Sooo.. Just to make it easier in the social media world, I’ve made an about.me landing page. Check it at http://about.me/kathrynjoy

Quick update from me is:

- working on our next HK Big Curriculum…

- helping with all the sales and marketing of our children’s ministry resources

- baked a lovely cake yesterday, pink on the inside, white icing with chocolate polka dots

- spent some time in melbourne with my family, highlight of the trip was my niece’s 13th birthday party..in a pink limo with 8 teenagers!

- reading: Checklist manifesto by Ayul Gwande, which is only affirming my belief in checklists and giving me more reason to proselytize to others who need checklists.

- watching: 30 Rock season 5

- listening to: Coldplay, Florence & the Machine, Bing Crosby, Miles Davis and a truly delightful Bette Midler Vinyl

- eating: chicken nicoise http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1278232/Recipe-Chicken-Nicoise.html

- planning: christmas decorations for my new WHITE christmas tree. Theme is black, white, silver, angel wings, bells.

What’s new with you?

The Checklist Manifesto – Atul Gwnade

Start Something That Matters – Blake Mycoskie

Making Ideas Happen – Scott Belsky

What’s Mine Is Yours, The rise of collaborative consumption – Rachel Botsman

Made to Stick: Why some ideas die and others survive – Chip & Dan Heath

Ruby Blues – Jessica Rudd

My Life in Frocks – Kelly Doust
What’s on your reading list? do share..

Our kids see all our curriculum resource in the production stage, so it’s often not quite finished, but does give us a chance to make changes to improve it before we release it to the world. In 2012 our children’s programs will use Tell the World, Follow You and Supernatural Curriculum back to back. I can’t wait! And it means all the hard work for our teaching is already done.. for the whole year!

Jump on our website and download our curriculum plan for 2012. If you’re interested you could use them at the same time as us and share the journey!

http://hillsongkidsbig.com/curriculum-series

Over 12 months in the making… Hillsong Kids BIG Supernatural Children’s ministry curriculum is available! I’m so excited about this edition of Hillsong Kids BIG because it’s all about WORSHIP!! And that’s a quality our house is known for and exploring worship with your children’s ministry is so valuable. Funny Man Dan and the team are at their best with even more crazy antics, the BIG HQ team explore the topics and have a whole lot of fun.

We’ve packed this curriculum full of stories, games, object lessons, activities, prayers, worship and awesome small group materials. Our team behind the scenes is world class and the production quality on this project is stunning. Here’s some behind  the scenes info..

Our filming crew on this project mostly used Cannon 5D cameras – If you’ve ever picked up a cannon DSLR and taken a beautiful clear sharp photograph – that’s what the video elements on Supernatural are! Even after watching it a gazillion times in the proofing and editing process I still say every time “ahh that video is soooo beautiful..”

The BIG HQ studio has a new location! We found a room in one of our buildings that we could take over for a week to shoot all the BIG HQ segments, it’s flooded with natural light and the space worked perfectly to squeeze a sound guy, lighting, cameras and a large cast. Plus it had a great room beside it we could use for props, costumes, rehearsals and meals.

We have some seriously hilarious middle sections that drive home the teaching point for the lesson, Look out for a song about writing a song and Dave and Dan as schoolboys in the school yard.

The last 4 weeks in the Supernatural series is ‘World Wide Worship’ and is all about Social Justice. A Key ingredient to worship is that it is about ACTION. To truly worship God we don’t just sing songs to Him.. we live and love the way He requires us to… to love justice, to live for others and to show His love to the world.
Our prayer is that this resource can be a real blessing to your children’s ministry, camp, kids club or school. If you have any questions about the resource email us on hillsongkidsbig@hillsong.com

ORDER HERE

Check out this video of typography and perspective… cleaver really, wish it was my idea!

nothing much more to say, it speaks for itself.

Now off you go.. you’ve watched it, you better go encourage someone…

The Vivid festival is held every winter in Sydney. Last weekend a friend and I spent the afternoon in the city then as the sun went down we got into postiton to see the sails of the Opera House illuminate with moving projections and lights. All through the city were incredible, interactive,  and stunning light installations. It was amazing how many people were there! it was like New Year’s eve! The buzz of the crowd was great! On a cold winter night, that would otherwise leave the city empty and lifeless, some genius has brought thousands of people into the city with His/Her idea.

If someone had pitched me the idea of putting on an outdoor, night only event in the middle of winter I would have shut them down, thinking there is no way it would work. But it’s a huge success, injects life and income into the city and is a great family activity. I love it when out of the box ideas are exactly right and hit the target! Think big!

People notice peacemakers because they dress funny. We know how the people who make war dress – in uniforms and medals, or in computers and clipboards, or in absolutness, severity, greed and cynicism. But the peacemake is dressed in righteousness, justice, and faithfulness – dressed for the work that is to be done.

- Walter Brueggemann

I stood alone in the corridors of our church and read it over and over again. Am I dressed for the work that is to be done? The work of bringing peace in an unpeaceful world.  Ever see a leader show up to serve in your children’s ministry and they’re wearing an expensive looking dress and teetering in high heels? Certainly not dressed for the work that is to be done. The work of a peacemaker requires a certain dress too.

Here’s what we all do but maybe never say aloud… come on..admit it..  you do it too in your children’s ministry.

1. We count pregnant women as two people in our headcounts. It’s cause we care for children from the earliest possible moment.

2. We rush to clean up all the blood from a child’s injury before the parent arrives, so as to not freak them out.

3. We find reasons to confiscate candy, then we eat the candy.

4. We confiscate awesome toys… and then we play with them for the whole service before returning to the child.

5. Dress up weekends are our favourite weekends, really we’d like to dress up in superhero costumes every week, but it’s hard for parents to take us seriously if we do.

6. We LOVE giving kids helium filled balloons, just to see families with 5 kids try and stuff all the balloons into the car before they drive home.

7. We do crafts for our benefit and children’s enjoyment. We don’t really mind that parents have to carry home craft with wet glue and paint on it.

8. If we give out any sugar filled treats we do so just before the parents collect the children. Sugar rush is then parents problem, not ours.

9.We go see kids movies in the name of “research” but really we’re just seeing them for our own enjoyment.

10. When we advertise a “Surprise Guest” or a “Special gift for everyone” we actually don’t know what the “Surprise” is yet, but had to send the posters and flyers to print before it got locked in.

First was our little Easter get together…

I made an Easter Egg garland out of some string and paint colour swatches. And a cute two layer easter cake!

Next up was our little Royal Wedding Celebration. Twas a jolly good evening, we made crown bunting, had tea and cake, and enjoyed the whole thing from start to finish.

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