CHECK IT OUT:

We know you use Kidology for great ideas, such as those found in our Easter Zone.  If you are looking for more resources, such as helpful curriculum, here’s a guide to some Easter products in the Kidology Store you should explore!

Jesus is Real 4-Week Curriculum

Tadpole Tails brings bring you a 4-week, sitcom-style video series featuring the news team from Breaking Action Daily News. This small-town newscast is dead last in the ratings until the skeptical producer, Bentley, orders news anchor Walter Riley to report that Jesus is a fake.

With the help of a young boy and a mysterious janitor, Walters investigative reporting leads him to a pastor, professor, physician, and printer. Each episode sheds new light on the fact that Jesus is real! While this may be “good news” to Walter, it causes lots of tension with the B.A.D. news team.

Buy Now for $58 – Member Price

X-treme Feats 4-Week Easter Curriculum

X-treme Feats, a 4-week Easter unit from River’s Edge, can also be used any time of the year. Explore John 3:16 in a fresh new way as kids learn about Jesus’ birth, Nicodemus and spiritual birth, and Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Kids will walk away with not only a deeper understanding of John 3:16 but will learn how belief in Jesus transforms their lives.

The lessons include Plungerman (drama), X-treme Feats trivia, X-treme Feats performer story, Bible Story, Prayer, X-treme Feat (illusion/science experiment), X-treme Stunt along with optional activities – craft, snack, comic strip, Bible memory activity, small group questions. A one-page X-treme Feats Herald is included for kids to take home. The Herald gives parents ideas for discussions and activities to do at home.

Buy Now for $45 – Member Price

CSI Jerusalem 4-Week Curriculum

CSI Jerusalem is a 4-week Easter unit from River’s Edge. Through fun, hands-on forensics science activities, explore the events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection. Investigate the lives of those who knew him well and their reactions to the events.

As we learn about Peter, Mary Magdalene, John and Judas’ actions and reactions, we are challenged to not only believe in Jesus but to allow him to transform our lives through his forgiveness and his love.

The lessons contain drama, puppets (optional), interactive Bible stories, forensic lab activities, object lessons, games, crafts, snack ideas, Bible memory activities and parent take home pages.

Buy Now for $35 – Member Price

PLEASE LIKE THIS ON FACEBOOK
TO SHARE IT WITH OTHERS!

Instead of a Christmas Letter this year (December was just to crazy this year!) I opted for a more electronically savvy method, and created a video to reflect on 2011. Besides, it was too hard to choose which pictures to put into a letter – we started one, and which pictures to choose, was so hard!

This year included a trip to California to see my childhood best friend, Andy, get married, (and a trip to DisneyLand while there) and another trip back later in the year to perform my first wedding for his little sister, Lindsay!

We enjoyed many visits from friends coming to enjoy Colorado and stay with us (when are YOU coming?) and enjoying this beautiful state ourselves as we still discover its vast beauty!

Luke turned 5, and wanted a “real Jeep” for his birthday, so I rented a Jeep for the day! I started “Dad School” a mini-home school to focus on the areas he needed help, and also “Family Pit Stops,” our evening family devotional times as he got old enough for intentional spiritual input from Dad.

Sara is a table leader for MOPS at our church and I continue to write a children’s church curriculum called DiscipleTown in addition to leading Kidology. I wrap up a two year column in Children’s Ministry Magazine after being named one of the Top 20 Leaders in the past 20 years, which was a pretty big surprise and honor. We added three new employees this year, with new VP of Operations starting January 1st, so we are pretty excited about what God has in store for our little ministry.

In addition to my fourth Yosemite Summit, I also got to take Luke and Sara this year – and seeing Luke discover my favorite place on earth, and show him all my “secret places” the tourists walk right past was a real treat, and watching him find his own, “secret places” that he wants to come back to someday. And extra bonus, after speaking at two camps this year, was being invited back to one on short notice (a previously scheduled speaker got called to heaven on short notice) I took my dad with me and we added on a trip to Yosemite, just as father and son – yet another highlight of the year for me personally.

So 2011 was a busy year, but a good year. In 2012, I hope to find a slower pace and perhaps some more margin, but am still eagerly excited to see what God has in store for my family.

Thank you to everyone who calls us family, friends, and who supports us in prayer. If you are not a part of my personal prayer support e-mail list, it’s called the Kidology Champion Prayer Supports List, and you can subscribe here. Just update your Kidology Newsletters to include that list.

I hope you had a Merry Christmas, and we wish you a Happy New Year from our family to yours!

Karl, for Sara and Luke too!

Enjoy our “Year in Review” Video:

The range of products and services we offer our visitors and members now is breath-taking! And I oversee all of it.

It’s a little schizophrenic at times, and my staff are very gracious as I shift roles constantly, but its rough on me, my family and our organization. I also serve on the board of several other organizations and serve as a consultant to other kidmin ministries in our market helping them to succeed and improve behind the scenes. But it has spread me very thin. I have known for years that I needed a full time “right hand man” but have lacked the combination of the timing, funding and the right person for the job.But the time has come.

So we are taking a step of faith – it seems all three have come together. I have hired today a Vice President of Operations and will be shifting out of my current role of running everything at Kidology, moving into a Chief Creative Officer role, and working with a new full time VP of Operations who will work with me in the oversight and coordination of Kidology. Certainly, it will take some getting used to – but he seems to be the man for the job and it is definitely the time for it.

This is one of the times where we are stepping out in faith!

If you are a Kidology Champion – you are a part of making this possible, whether you are a donor, or just part of our Champion prayer network. (sign up, if you aren’t yet)

I would ask for your prayer as we head into 2012 for wisdom, insight, the mind of Christ, discernment and unity as a team as we make the needed changes and adjustments in order to take Kidology to the next level of ministry.

Do you know the IMPACT of Kidology.org?

When we combine all levels of members of Kidology.org, both Basic and Premium, as of right now, it is around 17,000 churches. Let’s be conservative and estimate that each of those churches represent only 100 children.

That would be 1,700,000 kids impacted by Kidology.org each and every week.

I believe it very well could be many more. We are accessed by users in over 70 countries.

God is using our website to make a difference in individuals, in families, in churches – and best of all – in the lives of kids.

OUR MISSION: To Equip and Encourage Those Who Minister to Children.

That’s why I am so thrilled to announce that starting January 1st, 2012 Kidology will have a new Vice President of Kidology. His name is Mark Maestas.

Mark has an Mdiv in Leadership from Denver Seminary. He has served as a Family Pastor, College Pastor, as an interim Children’s Pastor, but most recently also in business leadership at Target Stores here in the Denver area. Sorry, Target, but the Kingdom needs him more.

We look forward the leadership and management experience that Mark will bring to Kidology.org and ask that you pray for him as he prepares to begin in the New Year.

I’m looking for Children’s Pastors and Volunteers who would be willing to help me give an iPad and some special software to a five year old boy whose family has a real need for this.

It could change his life.

Meet Brook. Brook is a lively little boy who can only say a few words – one of which is “God’s House,” which he prefers to say instead of “church” – but for the most part is unable to speak and therefore communication with his sister and mom is very difficult.

His mom has learned about the difference an iPad and some special apps could make in his life – and have tried out a few on an iPhone, and can see that it would be very helpful – but buying one is an obstacle that is out of reach for their family.

As I learned of this need through a family member, and then met this mom and boy, I thought this could be a wonderful way for my network of kidmin friends to show the love of Jesus to this little boy.

If you would like to see the difference an iPad and these special apps can make in Brook’s life, watch this short video from 60 Minutes recently was broadcast.

I would like to raise about $800 in order to purchase an iPad as well as software for Brook. Here are some samples of the software available, to explain the cost:

• Proloquo2Go ($189)
• Verbally Premium ($99)

If you would like to give, your gift will be tax-deductible by giving via the Kidology Foundation at: www.kidology.org/donate

Even if you can only give $5 to $20 (or certainly more) it will all add up. I’ve already put $100 in the fund myself, but there is much more to raise.

Would you consider helping? Just donate via this link, and put “iPad for Brook” in the comment box when you give. I will post here when we have raised enough. Again, no gift is too small! Please consider helping out.

What an awesome Christmas Gift it would be for Brook if we can do this!

Thanks for joining me in this great opportunity to help a young boy’s world of communication open up in his family! His mom and little sister will be so blessed if enough people will respond to make this happen.

Thanks!

Well, it took awhile to compile all the responses and pick a WINNER – but that original post has been UPDATED with both the winner and PDFs and WORD documents with all the submissions in a list, so you can compile your very own Kidmin Toolkit and BE READY for the next time you suddenly get called to go teach or serve and have no time to plan or pack or prepare – just grab your Kidmin Toolkit and GO!

GO THERE NOW – to see WHO WON, and download the TOOLKIT LISTS!

Leave your NEW COMMENTS HERE, rather then there. I’m especially interested in whether anyone actually creates their Kidmin Toolkit. If you do, send me a picture and I will post it here in this thread! E-mail to karl at kidmintalk.com as I will probably end up talking about this on KidminTalk soon!

GO!

Writing the Kid’s Church Cookbook was one of the biggest undertakings I’ve ever done. It was bigger than the Order of the Ancient novel, since it required design work and layout involvement that was much more intense, and bigger than the Kidology Handbook since not only is it over 100 pages longer, but it involved me filming seven complete training videos in a custom kitchen studio all while it was closed over a Christmas break… it was an insane time. I won’t even bother typing all that involved, crazy story best saved for telling in person. While it took over two years to get the editing done, the filming was all done in just 3-4 days almost non-stop without sleep!

This post was inspired by some encouraging words I just got from a Kidology member named Martin Maynard, which I thought I’d share, in case you’ve been considering picking it up: (I edited to shorten and leave some stuff out.)

Karl, the reason I am writing is your Kids Church Cookbook is the best training I have ever come across in my years of reading and studying. I appreciate what you are doing through Kidology, what an amazing site.  I wish more folks would grab a hold of what  you are doing. I sincerely think your material is just awesome and it is just what we need.

I just read your chapter on Object Lessons and how you describe how to take an object and just start describing it slowly, giving time for the connection to be made between the abstract and the concrete. Truly amazing. I truly have read tons of books and there are some great leadership books out there, but none really touch on creativeness. Man you tackle creativeness head on and make it not so intimidating. I just think this material is just that good. I feel so blessed to have stumbled on your site and to have come across the material. I feel God lead me to it. Thanks for your work at raising up youth to be disciples.

- Martin Maynard

The Cookbook took several years to write and to produce the training videos that go along with it – and it is so encouraging when people take the time to send a note of encouragement. I have never seen an exhaustive work on Kids Church, and during this season of life when I’m not in weekly church ministry, I felt God telling me to use this time to write “everything I know about children’s church” from having written and led over 1000 kids church services for over fifteen years of ministry. It was hard work, but oh so fun to do it in such a creative manner. (With the Chef theme that really played out nicely as it unfolded.) I tried to cover a wide spectrum of topics from lesson preparation to recruiting to room decorating to advance planning and so much more. It’s kinda the definitive work on Kid’s Church! Like I said, no one else has ever even tackled the topic on this scope or breath before. And with the addition of seven training videos, it really became a hefty project!

But in the end, I think it’s quite a helpful tool that should serve those who teach kids and lead Kids Church for years to come.

Thanks Martin for your encouragement! I’m glad it is helping your kids church team, and I hope it will help many others to cook up lessons that kids are gonna love and provide the tools to assist in preparing more spiritually nourishing lessons wherever the Cookbook is used!

DAY #21: My Customers

Back in 1994 when very few people knew what the “Internet” was, I got an idea for a website: The KidologyWeb:

I was already calling myself “The Kidologist” in my workshops as I sought to equip and encourage children’s workers to approach children’s ministry from the perspective of a child:

By 1996 the first “Kidology Handbook” was published:

VERY FEW people remember when Kidology.org (before I had that domain!) looked like this:

OR when you clicked into it and saw crude pages like this:

Only hundreds were lucky enough to BE on the Internet surfin’ kidmin back then! (And only a few bought the “Life Time Memberships” I offered back then when I needed to raise some money to buy some much needed Microsoft FrontPage software, and yes, they are still members!)

More remember the next version of the site: Kidology 2.0 (which I called it long for “2.0″ was hip)

It had the infamous “frames” that if you navigated just right, would give you frames within frames within frames, which could be kinda fun…

If you were a member then, prove it by putting int he comments the “Secret” entrance you clicked on to enter the Member Area before I had usernames and passwords… it was kinda funny!

Then, due to a huge answer to prayer and grant (told about in my Thankful for Steves post) I was able to hire a real web developer, Ken Kinard, who built me my first real website, with a database driven backstage and got use set up with credit card processing and memberships with usernames and passwords.

Kidology.org finally had a webite platform we could really build on. Our rapid growth soon meant transitioning to a more robust platform and even another complete redesign and before we knew it it was time for yet another complete redesign and platform change… as we went from hundreds to thousands of members and became the leading destination for children’s ministry content on the Internet.

We incorporated as a non-profit ministry in 2000 and by 2006 I had gone full time. That paints a much smoother picture in one sentence that the story is – but anyone who has lived life or founded a ministry knows, no road is smooth, but God is faithful when we continually seek him through the ups and downs on the journey.

Our websites have changed… our logos have changed… staff have come and gone…

A Rejected Kidology Logo!

One thing has remained the same… OUR CUSTOMERS! They come by the hundreds, indeed by the thousands, every day… looking for ideas, for resources, for encouragement, for training, for jobs, for connections, for friendship, for a wide variety of things… things that can’t all be found anywhere else all in one place… and even when they can be found somewhere else, they know they can find it there, but starting here! Because like Miracle on 34th Street… we will direct you to where you need to go.

So far this month, as of this blog post, we’ve have 1,157 new FREE Basic Members sign up on Kidology.org, and that’s just THIS MONTH so far… I’m blown away by how many children’s ministry workers come to Kidology.org. I remember when 1,000 members was the entire ministry of Kidology! (And when we thought we’d never hit that number.)

It is humbling and amazing and such a blessing that this is my employment now. That I have the privilege to get up each day and serve you.

I am thankful for getting to work at home near my family, to get to travel to minister to children, and to get to meet some of my customers when I am out and about serving.

MY LIFE MISSION hasn’t changed since I was nineteen when God gave it to me: To reach and teach as many children as possible with the Good News of God’s Love, and in the process to Enlist, Equip and Encourage others to do the same.

THANK YOU for allowing me to use my God-given talents to bless you and serve you. I stink at a lot of things, but that I get to do what I love, is because of my customers.

There is a saying:

LOVE WHAT YOU DO WHAT YOU LOVE.

My customers make that possible. I am thankful for them today.

(Another Rejected Logo!)

]]> http://kidologist.com/2011/11/21/day-21-thankful-for-my-customers/feed/ 0 http://kidologist.com/2011/11/14/day-14-thankful-for-patti/ http://kidologist.com/2011/11/14/day-14-thankful-for-patti/#comments Mon, 14 Nov 2011 23:04:55 +0000 kidologist http://kidologist.com/?p=4632 This is part of a series called 24 Days of Thankfulness. These posts are in RANDOM order, NOT priority order. Each is something I am thankful for leading up to Thanksgiving.

DAY #14: Patti the Bookkeeper

I often joke that I’d be in jail if it weren’t for my bookkeeper, Patti.

There are so many legal and government requirements to running a business it is dizzying! You start a ministry because God gives you a calling in life… then you discover there are a zillion quarterly and annual things to file, fill out and fees to pay and a minutia of government loop-holes that if you don’t tap-dance just right… WHAM-O, fees with interest or you lose your tax exempt status or trade mark or they come ringing your door bell. Seriously!

Patti was one of the first employees I hired and as soon as cloning is figured out, I’m taking her in to be cloned. Everyone should have an employee like Patti. She is loyal and trustworthy and puts up with me through think and thin – and believe me, there has been “thin” and when we’ve in the “thick” of it, she hangs in there.

She’s also the best friend of one of my board members (Sara) so that keeps me in line too.

I know I drive her nuts, but she grins and bears it.

Her awesomeness extends beyond paying the bills – when you are a small business, everyone becomes an expert on things you never planned on being an expert at. The week after we started the IRS showed up at my door and Patti got to figure out how to get a credit in one ‘box’ that exactly equaled a debt in another ‘box’ to balance each other out so the government would be happy again. Not an easy task as it turned out! LOL She’s learned how to fix trademark issues, bank mysterious fee issues, inter-state tax issues (since I move to Colorado) and a host of other things she probably never bargained on, and never once complained or stopped smiling. As a non-profit we do an independent audit every year and Patti works patiently as the firm digs through every little piece of paper and I’m always so proud when we pass with flying colors. When you donate to Kidology you can know that we have a great steward taking care of the funds entrusted to us. She also is the one who sends all you Kidology Garage Sale folks your checks, so you should be thankful to her too!

Today is not the only day I am thankful for Patti. I don’t know what I’d do without her!

Oh, and Patti, if you are reading this, I’ll get those receipts to you soon, I promise!

DAY #10: Steves

There are three “Steves” that I am thankful for. Each has played a critical role in my ministry success. One I already blogged a tribute to after he recently passed away, Steve Jobs: On The Passing of Steve Jobs

But there are two other Steve’s that probably will never be famous. One deserves a lot of credit for the founding of Kidology.org – though few have ever heard his name, the other deserves a lot of credit for keeping it going.

Steve Clindaniel's Family

There was a time when Kidology was a hobby of mine and I prided myself with being a “man of vision.” I often would say, “It is better to dream too big and have God cut it back, than to dream too small and have God frustrated with you because there is so much more He wants to do through you that you are unwilling to see.” I loved to talk of grand visions of what was possible! And “thinking outside the box!”

Then, through some unique situations in his life, God brought Steve Clindaniel to my church for a season. A humble, quiet guy, who I like to tell people is the only common denominator between the nations two largest mega-churches, Willow Creek and Saddleback, since he attended and served as a volunteer in both in their infancy when he worked for Hewlett Packard years ago, and his work had him on opposite ends of the country every other weekend, and he was drawn to these young churches. Incidentally, he was the volunteer who registered www.willowcreek.org and got a little flack from Bill Hybels for spending church money on such a silly thing! (Such were the days back then!)

Anyway, he volunteered to help me in Kids Church and learned about my little website and as he learned of my “big vision” for Kidology – he was the first person who had the nerve to say to me, “I don’t hear a big vision, I hear nothing but excuses and obstacles from you. I hear only what you can’t do. I want you to REALLY create a vision for me of what Kidology ought to be.” I was stunned. No one had ever challenged me like that! He asked to see my business plan. I said, “A what?” LOL Then he coached me through creating a business plan and how to present it to an investor and how to properly launch a business, within one year we had seed money, advertised in Children’s Ministry Magazine, exhibited at the Children’s Pastor’s Conference, rebuild our website properly, hired our first employee, opened an office and took huge leaps of faith that scared me to death. We even incorporated as a non-profit 501c(3) and formed a board of directors. It was time to ger real. The hobby phase was over. Steve Clindaniel dared me to REALLY DREAM and put action behind my words. Those of you who send me kind thank you notes about how thankful you are to ME for all that you benefit by from Kidology.org owe a debt of gratitude to Steve Clindaniel, a man you may never meet, and he likes it that way. Such is his godly character. But when you get to heaven, before you look me up, find Steve, and shake HIS hand first. Because he saw what I was doing at my church, heard my vision, and believed in me and pushed me so that I could minister to you all over the globe via Kidology.org.

As an added bonus, Steve introduced his nephew to our Kids Church to help in the tech booth – a young man who turned out to be a technical genius. He was my first Kidology employee, first uploading PDFs of kids church lessons, then helping create ToyBoxTales.com, and is now Kidology’s IT Director…. Branden Stuck.

Watch Kermit’s Interview with Steve Tanner

Then, there is the Steve that keeps Kidology.org running and constantly improving, Steve Tanner… known to many as Tannerman. Though, around Kidology, we have coined a phrase for things that have been benefited from his masterful touch. Things are either “Tannerized” or not. I create a page or a product and then ask Steve to “Tannerize” it. Basicly, that means to perfect it. If it’s not Tannerized, it’s not quite up to snuff.

Steve was Kidology’s first full time employee and remains our only full time staff member. We have nearly a dozen part-time employees and contractors who help with a wide variety of tasks that must be done to keep this massive operation spinning, and Steve and I somehow manage to keep it all going. While his title is Director of Web Operations, I ought to call him the Mad Hatter, as that role can end up wearing a lot of different hats at times, and I’m often wondering if I am driving him mad! (or at least, mad at me!) When he first interviewed he described himself as a “Swiss Army Knife of Technology” which has proved to be a perfect description of him, since there really isn’t anything he can’t do. Whenever we are out, I often tell people, “Name any random subject and Steve will tell you something about it you never knew. He is the expert on everything. I once said ‘peanut butter’ and got the inside scoop on the peanut butter industry. Another time I tried to do research ahead of time on a topic online (AFL), to impress him with my knowledge on a topic, and he corrected me. I argued, he said I was wrong. I finally revealed my source – the official AFL website – he said the website was wrong! Later, it proved the official website of a franchise sport was indeed wrong, and Steve was right on the fact. I was doomed to be wrong, even with advance preparation! But at least this guy’s on MY team!

So three Steves are critical to the success of Kidology – Steve Clindaniel help found the company, Steve Jobs provides many of the tools we create it with and Steve Tanner keeps it running and improving.

Today, and I am thankful for Steve’s!

It’s really just something I need to DO MYSELF – but I thought maybe others might want to join me, and I’d enjoy reading/seeing what others are thankful for. So you are welcome to use the Word doc, or just post in the forum what YOU are thankful for! So let me begin today, with my first post. These are NOT going to be in priority order, otherwise I’d have to go God, Family, etc. and then later on, people might judge me for putting one thing “above” or “before” another – so right out of the gate let me say, these posts will be in RANDOM ORDER of things I am THANKFUL FOR!

DAY 2 – God’s Word

DAY 3 – My Mom

DAY 4 – Photography

DAY 5 – Pandora

DAY 6 – George Lucas

DAY 7 – Breckenridge

DAY 8 – Barq’s

DAY 9 – Mercy & Grace

DAY 10 – Steves

DAY 11 – Freedom

DAY 12 – Luke

DAY 13 – Sara

DAY 14 – My Bookkeeper

DAY 15 – Science

DAY 16 – Da Cloud

DAY 17 – Awana & Sunday School

DAY 18 – My Dad

DAY 19 – True Friends

DAY 20 – Scottevest

DAY 21 – My Customers

DAY 22 – Tennis Balls

DAY 23 – Flight

DAY 24 – Jesus

I’ve long said, there are three types of people in the world:

1. Those who make things happen
2. Those who watch things happen
3. Those who say, “What just happened?”

Steve Jobs was one of those who MADE things happen, and equipped others to make things happen too – which was why he was my hero. He enabled me to create. A lot of people spend their time talking about what others are doing, I prefer to DO. A lot of people spend their time talking about what others are writing, I prefer to WRITE. A lot of people spend their time talking about where others are going, I prefer to GO. A lot of people spend their time talking about what other people are creating, I prefer to CREATE.

Steve Jobs was the man who taught me this. When IBM said “Think” – he said “Think Different.” He didn’t listen to conventional wisdom, he listened to his inner voice and went against the grain and did what his instincts told him. Often it led to mistakes. But he never let his mistakes stop him from pushing forward toward his dreams. He had a vision of what people needed and he was relentless in giving people what he knew they needed. (and wanted, whether they realized it yet or not!)

That is why I created Kidology.org in 1994 – I had a vision of what children’s workers needed long before most were even using the Internet. I hope that someday when I am gone, I too can be remembered like Steve Jobs, as someone who never gave up, pressed on after mistakes, and pushed against the grain to give my customers what they need to succeed in their ministries.

While I have nowhere near his genius, I hope I have his tenacity to keep at it to the end.

(Close to what my gift looked like)

It is one thing to talk about something in the abstract. Kids need real stories from real people they know. Have you ever had a bad attitude that cost you something? Too often we give the impression that we have always done everything right and it is only the children we teach who make mistakes. Telling our students real stories of times we have blown it can help encourage them in profound ways.

I remember a time when my dad came home with a gift for all three of his children. To each of my sisters he gave a gift of a different type of magnifying lens. I was in shock! Didn’t my dad know, it was I who collected magnifying glasses?!?!

My older sister got a magnifying sheet the size of a full page of paper! Then my younger sister was given a magnifying ruler. You could place it over what you were reading and as you moved it down the page the words would magically grow as it passed over them.

I was so jealous! How could my father DO this to me? Again, didn’t he understand that it was ME who collected magnifying lens, not my sisters?! They were girls, after all. They needed dolls or something of the sort. I was so caught up in my anger and jealousy and wanting what they had been given that when he handed me an old two inch long cylinder object that I didn’t recognize instead of asking what it was, I just threw it on the ground, breaking it, and yelling, “I don’t want this dumb thing, I want a magnifier!”

My dad simply left the room obviously disappointed in me. Later, after I calmed down enough to ask about the object I had cracked, he explained that what I had thrown down and broken in my anger was actually a very valuable and high powered magnifier he had found at an antique store. In his desire to bring a little treat for my sisters as well, he had stopped at the five and dime store bought them cheap magnifiers so he could have a gift for each of his children.

My impatience and disrespect cost me that precious treasure.

I have kept that broken lens to this day as a reminder that my Father knows me best and delights in giving me what my heart desires if I will just be patience and wait to hear His explanation.

I do.

You watch.

I do.

You help.

You do.

I help.

You do.

I watch.

It summarizes the process of discipleship or training it a nutshell. This summer I volunteered at my church to teach the preschool Bible stories for our churches sports camp because my son was attending. (I knew that fit my skills better than volunteering to coach sports!) I used props and objects to illustrate the Bible stories. For my own self-training purposes I video taped the sessions with my flip camera. (I like to watch and learn to improve.) One of the leaders had to teach the same Bible stories a few weeks later for the second week of sports camp when I was off to teach at a camp and couldn’t volunteer. I boxed up all my props and spent a little time coaching her on how to do it and gave her copies of the flip videos to watch and study. She did great!

This week she is on a mission trip to Nairobi and I just got this picture posted on my wall via Facebook:

Imagine my joy to see my “student” using the same technique so many miles away! It brought tears to my eyes! I had used action figures in a boat to teach about Peter walking on water and given all the kids “waves” and had Peter walk out among them “on the water” – and here is Shelly doing the same lesson on a mission trip.

I did.

She watched.

Now she did!

I watch.

That is what equipping and encouraging is all about. I live for this! It is why my LIFE MISSION STATEMENT since I was age 19 has been:

To reach and teach as many children as possible with the Good News of God’s Love and in the process to Enlist, Equip and Encourage others to do the same.

It is why I created Kidology.org, Toyboxtales.com, wrote OrderoftheAncient.com, lead YosemiteSummit.org, write DiscipleTown, created the KidsChurchCookbook.com and now BeTheDadToday.com

I do and I help – so that others can too, and then I sit back and watch. And it blesses my socks off.

Live for something amazing and you will never be bored!

Way to go Shelly!

You Have a Relationship Problem.

So You'd Like More Volunteers?

I have some hard news for leaders. This may come as a shock to some. You may need to sit down. Get a coffee or tea or soda… whatever you enjoy. But you need to hear me on this. There is a Grand Canyon of perception between why you serve in children’s ministry and why most volunteers volunteer.

You? You love kids! You knew long before Barna that there is a 32% greater chance of them coming to Christ if they are reached before the age of 12. You know Jesus said we ought to come as a child, not hinder the children, and blessed the children. You feel called to children’s ministry. You read Roger Field’s The Calling and it gives you goose bumps and you nearly cry because THAT’S YOU. You would serve if no one asked, no one noticed, and no one said thank you. Sure, you’d have your little pity party when no one was looking, and you’d whine to your spouse a little… but you’d never quit. Because, like Roger Field’s also said so well – You are a Special Ops Kidmin. The Few. The Proud. The kids need you. And lets be honest, you need them too.

But this creates a little problem for you.

You see, you assume others are this way. In fact, you are looking for and hoping to find others like this. I’ve got news for you. You may be the only one in your church. Actually, you may be the only one for a hundred miles!

Now, before you despair and cry “Woe is me!” – or get prideful, it’s O.K. I’m not so sure your church could handle two of you anyway. Or even the hundred mile radius around your church. God spaced us out for a reason.

What does this have to do with recruiting?

EVERYTHING.

It has so much to do with it – you’ve GOT to get this! So many children’s pastors/directors/leaders don’t get it, and it is precisely why they have recruiting problems.

Their problem isn’t recruiting – they recruit just fine. But they don’t keep volunteers, so they have to constantly be recruiting, and that gets harder and harder as the pool of potential recruits runs dry. Their problem is misunderstanding what their REAL JOB is and WHY those volunteers volunteered in the first place.

There is a HUGE, and I mean MASSIVE disconnect between WHY YOU THINK YOU  RECRUITED THEM and WHY THEY ACTUALLY VOLUNTEERED.

I know this, because I was a full time professional pastor for fifteen years, and now I’ve been a full time unprofessional volunteer for five years. So I’ve now lived on the “other side” and discovered the disconnect. And it’s startling.

People (let’s call volunteers what they really are, PEOPLE) come to church longing for two things, that are really the same thing: a connection with God and friendships. They are both: Relationship.

They complain that the church “isn’t friendly.” Right? So what do the pastors tell them? VOLUNTEER! “If you want friendships, don’t just sit in the worships service,” they tell these folks, “you must get involved.”

So they do!

WHY do they volunteer? Because like you, they want to fulfill the Great Commission and bring little children to Jesus?

Nope. Sorry. ‘Fraid not.

They want friends.

Period.

And they will give you MAX three months.

You Want Volunteers. They Want Friendships.

If they haven’t made friendships, they are done. They will volunteers somewhere else, and somewhere else, and then somewhere else, or visit another church – until they make friends.

People are starving for FRIENDSHIP.

You are looking for VOLUNTEERS

See the DISCONNECT yet?

The secret? Stop looking for volunteers. Start making friends. And you’ll have all the volunteers you need. I look back over my ministry and now realize why I never lacked for volunteers. I had friends. Tons of them! I took ‘em out to lunch. I used to fill Culvers almost every Sunday. The owner finally printed for me a BOX of  20% off on Sunday coupon business cards just to make sure I kept coming there. I partied with them. I visited them. I went camping. I played mini-golf. I had movie nights at my house. I forgot they were volunteers. They were my friends.

I hardly recruited. Of course, I had to at times, but I just made friends at every turn, and had all the volunteers I needed.

Now, I go to church looking for friends. I volunteer to find friends. If I serve and no one talks to me, no one greets me, no one asks me my name, or shakes my hand, or treats me like a person – if I’m just a volunteer, I lose interest. Even though I’m one of those Special Ops with all this passion and the biggest Kidmin website on the Internet. Without a friend, I’m outta there. Sorry, but that’s just reality. People need friends like a plant needs water.

If a lack of friendship can make ME lose interest – imagine someone who doesn’t have any passion for kids ministry? Someone who is just a normal everyday non-Kidmin wacko like me?

What’s to keep them around? They’d rather be an usher or fold up chairs after service if it means laughter and friendship and an invitation out to lunch after church.

DON’T MISS THIS: The ministry with the most volunteers will be the ministry where people connect and make friendships. If you don’t connect volunteers to yourself and each other, you will always be recruiting, over and over and over. Because you won’t be meeting the real need.

The need isn’t to staff your rooms - it is to help the people who come to your church to connect with God and each other. Do that, and your classrooms will all be staffed by friends. I dare you to try it.

If I give them a business card, we both know where that is going to end up. IF it even lasts long enough to FIND a trash can. Most likely it will go through the washing machine!

If I give them a website URL it will be lost to short term memory. And then I have to add, “ask your parents first,” which sounds lame, like the website is bad or something.

So in my previous ministry I came up with a simple solution. I had thousands of 16 square slide puzzles made up with our church logo on them. Nothing two fancy, but it had a simple message, (our children’s ministry motto) “because Jesus loves children” – as a simple message to parents actually so they know WHY I was talking to their child (I’m not a creep!) as well as to communicate the passion of our kids ministry, and it contained the URL of our kids ministry.

After a friendly conversation with a kid, I would say, “Hey, here’s something you might enjoy playing with. If you can solve the puzzle, it has my church’s website on the logo, you might want to check out some of the videos (perhaps I had strategically talked about toyboxtales.com or me on CBS news as a Jedi or beating Emily Fox at Speed Stacks or my massive Lego Start Destroyer something else as a hook they’d want to go see that used to be on my kids church site) that would get them to actually visit the site.

Here is what it looked like:

This, of course, is just one idea. How YOU answer the question may be different. But I DO believe you need to answer the question. How do you ‘hook’ the kids you meet out in the hiways and biways of life so that you can get them into your ministry? You need some kind of follow up tool or piece that you can give that is a “ticket” or “bridge” to potential follow up ministry.

I had families show up at my church sometimes years later and when asked, “How did you find our church?” The parent’s answer was, “Someone gave my child a slide puzzle.” I loved smiling and saying, “That someone was me,” and shaking their hand.

Kidmin Toolkit?

Let’s suppose you had to pack for a week of teaching and ministry and all you could pack was a small “Kidmin Toolkit” – what would you pack into YOUR travel kit?

A Bible? Naturally. An iPad? Perhaps. A yo-yo? A small puppet? I’d pack a bag of jolly ranchers and a sling shot! Some action figures? Remember, this is ALL you will have for a WEEK of ministry. What will you need?

I’m gonna mail the best responses in COMMENTS a prize and then I’ll post what I’d put in MY Kidmin Toolkit – and then I’d encourage you to PACK YOUR OWN Kidmin Toolkit and have it READY TO GO, because you never know when you might just need it!

UPDATE: THE $50 PRIZE PACK Very soon… someone in comments, is going to WIN this prize pack I’ve assembled:

(Note: It all packs flat to fit in your Kidmin Toolkit!)

UPDATE: I was overwhelmed by the response to this blog post. Everyone submitted Great Ideas! However, I could pick but ONE winner, and the Kidmin Toolkit Winner is: Joan Eppehimer

SEE ALL THE RESPONSES & COMPILE YOUR OWN KIT!

We have compiled ALL THE RESPONSES into a single list so you can create your own Kidmin Toolkit! Download as a PDF or Word Doc:

Kidologist_com-Kidmin-Toolkit-List.pdf (196 KB PDF)

Kidologist_com-Kidmin-Toolkit-List.doc (114 KB DOC)

I added two more, same list, just numbered: (209 items)

Kidologist_com-Kidmin-Toolkit-List-numbered.pdf (116 KB PDF)

Kidologist_com-Kidmin-Toolkit-List-numbered.doc (116 KB DOC)

Well, on vacation I went to an antique outlet mall and saw this action figure from the semi-recent Disney release Prince of Persia (which was a pretty cool movie, by the way, if you didn’t see it.)

Now, if you’ve been a fan of ToyBoxTales.com you know I’m a collector of action figures and have a wall of them labeled by their usefulness in teaching videos. (The site now features Object Talks on the home page, the videos featured in DiscipleTown, the kids church curriculum I write, so search the archives for nearly 100 videos with action figures!)

I picked up this dude because I think he looks like he could be a Bible Character!

MY QUESTION TO YOU: Which Bible Character do YOU think Prince Dastan could play in a ToyBox Tale? And why? Who does he look like, biblically speaking?

Gave me the idea… I wondered if anyone might like to take a stab at guessing how one might share the Gospel with flying chickens! For the BEST “Gospel Presentation with Flying Chickens” provided in comments, whether it is the one I used, plain funny, or another great original idea – I’ll mail you one of MY flying chickens!

I’m teaching this week on Spiritual Climbing, a topic I have done here many times, so I wanted to a take a totally new approach (my past series is available on Kidology) so I am going through the Awesome Adventure Series (gave a copy to each camper) adding an object lesson with a piece of hiking equipment I use when I go hiking and comparing to spiritual growth, but for the game, I created 12 games with these flying chickens I got on sale at an outlet store! The store couldn’t believe it when I took every chicken in the store up to the counter!

But when you find something that is usually over $10 for only $3 – a smart children’s pastor buys them all! Every game is now an object lesson that fits my lesson! The campers are going nuts over these flying chickens, and they even make noise after they hit the ground. You HAVE to have unique games like this when you are a camp speaker, it ends up being the high light. Of course, I have a new puppet as well, he is a monkey name Pogi, who sounds like Yogi Bear, but Pogi is a Filipino word. Go ahead, Google it.

SO THE CONTEST IS ON! How would YOU share the Gospel with Flying Chickens? Share in Comments? (or just comment for fun!)

Here they are:

1.            What do you think are the biggest challenges children or family pastors face when attempting to “partner with parents” in raising children to be fully devoted followers of Jesus?

There are several challenges that we face when attempting to partner with parents.  One is that parents feel completely inadequate to disciple their own children. Another is the battle for time to equip parents in the busyness of every day life. Maybe most practically is the reality that children’s pastors or family pastors likely have to change the way they work in order to partner with parents. The mindset shift is the change from just creating ministry processes to equip kids verses creating processes that disciple kids and their families when we have access to the parents. It is impossible to do it all, so children’s pastors and family pastors have to learn to focus, equip, delegate, and let go of ministries they once did themselves.

2.            Why do you think parents feel so inadequate to disciple their own children?

Parents feel this way generally because they often have not been discipled themselves.  They struggle with teaching something they don’t think they completely understand or practice. For parents it would be easier to trust the faith training of their children to the church. Embracing their role as the primary faith trainers means becoming intentional.  Many have the question, “What does intentional spiritual parenting look like?” They need a simple plan and a demonstration of that plan in progress to help them overcome their feelings of inadequacy. The truth is that parents are wired for this. When they take even little steps in faith to overcome their fear, God blesses. It’s part of His plan for the Kingdom.

3.            How can children’s pastors (or those responsible in a staff role over children in a church) best challenge parents to embrace their role as the primary spiritual leaders of their children without it coming off as a guilt trip or pressure to “do more” on top of their already busy lives?

I think we need to teach a biblical theology of discipleship which includes a lengthy thread of Scripture not limited to Deuteronomy 6:4-9. This teaching, when done in love, may motivate or even convict. Conviction is a good thing. It is the work of the Spirit to bring us back into God’s way of living. At the same time we can avoid being guilt-mongers. I have learned that when I share my fears of messing up the daddy thing or my feeling of inadequacy when it comes to discipling my kids, the people of our ministry really connect. When I tell them specifically how I have messed up they almost breathe a sigh of relief. We have to be real when we talk about this stuff. Don’t pretend you have it all figured out. Use humor when you talk about parenting. Let them into your real life as a parent. I am as busy as the next guy. I let them see my success and my failure with that even as I teach concepts like simplicity and balance. I think it’s all about approach.

4.            How do we convince parents that the spiritual develop of their children is not just another area of importance worthy of some attention, but the most important area of their child’s development worthy of the utmost attention with ramifications on every other area of their development? It sounds so dramatic – and yet it is so true. (Assuming you agree with this statement.)

We have to teach them the biblical truth. The words of God speak with authority on the matter in a way mine do not. Since God is the Grand Designer, he has hardwired parents for this task. Most Christian parents intuitively know that faith training is worthy of their attention. I think we convince them fully when we teach them how to be intentional about the faith development of their children in simple, every day ways.

5.            Lastly, what is one practical way you have found to encourage parents that they do not need to first get their own act together or become a perfect person/parent before they start to be intentional about leaving a legacy for their kids? Can you share a specific example of a story, object lesson, challenge or illustration you have used to move parents from inaction to motivated action?

I get parents to tell me of a time they looked into their child’s face and saw their own. Sometimes I will ask them to share a funny story of when their child said something and they instantly realized, “That kid sounds just like me.” I have them recall a time disciplining there child either in a positive or negative way when they realized they were practicing discipline just like their parent did whether they wanted to or not. Everyone has a story to illustrate that legacy is built whether intentional or not.

I then say, “If we are building legacy, why don’t we do it with some intentionality.” I like to give them an easy win. I teach them at that point to start praying scriptural blessings over their kids at night before bed or before they walk out the door for school. I even give them the cards with the Scripture on it so it’s easy. Intentional legacy can be that simple.

The Legacy Path is a great follow up for both children’s pastors and even more-so for parents!

Here they are, perhaps someone else might enjoy them… as you can see, my artist skills peaked around the second grade. As for the lesson content, I am covering The Nine Virtues and teaching Bible Characters that displayed them. I’ve done four so far:

Courage: Displayed by David: (Click image to see full size)

HONOR: Displayed by Young Jesus (Click image to see full size)

TRUTH: Displayed by Peter (Click image to see full size)

LOYALTY*: Displayed by Esther (Click image to see full size) *Fidelity

(All spelling errors while drawing are in fun and for audience participation and laughter… you just keep on going, you are drawing quickly!)

I love this technique because the kids enjoy it, it involves the audience because it is funny and it also gives a very unique visual. Kids are so used to video today, it is almost “high tech” and “NEW” to see someone manually draw something to illustrate, since it is just not done any more. Plus, much like ToyBox Tales, it is something they can relate to, since kids like to draw. You don’t need to be an artist to do this, because kids aren’t artist either! I’d really encourage you to try it!

Kids come up to the stage afterward to look at the drawing, and then many copy it throughout the day in their notebooks, which is reinforced learning. They are getting a visual overview of the book/story – which is a great way to learn.

I wish more teachers would find ways to get rid of the DVD player and teach in new ways that “draw” kids in. It isn’t hard, and its actually MORE effective.

LET ME CHALLENGE YOU, loose the DVD player. If you use it, limit it to NO MORE than ten minutes in your lesson. More than that, and you are honestly losing effectiveness. Kids need real people in front of them teaching. And if you can draw a stick figure, you can teach better than a DVD can. Honestly.

I will post the rest at the end of the week in a post on Kidology.org and update this post with a link to that post with much more detail on the entire lesson scope and details on the overall unit on the Nine Virtues.

Got a great e-mail today – one of those that says it better than I can.

Pastor Karl,

I recently was granted a Kidology scholarship and I am SO thankful. It would take a book to explain my situation but I am sure you have heard it all before… a struggling Children’s Ministry without a Minister so a member takes the task on and is just overwhelmed.

When I opened my email from Rachel (customer support) stating I had the Premium Membership there was a mention of this “Leadership Labs” series that was suggested I try out. I started the “First Things First” lab and had to pause the video after the first homework assignment. Can we say a gut check? I immediately started crying out to God and apologizing for making this MY task and MY service. I turned everything over to Him and asked Him to take care of everything. “Just show me what you want me to do,” I pleaded. I was in tears before our talk was over. That night I slept better than I had slept in weeks! I was actually planning on sleeping in the next morning, but the phone woke me up. On the other line was an older woman from our congregation. She explained that she just felt led to offer to be a volunteer with our kids (something we have REALLY struggled with). I was amazed. Here was a woman who was completely able to help, but that I never would have thought of to ask. I hung up the phone pretty much in shock, but immediately comforted in an assurance that He would indeed take care of everything — if I would just step back and let Him. Thank you for the gut check I needed it.

Amber

As I have written about many times, such as in my article, Give It Back to God, it is His Ministry, not yours. So give Him a chance!

Thanks, Amber for the encouraging note, you made my day, week… month! And I hope through this post encouraged many others as well!

So far I’ve written on “How to Worship God“, “How to Use My Bible“, “How to Grow Spiritual Fruit“, “How to Make Good Friends“, “How to Follow God’s Plan“, “How to Make Good Choices“, and “How to Be Faithful Workers“, “How to Pray“, “How to Build Character“, “How to Explain My Faith“,  “How to Discover Gifts & Talents“, and “How to Meet with God“.

Each one has presented it’s own unique challenged and each one has had things go wrong in the process as though someone or something is resisting this process! At times I wonder if I just have really bad luck – or if it is indeed spiritual warfare as I push forward to create these units that help kids become better Disciples of Jesus.

On this latest one – it got CRAZY as I tried to finish the videos that will help children to understand the overview of the New Testament. While sometimes I’ll be hit with technical issues, like sound only coming out of one channel or a lighting issue, or hard drive crash or the mic wasn’t recording, etc. this time, it was almost funny – except that it was frustrating. I’m just sharing to give you a glimpse into the hidden “battles” behind the scenes as Christian resources are created to help Children battle the Enemy.

As you’ll see in the video below, I filmed in my car in the garage – and after hours of set up (there is a lot of technical set up with lights, camera, tripod, mic, monitor, rigging a cue sheet, etc.) I was started shoot when a cricket started chirping! I began searching my garage for the culprit and when I found and squished a cricket, two more began chirping as though to mourn their friends death! After hours of searching, I had to surrender and go to bed in defeat, no filming that night, despite the pending deadline.

The next day, deadline approaching, I set to film during the day – when the neighbor pulls out a table saw and starts cutting away. Then when he is done, kids start playing outside, then it rains. When I can finally film, and get started, the filming lights (specialty bulbs) go out! I drive to where I can buy them and return. Back to work. I finally am done when I realize that I can’t get the videos off the DV tapes because the cable from the camera to the computer is 4 to 6 pin fire wire cable and my new Mac has a 9 pin fire wire cabe, since I issued my old Mac to an employee when I upgraded. Off to not one, not two, not three but four store… they don’t see a 4 to 9 pin fire wire cable, while all telling me “it’s common.” Not even the Apple Store carries it. I finally ended up at Micro Center in Denver, who had ONE.

Crickets. Burned out Bulbs. Missing Cables. And I didn’t even get into title slides that didn’t line up so I had to recreate from scratch as that is too hard to explain to you. Just more time and frustration during the editing process.

In the end, I love the videos! Kids will watch them and enjoy them and gain a better understanding of the overarching structure of the New Testament, how it all fits together, who wrote the books, their themes and how they are organized into sections.

Is it all worth it? Of course! Some may think “Unit 13″ is just unlucky, but I tend to think that there is a force working against me at times because I am working to help kids know their Bibles so they can be equipped to be Different in this world and live victorious Christ-like lives in this nutty Cricket-infested world, ooops, I mean, sin-infested world.

So the next time you feel unlucky and like nothing is going your way. Just know, you are not alone. You may look at a resource on a website and assume everything went hunky-dory in putting it together. It never does. But I pray it will impact kids lives once it is out there, and once it is live, I sit back finally and sigh a huge relief that I’m done, and it can now begin it’s work of equipping kids to Navigate the New Testament.

But I can’t chill for long. Pretty soon I start to work on How to Navigate the Old Testament, and the crickets are still in my garage.

Here is a sneak peek of the videos from How to Navigate the New Testament:

and

Yup, I was Number 198 on a list of 200! Barely made it! Whew! But what an honor to be noticed and because they did the ranking based on Google ranking and subscribers to Google Reader and RSS feeds, I must say:

THANK YOU

to those you YOU who read my blog, because it must mean you find my posts interesting, helpful, encouraging or something in order to keep coming back. I often say “I’ve been blogging since before there were blogs” and so it’s nice to know there are people reading!

I don’t often post (or concern myself) with awards or recognition (my dad raised me to not give much thought to such things) but as long as I am here to say “Thanks”, I should mention Tony Kummer’s Blog List – not because I’m on it – but because so MUCH WORK goes into creating these lists, and he has 99 OTHER great Kidmin Bloggers on it, all worthy of checking out, in addition to my blog:

So thanks again for reading my blog. Again, it’s nice to know folks appreciate it – it’s just another part of my Life Mission: To Reach and Teach as many children as possible with the Good News of God’s Love and in the process to Enlist, Equip and Encourage Others to do the same.

Anyway – Along with my wife and some youth I brought from my church, we were proving children’s programming for TEN DAYS while the parents were in sessions over in the “Big Tent.” We did full scale Kids Church-like lessons, game times, crafts, and so much more. As I always do whether I’m doing Kid’s Church, speaking at camp, or writing curriculum, I provide more than asked and try to make it the best I possibly can for the kids sake. I believe in making memories for kids – spiritual anchors that will last a life time. It’s always been my passion and philosophy that we aren’t just teachers – we are making spiritual Ebeneezers – reminders for the future of what God did in the past in kids minds – that’s why we should go ‘over the top,’ whey they stray from the faith – they can mentally (and spiritually) see these Ebeneezers and be led back!

Where am I going with this? At the end of this week, just a few years into being married, and a young children’s pastor at the beginning of my budding career,  Scottie May – a woman I looked up to as an expert and guru in kids ministry gave me a letter along with my pay check. It has been thumb tacked to the wall by my desk for over 15 years – from ministry to ministry, I have cherished it! I usually just get a check in an envelop, but she went the extra mile to write me a letter! It has faded and gotten worn with holes and folds, but it is still special to me.

She Wrote:

Dear Karl, Sara and Troop:

WOW!  You guys are phantasmagorical (I think that means unbelievable.) You amazed me with your organization, energy, efficiency, and execution.  Parents loved you.  Kids love you.  My cousin’s family had to stay overnight because her children cried when she said they’d be leaving this afternoon before your final session.

Thanks for going above and beyond the call of duty to show the love of our Lord to these kids.

May each of you be refreshed and renewed as you travel home tomorrow.  I know that God is pleased because you have been faithful and what you did was well done.

I’ll be praying with and for you about returning to minister again next year.

In awe of Him,

Scottie May

I don’t share this letter after all these years to brag or pat myself on the back – or I’d have shared it many years ago! But to tell you what an IMPACT this letter had on me as a children’s pastor of only three years! “phantasmagorical” ?!?! I had no idea what that meant! But it sounded good! I wanted to BE a phantasmagorical children’s pastor! I wanted to live up to how she described me! I wanted not just the kids to love me, (that was easy), but the parents too! I wanted parents to not be able to leave because kids had to hear my last lesson! I would always be known for “going above and beyond the call of duty” because anyone can do what is asked of them. And she caught why, it showed my love for these kids. And ultimately, I wanted the Lord to be pleased, and if I pleased the people I was serving, then there was a good chance, God would be pleased too. And being asked back – is always the best compliment you can get. (And I was asked back again!)

So I ask you…

• WHO encouraged YOU like this when you were starting out?
• WHO have YOU encouraged? Write them a note! (NOT an e-mail, a real hand written note on that flat white stuff called paper!) You never know, they may cherish and save it for years to come.

And Scottie, should you happen to read this – THANK YOU for believing in me and giving me a chance when I was just starting out and hardly knew what I was doing. I needed those opportunities early one to live and learn and love on kids! I am today what I am because of leaders like you and Mary Kay Meeker, Chris Yount, Byron Ragains, Linda Connell and so many others who gave me a chance before I had “made a name” for myself. You took a risk on a young guy who just seemed to be nuts about ministry to kids.

THANKS for encouraging ME! May many others do the same for others like me!

]]> http://kidologist.com/2011/04/01/the-power-of-encouragement/feed/ 1