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The Blog post as I would like it to appear

At age 40, a VBS changed my life....

...at least, that’s what it feels like at the moment!

We were doing an ART CAMP VBS this year, and I got to volunteer on the worship team AND a pretty cool art station where I helped the kiddos create a 1 page comic of the day’s Bible story (please see my photos for examples... for some reason, the site isn’t letting me upload pics here).

Anyway, over and over, I kept hearing the kids say ‘I can’t draw a straight line’, ‘I can’t draw THAT...’, etc

so I was trying to create a simpler ‘model’ for the kids and instead of drawing a page in the style of the Bible Story videos I created, the second day I decided to tell the story using these odd ‘gumdrop’ characters... and 

WOW.

It broke down a lot of walls REALLY quick, and was SUPER engaging for the kids!

It was an INCREDIBLE experience for me for a few reasons:

1. I’ve missed volunteering with the kids, Children’s Ministry is where I started, and now I’ve moved into the role of Campus Pastor -so I don’t get as much time with the kiddos

2. It gave me a fresh perspective on engaging kids through comics

3. It inspired a series of cartooning & comicking workshops/afterschool programs I might try soon.

4. It officially birthed the idea of ‘Gumdrop Gospel/Gumdrop Comics’.

#4 would be awesome if it weren’t for the fact that I can’t get them out of my head and have suddenly become obsessed with creating this Gumdrop Gospel project

I’m thankful, but geez!  Gumdrops?  Over the past week, I’ve been pumping out parables and delving into devotionals using these odd creations, and I seriously can’t wait to bring this to life!

(y’know, with all the ‘spare time’ between family, ministry, and launching Word Weirdos -more on that soon)

As odd as these ideas are, and as many excuses I could make *not* to do anything with these gumdrops, I made a promise this year to FOLLOW HIM BY FOLLOWING THROUGH.  And I do believe this is an odd blessing, but after seeing the way it engaged kids firsthand, I can’t wait to see the fruit God might produce through this!

*Plenty of things God called people to do seemed foolish to somebody... ;)