Hi All: Yesterday, I did for Lighthouse Kids! "Hippity Hop Churches". "Hippity Hop Churches" retails for under $40.00, is sometimes on sale as well for less, and is available from/actually personally made by www.FABMagic.com - which is a real daily open brick and mortar magic shop run by Rick Fisher in Colon, Michigan ("The Magic Capitol of the World"). Service is extremely fast too.

Product review: The mechanics of the trick itself worked flawlessly and easily. The kids themselves yelled out the standard "Turn it around!" lines at the end, - worked terrific. I did the complete turning myself around, twirling the prop, etc..

What surprised me was how well kids responded to the story line- one of the adult helpers yesterday commented to me on how well all the kids were engaged with this illustration. A+!

Here is the routine I used (some words taken out for space, this is a basic outline):

"How should we go about choosing a good church? This white church here has WONDERFUL food and donuts, while this pinkish colored church over here serves WONDERFUL coffee, the best ever! They brew it in the lobby! (Point out white church on the left, other church on the right, cover churches, turn them around). So I have covered the churches as I am shopping around, looking blindly for a church, driving around, so I have decided to go to the church with the BEST COFFEE. (uncover right church). Wait a minute, that's not the church with the BEST COFFEE, I must have made the wrong choice! Don't know HOW that happened!

Well, let's TRY again. The pinkest church on the left now is SMALLER, the church on the right is BIGGER. Maybe that's how I should decide how to pick a church, right? (go through the same byplay, pick the bigger church, but then it has switched back, another mistake!).

OK- I will instead pick a church where I CAN DO NOTHING, hide out, never get involved, will never challenge me to do anything OR pick a church where the church itself as a WHOLE never does anything. They stay to themselves, they don't help anyone else, they just worry about themselves! So I will pick one of those... (again, the churches have switched)- this is how I should pick a church, right?

WOWWWWW, boys and girls, apparently I don't know how to correctly chose a church. Any ideas? (I went around the room, was amazed at the terrific answers: churches where they worship God, churches that care about other people, churches where they teach kids, etc..). I then quickly reviewed what a good church is- how to make the RIGHT choice: a church where God is worshiped, where the Bible is preached from and the Gospel of Jesus is proclaimed, a church where people want to grow and become disciples, a caring compassionate church where the Good News is wanted to be shared with as many people as possible from all backgrounds and nations!, etc..

That is a good church! Anyone know how I was switching the churches around? (turn it around! etc.). I then turned both churches around showing the crosses- and THAT is the RIGHT CHOICE how a GOOD church is picked, where the our forgiveness in the cross of Christ is preached, and not on whether good coffee is served or if the donuts are fresh.

MagicBus,

Thanks for the lesson and info. I wasn't even aware there was such a trick as hippity hop churches.

Tom

Thank you Roger with your permission will add this to our instructions

Thanks, an honor, is a terrific piece of Gospel magic. I sure enjoyed doing it last Sunday.

This is the posts from 2016 on Hippity Hop Churches. Kids really enjoyed it last time I presented it in Lighthouse Kids.

Thanks much, Roger

A great presentation and a big help!

Rick Fisher demonstrates Hippity Hop Ghosts on his web site (see above). On www.youtube.com there are many examples of the Hippity Hop Rabbits moves/routines/patter. I will be videotaping my routine at the upcoming 10-13-18 meeting of the open West Michigan FCM meeting with at Lighthouse Community Church in Kalamazoo 10am-1pm.

So now I have to consider getting this routine!
Thanks for the great lesson idea Roger.

Sounds great! And at a great price!

Thanks all. Francis Chan's new book "Letters To The Church" in chapter 2 "Sacred" is very well written and a terrific reminder on the importance of the Church.