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Azheim New user 4 Posts |
At the end of July my church will have our annual VBT (Vacation Bible Time) and I have been asked to give a challenge on the topic of sin. I'll be speaking to almost 500 1st-6th grade kids split into three groups of about 150 (and about 200 adult helpers too.) I have about 23 minutes to fill for each group, and want to do my challenge through magic. I'm just looking for suggestions on some of the best, cheap effects I can perform. My church actually isn't that large; I'd have a budget of $100 at most.
My plan is to have several tricks going quickly, without words, in the beginning, just to get the kids interested. Then I'll get into my message with some tricks with biblical application. I'll have two guys performing magic, juggling, and helping me with my larger effects. Some things I'm already planning to do (because I already own them) are: Houdini mill bag escape -on a wheeled platform with walls on two sides, so I can escape in front of the kids without them seeing. I'll add in a chain escape for good measure. Talking about Christ freeing us from the bonds of sin. The Ultimate Cane -To be used as an attention getter early in the routine. I got it for free from Peter Loughran, he is the man! Rope escape -Large version of the traditional ropes and ball type of escape. Take a volunteer from the audience, pretend to tie them up with two large 8 foot ropes, and put solid rings, and chains around the ropes. Then pull and the child is free with all the things left haning on the ropes. My main challenge -Not really magic, but I may perform it as such. Have two white T-shirts with a stick figure drawn on the front to represent man. Dip one in alchohol. Set it on fire and watch it burn. Add water (don't tell the kids what any of the liquids you're using are, so they cna't try them at home) to the alchohol and dip the second T-shirt in the mixture. This is used to talk about how Christ forgives us our sins if we accept Him, and how our sins will burn away, but we will be left white as snow. The second T-shirt is still white at the end. (When you have that much alchohol on that large of a surface, the flames are BIG, good thing I'll be doing it in the auditorium, which was made before sprinkler system regulations.) Those are some things I'm for sure planning to do, I'm trying to figure out what else to do, especially in the beginning, which I want to be fast, and animated, with cool music in the background. Effects I'm thinking about: Linking Rings A guy is giving it to me. Would it be that interesting to kids? King of Hearts, stage size I've done the smaller version for kids before, and they like it. I was taught great patter to go with it. I'm pretty seriously considering getting the $25 version with 2 foot cards. I need more ideas for this opening section! Remember, I need to fill about 23 minutes. I have only $100 really to spend. I'll be up on a 4' high stage for most if not all of the time. Any suggestions? |
Hill Inner circle 1164 Posts |
The kins of hearts stage size is a wonderful suggestion - small investment for such a crowd pleaser.
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sdgiu Elite user The Boonies, NC 456 Posts |
I am thinking cheap, and possibly not on as large a scale as you, but how about:
needle thru balloon, take a coat hanger cut the longest straight part and sharpen the end. Cost-- $1.00 for a bag of large balloons (@ dollar tree) disappearing water/sins forgiven-Gone G-powder & styrofoam cups $4.00 for the G-powder Professors nightmare $3.50 for 10' of good 1/2" rope hindu beads using Rope a bowling ball and two dolls. use the bowling ball as sin that seperates us from God. Buy the rope, 100'-$9.95 @ lowes Scrounge the rest at flea markets yardsales etc... (this was a bit sketchy, so if it's to vague, anyone can pm me and I'll give the whole routine.)I borrowed this from someone else, and it is great. Anyway, that's a start. Godspeed Steve |
Regan Inner circle U.S.A. 5726 Posts |
There is a marketed effect called "Cutting Out Sin". I'm not sure if it is available still. It used to be inexpensive as it is a paper trick.
Regan
Mister Mystery
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BroDavid Inner circle America’s North Coast, Ohio 3176 Posts |
I do a 3 ring routine that is about sin.
Essentially I start with just two rings, the key and a normal one and use it to show the similarity between man, (one ring) and man's sin nature (The other ring) (I bring in a third ring later) "But I go to church", I bang the rings together (the same kind of move that I will use later to crash link them), "so sin can't get into my life." "And I am a good person". I bang the rings again. Still not linking them "So sin can’t get into my life" "But then I take that look that I shouldn’t take, or I linger too long on THAT channel, or I keep watching that commercial, reading that magazine page, or looking at that person, and WHAM." And I crash link! You can see the jaws drop. "Church won’t keep you safe. Being a good person isn't enough to keep away sin. You need the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and you need to flee that situation, turn that channel, or turn your head, but get away from sin!" And I do the instant unlink, and spread the two rings far apart. I go on with another link, and then talk about how once we get a little sin in our lives, a little more doesn't seem so bad, and I crash link the second normal ring while I already have one ring hanging from the key ring. This is a visual stunner! And the two rings now linked on the key make for a great discussion about sin, and what is sin, etc. You can take this point to dialog a lot with the kids. (I do this with 12-18 year olds a lot) Then the finale, is talking about what I said in the first place about how to handle sin. The Bible says to Flee it. But now (with a minor adjustment of one ring) I show the two rings the key and one other, being held by the third ring (a normal one) and have someone take hold of that ring. I then take the other two, one in each hand, and Show that I cant get out to the left (just going to church isn't enough) and I cant get out to the right (trying to be a good person is not enough), and I secretly do a conventional unlink, but continue to talk about what wont work to get us out of sin. So now I talk about what will work. You need to get down on your knees (humble yourself before God), stop your sin (repent of your sin - do you know what repent means.... yada..yada You have a great chance right here to explain sin, and repentance, and forgiveness, grace and mercy – a mini-sermon in the context of this effect, and everyone will listen ) and ask forgiveness. And I say, Thanks you Jesus, that you died for all my sins, past present and future, and that by faith, I can come to you, repent of my wicked ways and you are faithful to forgive, and I pull the rings apart. The mechanics of the routine are from Chris Capehart's DVD and the patter and delivery is a gift from God that was given to me as I performed for a youth group the first time right after I learned the moves from the DVD. I didn't have a routine, and pretty much though that I was just going to entertain them with the rings, but when I started, the words started and I kept going. Then when I got done a fellow Christian magician who knew I was working on the rings said Wow that was great. When did you learn that? I had to say; never. I just did it for the first time right here. And now nearly a year and a half later, the routine has not changed much, because it didn't need to. If you can do a crash link, and if you are interested, I can tell how to do the rest in a PM. The moves are pretty simply and just take a little practice. But it plays very strongly throughout. But you asked if Linking Rings would be interesting to Kids. This routine will engage them, educate them, and entertain them all at the same time. BroDavid
If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything.
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GlenD Inner circle LosAngeles, Ca 1293 Posts |
BroDavid, your routine sounds awesome, maybe one of these days if I ever take the time to learn to do linking rings I may ask you if I can use a little of that.. or maybe not. But I would really like to watch you perform someday!
I share a message about sin and how we need to pray to be forgiven using the tricky bottles. Actually I use the tricky bowling pins from Jay Leslie at Houseofenchantment.com. They are really nice and you can even trade pins or tubes in the middle of the routine. How I present it is (after encouraging a brave volunteer up with me) both our pins match direction the first time or two that we turn the tubes up and down, etc. (If you are unfamiliar with this trick, just search here or at any magic store for tricky bottles.) Anyways to continue, we stop and I ask the person if they know what sin is and to name one, or something they might do that would be a sin. Then I get out my "cup o' sin" (an empty styrofoam cup with the word sin written on it) and I pour a little into their tube. Now when we continue our pins are not going the same direction. Just like when we have sin in our lives we find it difficult to follow God. Sometimes we end up going in the wrong direction altogether. I ask if they would like to trade pins or tubes, it doesn't matter and we try it one more time. Then I ask them and the audience in general a question... what do we need to do, when we have sin in our lives? Thats right, P R A Y ! We need to pray, first john 1:9 is quoted. Now we turn the tubes up and down a few times and our pins match direction just as at the start. When we repent and ask His forgiveness then we can follow him again and stay on track or whatever. End of trick and lesson! The volunteer gets a big hand and a bigger thank you and they don't feel as if they couldnlt do it or were made to feel inadequate in some way. Which is sometimes a problem with effects like these. You can check online for some tricky bottles or at houseofenchantment for tricky pins. It is'nt necessary to be able to trade pins or tubes, the kids don't care. It is mainly for the ones that think they got it figured out! Good luck with your efforts and I am sure you will do great. Don't forget to get back to us and let us know how it goes. GlenD
"A miracle is something that seems impossible but happens anyway" - Griffin
"Any future where you succeed, is one where you tell the truth." - Griffin (Griffin rocks!) |
Lauren Benson New user 64 Posts |
Dean Dill is a wonderful Christian man, and also the greatest magician I have witnessed. He lives by his faith and always has time for his fellow man. On his website he has several Christian effects. One is a routine with a sponge cross. It's been a while since I looked at his site, maybe he has more now. You can't go wrong.
God Bless, Lauren |
inaciolino Veteran user 369 Posts |
Sorry every one. I know that's an old topic but after reading literally all the topics until here I must say that BroDavid's routine is really a greate one. I came to Jesus ten years ago and I started doing magic two years ago but only now I realized that I must use my gift to proclaim the GOD's Spell. I read all the topics looking for good ideas for may presentations and BroDavid's routine is awesome. Thank's a lot for this. Peace.
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harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
Chain of Sin by Barry Mitchell is worth looking at.
More of a story with demonstration(powerful words) but not exactly magical. Harris "we have all fallen short....." deutsch
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
Doug Peters Special user I have a life, so I only have 591 Posts |
I have a routine concerning sin that folks might like.
The first part of the routine has no magic at all, but is still worth it. I have a small white silk handkerchief that I have "soiled" with various markers to look like it has a number of dirty hand-prints on it. It also has the word "SIN" written on it in big letters. I ask a male volunteer to come and help. I hold the silk against my chest, and I ask them to tell everyone what it says. They say "SIN". "Isn't that funny?" I say... "because from where I'm standing it looks "N. I. S. NIS" (I say it 'nice')" (folks realize that I am simply "reading" the letters looking at them upside-down -- looking down on my chest -- if they don't quite get this, I hold it upside-down so everyone gets it). "But if this handkerchief were attached to YOU" I say, moving the silk to the chest of volounteer, "well, then, of course, I'd recognize it as SIN". I put the silk back against my chest. "Isn't that funny? An entire room full of people can read this clearly, but when it is attached to ME, I see just the opposite of what it is! You see SIN, I see N. I. S. 'nice'." "But if the exact same thing was attached to YOU, I, of course, see "S. I. N. 'sin'." "And that, ladies and gentlemen is the source of all hypocrisy: we are unable to see sin inside of ourselves, and experts at seeing sin in one another." "But there is more..." At this point, I use a light-and-heavy chest (and if stuck without an appropriate surface, I still use the Breese-carried light-and-heavy glass, which is great). "While we might think our sins are light and inconsequential, they can be felt quite differently by others..." (the silk is tossed up in the air, and I go on to show how insubstantial it is for ME... but then when I put it in the chest, that chest becomes far too heavy for my volunteer to lift!) "Not only are we inclined to think nice thoughts of ourselves, but even when we are honest about our own sin, we seriously underestimate the effects that they have on those around us." cheers, Doug
"if you have any answers, it's time to ask harder questions!"
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