If your church, school, or ministry is thinking about starting a clown ministry, or if it already has one, you may be interested in this post by the good folks over at ChurchRelevance.com. Some recent research seems to suggest that clowns may be a poor vehicle for communicating ideas to children. The reason? They’re too scary!
Quoted:
“As adults we make assumptions about what works for children. We found that clowns are universally disliked by children. Some found them quite frightening and unknowable.”
Dr. Penny Curtis, Researcher, Centre for the Study of Childhood and Youth
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Personally, I’ve never cared for clown ministry, or any other method that uses entertainment as a package for the gospel. However, that doesn’t mean I am against “fun” in evangelism. It is the entertainment approach that I find offensive. Mixing entertainment and evangelism sends very mixed signals, and usually the truth conveyed is watered down in the process — undiluted truth is just too strong for entertainment’s sugary coating. If you speak the earnest truth in that setting, suddenly the magic moment is over, the party ends, and people squirm uncomfortably.
This research about clown ministry is another reminder that all too often, adults make evangelism choices based on their own desires. Childcare providers often choose music, not based on what children need, but on their own tastes. When adults in the church say things like, “Our kids need fun, up-tempo music. It’s what they like!”, what they are really saying is, “We can’t work with that boring music. We adults want something with a little more groove.” In their reasoning, they appeal to the supposed wishes of the children — when it’s really all about their own cravings. If they really care about their children so much, perhaps they should do a little research into what music is healthiest for children and play that. Hint: It’s not the pounding rhythms of pop.
It’s time to stop clowning around. Love requires a little more discretion in the methods we use.