JUST A START
This site is just a start. It took a few hours of web research to come up with these links. In the future many people that have been active in the field of Christian clowning and related fields will recommend links. Those will be added here to this blog.

Also in the coming months there will be a major web platform for a new ministry named Four Bridges www.FourBridges.org .Two of the five services of Four Bridges is to provide a Networking Hub and an Educational Nucleus. Those who are interested in exploring ministry opportunities come to the site and from that central Networking Hub are links to plenty of excellent sites. A few of the links that follow have free lessons and Four Bridges will have lots of free lessons about the basics in each field. Then a person can explore the new option at no cost before buying intermediate and advanced books from the sites in the Networking Hub.

Meanwhile these links can help people get ready for short term mission trips. They can gain some skills and take some supplies that will quickly open the doors to the children as well as the adults.

Also youth pastors could explore these options as a way to equip the teens to community outreach and/or help in the children’s church.


If you want to suggest links to be added to this list then use this http://fourbridges.org/Feedback.html




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MY STORY
Years ago three factors came together that led me to explore Christian clowning for a while. I heard from several sources that 80 percent of the people come to faith in Christ between the ages of 4 and 14. Thus child evangelism is extremely important for the kingdom of God.

As I researched child evangelism I found that most organizations that specialize in this area uses teens to do much of the work. There are not enough adults to offer quality time to the many children. So training and supervising teens can do the job.

An older man at my home church kept saying that I would make a good clown. He had done clowning for the circus when he was young and clowned at vacation Bible school events when we was older. He saw some qualities in me that could be nurtured.

The ministry direction that I had been pursuing was going nowhere. I began to consider the options. And after much prayer Christian clowning showed the most promise. My intention from the beginning was to learn about the field in order to train up teens that would become effective child evangelists. My learning took a giant step forward when I went to one of the best clown camps Mooseburger http://www.mooseburger.com/twostep.htm During that week I had a very intense training in the basics. There were beginners, intermediate and advanced clowns at the camp.

When I returned I had some equipment and training. But I was on my own. I did a little clowning at about three events. I lacked the encouragement, support and teaching of other clowns. I had made contact with a few in the area but they were extremely busy with their day job plus clowning. I found out about a few clown clubs called clown alleys but they conflicted with my job schedule. So my clowning fizzled and died. Eventually I gave away all my clowning items.

A few months ago I came upon Balloon Hat site http://www.balloonhat.com/ about a man that just makes hats from balloons and gives them away. That has strong appeal to me. It is simple and easy. I am considering getting the book http://www.balloonhat.com/bal_store_inflate1.html and doing that where people already gather like vacation Bible schools or harvest festivals.

I did this blog because I came upon a woman who clearly could be a excellent clown. She is a first grade teacher. When she reads stories to the children she put on a wig and uses all kinds of voices plus body language. She has the most expressive face I have ever seen. I thought this would be one or two dozen links for her. But as it grew I recognized that this could be a blog in the short term as well as a part of the Four Bridges Ministry.

While I was collecting these links I was strongly drawn to hospital clowning. My life is far too busy from now until the end of November. But maybe after that I will explore that path.



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LINKS


CLOWN MINISTRY
http://www.clown-ministry.com/

http://www.crossthesky.com/clown_ministry.html




HOSPITAL CLOWNING
http://www.hospitalclown.com/

http://www.jesthealth.com/frame-resources.html

http://www.hospital-clowns.org/training_op.htm#manual


http://www.goodnewsbroadcast.com/clown.html
watch the video here


http://www.bigapplecircus.org/CommunityPrograms/ClownCare




CLOWN SUPPLIES
http://www.bubbasclownsupplies.com/

http://www.stuff4clowns.com/store.html

http://www.jesthealth.com/frame-products.html

http://www.clownantics.com/onlinecat.shtml








BALLOONS
http://www.balloonhq.com/

http://www.balloondesigns.net/

http://home.flash.net/~balloonz/other.htm

http://www.balloonhat.com/







PUPPETS
http://www.russthings.com/

www.sillypuppets.com

http://www.axtell.com/products.html

http://www.sagecraft.com/puppetry/other/index.html

http://www.onewaystreet.com/ShowView/category/8







FACE PAINTING
http://www.sillyfarm.com/

http://www.facepainting.net/

http://www.facepaintingdesigns.co.uk/

http://www.easyfacepainting.com/

http://www.snazaroo.com/us/index.php







MAGIC
http://www.gospelmagic.com/

http://www.lockfamilymagic.com

http://fcm.gospelcom.net/

http://www.themagiccafe.com/

http://www.magictalk.com/

http://allmagic.com/







JUGGLING
http://hem.passagen.se/mavros/index.htm

http://www.juggling.org/~cja/resources.htm







TRAINING
http://www.letusteachkids.com/drama/clown.htm

http://www.onewaystreet.com/ShowView/category/76

http://www.familyentertainersworkshop.com/

http://www.mooseburger.com/twostep.htm

http://www.uwlax.edu/clowncamp/







MISC
http://www.patchadams.org/home.htm

http://www.webclowns.com/info_links.htm

http://www.coai.org/

http://www.worldclownassociation.com/

http://www.aath.org/

http://www.inkspirations.org/

http://www.users.on.net/~pole/drama/

http://www.fea.net/bobsnook/

http://www.dramamission.com/

http://www.dramashare.org/script_list.php?cat_id=141

http://www.clown-forum.com/

http://www.missionaryresources.com/free_scripts.html

http://www.mime.info/

http://www.mooseburger.com/



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