Be sure to add to your Blog Roll and RSS Reader a new blog in town: www.toddmckeever.com.
Todd McKeever isn’t a new blogger, he’s just started a new personal blog. He’s been bloggin’ insightful posts on leadership and children’s ministry for years on his church website, but has decided to split them out and make the church blog church stuff and make have his own separate blog at www.toddmckeever.com.
We are also excited to announce that Todd has been hired on staff at Kidology part time as our Executive Operations Coordinator to help to staff and project management, a much needed addition to our team. He’d been a volunteer member of our team for years, so it was about time we promoted him and tapped into his leadership gifts at a greater level. Hey, he even made the staff page on Kidology.org today!
That got you to read, didn’t it!?And it’s true! Keep reading to find out how you can save $50 off CPC just because you know me. (Hey, you got connections!) What I really wanted the title to be was:
WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN ME AT CPC IN SAN DIEGO March 14-17, 2010.
I attended my first CPC back in the mid 1990’s and still have my logo-themed dress shirt “Reaching New Horizons” that I bought that year. (First person to tell me in comments what year that was, that isn’t on Kidology or INCM staff, I will mail a Kidology Handbook! A $59.99 value!) I have not missed a single CPC since, even when they have had up to three conferences a year! I’ve lost track, but I’ve been to over thirty-five CPC’s since! Yes, I have done workshops, hosted round tables, church tours and exhibited, but even during seasons of life when I was taking a break from active ministry and wasn’t there to do anything, I still attended! Why? Because CPC is not only good for ministry, it is good for relationships and for the soul.
Just search my blog for “CPC” and you will find pages and pages of posts about CPC and discover why it is the “conference of conferences” that I believe should be the first choice of every serious children’s ministry leader. There are many good conferences out there, and you ought to visit many of them. But none come close to the networking power, breath of resources, quality of speakers, quantity of options, and level of excellence you find at a Children’s Pastors Conference. It is obvious they have been at this for years and know exactly what they are doing.
Here is why I never miss a CPC and why you should join me in San Diego later this month: (and why I asked for a coupon to save you $50!)
There is just something amazingly encouraging about worshiping God in a huge room filled with hundreds of people as crazy about God and kids as you are… and not having to put the chairs away when its all over.
It is so refreshing to get to worship with fellow children’s ministry leaders in a “Big Church” settings singing “Big Church” songs without wondering if the third grade class got the DVD player after the second grade class was done with it and if the nursery workers showed up and if Mrs. Blackburn remembered she was leading the worship during second service today.
It is fun to network and meet people from around the country who share your passion for kids and yet marvel at how, out of so many people, God sovereignly places people at your table who are either going through a similar situation or have a solution or idea to the very issue you are wrestling with, or how they know someone you know!
The caliber of the speakers is out-of-this-world challenging and the unique presentations always surprise and delight. Just when you think you know what is going to happen, something fresh and new has been planned.
The choices in the workshops is a little overwhelming, but that’s a good thing – and you can always get CDs or even MP3s to take home for yourself and your team. The number of workshops, the variety and the quality of the presenters is unparalleled.
Everywhere you go during your free time, you are meeting people who share your passion for ministry and making connections that end up becoming friendships last long after the conference is over. You marvel at how you managed to meet these people at such a large event.
THEN THERE IS THE RESOURCE CENTER! (My favorite!) No where else is there such a gathering of objective resources laid out aisle upon aisle of resource providers, both large established companies as well as small start up ministries with a home made banner and a big dream and a wonderful resource that worked in their church that they are eager to share with you. I can’t wait each year to find out what will be the newest resources in the Resource Center – that alone would be enough reason to go to CPC, everything else is like frosting on a delicious resource cake!
I feel bad adding the resort, but hey, we DO like to get away and it IS nice to be spoiled. Who doesn’t like a little late night room service, a dip in the hot tub or a trip to the swimming pool? I’ll confess to sneaking over to the Apple Store at the mall or even off site to a nice restaurant before or after the conference. I mean, come on, you can’t go to San Diego, without checking out Old Town San Diego and picking up some souvenirs!
But the BEST thing – as you can see from the image above, is the people you will meet and the friends you will make. You may think it is the “well known” people you will get to meet, and that is a treat, but what you will discover by getting to meet them, is that they are as down to earth and ordinary as you are. They just started serving the Lord like you, and as they did, God blessed it, people liked it, so they got a little notoriety, but they are truly as ordinary and as interesting as the person next to them, maybe less! You will discover that everyone you meet has ideas and input that will bless you whether or not you knew their name before you got there!
And the list could go on and on. The impact will be different and unique for everyone – but I can promise you, it will be positive. I hear over and over from folks, “Karl, it was at CPC 2004 that such and such radically changed for me” or “After I went to CPC 2006 my ministry turned around.”
Come find out for yourself! I will be working in the DiscipleLand booth helping tell people about DiscipleTown, and we will be having a Kidology Gathering at the Terrace Cafe Monday evening, so come hang out after the exhibit hall closes.
WANT TO SAVE THAT $50?
I asked our friends at INCM if they would give my readers a discount, and they were generous enough to do so! Just use discount code KID10 when you register and you will save $50 off the cost of CPC 2010!
TONIGHT AT 7pm Eastern you can watch (Live via U-Stream) the LAST $1000 BEING RAISED FOR LEUKEMIA RESEARCH!
A Kid Making a Difference
Cam is the son of a woman I met at CPC last week:
Heather and Me @ CPC Nashville 2010
I first ‘met’ Heather when she e-mailed me via Kidology.org and told me about the amazing and moving testimony on YouTube by her pastor’s 19 year old son just ten days before he died of lymphoblastic leukemia last August. He died on Wednesday and her team needed to lead VBS in the midst of their grief knowing that Ben, who had once been a prominent leader at such events, was now with Jesus. His story is both sad and yet moving and wonderful at the same time. I was moved to tears hearing of how it has impacted their church and was delighted to meet Heather after one of my workshops.
I then got to hear about the “Ben Ripple” – how Ben’s life and testimony has been impacting the children since he died, including Heather’s son, who announced to her recently that he would be hosting a concert to help others survive what took Ben’s life.
Why did I title this post “The Last $1000 Needed for Leukemia Research” ? When Cam was at the Canadian Cancer Society setting up his event so they could accept donations, he said to them “Wouldn’t it be awesome if this were the last $1,000 that needed to be raised for leukemia research?” I love the faith of children! I think it would be AWESOME if it was the last $1000 needed!
Cam at the Keyboards Practising
I was so moved by this boys desire to make a difference and I was disappointed I couldn’t be there for the concert, so I gently pushed Heather to live web-stream the event and guess what, she is doing it!
So let me encourage you to DONATE, even a little. Here’s the scoop:
If Cam raises $1500, his dad has to shave his head! I don’t think his dad was counting on a guy with a highly read blog helping his son, so let’s make sure his dad goes bald folks!
And, if you want to bless them a little more, drop in for the concert, as you’ll be able to chat during the concert too. I’ll be there, so let’s encourage this young boy.
I’ve always said, kids don’t yet believe they can’t make a difference – so we need to encourage them!
UPDATE: The event is over, here is a video hightlight, enjoy, it only 50 seconds:
I’ve been working on writing DiscipleTown Table Talkers all day, for the fifth unit due to come out soon, and one of my favorite parts of this curriculum is the Table Talker family devotional component.
So I thought I’d put a sample on my blog to give my blog readers a “taste” of a family devotional that will be part of the next DiscipleTown unit. Each devotional has an easy “Let’s Play” component that gets families playing together with no complicated preparation – just something they can do with stuff usually right at the table, tho this one uniquely has them using the whole house due to the lesson point. Then there is a “Let’s Talk” discussion question to get every member of the family talking – but it is a targeted question that is setting them up for the topic. Next they are in the Word with “Let’s Read” followed by a short devotional “Let’s Think” that helps guide a parent on a spiritual discussion. But it doesn’t stop there. I always end with a “Let’s Do” practical application. Most are just a verbal application, but one of the three will be an assignment that can impact the family in a practical way, but I’m careful to balance them so that they don’t get overwhelmed. I want them coming back for more.
Well, with no further a-do, here is a sample – pre-edited by DiscipleLand, soon to be a part of DiscipleTown: How To Follow God’s Plan
Let’s Play!
Choose someone to start as the “seeker.” Give every person five pennies. Everyone else will go hide somewhere else in the house. When the seeker finds someone, they have to give the seeker a penny. The person they find becomes the new seeker and goes to find someone else. The old seeker now hides. Every time a person is found they have to give the seeker a penny and they become the new seeker and the old seeker gets to hide again once the new seeker is out of sight. If a player runs out of pennies, they become a seeker in order to get more pennies! The object of the game is get as many pennies as possible. A parent determines when time is up.
Let’s Talk!
What is the best reward or prize you have ever received?
Let’s Read!
Read Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Let’s Think!
Which did you like better? Hiding or seeking? Are you a better hider or seeker? Do you think God is a hider or seeker? (Take some time to discuss this!) It may depend on whether you are seeking Him or not. But this verse tells us that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him. What do you think it means to earnestly seek God? What does that look like? How do you think He rewards people who seek Him? Would you say that you have earnestly sought Him? If not, what would it take for you to do so? What would need to change? What is holding you back? What do you think would need to change in your life? What can you image God might do in your life as a result if you did? It is kind of exciting to image what it might look like if you truly did earnest seek God. Go for it, I dare you!
Let’s Do!
Think of one thing you could do to earnestly seek God this next week as family or as an individual. Share it with each other and then check up on each other!
For this year’s CPC Report, I’m going to do a series of reports, and this first one will feature some of the COOL DUDES of CPC! And of course, it is not an exclusive list! (Sorry if you got left off!) Next will be the GROOVY GIRLS of CPC and I’m sure it will be easier on the eyes, but I’ll start with the guys since their my best buds!
One of the neatest things about CPC is the friends you make over the years as we minister together!
So here it goes:
Me and Jack Daniels. OK, we are exactly buds, but he was the only guy around the night I arrived, so we hung out the first night while I worked on my lap top to get some last minute work done for my workshops. I promise I only had root beer!
Byron Ragains from David C. Cook was the first friendly face I ran into. I’ve known this CM Dude since I was a green thumb back at Moody Memorial Church in Chicago back in the early 90’s. Byron is enthusiasm on steroids and a constant encourager of everyone he meets. But of course he is – he roots for the Cubs, he is well trained in rooting even for losers! How much easier to cheer on CM folks!! All kidding aside, I always tell people Byron is one of those people you meet him once and you feel like you’ve been his friend forever.
Greg Baird has been the chidren’s pastor for some household name senior pastors – but that isn’t what makes him so appreciated – it is his humble desire to help everyone who crosses his path. I’ve been lucky enough to have him as a trainer for Kidology and even luckier to have sat under his training when I was starting out. He has most recently joined the staff at Kidz at Heart.
Steve Foster of Seeker Communications is more than just a familiar face at CPC events. He has been a friend long before I was ever a customer, which I eventually did become. Waaaaaaay back in the mid 90’s I shared a rental car bus with Steve and struck up a conversation with Steve and we’ve been friends ever since. Years later when we needed pagers, I was happy to find they did indeed have the best pagers for the best prices and was able to give him my churches business too! (As should you!)
It was great to finally meet Andy Johnson of Free CM Stuff.com in person! Here’s a guy who shares my heart for equipping and encouraging others in children’s ministry and spends hours a week finding ways to resource and help others to prove it!
Brian Dollar is the man behind High Voltage . I’ve not only only teased him about his name on my blog , on twitter, and on my podcast but at CPC every time I saw him, I offered him a dollar so I could say “I was giving Brian Dollar a dollar.” Well, he finally took my dollar and that brought an end to that!” He’s a great guy, though, and he produces some amazing CM resources all available on Kidology.org and the price won’t shock you!
Doncha just love that tie? This guy is a GENIUS! He creates some amazing resources that I hope we will be getting on Kidology.org. They are visual teaching tools where you write these words that transform into another word when you read them upside down or sideways or standing on your head or in a mirror. Check ‘em out on his website: CrazyTieGuy.com His son will be featured in an upcoming report: The Babies of CPC
Few know that Dale VonSeggen, founder of One Way Street, played a major role in starting CPC back in the early 80’s – but is such a humble guy he’d never tell you that himself. He’s just one of those guys who makes things happen for the Kingdom in children’s ministry with no regard for the spotlight, which is why he is one of my heroes.
Pay no attention to that red character over my shoulder! But the guy next to him, is Todd Liebenow, the new president of One Way Street, who went from employee to owner a few years ago. Now he’s got his hands in the business, so to speak.
I met Chad Miller when I was speaking at the Cove for the Billy Graham School of Evangelism a few years ago. Chad was assigned to me as my “ambassador.” Basically, just to help me with whatever I needed, and boy did I need it, since I came with a foot injury having just fallen off a boat on Labor Day and was hobbling around with a Moses-like staff hardly able to walk! If you ever meet Chad, you HAVE to ask to hear his Billy Graham impersonation – it is SPOT ON!
Roger Fields, of Kidz Blitz, holds a special place in my CPC memories – as he was my FIRST CPC workshop presenter I heard when I was a first time attender! He radically challenged my thinking and to this day many of my radical ideas in children’s ministry came from this cool dude! (Like not accepting any volunteers – “we’ll approach you”) We’ve had him at our Kidology conferences and love him because this guy is always rockin’the boat in children’s ministry – literally! I’ve since been on his Children’s Ministry Conference Cruise, and next July Kidology will be at his Children’s Ministry Expo! Will you?
Sorry the pic is so dark, but CPC is a great place for reunions. What a treat to run into Dave Ruckel, one of my Summiteers – a title I give to an elite group of guys who have been to Yosemite Summit with me. So far, only 15 guy have the honor of that title, and with only four spots left for 2010, you’d better sign up ASAP if you’d like to join this small group of guys who have experienced one of the most incredible life experiences in children’s ministry. Check it out at www.yosemitesummit.org
And who doesn’t know Mike? The man who has “Elevated” children’s church for countless churches? And rumor has it, he has the coolest office in children’s ministry – though I’ve not seen a picture myself, I just heard that via Twitter. I’d like to have one e-mailed to me! Mike is from Fellowship Church and has raised the bar for children’s church curriculum across the board. Gone is cheesy children’s church curriculum. I credit Mike with challenging every curriculum creator everywhere (including me!) to step it up a notch!
Nate is one of my CPC buds I met on the Disney World shuttle a few years ago. He confessed to being a Kidology Forum “lurker” so I called him out and finally got him to post. Now he’s well over 100 posts and a good friend!
I’ve known Ryan Frank longer than most of you reading this. In fact, he was helping me on Kidology long before Kidz Matter or K! Magazine, so I feel a bit of pride seeing all the awesome stuff he is up to today. Ryan was my right hand man at Kidology at one time before God called him to launch his own ministry, and you can still see his name on posts all over my site. He’s an awesome networker and collaborator in children’s ministry – I have no idea how he does it all, but I’m impressed!
Here I am with a couple of giants of children’s ministry! It was fun to meet the different folks who would drop by to say hello and hear the different ways that they have appreciated either Kidology.org or DiscipleTown. I deal with e-mails and forum IDs all year long, and it is so nice at CPC to finally get to put some faces to those electronic identities!
I was so glad to learn that Hester Drew from UW Sports Ministry lives in Colorado, which means that I no longer will have to wait until CPCs to hang out with this cool dude! If you are looking for a sports ministry that comes to your church and does all the work for you (well, most of it anyway) you NEED to check them out! I used them in my last ministry and they were fantastic!
This is the only dude I don’t know personally, but hey, you gotta pose with Bible Man!
If you haven’t seen my Ronnie Video on YouTube, what are you waiting for? Ronnie’s been a staple of children’s ministry for years, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t still cutting edge! I love his music and his heart for reaching kids. During some tough times in life, he has been a good friend I’ve been able to call on. And that’s worth a million bucks.
I always wonder what new friends I’ll make at CPC and this year one of them was Andrew from Concordia VBS. (ConcordiaVBS on Twitter)
Another Tweeter I got to get to know in person both at CPC and later at the airport was Dean Butterfield. I tweeted several “guess who” tweets, and he won by guessing the most correctly!
Greg Sanford is not only a regular CPCer and Kidology groupie, but I learned at our gathering, has a rather unique claim to Kidology fame… he is the mysterious “Hose Head” in this Kidology Post. Though, he doesn’t even know who submitted the picture, since he didn’t submit the game!
Before the Kidology Gathering, I met this boy (and his mom). He told me that when he grows up he wants to be either a pastor or a zoo keeper. I informed him that if he becomes a children’s pastor, then he automatically is both! Since his last name is “Best” I also let him know, that he will be the Best children’s pastor!
Last, but not least, my favorite Cool Dude of CPC, had to be Caden Laflin! It has hard not to just bring him home with me! Luke could use a little brother after all.
It seems like just yesterday I was blogging about how I hoped 2009 would be better. And here it is 2010! Aren’t we supposed to riding around on hover boards and beaming from place to place by now? I read that post, and instead of writing a post about my New Year’s Resolutions, I think I can just say “ditto” to that post!
But I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that an entire year has passed by when I reflect on all that I accomplished in 2009 – it’s actually quite an astonishing list – no wonder I am so exhausted!
And I wonder why I’m feeling exhausted?! No wonder I wasn’t ready for 2010 to arrive! I usually spend the last week of the year doing evaluation of the year just past and planning for the year to come, but I had some projects culminating and family visiting and am writing at CPC in Nashville (which I really don’t like being right after the new year) so I missed out on my week of margin for reflection and I can really feel it. Just reviewing my blog and making that list above has been very encouraging and eye-opening. For now – I need to survive this week at CPC – finish a few deadlines that still loom over me, and then do the planning and reflecting I wanted to do last week.
I’m excited that 2009 is behind me, and have NO desire to see 2010 “top” last year. In fact, you know what I am MOST excited about in 2010? Starting a guys hiking group here in Colorado for children’s pastors! Yup, I’m calling it “The Fellowship of the King.” (I know it’s corny, but I do like to hike to LOTR music.) I’ve been collecting a list of guys in Colorado, friends and soon-to-be friends via facebook ad twitter, and I’m going to be inviting them to join me hiking around this beautiful state to spend time away from ministry and with God. One thing I learned from Yosemite Summit was that once a year just isn’t often enough to disconnect from normal life and connect with God out in nature with others who share your passions in life. Most of them already know about this and are just waiting for info on the first hike – if you live in Colorado and are a guy – let me know, and I will add you to the list! (No, you do not have to be a children’s pastor or even in ministry to be included. But you may have to endure some worship music, prayer and spiritual conversation if you are not a Christian.)
Since 1994 Kidology.org has been the Internet’s leading and ever growing source of supplemental ideas for teaching children in the church. And while there is a LOT of curriculum in our Zones and for sale in our Store, we have never had a complete and comprehensive Bible curriculum available for our members. Until now.
Starting in January 2010, we will have not one, but TWOcomplete three year comprehensive Bible curricula on Kidology.org!
And are you ready for this? THEY ARE FREE.
One is free for Kidology.org Premium Members – that means for only $60 a year you’ll have access to a complete three year curriculum for your entire elementary education. Too expensive? The other is completely free for Kidology Basic Members. (Yeah, those who sign up for nada, zippo, zilch!)
Check them out:
Discovering God’s Path: a wonderfully designed and visually appealing completely reproducible curriculum. Released quarterly on Kidology.org and downloadable for free for Kidology Premium Members or available in its entirety for purchase in our store. (January is already available with the rest of the first quarter of 2010 available next week!) Again, this curriculum will be free for Kidology Premium Members. It will be released online one quarter at a time. As long as your membership is active – you’ll be able to get the next quarter. Should you desire the entire curriculum (or a quarter not currently live) it will always be available in our store for purchase. However, while most curricula are released on a schedule, where can you get one for only $60 a year? (See complete details on Discovering God’s Path)
Kidology Open Source Curriculum: Rich in content and extremely customizable, this complete three year curriculum will be unveiled in January and will be hosted in the Kidology Forums so that users can collaborate and share ideas and improvements to each lesson as a community of teachers to help the material continually grow and expand – always completely 100% for free! (Ideal for home school families!) Again, this Open Source Curriculum will be 100% free for Basic Members – no charge – no credit card – nothing. Just register on Kidology.org and you will have access to the lessons for use in your home, school or church. Adapt as you want. And if you make improvement (we hope you will!) come back and upload them for others to benefit from! That’s what Open Source is all about! (See complete details on Kidology Open Source Curriculum)
FINALLY, Kidology.org will have what our members have been asking for – a complete “cover to cover” Bible curricula, and not just one, but TWO! Whether you choose to follow one of these weekly or use them like you do the rest of the site, as a supplemental resource to enhance your educational ministry, we are please to add to our ever-growing website another rich resource for YOUR ministry!
Your Kidology.org Ministry Toolbox just got incredibly more powerful!
Why would we give all this away for free?Because we know the need is out there. Churches are struggling. Budgets are being cut. Home school families are needing solid Bible curriculum but not another expense. Bottom line, we wanted to give it away and we trust that God will honor this gift and continue to meet our needs. After all, that’s our mission.
OUR MISSION: To Equip and Encourage Those Who Minister to Children.
This is a Very Merry Christmas for Kidology.org – because we are so delighted to be able to provide these wonderful resources to those who minister to children.
Can I give you another gift? Here is a download to the Discovering God’s Path Christmas Lesson: The Messiah is Born! (Available Only on my Blog!)
TERMS: You are welcome to use this lesson your local church ministry. It may not be re-posted or distributed in any way, it is copyrighted material and all rights are reserved. It is provided here only for your use in your local church ministry. By downloading this file you are agreeing to these terms. Thank you.
It is our joy to make both of these Bible curricula free to churches and families in order to be a blessing during these difficult economic times. We hope that many will find this a financial relief and help as they seek to find creative ways to both save money while still laying a solid biblical foundation for their children.
However, providing these curriculums is obviously not free to Kidology.org. If you would like to send a donation to Kidology during this holiday season, consider becoming a Kidology Champion or sending a gift via our donation page.
WE HOPE YOU ARE EXCITED ABOUT OUR BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! WE ARE!
Got questions? You can discussDiscovering God’s Pathor theKidology Open Sourcecurricula in the Kidology Forum. Let us know what you think there, or just leave me a blog comment below:
I’m letting out on of my ’secrets’ in the upcoming release of Part Two of the Kids Church Cook Book and I thought it might make a good blog post. I was writing about a unique way I start children’s church – (perhaps another post later) and then describing something I do when I am doing my welcome…
“Like the late night talk shows, after the welcome activity, I often do what I call my monologue, it is when I come out and just talk to the kids. I tell a humorous story from the week, I greet the kids. I look for visitors. I comment on things they are wearing or brought with them. I may ask a few kids questions about their personal life, “How’s your grandma doing?” (Shows that child I care, and other children that I’m connected to individual lives.) This time is loose, very short, and very personal, but very intentional. It is just me and the kids connecting. They will feel like I am just shooting the breeze, but often I have almost rehearsed the stories I might tell of something funny that happened during the week and have the kids almost falling on the floor laughing, and then amazingly the story ends up relating to our lesson. (coincidence? not!)
The Eye Ball Game
I make it a point to try and look every child in the eyes during my opening greeting time. I call it the “eyeball game” but it is only a game in my mind. No one but me knows it is a game. As I am talking to the kids I am looking out over their faces and making eye to eye contact with each and every child. If a child isn’t looking at me, I will come back to them. If I need to walk out and among them to look into the eyes of every child – then I do that! If I need to gently put my hand on the shoulder of a child to get them to look up, then I do that. If I need to kneel down to see their eyes, I do that. No child is missed. I have no Bible verse to back this up, but I think this is how Jesus ministered. (Of course, He could see into their hearts!) But He wasn’t about delivering messages – he was about connecting with people – eye to eye.
When you look someone in the eye, you connect with their soul. Think about it, when you are in a crowd and listening to a preacher or speaker and make eye contact – even for a moment – there is suddenly power in that moment! Their words suddenly are for YOU and I bet you remember what they were talking about at that moment later! Perhaps you even wonder if they intended to look at you at that very moment; if the words they were saying were somehow intended more for you than for anyone else in the room. Imagine giving children that same feeling when you are welcoming them! You are glad THEY are there! You want to teach THEM! You have a message for THEM from God’s Word. God has something THEY need to hear today. Don’t under estimate the power of the “eyeball game!” Do it during your opening and during your teaching and again during your challenge at the end of your lesson. You can be an average teacher, but if you master the “eye ball game” your effectiveness will sour because you will be connecting with your little audience and they will go home having heard you.”
Just thought it was time I let me secret out – perhaps you’ll try my “game” the next time you teach. It is challenging at first to concentrate on what you are saying and the mental game of looking at every child and keeping track of who you have looked eye to eye at so far, and who you haven’t – but if you practice, you will get good at it, and soon you will do it naturally – and it will greatly improve your effectiveness and your impact.
Over the weekend I finally got to unpacking all my books from Chicago – a lifetime of children’s ministry and the inheritance of two pastor-dads and the heritage of a CE Director mother and as Kidology’s founder (who gets samples from publishers) - I am blessed with what could be the ultimate children’s ministry LIBRARY! I may have nearly every book and magazine ever published related to children’s ministry – and many go WAY BACK… it’s both incredible and frustrating. Not only because I could never read them all myself, but because I don’t know how to make them available to others. I couldn’t ever sell them, I don’t want to donate them, and yet they are all here sitting on shelves just LOADED with wisdom and ideas and sage advice and pages upon pages of knowledge! I wish I could scan them all and put them on Kidology.org, and yet for many of them, I’m not sure I’d have the right to do so – and researching the rights of each book would be too tedious to under take – and so here they all are – the ultimate children’s pastor library, here available only to me.
It got me thinking… I wonder if there were any children’s ministry leaders out there who would ever be interested in a residence program – just thinking out loud here – where they could just come to my house and have access to all my books, resources, tools, etc. and just enjoy several days of independent study here in beautiful Colorado. I’d be happy to avail myself for several meals for conversation and “brain picking” but otherwise, I’d just do my work, and leave them alone – What if I just said, Come! Study! Learn! Have full access to whatever of mine you want for several days. I’ll set you up with a desk and wireless Internet, and you can just browse anything I have and pack your brain full of as much as you can while you are here. Whatever you can extract from my brain while you are here can be bonus – but there is plenty on my shelves from others who have come before me or who have written from their knowledge and experience. I’d have some serious organizing and planning to do before I could do this – but I’m curious if the idea has merit.
It would be like a Self Study CM University – Kidology’s Colorado CM Independent University! What do you think?
As promised on Facebook and Twitter, here is the picture I posted and the captions that were entered in my “CAPTION THIS” contest:
"BUZZ BUZZED" (my caption)
OTHER ENTRIES:
To manyz donutz hurted my tummiez… (Allison Waters)
“i said KRYPTONITE!” not krispy kreme! (Barbara Neiger)
Luke became overwhelmed after learning that Buzz Lightyear – not Darth Vader – was his true father. And to think, the clues were there all along. (Jordan Bastian)
To infinity and beyond…the Krispy Kreme! (Todd Liebenow)
Buzz asked Jr. to taste test his new recipe that he got from Karl’s new cookbook! (Tammy Jones @vbscrazy)
Toy Story 3: No Doughnut Gets Left Behind (@alyssaglick)
To Immodium and beyond! (@marc_romero)
the evil pirate Zorkons were approaching us from the aft vector to raid our donut loot, but I was able to prevent them. *burp* (Glenn Woods @thurios)
Donut try this at home, I’m a trained professional (@samluce)
EXPOSED: Buzz Lightyears secret desire-join the police. (@j_doss)
To Naptime and Beyond! (@fathershousekid)
This is what happens when those intergalactic cops have their fill of doughnuts. (@franktan)
AND THE WINNER IS:
“To infinity and….oh, are those doughnuts? Um….never mind, saving the galaxy can wait. MMMMM….. doughnuts……” (Rob Siebert)
Rob: Twitter or FB message me and name and claim your prize!
(What do you want? Ask reasonably and ye just might receive!)
