Category: church cartoons

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church cartoons holiday

We Gather Together

We Gather Together Headline

Thanksgiving is coming in the United States. So there is nothing better for me than to dole out another Thanksgiving cartoon! It’s like an extra helping of oyster dressing and cranberry salad.

The church I grew up in felt obligated to sing We Gather Together each Thanksgiving season. The challenge was that the worship leader would sing it the Sunday before the holiday. To a child, that seemed an eternity away. We might as well sing a Christmas Carol while we were at it! Of course, that came the next Sunday. My poor immature mind couldn’t take this hymnal time warp every season.

The hymn wasn’t exactly kid-friendly either. The first verse was a lot to take in. There isn’t even a chorus! It didn’t exactly roll off the tongue for me.

“We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.”

Theodore Baker 1894

So this year, I decided to modernize it a bit. Here is my version:

Cartoon of a couple singing a hymn. It's a parody of "We Gather Together."
Published in the November 2021 CHOGNews.

I realize “scones” is a little high class. But “donuts” didn’t have the same ring to it. Besides, I know a dear lady at one of our previous churches that makes the best scones. Whenever I bit into one, I felt quite grateful.

So have a happy Thanksgiving! enjoy a warm gathering and some scones. It may cause you to break out in singing.

I drew this cartoon for the November 2022 CHOGNews.

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children's ministry cartoons church cartoons education

David, Goliath, and Flying Objects

Cartoon of two boys with flying toys overhead. One says, "When the preschoolers learn about David and Goliath, look out for flying objects!"

When a lesson makes an impact, we tend to act it out. Whether we realize it or not, kids continually act out something they’ve learned through watching television, peers, or their families.

When a young child finishes watching a TV show, take some time to observe how it affects their play. Does it affect their imagination? Does it affect their actions and speech? Most times it does!

I remember getting into my dad’s pickup truck with my brother. We loved watching Star Trek. Somehow, we were able to convert that old jalopy into the bridge of the US Enterprise. Dad wasn’t too happy when he would get into his truck and discover that our play resulted in the pickup’s engine flooding. How else are you going to go Warp Factor Three without using the gas pedal?

As adults, we like to think we’re beyond that. But after you watch a news story about angry people, do you feel yourself getting a little angry? Does your work culture affect how you act at home? How about an effective sermon that inspires you to make a change or make worship a bigger priority?

We’re all affected by what we learn. Let’s be sure we’re learning the right lessons and not end up throwing things around the house!

It was good revisiting this cartoon. I drew it before but polished it up for this month.

Cartoon of two boys with flying toys overhead. One says, "When the preschoolers learn about David and Goliath, look out for flying objects!"

I drew this cartoon for the November 2022 CHOGNews.

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CHOG News church cartoons Newsletters Sport Cartoons

Good old Sports Illustrations!

Cartoon of a man praying at a pulpit. He says, "And we give thanks for a football season that supplies ample sports illustrations."

Over the years, I’ve heard plenty of sermon sports illustrations. You can always tell when a pastor loves a particular sport. And what’s not to love about a story that illustrates courage, determination, and a little of the unexpected?

But like anything else, they can move into the realm of the cliché. Cartoonists aren’t immune to this either. There used to be tons of cartoons based on a desert island theme. But think what good came of it? If that never happened, we wouldn’t have had Gilligan’s Island!

Stories are important in any sermon. Jesus taught in parables for a good reason. They illustrate truths in a way that engages the audience and made them see differently. And when we have creative teachers bring a story to life, amazing things happen!

When an illustration is used effectively, it can make a powerful point. But if the audience can’t relate to your story, it can fall flat. The old proverb, know your audience, can be very important. That’s partly why sports illustrations have always stood out to me. While I love history, I’ve never been much of a sports guy.

Yet, I like sports illustrations for the following reasons:

  • They frequently illustrate perseverance
  • Many demonstrate how to overcome adversity through preparation and patience
  • They can show the value of teamwork

So let us be thankful for a new round of sports illustrations. While I’m at it, I’m thankful for autumn, cooler temperatures, and a little pumpkin spice latte.

Cartoon of a man praying at a pulpit. He says, "And we give thanks for a football season that supplies ample sports illustrations."

I drew this cartoon for the November 2022 CHOGNews.

Categories
CHOG News church cartoons Newsletters

Crisis at the Welcome Center

Cartoon of a guy coming up to an annoyed woman at a welcome center. The woman says, "You again?"

In some churches, there is a little booth called, “The Welcome Center.” It’s a place where people can get information about church activities and get to know church members and staff.

Well of course, when I first heard the term, I wondered what would happen if you placed someone there that wasn’t very welcoming. Maybe a volunteer had a rough start to the morning. Or perhaps there is one guest that is a little annoying like this cartoon and the host just wasn’t in the mood to handle it.

There are ways to make a welcoming center more welcoming. As this post suggests, staffing it well is important. It mentions four mistakes in staffing a welcome center. Is having no one at the welcome center better than having Ms. Grumpy? I’m sure some churches have to face that dilemma on some Sundays.

Cartoon of a guy coming up to an annoyed woman at a welcome center. The woman says, "You again?"

I drew this cartoon for the November 2022 CHOGNews.

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CHOG News church cartoons Newsletters technology cartoons

A Little Live Streaming Event

Cartoon of two people staring at a wet floor. One says, "Maybe we should tell the janitor we just started live streaming."
Published in the July, 2021 "CHOGNews."

I’ve had the pleasure of helping with some live streaming at the church we attend. I’m not talking about an unfortunate incident like in my cartoon, but setting a live presentation of a church service on Facebook Live.

We live in an amazing time where we can use technology on a shoestring budget. It was only a few short years ago that it was a major undertaking to broadcast a live event. Now, anyone with a smartphone can broadcast live. What an amazing world!

And yes, small churches with maintenance issues can have a live stream going on during the live service while they still have plumbing issues in another part of the building. It’s no longer the big broadcasting conglomerates with ample money that can go live. In fact, you could even have a snarky teenager broadcasting the live flooding event while the big event is going on in another part of the building. That is also the nature of today’s technology.

I drew this cartoon for the November 2022 CHOGNews.

Cartoon of two people staring at a wet floor. One says, "Maybe we should tell the janitor we just started live streaming."
Published in the July, 2021 “CHOGNews.”