Four new online games are now available for each Bible Song theme. Current members of Bible Song currently have access to 60 themes.

Go online today and give them a test run.

You can find the "FINKlinks" box on the left-hand side of the front page at www.faithink.com. Enter the unique four-digit FINKlink code for the lesson you are interested in.

FINKlink codes are found in two places. On the hand-out sheet for each lesson and in each chapter of the Bible Song Home Journal.

Once you get to the lesson's FINKlink page, scroll to the bottom and click on “Launch Game” in the Online Games box. If you are not currently a Bible Song member, take a sneak peek at the games from the first theme of The Good News. Click here for a sample set of games.

The online games are a wonderful addition to connecting scripture introduced each week at church to families.  Families are able to play games and reinforce the lesson at home. Dream about how else you can use them. Perhaps at Sunday school in front of the crowd or as a station in a rotational computer lab.

Now that the new year has started, we want to remind you about the Faith Inkbuators Membership Community.

It is an online message board designed to facilitate discussion on a large number of topics.   Feel free to ask questions regarding any of the Faith Inkubators curricula as well as general questions about children- and youth-ministry.

You do not need to be a Faith Inkubators member to participate.   You can browse through the comments right now.

If you would like to leave a question or comment, registration is quick and easy.  (We found that requiring a simple registration has eliminated a lot of the spam that the formerly wide-open message board was attracting.)

Faith Inkubators staff and other ministry experts will take part in discussions and regularly answer questions.

The following discussion areas are currently available:

Head to the Heart Confirmation: Use this area to ask and answer questions related to Faith Inkubators' Head the the Heart Confirmation Ministry, confirmation in general and youth ministry.

Bible Song Sunday School: Use this area to ask and answer questions related to the Bible Song Sunday School Ministry program, Sunday school in general and children's ministry.

Faith Stepping Stones Family Ministry: Use this area to ask and answer questions related to Faith Inkubators' Faith Stepping Stones and Family ministry.

Faith Inkubators Seasonals: Use this area to ask and answer questions related to Faith Inkubators Seasonals including Stewardship, Advent and Lent.

Stick around youth ministry long enough and you'll see it all.

Last week I watched my most challenging confirmation student step onto the primetime Emmy Award stage and receive the 2008 award for best drama with his cast of Mad Men.

Rich Sommer was the classic drive-the-pastor crazy kid as a pubescent. He had a smart answer for everything, a mischievous smile on his face at all times (like he was up to something... which he always was), and an endearing way of driving you to consider changing professions or picking up the nearest lead pipe and pummeling him within an inch of his life on regular occasions.