March 21, 2013 meeting of the Atlanta chapter of the FCM

The March 21, 2013 meeting of the Atlanta chapter of the FCM was held at the home of John and Julia Jefferson. Those in attendance were John and Julia Jefferson, Randy Burt, Leland Davis, Lynn Fox, Tim Franzen , Avery Flynn, Heather Flynn, and Tom Peach. We were delighted to have our three guests!!! We look forward to their return and to perhaps joining the FCM.
Our video was part of Duane Laflin’s DVD “Art of Gospel Magic”. We will watch more of it next month. After the video several members shared some magic effects and John shared dates of upcoming events.
—Next meeting: April 11, 2013—home of John Jefferson
—FCM International Conference: July 8 – 12 (actually starts Sunday night July 7th) – Nashville, TN
—David Ginn performance: August 18, 2013—(afternoon) Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, Marietta, GA
Attached is a summary of our meeting!!!
Keep the “SON” Shining…
John Jefferson

We welcomed our guests to the March 21, 2013 meeting at the home of John and Julia Jefferson and John explained the International FCM Conference to all. We hope several of us will be able to attend.

Since we had several visitors, we introduced ourselves and our experience in the field of magic. Several performed feats of prestidigitation!

Randy produced a tiny beaded dog from a change bag. He gave each of us a strand or two of 17 Mardi Gras beads he obtained from the craft store, JoAnn’s and showed us how to make the dog!! Great idea and appealing to all audiences!

Tim then demonstrated a magical science effect!! The message was that Jesus comes to illuminate our lives as he is the Light of the World, and we should pass on that light to others. Glow-Sticks are really cool!

Lynn Fox then shared his gospel version of Gypsy Thread using dental floss. Thank you, Lynn for a great gospel presentation and a great effect!

Avery, one of our guests—and the youngest attendee, then performed a super slight-of-hand card trick! We look forward to seeing more of Avery’s talent!!

John showed the group his “The Door” gospel effect with a large gospel dollar bill. He then gave each of us a key ring with a special verse on it relating to the door. John also performed his signature card trick involving choosing either Jesus or the devil.

Julia showed the group two curved coffee cup holders and noted that the optical illusion effect (rainbow) could be performed using them!

John shared some of his notes from the conference held March 14-16 in Tampa. The following are Duane Laflin’s ideas about:

What it Takes to be a Gospel Magician

  1. A heart that is right.–Proverbs 4:33
  2. An acceptance of individual uniqueness.–I Corinthians 10: 12-13
  3. Be skillful.—Psalms 8:1
  4. Have fun.— Prov. 15:13 and 17:22, I Timothy 6:17, Nehemiah 8:10
  5. Explain what gospel magic is.—I Corinthians 8:9—skill, not negative
  6. Treat volunteers with respect.—I Corinthians 13
  7. Teach good doctrine.—2 Timothy 2:15
  8. Do not let tricks compromise Truth.—2 Timothy 2:23
  9. Emphasize God’s love.—John 13:35
  10. Practice what you preach.—Titus 1:16, Titus 2:10

In summary, it is not about the magic, it is about the magician. The difference between a professional and an amateur is the details.