VeggieTales will be releasing a new VeggieTales dvd in August- Princess and the Popstar. Check out the promotional clip below.

Princess Poppyseed’s life on her family’s farm is far from the glamorous world of her favorite pop singer Vanna Banana.  While Princess milks the cows and dreams of a life on stage, Vanna has her own dreams of a life far from the hectic pace of stardom that leaves her feeling alone and lonely.  On a chance meeting at a playground, Vanna and Princess cross paths and realize they look almost exactly alike, which leads to the crazy notion that maybe they could switch lives!  In a flash, the girls’ secret plan is launched and Princess is whisked to her new life as a pop star while Vanna gets to live her dream of a life away from the pressure of fame!  As Princess tries to live up to the demands of being a diva and Vanna learns how to milk the cows, things don’t go as smoothly as they would like!  As each girl realizes the life they longed for doesn’t fulfill all their dreams, they learn that the life God gave them is the one for which they were uniquely and lovingly designed.

NEW! from Lifeway Christian Resources.... available June '11
THEO Church Edition: Foundations of Faith makes teaching theology easy and fun for children ages 5 and older with Theo the Animated Theologian who offers a rare combination — rich theological content and high entertainment value. Join Theo and his mischievous little friends as they explore theological lessons like faith, obeying God’s Word, forgiveness, the armor of God, sin and the plan of salvation. Make the biblical content come alive through fun, age-appropriate Bible curriculum that revolves around the Bible stories imbedded in each episode of Theo. Each entertaining, animated episode corresponds with a printable lesson plan that digs deep into God’s Word. Theo is perfect for small group times and makes teaching theology easy!
Episodes 1-4 plus Bonus episode Good News! (Philippian Jailer)
1.Saving Faith (Abraham)
2.Trust and Obey (Jonah)
3.Forgiveness (Parable of the Unforgiving Servant)
4.Armour of God (Paul in prison)
http://www.lifeway.com/product/005397446/#

Brighten up your children's ministry with some of these attention-grabbing ideas from childrensministry.com  We're often so focused on the job at hand that we tend to overlook some of the small but important details that can really make a difference.

Why are there more than 122,000 public relations specialists in America? Because bad news travels fast and lingers longer, while good news is rarely heard above the din of bad news. Politicians and corporate presidents understand that it's critical for their image-building to shout good news year-round. In the same way, good public relations is your key to helping people inside and outside your church understand your ministry's vision and strengths. What you do internally to create a positive image for your children's ministry can make or break your children's ministry, in good and especially bad times. Like it or not, you have a public that demands you feed it good news. Your public, of course, starts with children, parents, and teachers, then extends to your church staff, congregation, and community.

The following are 32 practical internal public relations strategies that are as simple as they are effective.

1. Publish your good news. Sometimes people don't know what to think about your ministry because you don't tell them. There's nothing like the printed word to establish an impression of your progress. Don't forget that newsletters can be emailed as well as mailed. And they can be handed out after class or put in your bulletin, too.

2. Deliver more than you promise. It helps to publicize events, but make sure your results speak louder than your hype.

3. Celebrate every success. Did you tell anyone and everyone about the stories that brought tears to your eyes at the mother-daughter retreat? Go ahead and make them tear up, too!

Read more......

 

Augsberg Fortress has produced a Bible storybook especially for children 2years to grade 2. The pages are filled with vibrant artwork and text that is engaging, thought-provoking and fun! Each story engages children with an activity suggestion or query. Click on the YouTube link below for more information about this Bible storybook. 
 Special family material has also been prepared to supplement the Bible storybooks and is available for ordering now, but due in September.  We've included some samples of this material below.
Spark Family is the newest Spark resource designed to help families fit faith into everyday life!
Spark Family is a quarterly subscription. Each issue comes alive with colorful images from the award-winning Spark Story Bible and engaging activities for the whole family! With 48 pages of activities, Spark Family is a great resource to keep in the car, carry along as you run errands throughout the day, or leave on the kitchen table for conversation starters during dinner.
Unlike other children's devotionals, each issue of Spark Family is based on seasons and themes from the Bible. It's filled with quick and easy ways to fit faith into everyday life. Because it's not dated, you can choose to follow the chapters sequentially or skip around. It's perfect for kids in preschool - grade 4.
Spark Family features:
Cutout Prayers- Playful ways to encourage family members to pray together. Make Time for More Fun!- Faith activities that fit your family's busy schedules. Bible Factoids- Trivia to help biblical literacy for all ages. And more!