Flannel Graph Memories

Proverbs 9:9 “Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.” (NIV)

When I was 15 years old I became a volunteer for a ministry called Child Evangelism Fellowship. As a volunteer I helped teach a weekly Good News Club. The club met after school and helped children, mostly from non-religious homes, understand the stories of the Bible, and especially the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Part of my training as a volunteer was learning how to use flannel graph to illustrate the stories. I collected a number of Bible scenes painted on to large pieces of flannel and had file folders full of various biblical characters that I could put on the scenes as a visual to tell the Bible stories. I had not seen flannel graph before and thought it was the coolest thing ever. I used those visual aids over and over again to help children learn biblical truth. Even after I was no longer working with Child Evangelism Fellowship, I kept all the different characters and scenes and used them to teach in a variety of settings, including to teens and adults, for many years. They were very helpful in illustrating the stories I was teaching.

That was 35 years ago. Now, I don’t know anyone who still uses flannel graph. Now we use video, PowerPoint, and interactive games on I-pads and cell phones as visual aids in our teaching. Every couple of years some new technology comes along and changes the way we teach. As a lifelong learner, I try to stay up to date. But sometimes I struggle to figure out how to communicate the message in whatever way is currently fashionable.

To be honest, there are times I miss my old flannel graph scenes and characters. They were easy to use and I was comfortable with them. Many children came to faith in Christ through them and so there was a real emotional and spiritual attachment in my mind to those teaching tools. But there came a day when I realized they were no longer as effective as they once were. Staying up to date with teaching skills is always be a challenge. At times I’m tempted to revert back to those old flannel graph visuals and do things like I did 35 years ago. In many ways it would be easier for me. But I always resist that temptation because I realize it would not actually communicate the message of the Gospel as effectively as I would like it to.

The question I ask myself often is “Do I want things to be easy for me or do I want people to actually understand the message?” If the goal is for me to teach the message of Christ, then I have to constantly upgrade my communication skills and abilities. I have to learn new teaching techniques that actually get the point across. I cannot just rely on my past training or experience. While the past does have value, I cannot live in the past. I must be a lifelong learning in order to continue the calling God put on my life as a 15-year-old to teach others Jesus. 

What about you? Are you a lifelong learner? When was the last time you upgraded your efforts to share the word of God? Ongoing training is essential and the message of the Gospel is worth the time it takes to learn how to share it well.

Lord, help us be lifelong learners so we can be as effective as possible in sharing Your Word with others. Amen.

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Dr. Terry W. Dorsett serves at the Executive Director of the Baptist Convention of New England. He has been a pastor, church planter, denominational leader and author in New England for more than 20 years. He is a happy husband, a proud father and adoring grandfather. He is a cancer survivor and believes that God works powerfully through times of suffering. He writes extensively and you can find all of his books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Dr.-Terry-W.-Dorsett/e/B00405U4NY

Preschoolers Will Help the Church Finally End Racism!

Psalm 8:2 - From the mouths of children and nursing babies you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries, so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy.

My granddaughter recently celebrated her 2nd birthday. Her parents, who are ministers, invited all the children from church to the party. Ten children came. It was a lot of fun watching them play games, eat cupcakes and enjoy being together. About an hour into the party it suddenly dawned on me that of the ten children who were present, 4 were African American, 3 were Asian, and 3 were Anglo. I doubt the children noticed. In fact, I'm sure the children did not notice because the children gathered there did not see each other as black or white or Asian, they were just friends from church celebrating a birthday. My granddaughter and her peers are growing up in world where the color of one's skin is no longer the divider between who your friends can be or where you can worship. 

Lest you think that my granddaughter is some rare exception, it is important to point out that America's preschoolers are growing up in a vastly more racially diverse atmosphere than their parents or grandparents. If current trends continue, by 2020, only four years from now, there will no longer be any single racial group that will make up more than 50% of the U.S. population under the age of 18. With the youngest ages as the most diverse in American history.

This is good news for the church, and for the nation! Though we have made great strides in America in the last 50 years in the area of race relations, the Sunday morning hour still tends to be the most segregated hour of the week. Though it is most likely unintentional, it is still a reflection of what is in our hearts, which is that in our most intimate moments, we prefer to gather with other people who look, act and feel like us. However unintentional, when we gather to worship only with others who look just like us, we miss something valuable that we can learn from the larger body of Christ.

Lord, help us follow the example of our children and learn these valuable lessons about friends and church. Amen.

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Dr. Terry W. Dorsett has been a pastor, church planter, denominational leader and author in New England for more than 20 years. He is a happy husband, a proud father and adoring grandfather. He is a cancer survivor and believes that God works powerfully through times of suffering. He has written a number of books, including one about how the spirit of offense is destroying our current society. You can find all of his books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Dr.-Terry-W.-Dorsett/e/B00405U4NY

Helping Children Learn the Bible

When I first started in ministry I served on staff at one of America's largest churches, Thomas Road Baptist Church. I was on a pastoral team that served the spiritual needs of the children in the congregation. One of my ministries was to teach a fourth grade Sunday School class that had 70 children in it on a regular basis. It was a challenge, but also a lot of fun.

One of the things I learned through that four and half year ministry was that kids do not want to sit and listen to someone talk. They want to do something. As I served in that role I began to develop a variety of Bible puzzles, games and other activities that would help children learn the Bible in fun and creative ways. Though I later moved on to minister to teens and eventually became the pastor of a church, I never forgot the importance of involving people in active learning. Over the years I have used those puzzles and activities in a variety of ways and kept refining them and improving them.

One spring I worked with an editor to assemble all those puzzles, activities and games into a book called Bible Brain Teasers: Fun Adventures Through the Bible. The book was distributed to over 2,000 children in Vermont as part of the follow up program for 38 different Vacation Bible Schools. It was also used extensively by Spanish speaking churches in Connecticut which had a large number of English speaking children. One foundation placed copies of it in the children's section of every public library in Vermont. I pray that it continues to touch many lives with the Gospel for years to come and that many children will be in heaven as a result of this simple book of Bible puzzles and activities.

One thing that makes this puzzle book stand out differently than other Bible puzzle books is that children must use the Bible to find the answers. This was part of the plan, to create a fun way to get children to actually study the Bible, not just complete an activity as "busy work." Perhaps your children or grandchildren would benefit from working through the puzzles in this book? If so, you can purchase a copy at THIS LINK.

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Dr. Terry W. Dorsett is an author and Christian leader in New England. He is a happy husband, proud father, adoring grandfather and thankful cancer survivor. You can find his books at:
http://www.amazon.com/Dr.-Terry-W.-Dorsett/e/B00405U4NY/

Books Make Great Christmas Gifts

As we approach the Christmas season, instead of buying our loved ones another trinket that will sit on a shelf unused, we should consider buying them Christian books that can change their lives. While bookstores are full of books by authors who have great marketing plans, perhaps we might consider books by lesser known authors who have shown their ability to connect biblical teaching with daily living. Not only do such books make great gifts, but because they are from lessor known authors, it is unlikely that our loved ones already have copies. Consider the books below while doing your Christmas shopping. They can be ordered in print form or digitally.

Teaming Up: Using Our Spiritual Gifts Effectively   Available in both print and Kindle versions.
Easy to read and full of practical examples for how to use our spiritual gifts to strengthen the church.

The Heavenly Mundane: Daily Devotions from Ordinary Experiences                            
Available in both print and Kindle editions
Daily devotional that shows how God often reveals Himself in the mundane things of life. Many of the stories are examples of God's mission work in New England.

Breaking Free from the Spirit of Offense 
Available in both print and Kindle editions
We are living in a time when it seems that everyone is offended by everything. Perhaps it is time to break free. This short book reveals how.

Malachi: Finding Hope in the Midst of Adiversity - Print Edition

Malachi: Finding Hope in the Midst of Adversity - Kindle Edition

Though many people think of Malachi as a book about judgment, this practical Bible study reveals the thread of hope that runs through it and how that thread of hope can change our lives.





Touching the Footprints of Jesus - Print Edition

Touching the Footprints of Jesus - Kindle Edition

This devotional guide is based on a trip the author took to the Holy Land. Each daily reading reveals another caveat for how an experience in the Holy Land can enhance one's walk with Christ.




Fun collection of puzzles and games that are great for children and for the young at heart.


Bible Brain Teasers: Fun Adventures Through the Bible - Print Edition

Bible Brain Teasers: Fun Adventures Through the Bible - Ebook Edition

Interview with Tim Albury

Recently I interviewed my high school friend Tim Albury, who is a business man who lives in the Bahamas.

Terry: Tim, tell us a little about yourself.

Tim: I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, happily married to my wife and college (Liberty University) sweetheart since 1988, and a father to three wonderful, adult children. I have served my local church as a Bible teacher and spiritual mentor to youth for almost my entire adult life. I am a CPA and an executive in the pharmaceutical industry.

Terry: For 16 years you have been teaching young adults in church. What have you learned about young adults that caused you to want to write Reason If You Will?

Tim: I have seen firsthand the statistics of churched youth dropping their faith upon leaving the home. Most of that falling away happens due to the influence of liberal arts colleges and universities. I have also observed that the church does very little to train young people on how to actually defend the faith. Yes, there are numerous books that are dedicated to the evidence and written on levels above the average reader. But, there is virtually no resource out that guide on “how” it should be done. I believe if more young people and even adults in the church were show how to do this on their level, they would not only have greater success in maintaining their faith, they would also influence others towards accepting it.

Terry: What is the key point of the book and how do you hope it will assist young adults?

Tim: The key point of the book is that scripture calls us to reason, not argue. We are called to reason with others just as God reasoned with mankind. There was no greater role model of the technique for how to reason with others than Jesus Christ. And, His method of answering questions regarding faith was to respond with questions. Respectfully responding with targeted questions is the proper form of defense when done gently and respectfully. Asking questions is reasonable and relational. And, done well, it can be winsome. Therefore, I designed the book to walk through all the significant attacks on the faith by topic, while offering sample questions in each topical area that any Christian can use to navigate a conversation with someone asking a genuine question about our faith.

Terry: Who type of person will benefit the most from reading this book and why?

Tim: While I believe all Christians can benefit from reading this book, it is best suited for those that young-to-middle-aged. It can help young adults in navigating the religious assaults that commonly accompany independent phases of life. It can also help parents who are raising young adults towards being better defenders of the Gospel. Thirdly, it can help any person who has doubts to reason with themselves.

Terry: What is the main thing you would like people to walk away with after reading your book?

Tim: I would like every reader to walk away after reading this book entirely capable of defending the faith with anyone from any walk of life, the way Jesus did.

Terry: If you could offer one piece of advice to parents of Christian young adults and the church leaders who serve them, what would it be?

Tim: Faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ has its foundation in God’s identity and our identity. God’s enemy uses many attacks and varied techniques. But, they are all directed at either challenging God’s identity, our identity, or both. Too many Christians invite the world to help them define who they are or who God is. God has already done both in the most spectacular fashion. My advice to all Christians is to be daily grounded in God’s identity as exclusively revealed in the Bible. And, that Bible exclusively reveals our God-given identity. That identity for every Christian is that of pure, royal immortality. That is who you are as a Christian. All other voices need to be daily made to bow before God inside of us and remain in that posture until they are dismissed. The true battle for defending the faith happens in our own minds where the spiritual war is commonly waged, not in arguments with others of flesh.

Terry: I understand that you plan to donate the proceeds from your book launch to a Christian camp. Tell about the camp and why you want to help?

Tim: I am a native of the Bahamas, where my first earthly kingdom love lies. Camp Bahamas is a Christian camp built and formed by my brother several years ago. It exists for the benefit of underprivileged youth of the Bahamas. It is located on an island named Eleuthera. More can be learned about the camp at   www.campbahamas.com. All of my profits from the launch of this book will be donated to Camp Bahamas. I am donating my profits to Camp Bahamas because I see God’s redemptive work active there in claiming lost souls of my homeland for God’s Kingdom.

Terry: Thanks for sharing with us Tim, and those interested in the book can find it at this link:

http://www.amazon.com/Reason-You-Will-Tim-Albury/dp/0692306293/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417718270&sr=8-1&keywords=reason+if+you+will

Honestly Honest

This is a page out of my children's Bible puzzle book, Bible Brain Teasers: Fun Adventures through the Bible. It would make a great Christmas gift for children and grandchildren and can be ordered from Amazon.com at this link:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/125778532X
All the proceeds from book sales supports our family's efforts to plant churches in New England.