Hi all,

I am a member of the Fellowship of Christian Magicians. I was wondering how many others we had visiting this site? Please introduce yourselves!

As for me I have been a member for four months now. I love doing gospel magic and find it very rewarding. I don't get to do many gospel shows but I do magic for my second grade Sunday school class every Sunday and the kids really love it. Each week they want to know what I am going to do. Even the parents are approaching me, telling me how their child can't stop talking about the things I do. And it's all for Christ.

Boy what a tool for spreading the word!

I am not a member as yet, but have been thinking about it. I would love to hear your thoughts about the fellowship. Do you find the magazine useful? Etc.

We belong to FCM and have been for about three years. We peformed at the International Convention in 2003 in Marion, Indiana. We should be there this year, just hanging out...hope to see some of you there.

Randall -

I have been a member of the FCM for several years now. I have greatly appreciated the folks in the fellowship and have found them to be insightful, ready to help, provide positive direction and genuine encouragement. I also appreciate their willingness to share tried and tested routines—the attitude of "this is what works for me....with God's guidance, it may work for you".

By your post it sounds as though we may use our "gifts" in very similar ways. I do not do elaborate stage shows or illusions, but rather use "gospel magic and ballusions" (to borrow the terms) to illustrate while teaching and ministering to children. Most of our opportunities (my wife is a puppeteer) come in the form of kid's clubs, VBS, Sunday Schools, camps, etc.

I am in Connecticut, USA, and unfortunately there is not a chapter nearby, nor do I know of any FCMers close by. I rely heavily on the cyber-FCM and of course The Christian Conjurer, to stay "connected."

Thank you for starting this thread and I too am anxious to see how many others of "us" there are dining in the Café.

Peace,
phill

I have been an FCM member for six years. The highlight of membership for me has been the convention in Indiana. It is a week of magical and spiritual renewal for me and a great opportunity to fellowship with like-minded folks in other arts besides magic.

While I do secular as well as gospel magic, the Christian Conjurer magazine serves to help me stay focused towards the purpose of doing gospel magic.

Greetings!

I've been a member for about two years now and have attended the FCM conventions (regional) in Indianapolis for the past four years. I perform for both secular venues and churches.

Andrew

I have been a member for two years. I really enjoy the Christian Conjurer it has been helpful in many areas. I attended the 2002 and 2003 conventions and they were great!

I found the "Cafe" through the FCM web site.

I got started four years ago. While in the Philippines one of the men I was with used a D-lite and a Clowns coloring book and attracted quite a crowd. I was hooked. The following year I had built a 45-minute routine. It was great when I found the FCM and learned to do it the right way. This year we will be traveling to Russia this month, Mexico in June and Africa in September.

God IS Great!

I also have been a member of the FCM for about two years. I joined about a year after returning to magic after a 10 year hiatus (I left magic, due to personal convictions, right after I came to Christ).

I was blessed to find a very active chapter of the FCM meeting right in my town Akron, Ohio, only 10 minutes from my home. I found brothers and sisters in that group that will not only only be lifetime friends, but eternal companions as well. Our monthly meetings are a ton of fun! And I would be at a geat loss without these people and our fellowship.

The International FCM in Indiana two years ago, (I missed the most recent one due to work pressures) was also an absolutely incredible experience. Meeting and hanging out with guys like P.J. Myers, Toby Travis, and...well the list is too long! But it was really awesome. And I highly recommend it to anyone who can make it there.

I also host the web site for the local FCM http://www.neofcm.com Northeast Ohio Fellowship of Christian Magicians. So if anyone wants to know what is going on in Ohio, that is place to look.

If other local FCM chapters are active and need a place for their web site let me know. I will consider hosting yours as well if you can do the pages yourself, (I did the neofcm site, but don't really have time to build the sites), and don't want to stream video and such bandwidth intensive applications.

BroDavid

I too am a member and have been for quite a few years. I don't have my membership card in front of me but I would guess 10 + years...I really get a charge out of reading my Christian Conjurer every month.

Robert Jones

I've been a member for I guess about five years now. I have been blessed to serve as president of the local here in Akron for the last three. I have been doing magic for nearly 30 years and the first trick I ever did was for a junior church program.

I work for just about anyone willing to pay (or ask) me to, but my calling is gospel magic and using it to win souls.

Thanks Bro. David for the kind words, you are truly a blessing, not only to the Café but to us in Akron as well.

Outstanding!

For many, many years I have had the following on the backs of my cards:

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.

Hebrews 13:2

Entertainers were used well to spread the message.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Amen Bob!

I enjoy the Christian Conjurer too. Gives me lots of good ideas.

Hope to get to meet some of you at the 2004 convention!

Guardian we meet again!! I hope all is well with you Randall. I WAS a member for about five years but have not been since about 1998.

My parents still are though and do several balloon lectures at the convention every year. SSOOO if anyone is going and you run into the Happiness Clowns tell them their son says howdy.

Randall, you know there is a chapter in Wisconsin? Last I heard they meet twice a year.

Shawn

Hi Shawn,

Yes I knew about the Chapter here in Wisconsin. They sent me a directory which was very informative.

I didn't know you were a member though. Have you been to any of the meetings? Hope to see you at our next club meeting!

Take care

I have been a member in the past, need to send my '04 dues in. My impressions were all positive, very supportive group, good publication, convention, etc.

I teach about 20 kids in children's church and would like to incorporate magic into the lessons. Simply have not taken the time and do not have a strong sense of direction on how to start. The kids are third to fifth grade. I would welcome any advice.

Thanks
Harp

I've been a member for about seven years. The way I came to know about the organization was as follows; the Lord had started to move on my heart to get out my magic and start to practice again. I had some problems with pitched nerves in my neck and was losing control of my hands. My doctor suggested juggling, a musical instrument or something to again control of my hands and I showed him some simple sleight of hand and he was sold.

That same year, at our company Christmas party, we had a magician by the name of Steve Varro performing. My wife struck up a conversation with Steve and introduced me to him as "doing a little magic". It seemed to me that we instantly connected. The following year I was in a local magic shop and saw a flyer at a Christian Magic Conference with the contact name of Steve Varro. I called him and he did remember me. I asked about the conference and told me to drop in and see what I thought. Well, I was hooked.

During these seven years my wife and I have two marvelous friends with Steve and Barbara Varro, whom we love dearly, I do gospel and secular shows complete with card manipulations in the Middle Tennessee area, and we do children's churches with magic and puppets in our home church.

I just do tricks, but God has performed the miracles in our lives.

Great organization, and great fellowship. You will be glad you joined.

Sorry this was long winded.

My name is Justin and I have gone to FCM my whole life. I've actually only missed one international convention in my lifetime (18 years this next convention). I've grown up in the FCM and learned SO very much there. I love going and reuniting with old friends and meeting new ones (like Living Illusions this past year). I suggest it for not only the working professional, but also for the missionary who would like to use some object lessons to share God's word.

I just joined and am really enjoying it! It is a good place meet new magicians who have the same beliefs as I do. It's awesome!

Hey everyone,

At the moment I'm not a member, but I was wondering...are there any special requirements you have to have to become a member?

Thanks,
Jacob

Check out the web site for that and more info: http://www.gospelcom.net/fcm/

Terry