No that’s not the headline from The Onion or the National Enquirer, when I explain it will make more sense.
Noodle Ninjas (This photo is from a kids event in May)
We started a new project this summer called the Malachi Project. We wanted to take a new approach to children’s ministry, a more of a whole family approach. In April we had about 40 kids and 15 or so parents come out to a special activity at our house designed to help re-connect and strengthen the bond between children and their fathers.
In Malachi 4:6 the Bible says:
“He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”
It’s interesting that the last words of the Old Testament bring a promise that is later fulfilled in Jesus. (Luke 1:17) Even in those days fathers and children had a hard time getting along, and it is not hard to make the connection between a strained relationship with one’s father and future difficulties in life. We spend a lot of time and energy in our ministry dealing with the hurt and sadness that comes from a strained father/child relationship, and we thought, “Wouldn’t it be great to see a generation raised up that didn’t know that hurt, what if we can prevent that by bringing fathers and children together”.
The activities are designed to help parents learn how to relate to their kids and remember to take time for their children. I look back on my life and truly the deciding factor in my success and in my becoming the person I am today is because my dad was (and still is) very involved in my life, and I know that for my kids their deepest desire is just to spend time with me.
At our first meeting, the parents weren’t sure what to expect, but when they found out the only agenda was fun and food, all their reservations flew out the window and it was a wild day. One of the games the kids played with their dads and that became and instant hit was “Noodle Ninjas” It is a game in which the dads attach tons of clothes pins on their shirts and the children have to take the pins and whoever has the most pins wins. The twist is that the dad’s only protection is a Fun Noodle (long foam tube) and if the dads hit the kids with the tube they have to go back to base and try again. It was great to see the dads and kids playing together and working together as a team win the game.
“Wouldn’t it be great to see a generation raised up that didn’t know that hurt, what if we can prevent that by bringing fathers and children together”
When it was over the kids had their chance to be the Noodle Ninjas and beat on their dads. It was really something special to see kids and dads playing together, many for the first time.
Our next event in June will be open to the public and we are going to have a water war at the local park, that should be make a big splash!
