WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.900 All right, you got the beta show, episode 24. 00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:07.300 You got Jeff here with The Church Digital, powered by Stadia Church Planting. 00:00:08.140 --> 00:00:10.720 I really enjoyed this conversation. 00:00:11.140 --> 00:00:14.960 So yeah, I went back to my roots here a little bit. 00:00:15.020 --> 00:00:18.820 We did a deep dive with the team over at Christ Fellowship Miami. 00:00:18.980 --> 00:00:24.300 See, the number one question that I get asked any given week that I don't have a solid answer 00:00:24.300 --> 00:00:28.740 for when I'm talking about digital or about digital-only churches, what do you do with 00:00:28.740 --> 00:00:29.080 the kids? 00:00:29.600 --> 00:00:33.560 Like, do we do kids' church online? 00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:34.940 Is that good enough? 00:00:35.320 --> 00:00:36.440 How do we do small groups? 00:00:36.540 --> 00:00:38.780 How do we do biblical community? 00:00:38.940 --> 00:00:39.860 How do we do crafts? 00:00:39.960 --> 00:00:42.620 How do we do all this stuff that we do in the physical space? 00:00:43.100 --> 00:00:46.280 And what does it mean to do that online? 00:00:46.760 --> 00:00:51.000 And so I've never really had an answer to that, even like micro-locations. 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:55.300 What are we supposed to do when the parents are watching the church online services at 00:00:55.300 --> 00:00:56.160 a micro-location? 00:00:56.340 --> 00:00:57.680 What are we supposed to do with the kids? 00:00:58.620 --> 00:01:03.280 And so I've kind of him and Todd over the past year told some stories, gave some examples, 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:06.820 but it's never really, honestly, it's just never been enough. 00:01:07.460 --> 00:01:11.940 And so that brings us back to Christ Fellowship Miami, the church where I did kids' ministry 00:01:11.940 --> 00:01:16.920 online way back in like 20, I don't know, 17, somewhere around there, maybe 2016 even. 00:01:16.960 --> 00:01:24.240 It's just trying to figure out how to do kids' church online digitally, digitally even. 00:01:24.600 --> 00:01:26.400 And so, hey, you know what? 00:01:26.540 --> 00:01:27.700 It didn't work at the time. 00:01:28.200 --> 00:01:30.080 YouTube for kids did not exist. 00:01:30.260 --> 00:01:33.960 And maybe that would have been the game changer back then, just saying, but we couldn't do it. 00:01:34.040 --> 00:01:35.860 And so ended up shutting down kids' church. 00:01:35.960 --> 00:01:36.440 Well, guess what? 00:01:37.420 --> 00:01:41.640 2020 came around, there's a little thing called COVID, global pandemic, and all of a sudden, 00:01:42.020 --> 00:01:44.020 hey, let's do kids online again. 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:49.920 They broke out the old playbook, Christ Fellowship Miami, re-implemented it, made major modifications 00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:52.100 to it, and they've been having great success. 00:01:52.380 --> 00:01:55.880 And honestly, this is why I wanted to bring the group back together. 00:01:56.180 --> 00:01:58.420 I wanted to do a deep dive for Christ Fellowship Miami. 00:01:58.540 --> 00:02:00.460 Hey, you know, I know you were doing some stuff. 00:02:00.540 --> 00:02:06.300 We did a podcast even earlier in the pandemic towards what CF Miami's strategy was towards 00:02:06.300 --> 00:02:07.680 kids online. 00:02:07.900 --> 00:02:10.200 But let's talk about what's next. 00:02:10.520 --> 00:02:13.280 Because even my kids, we don't even attend the church Christ Fellowship Miami. 00:02:13.520 --> 00:02:15.360 And my son, who's 10, is fascinated. 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:19.680 He's like, Daddy, I want to watch what CF Miami is doing online. 00:02:19.820 --> 00:02:24.660 And so it's connecting at a level that maybe we're not even realizing. 00:02:24.980 --> 00:02:30.620 And so for the conversation, we're bringing in Gabby Vargas and Melissa Nanan from the 00:02:30.620 --> 00:02:32.080 CF Miami kids team. 00:02:32.280 --> 00:02:36.660 And of course, Ray DeArmis, co-host once again with the Church Digital podcast. 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:41.560 Myself, Jeff, with the Church Digital and Stadia Church Planning in a conversation that 00:02:41.560 --> 00:02:44.880 I'm simply calling, won't someone please think of the children? 00:02:45.500 --> 00:02:46.680 Okay, everybody, here you go. 00:02:47.300 --> 00:02:48.500 Gabby, this is your first time on. 00:02:48.580 --> 00:02:52.180 We've had CF Kids on before, but I don't think you were on this, right? 00:02:52.320 --> 00:02:55.160 So you're new, Melissa, you're new here. 00:02:55.340 --> 00:02:57.540 I mean, let's start off with Gabby a little bit. 00:02:58.140 --> 00:02:59.800 Gabby, just intro here. 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:04.580 Tell us, you know, a little bit of your ministry story, what you do with CF Kids, like how you 00:03:04.580 --> 00:03:05.540 got to where you are. 00:03:05.600 --> 00:03:06.660 Maybe a minute or so. 00:03:07.180 --> 00:03:08.320 Ooh, the journey, the journey. 00:03:08.520 --> 00:03:13.060 Well, I started at CF in 2012. 00:03:13.260 --> 00:03:16.340 So I've been doing kids ministry now for eight years. 00:03:16.340 --> 00:03:18.960 You literally went back a decade, really? 00:03:20.020 --> 00:03:25.240 Like nine years, that's like your two-minute story is going over an entire decade. 00:03:25.740 --> 00:03:26.280 Okay, cool. 00:03:26.460 --> 00:03:27.080 Let's hear it. 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:27.380 Go ahead. 00:03:27.420 --> 00:03:27.760 I'm sorry. 00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:28.740 It's quick. 00:03:28.820 --> 00:03:29.240 I have it. 00:03:29.280 --> 00:03:29.840 I have it quick. 00:03:29.940 --> 00:03:30.340 I have it quick. 00:03:31.060 --> 00:03:37.780 So yeah, eight years, did preschool for about maybe two or three of those years because 00:03:37.780 --> 00:03:38.740 that's me. 00:03:38.900 --> 00:03:40.400 That's the realm I live in. 00:03:40.460 --> 00:03:41.360 I love preschoolers. 00:03:41.900 --> 00:03:47.660 And now through that, I was at the Palmetto Bay campus, kind of leading the team there. 00:03:47.760 --> 00:03:53.040 And then now I'm at the Coral Gables campus, leading the kids team and now doing CF Kids 00:03:53.040 --> 00:03:53.660 online. 00:03:54.020 --> 00:03:56.680 But yeah, I am a kids person. 00:03:57.060 --> 00:03:59.720 That is what I do, kids and volunteers. 00:04:00.360 --> 00:04:05.400 So you've been doing kids ministry for, you know, 2012, eight, nine years, something like 00:04:05.400 --> 00:04:05.740 that. 00:04:06.200 --> 00:04:11.100 Melissa, we were talking off air a little bit, you know, like you started as a volunteer. 00:04:11.620 --> 00:04:13.880 What's kind of that story and that path look like for you? 00:04:14.360 --> 00:04:17.240 Kids ministry kind of runs in my blood. 00:04:17.400 --> 00:04:20.620 My mom was a ministry, a kids ministry director growing up. 00:04:20.620 --> 00:04:27.460 So I was always that kid that was at church all the time, every day of the week. 00:04:28.300 --> 00:04:30.100 So I grew up seeing that. 00:04:30.320 --> 00:04:32.820 Then I got plugged in to CF. 00:04:33.240 --> 00:04:38.220 I started off as a volunteer and it just, it just grew from there. 00:04:38.320 --> 00:04:40.640 I wanted to become more and more involved. 00:04:40.860 --> 00:04:43.180 So from there, I became a director. 00:04:44.060 --> 00:04:50.340 And when things started moving online, I got the opportunity to do some writing. 00:04:50.620 --> 00:04:56.940 And, um, it was, it's been this journey that I can only attribute to God. 00:04:57.140 --> 00:05:00.920 He just, he was paving that way and it's been incredible. 00:05:00.920 --> 00:05:03.540 But yeah, love kids ministry. 00:05:03.540 --> 00:05:04.640 I'm all in. 00:05:05.260 --> 00:05:06.280 Um, it's amazing. 00:05:06.560 --> 00:05:06.660 So. 00:05:07.420 --> 00:05:14.080 And so like CF way back in the day, uh, 2016 had, was working with kids online. 00:05:14.080 --> 00:05:15.280 We tried that as an experiment. 00:05:15.280 --> 00:05:20.320 I was digital pastor at the time, Ray, that we would call that CF 2.0. 00:05:20.440 --> 00:05:24.280 I think that era, cause there was actually an era before me, before I came back. 00:05:24.760 --> 00:05:26.720 And so that was one Oh, two Oh, you're three Oh. 00:05:26.900 --> 00:05:29.980 And so now four Oh is what's, it's what's coming up. 00:05:30.080 --> 00:05:30.220 Yeah. 00:05:30.300 --> 00:05:34.460 So we gotta, gotta give credit as the organization is growing and evolving digital. 00:05:34.600 --> 00:05:37.400 So back in the 2.0 era, we, we were doing kids. 00:05:37.420 --> 00:05:38.300 It didn't work. 00:05:38.300 --> 00:05:43.460 We, you know, the difficulties with the curriculum and some of that writing it, some of the time 00:05:43.460 --> 00:05:46.660 constraints, uh, really kind of hurt in that. 00:05:46.760 --> 00:05:52.040 And so we, we kind of abandoned this whole, uh, the digital idea of any of the digital kids. 00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:56.660 And so now we're excited to see where kids is coming back. 00:05:56.720 --> 00:05:56.860 Okay. 00:05:56.920 --> 00:05:57.040 Yeah. 00:05:57.040 --> 00:05:59.740 It took a global pandemic to do kids digitally. 00:05:59.740 --> 00:06:03.160 And there may be some, some pros and cons to that. 00:06:03.220 --> 00:06:03.360 Yeah. 00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:09.060 I mean, people are dying, but we get to connect with kids in a, in a, in a new and a unique 00:06:09.060 --> 00:06:10.120 way I can talk. 00:06:10.740 --> 00:06:16.260 So I would love to hear, um, like what was the, what was the journey? 00:06:16.380 --> 00:06:20.780 So like the global pandemic hit, oh my gosh, what are we supposed to do now? 00:06:20.780 --> 00:06:25.560 Like, how did you get to the steps of understanding and re-embracing? 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:30.560 Maybe what were some of those early first steps of, of doing kids? 00:06:30.640 --> 00:06:32.100 What did that look like digitally? 00:06:32.920 --> 00:06:34.400 Uh, we can't take credit for it. 00:06:34.460 --> 00:06:39.780 We are 2.0 because 1.0 was the writing extraordinaire, Ileana. 00:06:40.340 --> 00:06:42.020 So Ileana Silji. 00:06:42.160 --> 00:06:47.840 So she, um, and Stephanie Moreno kind of came together and said, okay, everybody's turning 00:06:47.840 --> 00:06:48.680 to the internet. 00:06:48.680 --> 00:06:52.360 We don't have face-to-face with kids anymore on the weekends. 00:06:52.360 --> 00:06:56.900 So how do we get them an experience in their homes, in their living rooms? 00:06:57.480 --> 00:07:03.520 Um, and so that heart for teaching kids about Jesus, um, kind of just kept going. 00:07:03.660 --> 00:07:05.600 It didn't matter that there was a pandemic. 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:11.280 We knew that we had to reach kids no matter where they were at and teach them in a way 00:07:11.280 --> 00:07:14.960 that we have always done in a really fun and engaging way. 00:07:15.760 --> 00:07:21.840 And so we basically, I say we, but it was really them, uh, just brought WayStation to kids' 00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:23.660 homes through these videos. 00:07:23.660 --> 00:07:26.800 And so it was just a green screen, I think, at one point. 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:37.520 Um, we're just like a, like a solid black, you know, colorful wall with two hosts and they just read a script and taught them about Jesus and played a fun, a fun game. 00:07:37.520 --> 00:07:39.360 And then we added some worship. 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:45.120 So really what drove it was the same heart and desire that we had on the weekend. 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:50.000 But just now we had to turn to, to, to social media. 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:56.240 And it was really cool to see how, how Ileana and the team there really crafted that and took 00:07:56.240 --> 00:07:59.680 that bold step and said, okay, we're not sure what we're doing here, but let's just do something. 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:02.960 So yeah, it was, it was definitely born out of necessity. 00:08:02.960 --> 00:08:05.680 It was like, oh my goodness, we're not going to have church this weekend. 00:08:06.080 --> 00:08:07.520 What are we going to do with the kids? 00:08:07.760 --> 00:08:11.960 But it, man, let me tell you, they, they scrambled together really fast. 00:08:12.120 --> 00:08:17.760 And like Gabby said, they just, they stood in front of a colorful wall and they said, okay, this is what we were going to say this weekend. 00:08:18.320 --> 00:08:20.560 Let's just say it straight into a camera. 00:08:21.380 --> 00:08:24.520 And that's, that was basically the, the beginnings of it. 00:08:24.760 --> 00:08:25.960 Um, just adapting. 00:08:26.240 --> 00:08:28.060 This is what we were going to do on the weekend. 00:08:28.060 --> 00:08:32.120 So let's, you know, bring it to their living room. 00:08:32.200 --> 00:08:37.720 And it's definitely evolved since then, but that was, yeah, that was the beginnings of it. 00:08:37.920 --> 00:08:57.600 So let's talk about that evolution a little bit, because it's like, like all things looking back, I can see the natural progression, but when we were in the midst of it, I didn't see it as it was happening because there was, yes, there was the weekend, but then there was also the things that you guys were doing during the week, like story time or, you know, some of the games that you guys were doing during the week. 00:08:57.600 --> 00:08:57.760 Yeah. 00:08:57.820 --> 00:09:03.820 I mean, it was pretty cool, you know, and it didn't have as high engagement as the weekend did, but I'm watching as a parent and I'm like, oh wow. 00:09:03.820 --> 00:09:07.200 They're trying like a lot of great and different things. 00:09:07.260 --> 00:09:08.240 Can you guys walk through that? 00:09:08.960 --> 00:09:10.340 You just took me back. 00:09:10.340 --> 00:09:22.220 I just, I had a flashback moment of how, so a lot of the resources and attention went to the videos that Ileana was hosting with Michael for the weekends, because that was our kids service. 00:09:22.400 --> 00:09:29.760 But all the things during the week was us, again, that drive to just want to reach kids, and it didn't matter how. 00:09:29.920 --> 00:09:39.760 So we were using our phones on these makeshift tripod situations with Bibles stacked on desks and the, you know, and we're like, so what do we do? 00:09:39.780 --> 00:09:45.800 And I would run over to the creative team and I would ask them, I would ask the videographers like, where do I put lights? 00:09:45.800 --> 00:09:51.460 And by lights, I mean lamps, not anything fancy, but lamps without the shade. 00:09:52.060 --> 00:10:06.440 We actually have a picture of one of our girls holding those long lamp things that you put the shade on over, like almost like a boomstick, just to create some type of lighting over our two guys that were teaching fifth grade leadership. 00:10:06.440 --> 00:10:20.620 So yeah, we were just, we, that's when Melissa and I got together because we started writing little hangout scripts that would be released on Wednesday as kind of like a midweek devotional bedtime stories time for kids. 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:26.280 And we would write a game, a little Bible story and just make it fun and creative. 00:10:26.460 --> 00:10:28.420 But let me tell you, it was so makeshift. 00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:31.800 We were stacking books, holding lamps. 00:10:31.800 --> 00:10:41.800 I feel like that's when my journey actually started because it was one of those things, the kids are all shut down and on lockdown too. 00:10:41.960 --> 00:10:43.300 So what are they doing during the day? 00:10:43.460 --> 00:10:46.060 They're, you know, watching YouTube videos. 00:10:46.280 --> 00:10:49.820 So it was like, okay, we are going to capitalize on this. 00:10:49.940 --> 00:10:54.780 We are going to give them something that they can watch during the week on their downtime. 00:10:54.780 --> 00:11:03.780 And so we started coming up with bedtime stories and we would do a bedtime story where we would recap, you know, the lesson from the weekend. 00:11:04.700 --> 00:11:06.780 We started doing hangout videos. 00:11:06.780 --> 00:11:08.880 We, I, I don't know. 00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:14.620 It was so silly, but they mailed me a boomstick or a boom mic and a ring light. 00:11:14.760 --> 00:11:19.180 And they said, okay, start doing some arts and crafts videos from your house. 00:11:19.420 --> 00:11:23.560 Okay, I've never done anything like this before, but sure, why not? 00:11:24.220 --> 00:11:28.600 So we were just, man, we were, we were trying. 00:11:29.020 --> 00:11:29.780 It was a season. 00:11:29.880 --> 00:11:34.800 That was a season that we all learned that you, when you're recording a video, you don't look at the screen. 00:11:35.020 --> 00:11:37.120 You have to look at the camera, right? 00:11:37.180 --> 00:11:38.040 There's a difference. 00:11:38.160 --> 00:11:40.500 So that was, this is where we were at people. 00:11:40.700 --> 00:11:42.200 This is where we were at. 00:11:42.480 --> 00:11:43.880 There was no teleprompter. 00:11:44.020 --> 00:11:47.020 It was just, okay, what am I supposed to talk about? 00:11:47.300 --> 00:11:51.540 Whatever comes out of my mouth, that's, that's what's, that's what it is. 00:11:51.660 --> 00:11:52.780 It was fun. 00:11:53.100 --> 00:11:54.120 I mean, no, don't worry. 00:11:54.240 --> 00:11:57.300 Jeff can probably attest to a bunch of churches that that was their Sunday service. 00:11:57.600 --> 00:11:59.600 You know, that was their experience on their Sunday service. 00:11:59.960 --> 00:12:02.460 So what you guys did with the hangouts during the week was fine. 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:05.740 And it was, it was, it was so special to us. 00:12:05.920 --> 00:12:14.660 Every time that we finished that video, it was like, we had created this experience and we were so proud of it. 00:12:14.660 --> 00:12:19.260 Yeah, we were so proud of it as we should have been because it was, everything was so new to us. 00:12:19.320 --> 00:12:19.980 We're kids people. 00:12:20.160 --> 00:12:21.100 We're not video people. 00:12:21.600 --> 00:12:22.900 What we do is kids. 00:12:23.020 --> 00:12:25.420 I know how to calm a crying baby. 00:12:25.700 --> 00:12:29.000 I know how to engage kids, but we're not video. 00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:31.940 And so to bring that to life, we were so proud. 00:12:32.060 --> 00:12:34.740 We were so excited that, that we could do it. 00:12:34.740 --> 00:12:42.100 And we would look at our videos and I would spend hours on iMovie trying to teach the rest of the team, like, you can do a picture in picture. 00:12:42.360 --> 00:12:43.760 Look what I just figured out. 00:12:43.900 --> 00:12:45.540 Or Ken's Burns, right? 00:12:45.700 --> 00:12:48.180 It was, it was, it was really fun. 00:12:48.340 --> 00:12:49.640 It was a really, really fun time. 00:12:50.320 --> 00:12:55.200 After two years of podcasts, I think that's the first time Ken Burns has made a reference on the show. 00:12:55.280 --> 00:13:00.560 So congratulations, Ken Burns out there, major documentary creator. 00:13:00.940 --> 00:13:05.200 Thank you, sir, for your contribution towards Kids Church Online. 00:13:05.480 --> 00:13:06.780 That was, that was beautiful right there. 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:09.680 And so, like, what was the reception? 00:13:09.980 --> 00:13:14.680 What was, how was that, were the kids, were they receptive towards this to parents? 00:13:14.800 --> 00:13:16.260 Like, what was some of the feedback you got? 00:13:16.320 --> 00:13:19.140 Because there was a, there was a philosophical shift here a little bit. 00:13:19.180 --> 00:13:21.380 You went from, like, the one hour on Sunday. 00:13:21.860 --> 00:13:24.220 Okay, digitally now broadcasting one hour on Sunday. 00:13:24.280 --> 00:13:28.380 But now you're talking a lot more Monday through Friday, hangout stuff, crafts. 00:13:28.540 --> 00:13:31.640 Like, this is more five, six, seven days a week. 00:13:31.640 --> 00:13:36.880 Like, so what was that received from, from the kids and the parents that you were working with? 00:13:37.400 --> 00:13:45.480 Well, it was, it was pretty exciting because the team, Ileana and Stephanie, they started 00:13:45.480 --> 00:13:51.360 to brainstorm ideas, ways that they could get the kids to engage more. 00:13:51.780 --> 00:13:55.480 And lo and behold, was born the virtual challenge card. 00:13:56.420 --> 00:14:01.080 We had been using a challenge card on Sundays, on the weekend. 00:14:01.920 --> 00:14:06.240 And they just, they came up with the idea, well, what if we do a virtual challenge card 00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:13.800 where the kids earn sort of a reward if they tune in every weekend, if they learn their memory 00:14:13.800 --> 00:14:19.880 verse, if they participate in some sort of family mission or something that they can do 00:14:19.880 --> 00:14:20.700 even from home. 00:14:21.560 --> 00:14:26.940 And it was, let me tell you, it was so exciting because we were plugging this, pubbing this 00:14:26.940 --> 00:14:28.100 virtual challenge card. 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:35.440 And then when we actually had somebody submit their challenge card via email, oh my goodness. 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:37.080 It was, that's it. 00:14:37.380 --> 00:14:38.680 That, that changed everything. 00:14:38.820 --> 00:14:45.380 I feel like that was such a game changer because, uh, Gabby and Michael, who were the CF online 00:14:45.380 --> 00:14:51.980 hosts at this point, they went and delivered the prize to the child's home and it was recorded. 00:14:51.980 --> 00:14:55.860 And then it was aired on an episode and that was, that was it. 00:14:56.220 --> 00:15:02.180 All the kids at that point were, they wanted to be visited by their CF kids online stars. 00:15:02.380 --> 00:15:10.360 So, uh, I feel like that was the catalyst that just sort of, uh, changed the engagement game 00:15:10.360 --> 00:15:14.380 because now they had something, you know, the kids were locked down. 00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:15.380 They were in their homes. 00:15:15.500 --> 00:15:22.440 They were starving for some interaction and to be visited by their, these people that they're 00:15:22.440 --> 00:15:23.600 seeing on TV. 00:15:24.040 --> 00:15:26.080 Uh, I just, it was so special. 00:15:26.260 --> 00:15:27.760 Those videos were so special. 00:15:28.140 --> 00:15:28.860 It was incredible. 00:15:29.480 --> 00:15:29.600 Yeah. 00:15:29.660 --> 00:15:32.000 That challenge card was a game changer for our family. 00:15:32.200 --> 00:15:34.840 Um, Gabby is my kids, CF kids director. 00:15:34.840 --> 00:15:40.720 And when she showed up to drop off that box, that for them was, was everything. 00:15:40.720 --> 00:15:41.680 It really was. 00:15:41.800 --> 00:15:47.740 It was such a powerful moment to see them kind of engage in that kind of way because, you 00:15:47.740 --> 00:15:52.640 know, before, like they loved attending CF kids, but I hadn't seen them engage with CF 00:15:52.640 --> 00:15:54.460 kids in that kind of way of daddy. 00:15:54.520 --> 00:15:55.360 We've got to do our challenges. 00:15:55.520 --> 00:15:56.560 Daddy, we've got to watch this week. 00:15:56.660 --> 00:15:57.880 Daddy, we've got to learn our memory verse. 00:15:58.340 --> 00:15:59.580 Uh, you know, cause they got a memory verse. 00:15:59.680 --> 00:16:02.060 They go to, they go to Christian school, so they've already got a memory verse, but then 00:16:02.060 --> 00:16:05.600 they were like, no, we got to learn our Florida or our CF memory verse too. 00:16:05.640 --> 00:16:07.000 We've got to make sure we have that down. 00:16:07.220 --> 00:16:08.540 Daddy, are we going to do the family mission? 00:16:08.540 --> 00:16:15.320 And so that got them very, very excited and engaged, uh, in just a brand new way that 00:16:15.320 --> 00:16:19.340 even as, as the online pastor, I was like, dang it, can I make a challenge card for the 00:16:19.340 --> 00:16:19.760 grownups? 00:16:19.860 --> 00:16:24.160 Cause, cause, cause grownups aren't responding the same way. 00:16:24.200 --> 00:16:24.560 You know what I'm saying? 00:16:24.620 --> 00:16:28.140 Grownups are more like, oh, we'll put on the service for 10 minutes and then, you know, 00:16:28.180 --> 00:16:28.880 we'll see how it goes. 00:16:29.140 --> 00:16:33.560 But, but, but with CF kids, it was just high engagement week to week. 00:16:33.700 --> 00:16:35.420 The kids just wanted more and more and more. 00:16:35.640 --> 00:16:38.260 And so that I felt was like a big game changer. 00:16:38.760 --> 00:16:43.020 Um, there was also something special that I saw you guys do during the pandemic in which 00:16:43.020 --> 00:16:45.460 you would give shout outs to kids. 00:16:46.500 --> 00:16:48.280 Yeah, that was sweet. 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:49.260 Yeah. 00:16:49.360 --> 00:16:50.780 So what was that born out of? 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:57.100 Uh, again, the desire to let kids know that we see you, even though we're not in person, 00:16:57.100 --> 00:17:00.640 we see you, we're praying for you and we're still your church. 00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:06.840 And we, the team's heart for these kids is just so great that we were trying everything 00:17:06.840 --> 00:17:08.800 and anything to, to reach them. 00:17:09.220 --> 00:17:14.100 So when we were like, let's give them a shout out, let's just say, Hey, we see you like great 00:17:14.100 --> 00:17:14.940 job watching. 00:17:15.540 --> 00:17:17.920 Um, or let it, we would engage the parents also. 00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:22.000 The parents would send in their shout outs like, Hey, just so proud of, you know, so-and-so 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:24.380 for reading your Bible this week, love mom. 00:17:24.500 --> 00:17:30.140 And so we would share that with them and the kids would just like lose it seeing their names 00:17:30.140 --> 00:17:33.940 up there and then you would get texts from parents, like, thank you so much. 00:17:33.940 --> 00:17:37.840 And it became like this hot list where parents were like, did you get my shout out? 00:17:37.920 --> 00:17:38.700 I sent it in. 00:17:38.800 --> 00:17:39.420 Did you get it? 00:17:39.940 --> 00:17:45.260 Um, but to, to, to circle back, I think part of that was we didn't realize that the need 00:17:45.260 --> 00:17:51.100 was there, that kids and families were waiting for this probably for longer than we thought. 00:17:51.580 --> 00:17:52.160 It did. 00:17:52.260 --> 00:17:53.380 It took, it took a pandemic. 00:17:53.380 --> 00:17:53.780 Right. 00:17:53.880 --> 00:17:57.780 But, um, but they were just like, it was just there. 00:17:57.780 --> 00:18:00.800 And then when we launched it, people were like, finally. 00:18:01.420 --> 00:18:05.660 And when you realize that kids spend a lot of time on YouTube and now they get to spend 00:18:05.660 --> 00:18:06.640 it on church YouTube. 00:18:07.480 --> 00:18:13.980 So let's talk through, um, now the evolution where you guys start writing and directing story 00:18:13.980 --> 00:18:21.220 lines that cross multiple weeks and really become very creative, very different. 00:18:21.560 --> 00:18:23.540 Uh, where did that come from? 00:18:23.660 --> 00:18:26.320 You started experimenting with different camera angles. 00:18:26.420 --> 00:18:27.880 You started experimenting with props. 00:18:28.080 --> 00:18:31.220 You guys started building like scripts and characters. 00:18:31.220 --> 00:18:33.020 Like, where did all this come from? 00:18:33.020 --> 00:18:38.680 Like, because it's become in my perspective, like this production that is just magnificent 00:18:38.680 --> 00:18:39.400 and wonderful. 00:18:39.400 --> 00:18:43.660 And almost like CF kid Sesame street to a degree, you know what I'm saying? 00:18:43.660 --> 00:18:45.440 So, uh, just without the Muppets. 00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:49.300 And so talk, talk us through that, like, where did that come from and, and, uh, how did we 00:18:49.300 --> 00:18:49.680 get here? 00:18:50.580 --> 00:18:58.820 Um, this, that has been, um, I think the fun part, um, it almost feels like, yeah, we're 00:18:58.820 --> 00:19:03.260 what we're writing a Christian sitcom to a certain degree. 00:19:03.260 --> 00:19:07.340 We have our character archetypes and it's, it's super fun. 00:19:07.340 --> 00:19:14.100 Um, but that was born truly from a desire to engage our older kids. 00:19:14.260 --> 00:19:19.000 It just seems like our fourth and fifth graders, they're the ones that always kind of fall off, 00:19:19.080 --> 00:19:23.540 you know, by, by the time that they reach fourth grade, it's like, they're just disengaging. 00:19:23.540 --> 00:19:25.980 They're not, they're not as in it. 00:19:25.980 --> 00:19:28.980 And we wanted to reach that group. 00:19:28.980 --> 00:19:31.840 We wanted them to stay plugged in and connected. 00:19:32.680 --> 00:19:40.660 Um, so we thought, well, what better way let's create these quirky over the top, but still, 00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:42.800 you know, real life situations. 00:19:42.800 --> 00:19:48.380 Our characters are going to deal with the things that these kids deal with, but just on a more 00:19:48.380 --> 00:19:55.520 comical scale, um, so that they can see you're not just reading about some man in the Bible 00:19:55.520 --> 00:19:57.060 that lived thousands of years ago. 00:19:57.060 --> 00:19:58.240 No, there's a point to it. 00:19:58.660 --> 00:20:03.560 He, that person dealt with his problems of his day in this way. 00:20:03.740 --> 00:20:05.660 Well, this is how we do it nowadays. 00:20:05.660 --> 00:20:10.540 This is how we apply that same biblical principle, but we just wanted it. 00:20:11.040 --> 00:20:13.820 We wanted it to feel more relatable. 00:20:13.820 --> 00:20:19.860 Like, look, these characters are facing this situation and this is how they work it out. 00:20:19.860 --> 00:20:24.460 Um, by applying the bottom line, as we call it and CF kids. 00:20:24.460 --> 00:20:31.520 And now the, the challenge is, it feels like every month when we're doing this script writing, 00:20:31.520 --> 00:20:35.860 it's like, okay, now, now, where do we go from, from here? 00:20:35.980 --> 00:20:38.500 It just, it's taken on a life of its own. 00:20:39.080 --> 00:20:39.720 It has. 00:20:39.820 --> 00:20:41.720 Disney channel is our best friend and YouTube. 00:20:41.920 --> 00:20:45.920 So we definitely get a lot of inspiration from that. 00:20:46.280 --> 00:20:52.200 Um, but also real, just real life situations that just like Melissa said, like real life 00:20:52.200 --> 00:20:56.600 situations that were like, yeah, that could happen to a kid during Christmas time. 00:20:56.600 --> 00:20:59.780 We were talking about being grateful, right? 00:20:59.840 --> 00:21:04.960 And so we were like, okay, to a child who just got everything, um, you know, but they still 00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:05.480 want more. 00:21:05.600 --> 00:21:10.440 So we had the set of all the boxes and we're like, we had all these Amazon packages, but 00:21:10.440 --> 00:21:12.260 it was making the most of what you've been given. 00:21:12.460 --> 00:21:15.060 So, okay, let's make the most of what we have been given. 00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:19.160 And so you see Michael and Gabby, like jumping through boxes and they're playing, you know, 00:21:19.240 --> 00:21:19.960 Mandalorian. 00:21:20.480 --> 00:21:26.040 Um, and so it's just real, real life situations often do drive that script writing. 00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:27.840 And then we just let loose. 00:21:27.860 --> 00:21:29.520 Like, we're just like, take it. 00:21:29.720 --> 00:21:31.720 Let's see where, where it lands. 00:21:32.160 --> 00:21:33.760 You're doing a Mandalorian spoof? 00:21:34.220 --> 00:21:35.040 No, that was the thing. 00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:35.720 We did. 00:21:36.080 --> 00:21:37.320 Tell them how detailed you got. 00:21:37.640 --> 00:21:39.000 Tell them how detailed you got with that. 00:21:39.000 --> 00:21:39.960 That was our editor. 00:21:39.960 --> 00:21:43.020 That was incredible. 00:21:43.580 --> 00:21:45.180 That makes a difference, by the way. 00:21:45.800 --> 00:21:51.760 Videographer and editor make, because me on iMovie, no way. 00:21:52.180 --> 00:21:55.000 I'm telling you, we would have still been doing some type of Ken's Burn scene. 00:21:55.380 --> 00:21:56.960 They added laser shots, dude. 00:21:57.080 --> 00:21:58.420 They had, they had lasers flying. 00:21:58.780 --> 00:22:00.280 Uh, I think you guys had a Mandalorian helmet. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:01.700 Out of bubble guns. 00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:04.440 I made the Mandalorian helmet out of cardboard. 00:22:04.860 --> 00:22:05.220 Yes. 00:22:05.220 --> 00:22:10.700 Our prop department is, is a must, which consists of Melissa and Isabel. 00:22:10.980 --> 00:22:12.800 So creative minds come together. 00:22:12.920 --> 00:22:15.080 They made a Mandalorian helmet out of cardboard. 00:22:15.420 --> 00:22:16.060 That's amazing. 00:22:16.420 --> 00:22:17.020 Just so cool. 00:22:17.160 --> 00:22:19.140 You can do anything with a YouTube video. 00:22:19.940 --> 00:22:24.060 If you're trying to connect with the fourth and fifth graders you did, um, we don't even 00:22:24.060 --> 00:22:25.080 attend Christ Fellowship. 00:22:25.160 --> 00:22:28.040 We, we, we've attended other churches and kind of moved away. 00:22:28.160 --> 00:22:31.900 Uh, but my son goes to school at one of the campuses. 00:22:31.900 --> 00:22:37.320 And evidently he saw, I don't remember the name of the, um, uh, the series you were doing, 00:22:37.320 --> 00:22:42.120 but it was like one of the obstacle courses that, that, that was, was done recently. 00:22:42.440 --> 00:22:44.960 And, and, and he's like, dad, I want to watch that. 00:22:45.020 --> 00:22:45.940 That's going to be my church. 00:22:46.060 --> 00:22:49.700 And so we attended, uh, CF online kids. 00:22:49.700 --> 00:22:54.900 You know, we started with, uh, I guess it was kind of the, uh, the, the, like searching 00:22:54.900 --> 00:22:58.800 or the counting thing that was over at the, the Doral campus that I've never been to. 00:22:58.840 --> 00:23:00.000 I was like, Hey, that's a nice campus. 00:23:00.160 --> 00:23:03.800 Then we, we saw, we shot over to the Redlands for the obstacle course where I'm watching 00:23:03.800 --> 00:23:08.500 you and Shannon, uh, Gabby and Shannon running around, tripping over each other on scooters. 00:23:08.500 --> 00:23:14.740 And, uh, and it, and it was the, the cut scenes kind of like office-esque a little bit where 00:23:14.740 --> 00:23:18.080 you're, you're talking to the camera, dialoguing through what's happening. 00:23:18.080 --> 00:23:23.760 I'm like, man, they've really put some thought into this, but what happened as a result of it, 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:27.620 my fourth grader bought in hook, line and sinker. 00:23:27.780 --> 00:23:33.560 My sixth grader who thinks that she's too good for the world is into this thing, hook, 00:23:33.620 --> 00:23:34.320 line and sinker. 00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:36.360 And for me, it was like, Hey, you got this. 00:23:36.420 --> 00:23:37.080 You got the boy. 00:23:37.160 --> 00:23:37.620 That's good. 00:23:37.780 --> 00:23:38.660 You got the girl. 00:23:38.740 --> 00:23:40.380 The girl doesn't like anything right now. 00:23:40.680 --> 00:23:44.100 Uh, and so somehow you managed to get her as, as a result too. 00:23:44.300 --> 00:23:47.660 So that's where I was like, Hey, they're doing something different here. 00:23:47.940 --> 00:23:50.660 But what I loved, it didn't feel a thing. 00:23:50.660 --> 00:23:56.460 Like what was a, uh, a Sunday morning service would be like, I think maybe there was a song, 00:23:56.460 --> 00:24:00.720 but it was like at the end, almost as like an, an afterthought, right? 00:24:00.760 --> 00:24:03.600 It was, it was really, you're trying to teach this lesson. 00:24:03.860 --> 00:24:04.540 You're right. 00:24:04.540 --> 00:24:07.640 Almost like Disney channel or YouTube ask. 00:24:07.840 --> 00:24:10.880 Like that's really the core of, of what you were trying to do. 00:24:11.540 --> 00:24:15.120 Well, like I said, I said, YouTube and Disney channel are our best friend. 00:24:15.420 --> 00:24:18.480 And why, why reinvent the wheel? 00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:22.640 They're, they're, they're doing it and they're engaging kids already as it is. 00:24:22.860 --> 00:24:28.480 Well, then let's make it real in a godly way for kids that will, that it'll matter. 00:24:29.160 --> 00:24:34.460 Um, and so a lot of times we do get some of those quirky ideas, um, from, from that. 00:24:34.540 --> 00:24:38.980 And we, I don't know, we, I, exactly that we feel like why reinvent the wheel when it's 00:24:38.980 --> 00:24:40.200 already engaging them. 00:24:41.280 --> 00:24:47.240 Let's just take some of those things and adapt it to the Bible stories at the bottom lines 00:24:47.240 --> 00:24:52.840 and the kids watch, they get excited to see, you know, what, what, 00:24:52.860 --> 00:24:55.020 what kind of obstacle is coming up next. 00:24:55.440 --> 00:25:00.320 But, um, yeah, there's, I'm sure there's tons of general, original ideas that we have, 00:25:00.380 --> 00:25:05.500 but a lot of it does come from inspiration, from looking at what, what kids are already 00:25:05.500 --> 00:25:06.060 looking at. 00:25:06.200 --> 00:25:11.140 So I'll ask, um, I have a couple of friends with sixth graders and seventh graders. 00:25:11.140 --> 00:25:12.940 I'm like, Hey, let me watch TV with you. 00:25:13.340 --> 00:25:15.140 And they're like, Hey, did you see this? 00:25:15.160 --> 00:25:16.040 This is hilarious. 00:25:16.560 --> 00:25:19.620 And I look at, I'm like, I don't think that's that funny, but you do. 00:25:19.620 --> 00:25:26.020 So we are going to add some of that element into CF Kids Online because it's what, what 00:25:26.020 --> 00:25:26.420 you like. 00:25:26.900 --> 00:25:29.480 So our, our audiences is, is them. 00:25:29.800 --> 00:25:33.820 So when we write and when we think through what we're doing, we're thinking of that fifth 00:25:33.820 --> 00:25:36.140 grade, fourth grade boy and girl. 00:25:36.800 --> 00:25:42.900 And the best part is that they're so, they're so bought in that when they see Michael or 00:25:42.900 --> 00:25:48.340 Gabby, like at the, just at the school, just in the hallways, they will ask them something 00:25:48.340 --> 00:25:52.300 referring to an episode and it, it just, it catches them off guard. 00:25:52.580 --> 00:25:53.940 Hey, how was that soccer match? 00:25:54.080 --> 00:25:58.980 You know, from one of the episodes where Michael had this very important soccer game. 00:25:59.420 --> 00:26:01.020 Hey, Michael, how was your soccer game? 00:26:01.060 --> 00:26:01.820 Did you guys win? 00:26:02.140 --> 00:26:04.480 And it's almost like it takes them a minute. 00:26:05.280 --> 00:26:07.380 Oh, oh yeah. 00:26:07.700 --> 00:26:07.940 Yeah. 00:26:07.960 --> 00:26:09.900 The game was, the game was great. 00:26:10.460 --> 00:26:15.100 They're, they're so, they're so bought in and it just, it's like, it's inspiring. 00:26:15.240 --> 00:26:18.800 It's like, okay, we, we, we have to keep doing this. 00:26:19.340 --> 00:26:23.680 So I love that we are able to just keep dreaming bigger and bigger. 00:26:23.740 --> 00:26:25.200 So that's very exciting. 00:26:25.580 --> 00:26:29.180 You know, I'm thinking there may be like churches that are wanting to do this or churches that 00:26:29.180 --> 00:26:31.040 are, that are trying to think outside of the box. 00:26:31.260 --> 00:26:36.200 And so I'm, I'm asking for, for you, but I'm also thinking there may be some other churches 00:26:36.200 --> 00:26:40.660 that don't have the, the Christ fellowship structure, budget size behind it. 00:26:41.060 --> 00:26:47.280 How much, um, how much of the idea generation comes from like your team? 00:26:47.280 --> 00:26:49.060 Is it completely independent? 00:26:49.720 --> 00:26:55.720 Do you ever work outside with other departments, you know, Ray, uh, assisting, you know, CF's 00:26:55.720 --> 00:26:58.720 got a creative communications type of department as well. 00:26:58.860 --> 00:27:04.320 Is, is there resourcing or idea generation or training from the outside in? 00:27:04.420 --> 00:27:09.060 Was it all kind of self-driven at this point, even like, what, what does it look like? 00:27:09.620 --> 00:27:14.540 Well, the internet is a very special and beautiful place because there's so many resources out 00:27:14.540 --> 00:27:18.920 there and the pandemic really allowed for that to bloom. 00:27:19.260 --> 00:27:26.860 So on YouTube, you will find so many different Bible story videos that churches who have great 00:27:26.860 --> 00:27:32.220 animation teams create, they are really good at creating animation Bible story videos. 00:27:32.520 --> 00:27:36.520 We are not, we know that that's not our, our niche, right? 00:27:36.560 --> 00:27:41.120 We create the, the hosting, the, the, the movie kind of ask, right? 00:27:41.280 --> 00:27:46.440 They have really great teams that create animation for Bible story videos and they share them. 00:27:47.020 --> 00:27:52.620 And so we use those as resources to include into our CF kids online videos. 00:27:53.180 --> 00:27:55.760 Um, and again, that's just not reinventing the wheel. 00:27:55.760 --> 00:27:59.080 It's there, it's good, and they want to share it. 00:27:59.540 --> 00:28:03.720 And so we will search those up, make sure that it's good to go. 00:28:03.960 --> 00:28:09.840 And we'll use those for our CF kids online episodes to include the Bible story videos. 00:28:09.900 --> 00:28:10.820 The same with worship. 00:28:10.820 --> 00:28:16.740 There are some churches that have great dance teams and worship, you know, teams. 00:28:16.920 --> 00:28:19.660 And so they create these amazing videos and they want to share them. 00:28:20.120 --> 00:28:24.620 And so instead of us trying to create now animation Bible story videos and worship videos, 00:28:24.800 --> 00:28:32.060 we are partaking in this really cool capital C church movement where we all get to share 00:28:32.060 --> 00:28:35.600 this amazing content to make a really great experience for kids. 00:28:35.600 --> 00:28:40.600 So resources such as worship songs, Bible videos, you can find them. 00:28:40.700 --> 00:28:44.940 You find them on YouTube or, uh, platforms like Worship House Kids. 00:28:45.140 --> 00:28:46.540 We really like them. 00:28:47.240 --> 00:28:53.500 Um, so there are, there are plenty of different resources online that people are really gifted 00:28:53.500 --> 00:28:55.260 in and they want, they want to share. 00:28:55.440 --> 00:29:01.500 So we add the twist of the character plot and action, um, and we stick to that. 00:29:01.880 --> 00:29:07.500 And then we grab those resources from other churches that are willing to share and are really 00:29:07.500 --> 00:29:08.600 incredible at what they do. 00:29:08.720 --> 00:29:16.400 I can tell you from my, just my personal evolution in this, uh, online, uh, world. 00:29:17.140 --> 00:29:21.820 It's, it's, it's, you know, I, I've never gone to film school. 00:29:22.160 --> 00:29:24.120 I'm still learning. 00:29:24.240 --> 00:29:26.240 I, I know, I feel like I know nothing about nothing. 00:29:26.360 --> 00:29:31.900 This is, this is all very brand new, but it just, you know, if you have that desire, 00:29:31.900 --> 00:29:36.600 I would say to other churches who just have this desire to produce something for their 00:29:36.600 --> 00:29:44.380 kids online, um, you'd be amazed how much you can accomplish when it's just born of a desire 00:29:44.380 --> 00:29:46.520 to, to do this. 00:29:46.760 --> 00:29:53.640 Um, you very quickly learn, okay, so that's the importance of lighting and good audio and 00:29:53.640 --> 00:29:54.520 not having an echo. 00:29:54.520 --> 00:30:01.780 I mean, it just, it, it develops and it comes, but, you know, I would say even if you don't, 00:30:01.900 --> 00:30:06.300 you know, to a smaller church, even if you don't have this big, fancy, creative, 00:30:06.600 --> 00:30:13.220 team and all this equipment, Hey, in the beginning, we were recording from our phones with just 00:30:13.220 --> 00:30:16.180 somebody holding the phone or us propping it up on Bibles. 00:30:16.460 --> 00:30:22.720 And it, it, it just, it went from there, but the desire to bring something to the kids, 00:30:22.800 --> 00:30:24.300 that's what drove us. 00:30:24.300 --> 00:30:28.180 That's what made this whole thing go somewhere. 00:30:28.520 --> 00:30:33.240 And of course, you know, because that's where our heart was, I feel like that's, you know, 00:30:33.300 --> 00:30:38.780 why God blessed it and, and continues to bless it because it's not, it's not for any other 00:30:38.780 --> 00:30:44.540 reason except to just teach these kids, reach them and help them to grow in their walk. 00:30:44.860 --> 00:30:46.420 So I've been to film school. 00:30:46.740 --> 00:30:48.500 Um, I have a degree from film school. 00:30:48.620 --> 00:30:50.280 You know what, you know what they tell you at film school? 00:30:50.760 --> 00:30:53.340 Uh, you don't learn how to do any of this stuff at film school. 00:30:53.340 --> 00:30:55.300 You learn it by doing it. 00:30:55.380 --> 00:31:00.920 Go, go get an internship, go produce a film, go do some videos, go get out there and just 00:31:00.920 --> 00:31:02.840 be creative on your own. 00:31:02.840 --> 00:31:07.520 And so like, yeah, I mean, the film school, I can tell you plenty of stats, uh, plenty 00:31:07.520 --> 00:31:10.920 of factoids, uh, about, you know, cinema and television. 00:31:11.160 --> 00:31:18.340 Hey, here's a fact that the, the, uh, TV show mash, uh, Hawkeye Pierce, you know, back, 00:31:18.460 --> 00:31:25.060 back in like the seventies and eighties, uh, at the finale, they did two hours worth of episode 00:31:25.060 --> 00:31:25.840 for the finale. 00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:31.400 No commercials really was the first time that a TV show had ever gone two hours straight 00:31:31.400 --> 00:31:32.540 with, with no commercials. 00:31:32.980 --> 00:31:39.740 In fact, when that episode was over, so many people went to the bathroom at the exact same 00:31:39.740 --> 00:31:47.160 time in New York city, that pipes burst in apartments and they had major flooding issues 00:31:47.160 --> 00:31:51.920 in the city of New York because nobody went to the bathroom during mash. 00:31:52.340 --> 00:31:57.160 Honest to God, I, you did not wake up this morning for a children's podcast. 00:31:57.160 --> 00:31:57.540 Thank you. 00:31:57.580 --> 00:31:59.900 We're going to talk potty humor, uh, for mash. 00:31:59.980 --> 00:32:02.180 So you're welcome for, for that. 00:32:02.820 --> 00:32:06.900 How, how does this affect physical, like your physical services? 00:32:06.900 --> 00:32:07.840 Not, not the potty humor. 00:32:07.900 --> 00:32:08.440 Let's get off that. 00:32:08.540 --> 00:32:11.540 But like the, you're doing all this creative work. 00:32:11.920 --> 00:32:17.820 I'm watching this very eloquent story roll out over maybe 15, 20 minutes where you're 00:32:17.820 --> 00:32:22.360 doing this obstacle course and, and Gabby's having to put her attitude in check. 00:32:22.920 --> 00:32:27.420 Um, so like there's, there's elements here that it's like, this is, this is good. 00:32:27.780 --> 00:32:31.480 Does that, is that shown online as, as well as physical? 00:32:31.480 --> 00:32:35.420 Cause the majority of your campuses are, are physical at this point now, wherever we are 00:32:35.420 --> 00:32:36.620 April, May, 2021. 00:32:36.620 --> 00:32:41.380 So what, what carries over from digital to physical? 00:32:41.780 --> 00:32:49.980 So that's actually super cool because, um, so when we met physically, we, before we shut 00:32:49.980 --> 00:32:56.400 down, we had what was called the way station where it was a host would stand up there and 00:32:56.400 --> 00:33:03.660 sort of host the kids through the Bible lesson, through, uh, slides and mini videos and, and 00:33:03.660 --> 00:33:04.500 worship videos. 00:33:05.000 --> 00:33:11.600 And when we reopened, what we decided was, why are we going to go back? 00:33:12.160 --> 00:33:18.580 Uh, why are we going to take a step backward and bring on an awkward 13 year old to just 00:33:18.580 --> 00:33:24.620 stand and read a cue card, which was unfortunately sometimes how the experience went. 00:33:24.620 --> 00:33:30.960 Um, when we have the same lesson being taught through CF kids online. 00:33:31.660 --> 00:33:37.080 So it's actually been, uh, adapted into our weekend experience. 00:33:37.080 --> 00:33:41.800 So the kids will, they'll have their small group time with their small group leader, but 00:33:41.800 --> 00:33:45.460 then they will watch the CF kids online episode. 00:33:45.840 --> 00:33:47.520 Um, so that's been really cool. 00:33:47.520 --> 00:33:48.720 And it's funny. 00:33:48.720 --> 00:33:53.760 It's one of those things that now we are constantly thinking about that. 00:33:54.360 --> 00:33:54.620 Okay. 00:33:54.700 --> 00:33:57.840 The kids online can play this game. 00:33:58.040 --> 00:34:00.860 The kids in the physical campus can play this game. 00:34:00.960 --> 00:34:03.260 Well, let's find something that they can both do. 00:34:03.420 --> 00:34:09.900 You can do this if you're home and you can also do this if you're watching, um, from the 00:34:09.900 --> 00:34:10.360 campus. 00:34:10.560 --> 00:34:11.180 Give an example. 00:34:11.180 --> 00:34:17.560 Like I'm, I'm even trying to, so you got 50 kids in a room and you got like a brother 00:34:17.560 --> 00:34:19.540 and a sister, or maybe it's just one kid. 00:34:19.540 --> 00:34:23.100 Like what in a parent, like what, what would that look like? 00:34:23.360 --> 00:34:23.600 Yeah. 00:34:23.660 --> 00:34:27.200 Well, one of the ones I'll, I'll share an example of what didn't work for that. 00:34:27.200 --> 00:34:33.780 So in CF kids online, the teams are, are unraveling streamer roles onto their arms and it's this 00:34:33.780 --> 00:34:34.480 competition, right? 00:34:34.520 --> 00:34:38.060 And so we're like, you know, it's times and it's whoever gets to the end and it's crazy 00:34:38.060 --> 00:34:39.260 and there's streamer flying everywhere. 00:34:39.400 --> 00:34:43.380 And so when we were creating it, we were like, easy, Disney channel did the, the streamer thing 00:34:43.380 --> 00:34:43.800 on YouTube. 00:34:44.040 --> 00:34:45.240 We're going to do it in CF kids. 00:34:45.720 --> 00:34:50.340 So we were like, oh, um, let's what, how can the kids at home do it? 00:34:50.380 --> 00:34:51.800 Well, they can do it with toilet paper. 00:34:51.800 --> 00:34:57.060 And we're like, maybe not like toilet paper was a sensitive subject in 2020. 00:34:57.400 --> 00:34:58.920 Let's, let's just not. 00:34:59.500 --> 00:35:03.060 Um, and so we didn't write that, that in that situation, it didn't work. 00:35:03.500 --> 00:35:09.060 Um, but there have been others where we did like a penny stacking game, like coins. 00:35:09.220 --> 00:35:12.120 And so we gave the kids the option, like grab some cereal. 00:35:12.380 --> 00:35:16.860 Do you have some fruit loops or anything that you can stack at home and do it alongside with 00:35:16.860 --> 00:35:17.080 us? 00:35:17.200 --> 00:35:23.280 Uh, one great example is that we played this game called the mystery, um, mystery box challenge. 00:35:23.280 --> 00:35:24.020 And it was like a dessert. 00:35:24.140 --> 00:35:24.860 You opened it up. 00:35:25.240 --> 00:35:28.160 They had to close their eyes and feel around for what was in there. 00:35:28.160 --> 00:35:32.680 Well, I, we get this video later on of a family that recreated it. 00:35:32.920 --> 00:35:37.620 They made a cereal box, put treats inside of it, and they cut a hole open and the kids 00:35:37.620 --> 00:35:38.980 were sticking their hands in it. 00:35:39.500 --> 00:35:44.280 Um, and so it's things that they can do at home too, if they'd like for something as easy 00:35:44.280 --> 00:35:49.200 as stacking pennies and competing against mom, dad, or sister to see who can do it. 00:35:49.200 --> 00:35:55.220 As you're watching the characters and see if kids online do it as well, or something as 00:35:55.220 --> 00:35:58.020 complex as creating your own mystery box challenge. 00:35:58.200 --> 00:36:02.140 And the kids, they, they want to experience that too. 00:36:02.220 --> 00:36:04.020 They want to do as much fun. 00:36:04.080 --> 00:36:08.640 I even heard of someone recreating a scooter obstacle course in their backyard with little 00:36:08.640 --> 00:36:09.100 scooters. 00:36:09.100 --> 00:36:11.040 And we were like, do not try that at home. 00:36:11.700 --> 00:36:15.040 Yeah, we should have put that, we should have put that warning, little disclaimer. 00:36:15.180 --> 00:36:16.200 Do not try that at home. 00:36:16.520 --> 00:36:17.500 I will say this. 00:36:17.540 --> 00:36:23.940 One thing that I would have never called at the beginning of the pandemic is our age graded 00:36:23.940 --> 00:36:29.620 ministries transitioning to video teaching when we went back live and in person, because 00:36:29.620 --> 00:36:35.260 even my wife, who was a volunteer in CF kids for, for a long time, pre pandemic, has said, 00:36:35.460 --> 00:36:40.720 man, since they brought online in there, the whole experience has improved. 00:36:41.560 --> 00:36:45.900 And that was her feedback on it because way station at a campus is just very difficult 00:36:45.900 --> 00:36:46.320 to create. 00:36:46.380 --> 00:36:47.200 You don't have the same volunteers. 00:36:47.280 --> 00:36:50.620 You don't have the same resources, but with VT all of a sudden you can. 00:36:51.060 --> 00:36:51.260 Right. 00:36:51.260 --> 00:36:55.620 Well, and what it did was that it standardized the experience at all of our campuses, right? 00:36:55.820 --> 00:36:58.680 So you may have a really great way station host. 00:36:58.840 --> 00:37:03.560 So way station, meaning your large group time with your kids, you may have this really 00:37:03.560 --> 00:37:08.780 talented, you know, guy or gal at one of your campuses, but maybe at another campus, you 00:37:08.780 --> 00:37:12.600 don't, you don't have that very dynamic at a service hour. 00:37:12.960 --> 00:37:18.660 And so what having online did was that it standardized that experience for all of our campuses so that 00:37:18.660 --> 00:37:25.080 kids all across Miami and even Latin America can now have a really awesome and fun experience 00:37:25.080 --> 00:37:26.740 no matter what campus they're in. 00:37:27.060 --> 00:37:28.640 Ooh, you just dropped an Easter egg in there. 00:37:28.820 --> 00:37:29.580 Talk about this. 00:37:29.940 --> 00:37:31.420 Cause even Jeff didn't think about this. 00:37:31.720 --> 00:37:33.500 English and Spanish. 00:37:34.200 --> 00:37:34.600 Yes. 00:37:34.840 --> 00:37:36.240 English and Spanish. 00:37:36.660 --> 00:37:36.980 Yes. 00:37:37.080 --> 00:37:42.200 That was, um, almost kind of like a non, like from the start, we all, we, they always did 00:37:42.200 --> 00:37:42.980 Spanish and English. 00:37:43.100 --> 00:37:43.240 Yeah. 00:37:43.360 --> 00:37:47.140 So, um, we are really blessed to live in Miami. 00:37:47.140 --> 00:37:50.200 So a lot of our cast is bilingual. 00:37:50.660 --> 00:37:55.820 So that, that does help, but it comes with its challenges because we had to have someone 00:37:55.820 --> 00:37:56.860 translate the scripts. 00:37:57.020 --> 00:37:58.580 Melissa and I don't write in Spanish. 00:37:58.580 --> 00:38:00.400 We write in English. 00:38:00.540 --> 00:38:06.780 And so we had to have, um, someone on our team that is able to translate and make it relevant 00:38:06.780 --> 00:38:10.100 because some jokes don't translate as well. 00:38:10.620 --> 00:38:11.700 They don't land. 00:38:11.700 --> 00:38:12.140 Yeah. 00:38:12.340 --> 00:38:13.720 In Spanish as they would in English. 00:38:13.840 --> 00:38:17.460 And so she has to be a little creative too, to create some, some fun things. 00:38:17.560 --> 00:38:21.320 And then also knowing that there is some leeway for things to be different. 00:38:21.440 --> 00:38:21.960 Right. 00:38:22.020 --> 00:38:24.160 It doesn't have to be exactly the same. 00:38:24.160 --> 00:38:28.660 So we were flexible with the experience being a little bit different for Spanish than it 00:38:28.660 --> 00:38:33.180 is for English, but still keeping our goals, um, and our vision at the core. 00:38:33.580 --> 00:38:38.700 Um, but yeah, our team will do one episode in English and then turn it back around and 00:38:38.700 --> 00:38:42.040 then start, oh, yeah, see, como estas in Spanish. 00:38:42.520 --> 00:38:42.700 Right. 00:38:43.060 --> 00:38:49.500 That was a big, um, man, I had to switch my brain over because I would make all these props 00:38:49.500 --> 00:38:52.780 and they would have all these different English words on them. 00:38:52.820 --> 00:38:54.600 And then it came time to record Spanish. 00:38:54.600 --> 00:38:56.560 It's like, so where are the Spanish props? 00:38:56.700 --> 00:39:00.520 And it was just like, give me a few minutes. 00:39:00.520 --> 00:39:03.700 It was, uh, I had to retrain my brain. 00:39:03.700 --> 00:39:07.680 I was like, okay, we are doing this all out in two languages. 00:39:07.680 --> 00:39:10.620 I need to retrain my brain. 00:39:10.620 --> 00:39:16.460 And even now when we write scripts, sometimes like just if we use certain videos, like certain 00:39:16.460 --> 00:39:23.280 video content, um, we always have to keep in mind, Hey, can this be, can we just do a voiceover? 00:39:23.420 --> 00:39:27.440 Can it, can we find something that's similar in Spanish? 00:39:27.440 --> 00:39:32.780 So it's, um, yeah, it's, it's, it's a whole, it's a whole thing. 00:39:32.780 --> 00:39:35.820 The best part of that is when we're like, okay, right. 00:39:35.880 --> 00:39:38.260 The videographer is like three, two, one action. 00:39:38.600 --> 00:39:40.260 And we just recorded English. 00:39:40.260 --> 00:39:43.720 And now we're, now we're doing Spanish and one of us will take off running and we say, 00:39:43.780 --> 00:39:46.840 go, go, go is English. 00:39:48.620 --> 00:39:52.280 So we have to do the whole thing again and, you know, say it in Spanish. 00:39:52.280 --> 00:39:56.560 Or you're like in the middle of a sentence in Spanish and one word comes out in English 00:39:56.560 --> 00:39:57.620 and that's it. 00:39:58.120 --> 00:40:01.580 Reset the whole set and do it all over again. 00:40:02.080 --> 00:40:07.900 So, you know, I know a lot, a lot of the churches in the season, um, especially ones that are 00:40:07.900 --> 00:40:15.800 very heavy digital, uh, they've, they've struggled to like engage with kids, um, and have reverted. 00:40:15.960 --> 00:40:17.220 I don't want to make this sound like a bad thing. 00:40:17.260 --> 00:40:21.540 I think it's a good strategy, but it's, Hey, let's really disciple the parents to disciple 00:40:21.540 --> 00:40:27.520 the kids or let's equip the parents in the season, um, that, that, that can help be that, 00:40:27.520 --> 00:40:33.260 that voice and really empower the parents to, to become like that spiritual hero in the house. 00:40:33.340 --> 00:40:36.340 You guys have done an excellent job creating some of this content. 00:40:36.480 --> 00:40:39.040 What, what is that equipping the parents piece? 00:40:39.120 --> 00:40:40.940 What does that look like for you guys at CF? 00:40:41.800 --> 00:40:45.780 So we do have a lot of, um, family resources. 00:40:45.780 --> 00:40:51.520 We have a whole, uh, webpage, uh, basically anything that we teach the kids. 00:40:51.540 --> 00:41:00.320 Online, um, or in campus, we always try to, um, provide additional resources for the families. 00:41:00.700 --> 00:41:04.360 Um, especially, you know, the ones that are just watching strictly online. 00:41:04.600 --> 00:41:14.140 If the kids in the campus are receiving a small group lesson and, um, an online lesson, we want 00:41:14.140 --> 00:41:17.080 the, the parents at home to have that ability as well. 00:41:17.080 --> 00:41:23.420 So we provide on the webpage that is literally it's slash parents. 00:41:23.420 --> 00:41:24.380 It's for parents. 00:41:24.560 --> 00:41:32.800 Uh, we provide, um, different content and resources for them to, to do with their kids at home. 00:41:32.800 --> 00:41:39.640 We send home a lot of, or we create digitally, um, a lot of different, uh, resources. 00:41:39.640 --> 00:41:46.520 For example, recently we did a, it was called snack break and it was a, basically like a little 00:41:46.520 --> 00:41:50.800 recipe book that the parents could do with their child. 00:41:50.800 --> 00:41:57.660 And then as they're making the snack, they go over, um, like a little devotional and questions 00:41:57.660 --> 00:42:04.400 that they can ask their child to, um, help to engage them and talk to them about what it 00:42:04.400 --> 00:42:05.180 is that they learned. 00:42:05.420 --> 00:42:11.920 So we always try to provide some sort of resource so that the parents can know how to talk to 00:42:11.920 --> 00:42:18.500 their child or what to talk to them about, um, to kind of reemphasize what it is that they've 00:42:18.500 --> 00:42:20.400 learned in CF kids online. 00:42:21.120 --> 00:42:26.460 And I, and I would say, you know, also digitizing them now helps out so much more because pre-pandemic, 00:42:26.460 --> 00:42:28.120 you can only get those resources on the weekend. 00:42:28.760 --> 00:42:33.860 Um, but now that they're on our church website, now that they're all available in PDF form, 00:42:34.020 --> 00:42:39.060 download, et cetera, um, it's easier for the parent to get to them because even speaking 00:42:39.060 --> 00:42:44.360 just as a campus pastor at the time, uh, you know, uh, I'm on stage or I'm dealing with 00:42:44.360 --> 00:42:44.560 stuff. 00:42:44.660 --> 00:42:48.900 I don't have time to like always get there right as they're closing CF kids or packing everything 00:42:48.900 --> 00:42:52.100 up instead of know that, oh, I can just go during the week and download it. 00:42:52.580 --> 00:42:53.840 That's, that's a huge win. 00:42:53.920 --> 00:42:55.660 That really, that really was a huge win. 00:42:56.300 --> 00:43:01.080 They'll, they'll get the flyer or the challenge card or the resource and then they'll lose 00:43:01.080 --> 00:43:01.300 it. 00:43:01.520 --> 00:43:06.000 And then they're like, mom, where is my snack book? 00:43:07.040 --> 00:43:09.260 Uh, uh, uh, I will download it. 00:43:09.840 --> 00:43:14.440 Um, our social media team does a really great job too at engaging parents. 00:43:14.580 --> 00:43:19.500 So who's on YouTube kids who's on social media parents, right? 00:43:19.640 --> 00:43:25.200 And so we, that is two different audiences and trying to just address each of them. 00:43:25.200 --> 00:43:30.320 But our social media team does a really great job at pushing resources for parents through 00:43:30.320 --> 00:43:31.120 social media. 00:43:31.480 --> 00:43:36.620 Um, and so because we create Steve kids online, our minds sometimes go to like creating a really 00:43:36.620 --> 00:43:41.480 fun social media experience on Instagram, but we had to shift that because the kids aren't 00:43:41.480 --> 00:43:41.960 on Instagram. 00:43:41.960 --> 00:43:46.980 So it was creating, um, giveaways for parents instead of for kids, right? 00:43:46.980 --> 00:43:52.720 So a mom basket or a movie night basket, but that really is credit to our social media team 00:43:52.720 --> 00:43:53.480 really pubbing it. 00:43:53.480 --> 00:43:57.460 One of the greatest things to me, uh, that you guys figured out over the hall was also 00:43:57.460 --> 00:43:57.980 awareness. 00:43:58.040 --> 00:44:00.940 Cause you guys were creating so much great content. 00:44:01.300 --> 00:44:04.660 And this is something that Steph and I would always talk about in the backend. 00:44:04.860 --> 00:44:06.940 I would just tell her, Stephanie, you guys are doing great. 00:44:07.020 --> 00:44:08.020 She's like, well, how do we grow this? 00:44:08.040 --> 00:44:12.340 And I was like, people just need to be aware that you're making this content because we didn't 00:44:12.340 --> 00:44:14.680 have CF kids online pre pandemic. 00:44:14.680 --> 00:44:16.260 And so it's like, you guys were creating stuff. 00:44:16.300 --> 00:44:17.400 It's not that you guys weren't creating stuff. 00:44:17.460 --> 00:44:19.220 It's that parents weren't aware. 00:44:19.720 --> 00:44:23.180 What were some of the best ways that you helped make parents aware of, Hey, we are creating 00:44:23.180 --> 00:44:25.080 great resources for you and for your family. 00:44:25.560 --> 00:44:25.660 Yeah. 00:44:25.740 --> 00:44:28.640 So we really used a lot of what we already had in place. 00:44:28.820 --> 00:44:34.200 So our directors were already making phone calls and text messages to families to just 00:44:34.200 --> 00:44:35.860 catch up with them during the pandemic. 00:44:36.400 --> 00:44:43.120 So we just use that platform to let them know that, Hey, we have a special, uh, experience 00:44:43.120 --> 00:44:44.480 for your kids online. 00:44:44.480 --> 00:44:49.720 And so it just in that text message, we would get parents saying, what really send that to 00:44:49.720 --> 00:44:49.940 me. 00:44:49.940 --> 00:44:53.020 So of course we would send them the link to our social media pages. 00:44:53.020 --> 00:44:56.720 So we use the platforms that we already had, which was just texting and connecting to families 00:44:56.720 --> 00:44:57.340 during the week. 00:44:57.780 --> 00:45:03.120 Um, but then again, like I said, our social media team does such an incredible job at creating 00:45:03.120 --> 00:45:03.680 a buzz. 00:45:04.100 --> 00:45:04.540 Right. 00:45:04.580 --> 00:45:08.820 And so they, where's Bruce this last season, it was, where's Bruce? 00:45:08.820 --> 00:45:12.820 And it not only created a buzz with the kids, but parents were asking us like, where 00:45:12.820 --> 00:45:13.300 is Bruce? 00:45:13.440 --> 00:45:19.180 So much so that then the adults, uh, social media pages kind of caught on and then they 00:45:19.180 --> 00:45:20.100 were creating that buzz. 00:45:20.200 --> 00:45:22.400 And so people are now asking, what is this Bruce situation? 00:45:22.580 --> 00:45:24.200 Oh, it's the kids online. 00:45:24.600 --> 00:45:30.940 So using those platforms of, um, social media, uh, and then also learning about algorithms, 00:45:30.940 --> 00:45:31.580 right. 00:45:31.580 --> 00:45:34.220 It takes that desire, like Melissa was saying, to want to learn. 00:45:34.360 --> 00:45:38.880 And so we had to learn that there are algorithms that we need to learn. 00:45:38.880 --> 00:45:44.120 And so clicking, asking even our parents and creating volunteer teams that would, Hey, we 00:45:44.120 --> 00:45:47.020 need you guys to engage with the episodes online and share, share, share. 00:45:47.480 --> 00:45:51.800 And so having their engagement also helped to spread the word online. 00:45:51.840 --> 00:45:56.600 So it wasn't just something that just us as a staff was doing, but now we, uh, we were 00:45:56.600 --> 00:46:01.400 allowing our volunteers to, to take a part of it, to get excited about it and to share 00:46:01.400 --> 00:46:07.000 and really cast a vision on the impact that they could have and how they could still volunteer. 00:46:07.000 --> 00:46:13.180 Even though they were home behind the screen, they could still volunteer by clicking, share, 00:46:13.460 --> 00:46:16.500 reposting and sending it to family members. 00:46:16.820 --> 00:46:21.240 So that has been not just that, just constantly talking about it. 00:46:21.320 --> 00:46:26.320 I wish that I would have like this, we had a campaign, but really it was just using what 00:46:26.320 --> 00:46:30.120 we had at our fingertips, making the most of it and talking about it. 00:46:30.120 --> 00:46:36.480 And then also our, our church, our leadership team is amazing and they, they believe in see 00:46:36.480 --> 00:46:38.160 if kids online, they support it. 00:46:38.320 --> 00:46:43.880 And so having their support is huge because they're, they're number one fans of it. 00:46:43.880 --> 00:46:45.820 So they're, they're talking about it in service. 00:46:45.820 --> 00:46:49.880 They're sharing it with, with families so that it helps. 00:46:49.880 --> 00:46:53.400 It helps to have their support because it's not just see if kids pushing it. 00:46:53.400 --> 00:46:55.780 It's, it's the whole church pushing it together. 00:46:56.560 --> 00:47:01.040 That, that support honestly makes the biggest difference in the world to know that you're 00:47:01.040 --> 00:47:05.540 not out there trying to do something on your own, but you've got resources, you've got 00:47:05.540 --> 00:47:10.240 patience, you've got time, you've got insight, you've got somebody in your corner fighting 00:47:10.240 --> 00:47:12.680 for you and, and encouraging you along that way. 00:47:12.720 --> 00:47:14.140 That's, that's just beautiful. 00:47:14.560 --> 00:47:15.740 Hey, so we're going to wrap up here. 00:47:15.840 --> 00:47:18.500 I'll just, as, as we're closing, I got, I got one last question. 00:47:18.860 --> 00:47:21.260 Give some advice to some, we're going to put links in the show notes. 00:47:21.260 --> 00:47:23.240 Like you'll be able to see examples of all this. 00:47:23.660 --> 00:47:27.520 We'll get the best of, we'll get Gabby and Melissa to send over like some of the, some 00:47:27.520 --> 00:47:28.920 of the best episodes they've done. 00:47:28.960 --> 00:47:29.480 It'll be great. 00:47:29.480 --> 00:47:34.100 But would love, would love this, the Mandalorian, definitely. 00:47:35.520 --> 00:47:36.680 Somebody wants to get started. 00:47:37.480 --> 00:47:40.760 Somebody is not, not doing this or maybe they're doing the service. 00:47:40.960 --> 00:47:44.440 And obviously you guys did a pivot in COVID to kind of get to where you are now. 00:47:45.060 --> 00:47:45.700 Give some advice. 00:47:46.200 --> 00:47:49.740 What advice would you give to a church that's wanting to do something similar to what you're 00:47:49.740 --> 00:47:51.980 doing and needs to figure out how to take those steps? 00:47:52.020 --> 00:47:52.680 What would you tell them? 00:47:53.820 --> 00:47:56.940 Don't be, don't be afraid to, to just start it. 00:47:57.500 --> 00:47:58.820 Just, just start it. 00:47:59.140 --> 00:47:59.600 Do it. 00:48:00.600 --> 00:48:02.560 Cause the kids are, the kids need it. 00:48:02.660 --> 00:48:03.180 They want it. 00:48:03.260 --> 00:48:04.880 They're waiting to hear from you. 00:48:05.740 --> 00:48:12.180 Um, so just don't be afraid to just start, even if it's on a blank wall and it's you and 00:48:12.180 --> 00:48:17.080 the camera stacked on some books and a lamp with no shade to start. 00:48:17.900 --> 00:48:22.380 Just, yeah, I, I would add, I would, I completely agree with that. 00:48:22.680 --> 00:48:24.600 Um, it doesn't matter. 00:48:24.600 --> 00:48:28.840 It, we had very, very humble beginnings as well. 00:48:29.000 --> 00:48:33.780 So just, you know, pull out the phone if that's, you know, that's the recording device you have. 00:48:33.940 --> 00:48:35.960 Pull out your phone, stack it up on some books. 00:48:36.520 --> 00:48:42.040 Um, just, you know, just do something because at the end of the day, it's not our efforts. 00:48:42.440 --> 00:48:44.100 We can try and try and try and try. 00:48:44.240 --> 00:48:47.120 And if God doesn't bless it, then it's not going to go anywhere. 00:48:47.120 --> 00:48:53.940 So, but if our heart, you know, if their heart is to reach kids, then, you know, God is going 00:48:53.940 --> 00:48:54.640 to bless that. 00:48:54.800 --> 00:48:55.800 He will bring growth. 00:48:55.920 --> 00:48:57.820 It will develop, it just, it will. 00:48:58.420 --> 00:49:04.700 So I would say, you know, take the curriculum, whatever lesson it is that they want to, to 00:49:04.700 --> 00:49:08.620 teach, um, just find a fun way to adapt it. 00:49:08.780 --> 00:49:12.420 You know, just keeping in mind, okay, you're talking to a camera, so you're going to have 00:49:12.420 --> 00:49:13.540 to be extra, right? 00:49:13.540 --> 00:49:20.700 I would say put on the extra smile and the extra energy and, you know, it is going to take 00:49:20.700 --> 00:49:21.420 a little bit of that. 00:49:21.720 --> 00:49:25.280 I will give that advice that the camera sucks up your energy. 00:49:25.560 --> 00:49:27.940 So be extra and just do it. 00:49:28.340 --> 00:49:29.120 Just go for it. 00:49:29.700 --> 00:49:31.860 I do have to say kids, people everywhere. 00:49:32.360 --> 00:49:35.080 You already know how to engage kids. 00:49:35.500 --> 00:49:37.440 So just do it in front of a camera. 00:49:38.220 --> 00:49:44.620 Um, invest, invest in little equipment, even if it's just a little, I don't even know what 00:49:44.620 --> 00:49:45.060 you call them. 00:49:45.100 --> 00:49:49.480 The, the dead, the dead mouse, the, see, I'm a kid's person, not a video person. 00:49:49.780 --> 00:49:50.520 What are you doing? 00:49:50.700 --> 00:49:51.280 Dead mouse. 00:49:52.000 --> 00:49:56.380 She, she, she, you're, you're encouraging, uh, EDM, uh, in kids ministry. 00:49:56.620 --> 00:50:00.400 I'm here for, I'm here for, I'm going to rock my fist bump in kids ministry. 00:50:00.520 --> 00:50:00.880 That's fine. 00:50:01.140 --> 00:50:03.300 The microphone with the fuzzy thing. 00:50:03.380 --> 00:50:05.280 Why am I not remembering the name right now? 00:50:05.700 --> 00:50:06.460 Oh gosh. 00:50:06.520 --> 00:50:07.240 Like a boom mic. 00:50:07.500 --> 00:50:08.540 I know, I know what you're talking about. 00:50:08.540 --> 00:50:11.420 Like it's a mic with just a cat, a dead cat, a dead cat. 00:50:11.560 --> 00:50:11.680 Yeah. 00:50:12.380 --> 00:50:13.440 That's what you guys call it. 00:50:13.480 --> 00:50:14.820 That's not like a technical name for it. 00:50:15.000 --> 00:50:15.520 No, no, no. 00:50:15.560 --> 00:50:15.700 Yeah. 00:50:15.700 --> 00:50:17.600 There's plenty of different models out there. 00:50:17.740 --> 00:50:19.120 Invest in a microphone. 00:50:19.340 --> 00:50:20.680 Invest in a microphone. 00:50:21.140 --> 00:50:22.460 That has a fuzzy cover. 00:50:22.900 --> 00:50:23.920 That has a fuzzy cover. 00:50:24.220 --> 00:50:25.940 It doesn't have to be super expensive. 00:50:26.220 --> 00:50:27.500 Amazon has tons of things. 00:50:27.600 --> 00:50:31.640 You don't have to spend hundreds or even, no, you don't, you don't. 00:50:31.700 --> 00:50:33.880 Just invest in a microphone, some lighting. 00:50:34.140 --> 00:50:34.920 You are kids people. 00:50:35.180 --> 00:50:36.060 You can do this. 00:50:36.200 --> 00:50:37.900 You can engage kids online. 00:50:38.340 --> 00:50:39.640 And finally, go to YouTube. 00:50:39.980 --> 00:50:44.540 There's so many churches willing and ready to share resources with you. 00:50:44.960 --> 00:50:46.300 So you don't have to do it alone. 00:50:46.720 --> 00:50:51.140 I just want to take a moment here and publicly say that the Church Digital Podcast does not 00:50:51.140 --> 00:50:57.180 in any way endorse the killing of any person, any animal, whether cat or mouse. 00:50:57.320 --> 00:51:00.140 Tom and Jerry are friends and need to be part of our lives. 00:51:00.440 --> 00:51:03.400 However, we do endorse bangers in EDM. 00:51:03.540 --> 00:51:07.400 So we do endorse dead mouse, marshmallow, you know, so that's a thing. 00:51:09.580 --> 00:51:09.980 Wow. 00:51:10.820 --> 00:51:11.580 Thank you for this. 00:51:11.800 --> 00:51:12.980 We need to hang out more. 00:51:13.080 --> 00:51:14.120 Like, I miss this group. 00:51:14.240 --> 00:51:14.480 All right. 00:51:14.520 --> 00:51:15.400 This is so good. 00:51:16.300 --> 00:51:20.960 Gabby, Melissa, thank you very much for jumping on the podcast and sharing some sites here. 00:51:21.880 --> 00:51:26.440 Check out the links in the show notes to get more information and to see some examples, 00:51:26.540 --> 00:51:27.540 some of the stuff they're doing. 00:51:28.560 --> 00:51:32.080 You know, Church, we talk a lot about iterating, experimenting, trying something different. 00:51:32.400 --> 00:51:32.880 Just do it. 00:51:33.360 --> 00:51:37.800 Get out there, kick the tires, try it with, you know, your iPhone or your Android. 00:51:38.620 --> 00:51:41.100 And the flashlight, just start with that. 00:51:41.220 --> 00:51:45.500 Start with something and then build and go as necessary. 00:51:45.500 --> 00:51:47.220 And Gabby's right. 00:51:47.300 --> 00:51:53.440 It doesn't take major budget to be effective to create things in the world today. 00:51:53.640 --> 00:51:58.020 So love what this church is doing, love what CF's doing on a dime. 00:51:58.320 --> 00:52:01.940 And hopefully it's inspiring for you all out there. 00:52:02.120 --> 00:52:06.520 So for Ray, for Gabby, for Melissa, this is Jeff at the Church Digital and Stadia Church 00:52:06.520 --> 00:52:06.780 Planning. 00:52:07.160 --> 00:52:08.200 Thanks for joining us today. 00:52:08.380 --> 00:52:10.720 And we'll see you again next time here at the pod. 00:52:10.840 --> 00:52:11.300 Y'all have a good day.