RESURRECTION RABBIT MISSION

* Present the gospel of Jesus Christ to young children through music, ventriloquism, and other creative arts
* Help young children learn and remember Scripture
* Provide Christian ministry, THE GOSPEL, and hope to young children who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected

BACKGROUND w/creator Debbie Dewart

I’ve always enjoyed creating characters with personalities and voices (using stuffed animals). I have a wild imagination and never outgrew it!! Back in the 1980′s someone suggested I learn ventriloquism and put it to use in a ministry to children. I met a ventriloquist (Susan Gift-Svente, still my friend) while at Estes Park in the summer, attending what is now the Gospel Music Association’s annual conference. After learning the skills (I already had my bunny Cherry, a well-developed personality), I started looking for places to volunteer. Two opportunities arose and became long-term ministries. One was Olive Crest, a private nonprofit in Southern California, founded by Christians, which cares for abused kids in group homes on a long-term basis. I took Cherry to their toddler home on Sunday afternoons for years, to read Bible stories. Occasionally, I would take Cherry to a Christian school to do a program and invite the students to help the Olive Crest kids (e.g., saving coins to help at Christmas). The other major ministry was at Orangewood Children’s Home, a temporary shelter for abused kids operated by the county. For 15 years, I went there on Sunday mornings with other volunteers, through the Pacific Youth Correctional Ministry, an organization that trains and supervises volunteers for ministry to troubled youth (whether abused or juvenile offenders). We would sing for about 30 minutes, then break into two groups for Sunday School. I taught SS for the younger children. Cherry was a great help to connect with the kids and build trust. Her Bible songs would grab the kids’ attention for a couple of minutes (a minor miracle). We started getting arrangements and song tracks, which made it more interesting. The list of songs grew over the years (bunnies do multiply and so do “bunny songs”).

All of this occurred in California. In September 2005, I moved to North Carolina to be close to family–and cut my living expenses, enabling me to devote more time/money to ministry. (I earn my living as an attorney but a lot of that is also volunteer!) A couple of times a year I go back to California to visit, and I always spend one or two Sunday mornings at Orangewood. Since moving…I’m in a remote rural area and rarely have opportunities to present a program with Cherry. Plus, I’m somewhat shy, so I just don’t make “cold calls.” Marketing isn’t my strength. However, I’ve been able to travel (GMA, Write About Jesus [Sue Smith], CIA Summit 2007, Tom Jackson Workshop, Babbie Mason Conference in Atlanta), cultivate relationships, and use more time and money to develop the ministry–many new songs, for example, and ideas (to follow).