2007 Presentation: Join The Chorus

This page will give you information about what Doug and his "friends" are teaching at most of the churches we visit during our 2007-2008 'tour'. Last year I tried something new; in addition to our typical two-part presentation (Sunday School and church), I had some churches asking about having me do a concert. So I had two entirely separate presentations I was taking out to churches. I loved doing it, but it made my schedule way to busy; between Labor Day and Christmas Sunday I only had one free Sunday, and on some Sundays I was going to two different churches!

Consequently, this year I have tried to consolidate both a ventriloquism presentation and a concert into one presentation, which is titled Join The Chorus, which is all about why and how we worship God. What follows is a breakdown of this two-part presentation.

Join The Chorus: Part One

This would typically be used for a Sunday School (although it could also be used for a special children's event. During this part of the presentation, the 'boys' and I will primarily be talking about the power of God, and exploring why we can trust Him completely. As part of this, Uncle Jim will sing the song "Mighty Is Our God", and invite everyone to join in singing with him. Then Jeorge will do his infamous 'cockroach skit'. If you've seen this before, you know what I'm talking about - aside from his David and Goliath skit, this is the skit that is most requested by children who have seen it before. Normally I avoid repeating skits, but this one fits perfectly with the theme of the presentation, and it's been years since I've made it a part of a presentation, so I decided it was safe to pull it out of the mothballs!

After all this, Uncle Jim will talk with the children about the meaning of the word sovereign. Finally, I will teach a devotional from Psalm 29. If your church had me do a Vacation Bible School last year, you've heard this lesson before; like the 'cockroach skit', it's one of the ones children remember best - involving a giant sea 'monster' called Mesonychoteuthis Hamiltoni.

Join The Chorus: Part Two

This part of the presentation is a combination of a sermon and a concert. Really, it will be a series of devotionals with music interspersed throughout. Please note, during the music part of the presentation, I invite the congregation to join in on a few songs (hence the title 'Join The Chorus'!), so you might want to consider giving your regular song leaders/musicians a day off.

The second part of the presentation will begin with Jeorge singing Come, Christians Join To Sing, since no concert is complete without a visit from Jeorge!

From there we begin to get more serious, with a call to worship from Psalm 29. Yes, that's right. Psalm 29 ties together the two parts of the presentation. In fact, Psalm 29 is really thematically central to the presentation, and is referred to throughout the presentation.

Topics covered in the devotionals/songs include: worshipping God for His strength/sovereignty, worshipping God for His goodness and lovingkindness, glorifying God through our heart attitudes, glorifying God through our unity, and finally, ending with some thoughts about our own human mortality, and the chorus which awaits us on the other side of the grave.

Making Use Of This Presentation

Unlike some past presentations, either section of the presentation can stand alone (although, obviously, since they are thematically tied, it will be more effective together). However, please keep in mind that, as in past years, my Sunday's are reserved for churches which want me to share the message during the church service. This means that if you only want Part One, you'll need to explore another option - perhaps a special event on a Saturday, for example. Also, for churches which just want me to do the second part, that could be done as a Sunday morning service, a Sunday evening service, or a special event like a banquet or other gathering.

And, as in past years, if your church is looking for someone to simply come and preach, I am also thrilled to have that opportunity. Last year I spent many Sundays preaching at churches which were either between pastors, or had a pastor on vacation. The opportunity to preach God's word is a privilege I always look forward to, whether or not it involves puppets and/or music!