Harvest Times talks to Australian Christian kids' group Rocfish, who recently performed in City Harvest Children's Church, bringing great joy to both children and adults alike.
Gigantic blue and yellow balloons bounced across the fully packed hall, amidst the gleeful shouts of the children. Excitement and anticipation filled the air even before the energetic performers of the Australian kids' group Rocfish made their appearances. With the Rocfish mascot prancing onto stage, the captivating performance began, blending biblically-based lyrics with contemporary music spanning genres that include swing, funk, pop, country, reggae and ballads.
Within an innovative modern setting, the musical group performed on November 18, 2006, in the underground auditorium of City Harvest Church (CHC), re-telling the story of the Prodigal Child found in the book of Luke. Directed by Karyn Fua, the performers included Oliver Thomson, Joseph Grey, Emily Sexton, Emily Pollard and Tenielle Stoltenkamp. Other biblical passages that have been adapted by Rocfish include the story of Jonah and the whale, and that of Daniel in the lions' den. Bringing the story of Esther into their stage repertoire is their current "work in progress."
"We try to present the gospel in a relevant way, and the songs, dance and drama are enjoyed by children all around the world ... [they] help us to tell the kids just how cool the Bible is!" says Tenielle, who is also the dance choreographer. The performance at CHC was enjoyed by children and adults alike, and by the end of it, more than 1,000 children and over 110 adults made a decision for Christ at the altar call.
Valerie Toh, who caught the performance with her four-year-old daughter, says, "I like the moral behind the story. Values are taught to the young children in ways they can understand."
MEETING THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN
Providing entertainment for children has been practiced for many years as a secular industry, but when Rocfish was birthed in March 2000 seeking to share the gospel to a younger audience using fun-filled, full-length musical-formed performances, it was a breakthrough for Christendom.
Rocfish began over dinner between friends, Karyn Fua, Darren Jones and Cher McGillivray—the first directors of the performing group. Noticing a need for higher quality Christian entertainment for lads in Australia, they developed the concept of Rocfish. And the rest, as they say, is history. Rocfish now tours extensively in Australia, the United States, New Zealand, South Africa and Asia, and is quickly becoming a family favorite. Pastors and parents alike recognize that the musical group fulfills the need of children for positive and godly role models.
During a seminar held on November 19 at City Harvest Education Centre (CHEC) attended by more than 100 children church workers and Bible school students, Karyn revealed that pioneering Rocfish was an arduous task. She shared, "We came from different churches, and as an independent group, funding was a challenge."
"It is important to have not only business mentors but spiritual ones as well. This will help you to stay on track with your original vision," she says. "Furthermore, you should never feel that you are not talented, gifted or experienced enough. God will give you what is needed."
Fellow teammate Tenielle confided, "Working in such a ministry can also be tough when traveling is so prevalent. We often miss important family events."
Nevertheless, to the members of Rocfish, the rewards are greater than the sacrifices. "On our tours, we meet many church workers who are also passionate about children, and it is amazing just to have that God-connection with total strangers. It feels like home away from home!" says group member Emily Pollard to Harvest Times.
"Once, when we were in the States finishing up a performance, a broadcast reporter who had interviewed us earlier that day came up and complimented us on our show. Then all of a sudden, he broke into tears, saying, '[Your show] made me realize how complicated we adults make the gospel out to be. You guys just simplify it in such a way that it touches all our hearts, including mine.' And he is over 40 years old! Hearing that from someone of that age was uplifting, to say the least," says Oliver Thomson.
"We also spend a lot of time just having fun. We are like a family. We all have our moments when we need time alone, but we get along really well. We do devotions, read the Bible, pray together. It's a very honest team. If we are not happy with someone or something, we will voice it out. That's how we stay accountable to one another," says long-time team member Joseph Grey.
Capitalizing on the unique strengths of the individual members within the team is a key to tire success of Rocfish. For example, Tenielle started dancing at a young age, and is now serving as the dance choreographer for the team. On the other hand, Emily Sexton is gifted with excellent fashion sense and she designs the costumes of the Rocfish performers. Emily Pollard, who has a strong foundation in drama, also shared that it is not easy for a stage performer to equally master all three disciplines—-acting, singing, dancing. Thankfully, in Rocfish, the members take the initiative to coach one another in the respective areas they are stronger in.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Karyn shared with Harvest Times that in Australia, pastors are increasingly recognizing the fact that children's events draw whole families to the church. She said, "Parents will come to the church for a kids' event, but not necessarily for themselves. So our role is to help churches draw the people into the house of God. Subsequently, the various ministries of the local churches can take over. It is fantastic to work so closely with them."
"God has put into our hearts a vision to reach out to unchurched children. We have a desire and dream to have our very own kid's series on television. Today, children have access to so many different lands of media ... we feel that's the direction to take. We are anticipating an exciting future and we believe it is in God's hands," Karyn said, HT
