I found an article on Group's Children's Ministry Magazine website. An incredible website, to be sure, full of inspiration and explosive creativity. I get encouraged often by what I read on this site, and today was no different. Check out this blurb from the article:
"When a person memorizes something that is put to music, it is stored in the subdominant hemisphere of the brain, where emotions and creativity take place. This information is permanently stored and easy to retrieve when sung," says Jan Bedell, a certified master neurodevelopmentalist, plus founder and president of Little Giant Steps, a company that helps people build accelerated learning abilities. "It's been observed that information that is memorized to music lasts the longest and is the last to be forgotten. Even Alzheimer's patients can often retrieve songs from their childhood when other information has been lost."
I knew that music was an incredible learning tool. Think Schoolhouse Rock. Conjunction Junction? What's the function of a conjunction? Hooking up words and phrases and clauses. It's embedded.
That's what I want for the Faith Kids CD's. Years later, I want adults able to recall Scripture because they sung it off of the album. In Children's Church, what is it that you remember the most? An object lesson? The teacher?
Chances are its the songs you sung. About Zaccheus. About all the little children of the world. About Abraham and his many sons. About how Jesus loves you, for the Bible told you so. Do YELLOW and RED and BLUE do that?
I think so. My son was standing, playing the Wii, mindlessly singing a song - as kids do - without even knowing he was singing. The song? "Don't give up...when your faith is being tested...James chapter one verse twelve..." off of RED.
Just half humming, half singing, God's Word just swimming around in his head, on his lips, in his heart. It warms mine just thinking about it. Knowing that there is a file cabinet with those lyrics and melodies in his brain.
I know it works. I know it's needed.
The question for me now is how hard to pursue.
That's what I want for the Faith Kids CD's. Years later, I want adults able to recall Scripture because they sung it off of the album. In Children's Church, what is it that you remember the most? An object lesson? The teacher?
Chances are its the songs you sung. About Zaccheus. About all the little children of the world. About Abraham and his many sons. About how Jesus loves you, for the Bible told you so. Do YELLOW and RED and BLUE do that?
I think so. My son was standing, playing the Wii, mindlessly singing a song - as kids do - without even knowing he was singing. The song? "Don't give up...when your faith is being tested...James chapter one verse twelve..." off of RED.
Just half humming, half singing, God's Word just swimming around in his head, on his lips, in his heart. It warms mine just thinking about it. Knowing that there is a file cabinet with those lyrics and melodies in his brain.
I know it works. I know it's needed.
The question for me now is how hard to pursue.
Pursue hard.
ReplyDeleteYou've got something here that parents and teachers can use to communicate and influence children for years to come. It's the kind of thing where these little tidbits will get in their heads and then when they most need it, it'll be there... and they may not even know why or how it got there.
Pursue HARD.
I can loan you some of my drive if you want. My drive comes in the form of a Daytona 500 racecar, but I could part with at least the back half of the car...for a little while. :)
I agree, pursue hard!
ReplyDeletego hard! or go home