.com
