Bring The Heaven Project To Your Church Or School
See "Kids Talk About Heaven" Books In Progress
My name is Carey Kinsolving. Please allow me to introduce myself and the reason for my interest in your church or school. For more than 10 years, I’ve been writing a syndicated column called “Kids Talk About God,” which is also the name of my website and gift book. My goal is to give Christian children a voice to express their faith. My gift book published by Hallmark and J. Countryman featured children’s writing and artwork. It’s now a talking book on our website: www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/book.
One of the biggest thrills I’ve ever had is to give books to children whose artwork is featured in the “Kids Talk About God” gift book. I’ll never forget those beaming faces of child artists as I handed them books in which their art was featured. At one of the school assembly programs, a doctor dad sat in his white coat as he had probably come directly from the hospital to see his son receive a book that featured his own art.
My goal is to duplicate this experience many times over by giving kids the affirmation and thrill of seeing their work published. I have a plan that will benefit children, parents, teachers, churches and Christian schools. The plan is called The Heaven Project. It’s the latest phase of the Children’s International Arts Festival.
Giving children a chance to write and draw for a book I plan to submit to my publisher is a unique opportunity for most children; however, the process of putting together a great manuscript and getting it published can take years. Now, we have the capability to publish all of your students quickly in online flip books.
Here’s how it works:
1. Writing & Drawing: Children (ages 5-12) answer four questions about heaven and draw art to illustrate their answers. Teachers transcribe the answers of children who are too young to write.
2. Selection: I select writing and artwork for publication. My goal is to select the most interesting work while publishing something from each student in a class. I want to affirm every student while rewarding excellence.
3. Privacy: We will not publish the last names of children. We only publish first name, last initial and age. If a parent is concerned about this, we can publish a child's writing and artwork under a pseudonym. Our release form that the parents must sign has a place where they can write in a pseudonym for their child's name.
4. Design: My graphic artist will design an online book for each class using students’ answers and artwork. Each design is uploaded into an online “Kids Talk About Heaven” flip book.
5. Notification: The church or school notifies parents that online books are ready for viewing on a KidsTalkAboutGod.org web page.
6. Function: Each class will have an online flip book that functions like the “Kids Talk About God” sample book at www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/samplebook. Students can click and flip through a “Kids Talk About Heaven” book as they show their artwork and writing to parents, relatives and friends.
7. Qualification: We work with churches or schools that have students ages 5-12. Churches must also be able to sign our statement of faith.
Our mission is to minister to children and their families in the name of Christ. At the very least, students, parents and teachers will become aware of all the free, Bible-based content at KidsTalkAboutGod.org.
Here’s how The Heaven Project will benefit your church or Christian school:
1. Students Affirmed: When the students see their writing and/or artwork published in an online book, they will feel affirmed. You can be sure that they will tell their relatives and friends.
2. Parents Encouraged: This is an easy way for parents and grandparents to receive encouragement that their kids are growing through expressing their faith.
3. Teachers Energized: Each online book will contain the teacher’s name. Teachers will feel a sense of accomplishment when they see their students’ writing and drawing published.
4. Church or School Advertised: Each online book will contain the name or website address of your church or school. Children will tell their friends and relatives about the book. Every visit to the online book will advertise your church or school. See a brief sample at www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/samplebook.
5. Grace Gospel: The gospel of grace will be featured in each online book and the nationally distributed book. The last of the four featured questions is "How do you get to heaven?" Many adults who are not open to a gospel witness from another adult will be open to receive the gospel from a child. If we don't receive enough clear writing answers on this question, we will use Scripture coupled with student artwork to make sure the message is clear.
Here are two levels at which your church or school can participate:
Level One – Live Presentation
Carey Kinsolving will give a live PowerPoint presentation of the KidsTalkAboutGod.org online books developed for a church or Christian school at a Children’s International Arts Festival. This live event can be fun for students, parents, relatives, friends and teachers. Because the subject of the arts festival is heaven, the gospel will flow easily from students’ artwork and writing. Festival questions are designed to solicit both humorous and inspirational answers and artwork from children.
Benefits:
· Affirm: Students receive affirmation when they see their artwork and/or writing affirmed by adults in a public setting.
· Excite: Parents and grandparents get excited when they see their children’s artwork and/or writing featured in a public setting.
· Evangelize: Many children want to participate in the Great Commission. A Kids Talk About God Arts Festival provides a forum where their faith expressions can bring those who attend into the kingdom of God. Adults see what Jesus meant when he said we must enter His kingdom with childlike faith.
· Influence: Each book will contain the name or website address of a participating church or Christian school.
· Include: Depending upon the size of the church or school, each class or grade will have its own KidsTalkAboutGod.org online book.
· Affirm: Every student will be published.
· Remember: Every two-page image of KidsTalkAboutGod.org online books will be available for online purchase as a print or poster to underwrite KidsTalkAboutGod.org production costs. These prints serve as reminders of why parents send their children to your school or church. KidsTalkAboutGod.org will handle all online orders and deliveries of prints and posters.
Level Two – Outreach to Community
A church or Christian school can use the Children’s International Arts Festival as an outreach event to invite all the children in its community to participate. Kinsolving will give a live PowerPoint presentation of the KidsTalkAboutGod.org online books developed for a church or Christian school that hosts a Children’s International Arts Festival event.
Kinsolving will consult with leaders of a church or Christian school that hosts a festival to develop an outreach plan and then exercise his best efforts to secure a grand prize for the event such as a dude ranch family vacation. Since 2008, 19 children have won dude ranch vacations for their families through the Children’s International Arts Festival. Many have received newspaper and television news coverage through press releases and media plans developed by Kinsolving. Please see www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/winners.
Benefits:
· Outreach: Hosting a Children’s International Arts Festival event sends a message to the community that the host church or Christian school is concerned about children.
· Empower: Many adults who are not open to direct evangelistic efforts are open to faith expressions from children to whom they are related. An arts festival empowers children to reach them.
· Delegate: By including instructions on entry forms, KidsTalkAboutGod.org can receive and process all art and writing entries from children who do not attend the church or Christian school hosting the event.
· Judging: Kinsolving can choose the winning child so that church or school leaders are relieved of all responsibility for choosing the festival winner. If high-profile, community leaders function as judges, this works even better to further ensure media coverage of the event.
· Plus: All the benefits of Level One
All His best,
Carey Kinsolving
P.S. If I’m successful in getting the heaven book printed by a major publisher, I’ll do my best to see that featured child artists and selected writers receive free books. Getting a book published by a major publisher can take years. My favorite part of The Heaven Project is that we can publish students immediately with our online books.
To inquire about bringing The Heaven Project to your church or Christian school, please fill out the form below. You can also refer your pastor or principal to this page, and have them contact Carey Kinsolving at 956-772-1920.