She was literally shaking with excitement as she stood there in the Children's Ministry office telling her parents all about it. "This is the coolest church ever!" she said. "I want to come back next week! Can we, please?"

It was her first week visiting our church, and this third-grade girl had just experienced our Sunday morning program for elementary kids. She loved it! And by the beaming smiles on her parents' faces, I could see that they loved it too, whatever it was.

It was KIDMO, a cutting-edge multimedia-driven curriculum for elementary kids that God has used mightily to transform our traditional Sunday school at Carmel Presbyterian Church into something totally new, totally different, totally awesome.

But before I tell you why we chose to take the proverbial leap of faith with a start-up company that didn't have a finished product when we discovered them two-and-a-half years ago, or even how we use multimedia to successfully attract kids (and their families) to our church and help them grow in the Christian faith, let me tell you a little about myself and my ministry.

My wife, Renée, and I were called to serve as the co-pastors/co-directors of Children's Ministry at Carmel Presbyterian Church in Carmel , California , four years ago. The Children's Ministry was dying, and, as the new leaders, it was our job to stop the bleeding and breathe life back into this once-vital ministry.

Beyond Flannel Graph: Making the Change to Multimedia

I had just requested $5,000 from the church foundation to purchase a digital video projector and some other equipment we needed to overhaul our traditional Sunday school and begin to implement our vision for something different, something that would be more faithful to the biblical principle of ministry from 1 Corinthians 9 as it applied to Children's Ministry in our context.

In response, one of the directors looked across the table with a half smile and asked, "Greg, are you saying we're beyond flannel graph?" My answer then, as it is to you now, is "Yes!"

Our kids speak the language of technology: camera phone, personal computer, e-mail account, Game Boy, X-Box. You name it, our kids have it. Hours of television each day have trained them to think in pictures and sound bytes. And the Internet has reinforced this pattern of thinking; if a page takes more than a few seconds to load, they will probably move on the next page or the next search that pops into their heads. Our kids live in a multimedia world, and we can either resist this influence by refusing to use the technology that our kids use everyday, or we can use it to our advantage in communicating the gospel to them in ways that are accessible and relevant.

I have felt a definite leading from God to use technology as a way of communicating the gospel to kids. Multimedia drives our worship time, with kids leading their peers in songs, some fun and energetic, some beautiful and worshipful. We utilize multimedia to present our large group teaching time, and we supplement this with upfront teaching, discussion and application with small group leaders, prayer and self-study. We also use multimedia to teach Scripture memory, and we supplement this with hand motions and team-based repetition. Finally, we use multimedia to review our lesson in a high-energy and interactive competition. The advantages of using multimedia with this model of ministry are seen as our kids engage more fully during worship and teaching, retain more Scripture memory, and shout out the answers in a highly motivated manner during review.

I've Got Issues! You've Got Issues! We've All Got Issues!

In spite of all this, you might have some concerns and objections about going to a multimedia curriculum for your kids. I know I did, at first, but then I realized that this was the way God was leading us to go in our ministry.

1. I'm a traditionalist. Really, I am. But remember, Children's Ministry is not about me. And it's not about you. It's about honoring God. It's about being obedient to Christ and His great commission. It's about reaching kids with the gospel. When I thought about it, I realized that my initial concerns about going to a multimedia-driven curriculum for kids arose from the traditions of men, not from the commandments of God.

When kids are led in worship by their peers and sincerely sing to God from their hearts with their eyes closed and with their hands raised, are they not worshipping him in spirit and in truth? Does is matter that the music is being generated from a sound system? When kids are sitting on the edge of their seats, listening attentively as the story of the crucifixion or the resurrection is being told, are they not hearing the Word of God by faith? Does it matter that the speaker is a "virtual teacher" who lives on the screen? I would answer, "No!" I have come to believe that using technology in a way that engages kids and opens their hearts to God makes our Children's Ministry more biblical and more spiritual, not less.

2. I'm technologically challenged. However, when I went to the Children's Pastor's Conference in San Diego in 2003 where I discovered KIDMO ( www.kidmo.com ), I had a definite model in mind for our Sunday morning elementary program: a large group worship and teaching time with a small group application and prayer time. This is the KIDMO model, and, in addition, this new curriculum had Scripture memory, interactive review and self-study components. It was exactly what I had envisioned, and more, except for the multimedia. So I decided to sign on with KIDMO almost in spite of the multimedia, not because of it: I was ignorant and intimidated when it came to using technology. But after some tips on what equipment to buy from our friendly neighborhood youth pastor and a tutorial on how to set it all up and make it work from one of our own volunteer leaders, we were off and running. The point: Don't be afraid to use the technology. It's easier than you think!

3. I'm a little short on financial support. The bottom line is, "Everything costs money." However, I have found that going to a multimedia curriculum can be more affordable than you might think. When we did a cost analysis, we found that we were spending as much or more on our traditional, printed Sunday school curriculum than we would spend to switch over to the media-driven curriculum. If you have a sizeable Children's Ministry and buy printed materials for each student, this may be true for you as well. And although it can be a big expense, don't rule out the possibility that God can provide the technology to drive this program. Commit your needs to God in prayer and share your vision with your official church leadership, parents and other Children's Ministry supporters. We did, and God has provided literally thousands of dollars that we did not have in our budget to purchase a digital video projector, a sound system, an insta-theatre screen, and everything else we have asked for. You could always use a TV with a DVD player, but remember that very often we do not have because we do not ask.

How Do You Spell Success?

By utilizing multimedia and adopting a more engaging model of ministry, we have seen the Holy Spirit bring life and excitement to our Children's Ministry. In the last several years, our average Sunday morning attendance has nearly tripled. This numerical growth is attributable to a greater commitment and desire on the part of our church kids to actually come to church.

Not only are our own kids becoming more regular in attendance, but they are inviting their friends from school. We are really beginning to have a greater impact on our community by reaching out beyond our own four walls.

KIDMO is helping reinvent kids in the image of Christ. That is how we spell success. They have recently partnered with George Barna and Barna Films, and I am even more excited about the products substance and where it's heading for the future. We have great anticipation to see the spiritual harvest God is granting us as we continue to do whatever it takes to win kids for Him. Our kids are worshipping God in spirit and in truth. They are growing in their faith as they memorize God's Word and apply it to their everyday lives. Our kids are excited about the things of God. We watch the Spirit work in their hearts and we lean on the promise that Jesus Christ will reveal Himself to these little ones He has called us to serve. They don't just see Jesus on the big screen; they see Him through the eyes of faith.

Greg Carper and his wife are co-pastors/co-directors of Children's Ministry at Carmel Presbyterian Church.