Immersive preschool experience

Our staff is sneak-previewing the conceptual drawings for our new preschool ministry at History this Sunday. It's going to be a Garden-of-Eden-esque ministry environment called Genesis. Couple of reasons for the name ~ It's "where His story begins"; It's a book of the Bible that tells the creation story; And it's the beginning of a child's life.

Not to mention, Newsweek just reported the rising popularity of the name Genesis among new babies.

Every week, the kids will go on an Eden Safari to explore God's creation and learn about a relationship with God through music, crafts, stories, play-time and the environment. Jen discovered a similar technology that Disney uses to provide live, interactive animation with Crush from Finding Nemo.

It uses facial recognition software to "clothe" a live person with an animated "costume" [like a turtle, or a gorilla] so she can move around and talk to the kids through the animated costume. Puppets shmuppets. We will be able to turn any live person into an animated character on the fly.

Man, if I weren't a church planter, I could be a children's pastor in a heartbeat. This stuff really excites me.

Comments

[Pastor Todd McKeever]

I can not even tell you how cool that is. I was slobbering all over myself, seeing that I am a children's pastor. You guys rock!!

I would love to take your children's pastor or directors out to lunch, email back if that works for you as well.

[tony]

That tech is so sweet! Sort of makes me want to be a kid again, and move to Virginia. (would my parents have to come?)

[Kevin]

Holy Cow, Ben! This is sweet. I think I may just have to get one of those cameras! I love reading about your children's ministry. Thanks for sharing the journey.

[Ben]

I've got to give props where props are due... Matt Morgan, Jen Anderson, and Kitty Kruse are the brainpower behind all this.

[Caroline]

So, you're saying that if I quit my job, move back to Virginia, and serve in the preschool ministry; I can be transformed into an animated conversant gorilla? I am so down.

[Ben]

Yes, Caroline. Yes.