Gratitude Changes Everything By Pastor Karl Bastian The celebration of Thanksgiving every November is wonderful. Families gather. Tables are full. Traditions are honored. Gratitude gets a full day on the calendar. But the downside is that it can subtly relegate gratitude to something we focus on once in a while—sadly, perhaps annually. We pull out thankfulness like fine china, use it for a day, and then pack it back into storage with the pumpkin decorations. The reality is that an attitude of gratitude is the secret to contentment and happiness every single day of our lives. By our human (sinful)...

From the Coach’s In-box: Question: How do I engage home school parents in my ministry that are challenging to engage, seem skeptical of what the church is offering, and don’t respond as I’d expect to the church’s programs? Karl’s Answer: First, normalize what they’re feeling. Homeschool parents often chose that path because they deeply care about what and how their kids are taught. Many made that decision after frustration with systems that didn’t align with their values. That kind of conviction requires confidence. From the outside, that confidence can look like “they think they know everything.” But often it’s protective,...

TODAY Is the Day By Pastor Karl Bastian Every children’s ministry leader has a shelf labeled “Someday.” Someday we’ll launch that parent night. Someday we’ll start that special needs initiative. Someday I’ll write that curriculum. Someday we’ll fix check-in. Someday I’ll call that volunteer who could be amazing. “Someday” is a comfortable word. It asks nothing of us today. But momentum in ministry doesn’t begin with someday. It begins with a decision: Today is the day. Not necessarily the day you pull off the event. Not the day you execute the full plan. But the day you move it forward....

“Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.” My dad used to say this often as I was growing up, and the older I get, the truer it feels. We love plans. We like calendars that behave, weeks that make sense, and outcomes we can predict. We pray for God’s guidance, but if we’re honest, we often hope He’ll guide us exactly where we were already planning to go. He also told me once, “Ever notice the word IF is in the middle of life?” IF is central to life, but we forget that when we settle into routine...

I could not live or work without Mac “Hot Corners” – once called Expose’. How do you navigate to your desktop when it is loaded with windows? Minimize them all one at a time? That’s for people with too much time on their hands. Mac has a very handy and cool feature called “Hot Corners” – as I set up a new Mac I was reminded quickly how much I use this! Instructions: Click the  Apple menu (top-left). Go to System Settings. Click Desktop & Dock. Scroll allll the way down (it’s hiding like a shy volunteer). Click Hot...

Going through some old DVDs I found my Arctic Blast Highlight Videos DVD! Ripped it and uploaded to YouTube! Most of these kids are now grown up and some are married! This is from Village Church of Barrington. ENJOY! 2004 Highlight Video: 2005 Highlight Video: THIS is why it is always worth the time to make a highlight video. Need help? See Kidology.org/highlightvideos