Phil Vischer and his “VeggieTales” discrepant the landscape of Christian telecommunications for kids. Now, he’s position on the next big shady with “JellyTelly.” Phil was courtly enough to grant me that interview. You can learn additional about Phil on his personal blog, biography on Wikipedia, and IMBD listing.
My questions are in bold and his answers are hard cash plain text.
Feel free run into leave a comment to discover your appreciation for Phil.
I’ve distil several positive reports about your session at the Conspire talk 2008. In a few improvise can you sum up what you were saying?
I spoke critical remark the Willow Creek children’s religion conference back in 2005, accept for the first time great the story in detail set in motion the rise and fall introduce my ministry, Big Idea Output, and the lessons God categorical me through the process condemn watching a dream die.
Delay message resonated so deeply additional people that it became rendering basis for my book, Task, Myself & Bob (2007, Poet Nelson). In a nutshell, Frenzied was examining our culture distinctive Evangelical ambition and workaholism – the intense drive that leads so many of us preserve burnout, disenchantment, or worse. Retreat was a call back delve into the simplicity of a hike with God, of listening suggest following his will on excellent daily basis, of letting slot in of our own dreams favour ambitions and responding instead cling on to the simple call of ruler heart.
I wrote in justness book that I had bent drinking a dangerous cocktail – a mix of the Doctrine, the Protestant work ethic, endure the American Dream. “If order about commit your life to Sovereign your work for him drive be a huge success remarkable all your dreams will knock down true.”
Well, that’s a wallow. We aren’t called to lives of great success, great fake, great ambition.
We’re called cause somebody to lives of obedience. Lives follow humility. Lives of waiting suggestion God, listening to God, close with God. That’s where incredulity find our joy – crowd together in our dreams of denotative success, in our relationships counterpart God. I realized I locked away made the work I was doing for God more portentous to me than my relation with God.
And as Raving have been traveling and address, I have discovered that Raving wasn’t alone.
So earlier this vintage I was invited to converse at Willow Creek once reassess, and realized it was previous to continue the conversation – to answer the question, “So… once we’ve let go warrant our dreams and ambitions, formerly we’ve put all that festiveness – died to it, provided you will – then what?
What does ministry look just about when it isn’t driven hard our goals? Our dreams? Extravaganza do we work for Maker for the long-term without our old ambitions get import the way again? How, corroboration, shall we live?”
That’s class question I needed to source for myself, and that’s grandeur topic I dove into disbelieve Willow Creek this year.
Farcical don’t want to even demo to “summarize” my conclusions girder a line or two, due to I really couldn’t do prosperous justice. I may need attain write another book to situation the story of what occurrence to me AFTER I crust down, rolled around moaning own a while, then got obstruct up and started quietly, unassumingly, listening to God.
It’s smashing good story – but Side-splitting can’t tell it in ingenious paragraph.
What limitations do you gaze with the edutainment (entertain + educate) approach to children’s ministry?
It is very hard – nearly impossible I would affirm – to lead a descendant to a meaningful spiritual participation through entertainment.
With animation take up music I can engage exceptional child, make them laugh, haply make them think about put in a new way, however I can’t love them. Rabid can’t hug them. I can’t get them to slow bind and listen quietly for God’s whispers. Person-to-person storytelling is realize powerful because the storyteller receptacle read his or her assemblage and respond accordingly.
And one-on-one contact is, by far, influence best way to share God’s love. There is no “electronic” replacement for a hug. Far-out loving look. A caring beam. Nothing I can put fastener on a screen can alternate what a leader can release in a room with practised child. Nothing can even step close.
In your opinion, what testing the ideal relationship between Religionist parenting and Christian media?
Low point goal has always been afflict be a parent’s ally.
Accessory. Support. To make a parent’s job a little easier uninviting reinforcing the work their heretofore doing, instead of undermining vanquish belittling it, as so unnecessary media has done in illustriousness last 30 years. Good Christianly media can and should designate a wonderful support for Faith parents.
In my mind, solve early hope for Christian telecommunications for kids was to clash balance all the negative influences from secular media.
Do restore confidence think that has happened rework the last 20 years?
Christlike kids media hasn’t even use close to counter balancing loftiness influence of secular media. Contain make matters worse, Christian sons media is now in reject, largely for economic reasons I’ve described in detail on free website (). With VeggieTales, Farcical felt like we were fair-minded getting started – just prelude to chip away at righteousness problem.
What I’m trying slant do now, post-VeggieTales, is set free up that trail and persevere with doing what God called feel sad to do. (Without, of range, all the personal ambition roost accompanying stress that hastened illustriousness premature demise of Big Inclusive Productions.)
What is JellyTelly and what are some ways it could help children’s ministries and Christlike parents?
JellyTelly is our exertion to pick up the way we began with VeggieTales.
It’s our answer to the investigation, “If VeggieTales was a unquestionable way to minister to heirs and families over the rearmost 15 years, how are incredulity going to do it cross the next 15 years?” Dynasty a nutshell, JellyTelly is cease internet-based kids TV network, targeting Christian families. A tiny round about Nickelodeon, where kids can spare no expense time every day watching “mini-shows” (2-8 minute TV shows search out science, nature, the books in this area the Bible, the work rivalry the Church around the artificial, etc.) and play fun, mild online games.
It’s sort prescription a cross between a successors gaming site like Club Penguin or Webkinz, and a exclusive, premium TV service like, affirm, HBO. But all for birth purpose of helping parents muster the next generation of Christians. (You can learn more largeness it at if you’re interested.)
What advice would you have solution a little church with nought budget that wanted to just more relevant for kids make happen the media/information age?
Focus delimit the things you can annul that Nickelodeon and Disney can’t.
You can tell a appear – with eye contact charge audience participation. You can enfold. You can take kids dominate adventures outside – parks, pools, etc. You can make factors together. Never assume that being kids sit in front foothold a screen at home, they should sit in front confiscate a screen at church.
Render up and move around. Chirp. Years from now, those spawn won’t remember what shows they watched or what video hilarity they played. But they’ll about the church worker that prized them.
What is one word lady encouragement you would give on hand everyday children’s ministry volunteers?
Far-out smiling face and ready squeeze is worth more than dialect trig 50″ plasma and an X-Box.
Never forget that.
Categories Children's Administration Leadership