Theo: Cartoon Animation Used for the Glory of God!

     What if you had an early knack for artistry, design, and cartooning as a child? 

     What if you became a follower of Christ in the 1970s, and by 1978 had a dream of a cartoon character named "Theo", who would teach Bible doctrine and God's Word to children?

     What if you worked for Hanna Barbara, Filmation, Warner Brothers, and Marvel Productions, all the while trying to find investors to support your dream of teaching biblical principles to children?

     That's Michael Joens. 

     It's taken almost 35 years for his vision of mission to children to come true, but Theo DVDs are now available for families to use to encourage their children (and their neighborhood children) to come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. 

     It is Michaelʼs hope that God will use Theo to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to children and adults in every country of the world!

     So?  What are we waiting for?  Here's a sample of the videos:

     The girls and I thought that the Theo video clips were really cute, professionally made, and appropriate for children ages 4-10.  The one full episode we were able to watch, "Saving Faith", explained faith in a beautiful way, easy to understand, and in a way that I haven't seen until now in a video for children.  While "Saving Faith" was fun and energetic, it wasn't manic like some of the children's Christian DVDs I've viewed lately.  "Saving Faith" was so much better!  And it is something that I'd love to show other children instead of being embarrassed at its quality or content.  We loved it!

     The bonus episode, "Good News", has a good purpose, but it's the shortest presentation of the Gospel that I've ever seen.  It would be very difficult for a child, or even an adult, to make the proper connections necessary to understand the Gospel in its full form.  Even my daughters both immediately commented how they felt like it was a very rushed, poor presentation of the Gospel.  Maybe what we saw was just a preview?  I don't know.  The artistic presentation was beautiful, but there were too many pieces missing from what needed to be shared.

The new Theo DVD, Volume 1, called "God's Love,"
includes Episodes 1, 2, and 3:

     Meet Theo, a kind English gentleman who knows a lot about the truths of God's word. Theo is a theologian, and in this episode, he teaches us what it means to have faith. There are many things people can believe in, but not all things are faith-worthy. To illustrate a life dedicated to believing in the right thing, Theo shares the example of Abraham. The Lord had favor with Abraham, and because of his faith he was greatly blessed.
FREE Printable Parent Guide

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     Luther and Belfry are two field mice that have befriended Theo, and they really want to please him. They usually get mixed up in all sorts of mischief wherever they go. In this episode, Theo tries to instruct the young lads in obedience, and uses the story of Jonah to illustrate the consequences of disobedience, but also to show the many blessings that come when we obey.
FREE Printable Parent Guide

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     Forgiveness is not an easy thing to do, especially for Luther and Belfry. Theo tries to help his little furry friends understand what it means to forgive and why it’s so important. Theo shares the parable of the “Unforgiving Servant”, and how that story is such a great example of why forgiveness is a special act of love that Christians should show one another.

FREE Printable Parent Guide

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Church Curriculum using Theo is available now at LifeWay Christian Stores.


Here's an app using Theo on the iPad and iPod!  Visit the iTunes app store and search for "Theo". Inside our free app, you'll find games, activity pages, coloring pages, notes on our episodes, and a chance to watch our upcoming episodes.

You may download free THEO coloring pages HERE.

You can also check out Theo on Facebook!

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     If you are interested, you can read  the Statement of Faith by the creators of Theo.

     If my girls were still in the target age range for the Theo DVDs, I'd be buying every single one of 'em!  That's saying a lot, because we bought very few movies for our girls when they were younger.  The Theo DVDs are artistically professional, entertaining, energetic, meaningful, and deep.  The Theo DVDs are also a great introduction to systematic theology for children.  I highly recommend these DVDs for your kids!

It's GIVEAWAY TIME!

     I've been given 2 Theo DVDs to share here with you, my readers, on Joy In Our Journey!

     To enter this giveaway, you will need to be 18 years old or older.  I'll be using www.Random.org to select a winner on Monday, September 26, 2011 at midnight (Pacific time zone).

     If you'd like to enter to win a copy of the new Theo DVD, here's all you need to do by midnight on September 26, 2011:

1.  MANDATORY:  Leave me a comment, below, that includes the ages of the child or children to whom you'd like to show the new DVD, "Theo."  (This earns you one entry.)

2.  Make certain you left me a comment about the ages of the children who will be viewing this if you're one of the 2 winners (see above, #1).  Then, if you'd like extra entries to this giveaway, you may subscribe to my blog via email/Feedburner subscriptions (2 extra entries if you do this!  See the upper right hand side of this blog page.)  Please leave two comments stating that you are a new Feedburner/email subscriber or that you are already a Feedburner/email subscriber.

3.  Follow me using Google Friend Connect for an extra entry.  See the right hand column of this blog page to join GFC.  Please remember to leave me a comment that you've joined with GFC.

4.  Earn an extra entry by "liking" my page on Facebook!  (Remember to leave me a separate comment letting me know that you've done this.)

5.  And last, but not least, follow me on Twitter for an additional entry to my giveaway.  (Remember to leave me a comment with your Twitter name so I can find you later if you are the winner.)

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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