RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

I am a big fan of Disney.  I had season passes to Disney World when I lived in Florida and I even wrote a book entitled "If Disney Ran Your Children's Ministry."

Over the years, I have gleaned much from Disney's approach to engaging kids and families.  

Walt built Disney on the values of faith, family, and virtue. An example of this is the movie "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."  He released the movie in 1937. It contained themes about good triumphing over evil, love, and redemption.  It was a huge success and helped launch the Disney empire.

Walt said this - "The important thing is the family. If you can keep the family together—that’s the backbone of our whole business, catering to families—that’s what we hope to do."

But over the years, Disney has drifted away from their primary focus of families and family values. Here are a few of the articles I have written about this.

Disney Night of Joy was cancelled while Pride Nite was invited in

Same Sex Kiss in Disney Movie

Disney Intros Gay Character in Beauty and the Beast 

But it seems the ship may be turning. For the first time in 20 years, Disney has introduced an openly Christian character in their new animated series "Win or Lose" on Disney+. Her name is Laurie, and in one scene, she prays: "Dear Heavenly Father, please give me strength. I have faith, but sometimes the doubt creeps in." 

The entrance of Josh D'Amaro as Disney's new CEO also seems to bring hope of a return to family values.  He is leading Disney to distance itself from corporate policies tied to inclusive language and identity-related debates. 

Over the years, several of the experiences inside Disney parks had began replacing traditional expressions like "ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls" with neutral expressions such as "dreamers of all ages" or "friends." D'Amaro is leading the way back to the traditional expressions.

For years, Disney has produced progressive content and diversity-focused messaging. But there appears to be a clear effort to reduce the perception that Disney operates as a politically activist company.

Here are some more examples of moving back toward family values.

Disney branded television has been rebranded as Disney Kids & Family, streamlining its identity to better reflect its focus on children and families. The division now oversees Disney+, Disney Junior, Disney Channel, and other family-targeted content Inside the Magic.

They have shelved DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) initiatives linked to “inclusion” and “diversity” roles, eliminating around 1,000 positions. This includes stopping the deconstruction of classic fairy tales for “correct” identity politics messaging.

Disney has also begun reinstating traditional values in its parks and studios, reversing some of the more controversial changes made after 2020. This includes restoring classic attractions, addressing backlash over perceived political overreach, and aiming to rebuild trust with long-time fans.

What do you think about this shift? Are you a fan of Disney? Why or why not?  Would like to hear your thoughts in the comment section below. 

I often talk about how we are missionaries to kids. This means we should understand what kids like and what captures their attention. 

Recently, a report was released that shows the top streaming series that kids like. 

This is valuable data to know. As you read through this, ask yourself these questions...

Why do these series appeal to kids?

What formats are these series using?

What elements do you find in these series that kids like?

How can you bring some of these elements into your teaching series?

These are also great conversation starters. When you talk with kids about these series, it shows that you care enough about them to enter their world. It's helps break down barriers you might face with some kids. 

Take some time to check these out and be familiar with them. 

DISNEY

1. Bluey

2. Spidey and His Amazing Friends

3. Mickey Mouse Playhouse

4.  Phineas and Ferb

5. Puppy Dog Tales

6. Big City Greens

7. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

8. Jessie

9. Super Kitties

10. Wizards of Waverly Place

NETFLIX

1. Cocomelon

2. Gabby's Dollhouse

3. Avatar...the Last Airbender

4. Little Angel

5. Ms. Rachel

6. Peppa Pig

7. Dragons: Race to the Edge

8. Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Car Noir

9. Alvin and the Chipmunks

10. Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated

PRIME VIDEO

1. SpongeBob Aquarpants

2. PAW Patrol

3. Peppa Pig

4. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

5. Bubble Guppies

6. Blue's Clues to You

7. Blaze and the Monster Machines

8. Dora the Explorer

9. Dino Dana

10. Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood

HULU 

1. The Amazing World of Gumball

2. Curious George

3. Gravity Falls

4. Phineas and Ferb

5. Doc McStuffins

6. The Flintstones

7. Yu-Gi-Oh!

8. We Bare Bears

9. Star vs. The Forces of Evil

10. Chowder 

There's a paint spot that is missing at the gym where I work out.

It's about the size of a sticky note. The spot is by the trashcan, so I am assuming someone accidentally knocked the trash can into the wall and made the missing paint spot.

Every day I walk by that spot and think "why don't they fix this?"  I've even thought about finding the matching paint can and fixing it myself.

I know what you are thinking.  Is he ADHD or what? 

Yes...maybe I am a little ADHD. But first and foremost, I am committed to helping churches understand that having a ministry of excellence is critical if you want to grow.  

And excellence is found in the small details.  Small details like a missing area of paint.  

I talk about this in my book - "If Disney Ran Your Children's Ministry."  Walt Disney was all about the details.  Everything had to walk the talk.  He placed trash cans about 30 feet apart throughout Disneyland. Every employee is expected to pick up trash when they see it.  And there is the infamous story of the design of the Tiki Hut show.  Walt wanted the birds in this show to look like they were breathing.  You can read more about what happened in this situation at this link.

There are some areas of the park that get touch up paint every single night.  These are the areas where there is lots of traffic and the paint gets worn down due to contact with tens of thousands of people.

To keep your children's ministry area in tip top shape do this every month: Get a group of 3-4 people together and walk your space.  Look for areas that need touched up with paint, light bulbs that are out, things that are not working properly, outdated items, items that need some extra cleaning, etc. Then turn that into a to-do-list and knock it out quickly. 

No matter what size your ministry area is, you can keep it clean and looking good with an intentional plan. I was speaking at a church a few months ago.  The front lobby looked good but once you got past that area and into the hallways and classrooms, things went downhill quickly.  Ceiling tiles that were brown from water stains, baseboards that had been damaged, pulled off and not replaced, unclean bathrooms and lots of "stuff" and "clutter" laying all around.  Outside there were weeds in the flowerbeds and trash blowing around on the grounds.  

Not a good look if you are trying to attract young families to your church.  

And remember - excellence is simply the small details done well.  Details that you can see and do something about.  

So please...paint the missing paint spot before I freak out.  

After two decades, Walt Disney company is shutting down Radio Disney.   

Radio Disney and Radio Disney Country will close in the first quarter of 2021.

Streaming music is playing a big role in closing down the radio stations. 

And much of this stems from Covid-19.  The health crisis has hurt Disney.  Last month alone, they posted a net loss of $2.8 billion.  This has caused them to lay off tens of thousands of workers.

Disney's executive leaders are saying, “The difficult decision to close these two radio networks coincided with Disney’s recently announced structural changes that call for Disney Branded Television to sharpen its focus on increasing production of kids’ and family content for Disney+ and Disney Channels,” the company said in a statement. “Division leaders also took into account the fast evolving media environment that provides more personalized music choices than ever to a generation of young consumers, and the ongoing public health crisis that continues to affect in-person music events.

One thing that stands out to me is the fact they are willing to change what is dated and pursue fresh, new messaging and content.  Rather than holding on to something that is no longer valid, they are embracing the new methods and approaches of entertainment. 

As children's ministry leaders, we must constantly be monitoring our programs, events, classes and more.  

And we must ask what is working?  

What is not working?  

Are we stuck in a rut?  

What do we need to stop doing?

What is outdated?

What should we focus on?

It's never easy to change something that worked in the past.  But the key word is "past."  What got you where you are today, probably won't take you where you need to go for the future.

The reason Disney stays on the cutting-edge is because they are willing to let go of things that are no longer effective and venture into hew waters.  As children's ministry leaders, we must be in the same posture.  

And during the current crisis is a good time to initiate changes. With all of damage the pandemic has caused, people are open and willing to try new avenues of ministry.

Your turn.  How is the pandemic affecting your ministry?  Are you closing some parts of your ministry?  How are you being strategic with your allotted budget during this time?  How are you focusing on the mission of the church?  

Share your thoughts and input in the comment section below. 

p.s. Do you have a copy of the book "If Disney Ran Your Children's Ministry."  Lots of great insight and ideas from how Disney operates.  You can get it at this link today.