Ok, so I like CPH just as much as the next guy. . . .hahahah, wait, no I don't.
(This post might be funny for you, but will be especially funny if you're a 20-something youth worker.) Here's the deal. CPH is horrible. I have an entire file cabinet dedicated to resource companies. Can you guess how many files are for CPH material? If I had my way there wouldn't be any, but I keep a current catalog handy just in case someone from my church wants to comment about how I never use CPH material. Just so I can ask them to point out what items are so great that I should be using tbem.
Here at St. Paul, we're gearing up for VBS next week. At our church this is a huge thing. We're a small church of about 400 people, but we'll see about 250 kids for VBS, most of whom aren't involved in our church otherwise. I get pulled in as a music leader for VBS, which is fine for me. I like leading music, and I think I'm kind of good at it. With that being said, let me, please oh please, run down some of the music/lyrics that CPH has graced us with in this years CPH VBS Curriculum, Construction I.N.C.
Leave it to CPH to write a song titled "Here I Stand" (Subtitled, "No I don't have a Luther Complex, go away)
Lyrics in this gem include "Here I stand by grace alone. . . .Through faith alone."
Now, don't get me wrong, theologically I think CPH puts out great stuff, but this is a song supposedly written for 3 year olds to sing. Give me a break.
It reminds me of last years VBS theme song that included this line: "He was missed by the shepard who knew that he often had wandered." It was in a fast song too. The teachers could barely get through singing that line.
About a year ago I was in a meeting with local DFW-Lutheran church workers when someone mentioned that CPH wanted to start marketing themselves to other denominations, not just Lutheran. You know what happened? The room burst into laughter. The only reason any of us use it is because we're told we have to use it. I'm sorry to offend, but the stuff is generally horrible for youth materials. I feel sorry for my friends in ministry who are in churches that force CPH on them like it's pure gold. Some churches are so locked in that they won't use a resource unless it has that CPH stamp. What a load. Companies like Youth Specialties and Group are amazing for youth materials. Why? Because they're written by youth workers who know what kind of things will work and what kind of things kids will just laugh at and go back to their XBOX's. Oh wait, that's what I do too. . .
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