Home Articles posted by kidologist (Page 34)

Super Bible Bowl is Back and UPDATED!

There are nearly 24,000 Zone Posts on Kidology.org with ideas, lessons, crafts, games and more. One of the most popular for years has been my Super Bible Bowl. It is actually the 282nd Zone Post – so that tells you how far back it goes! (It was first published in 2003, but created long before that.) As I was reviewing it recently I realized it was still made up of OVERHEAD PROJECTOR slides since I created it so long ago. Who uses those anymore? So all the graphics were portrait instead of the landscape format we use today. It was time to update! I updated the images, the lesson, tweaked the rules, and even included all the Bible trivia questions you need so you don’t have to collect those to play. It includes: Illustrated lesson on sharing the Good News of Jesus, using the game of football as an object lesson. All needed graphics for a giant football playing board. Posters with the rules for easy reference. PowerPoint to go along with the lesson. Complete rules to the Kidologist’s fun, interactive game of Bible Football. A collection of PDF files to download and print for both the lesson and the…

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Taking the Path Less Traveled

You’d miss it completely if you weren’t looking for it. Most walked right past it. But we enjoyed a rare treat because we were looking for the path less traveled. I kicked off 2017 with a week of hiking in Yosemite National Park with a good friend. I lead the Yosemite Summit retreat for pastors every May, but we were eager to see this incredible place in winter. God blessed us with both fresh snow and temperatures that made hiking surprisingly easy as we stuffed hats, gloves and jackets into our backpacks… not needed! Ahead of time we did some research on the best spots to see in winter. We discovered a secret spot off the Upper Yosemite Falls trail that afforded an amazing view of the middle falls that otherwise are impossible to see from any other location. It was amazing! We marveled that the slight detour leading to this spot was missed by most, but at the same time enjoyed that the secret was ours alone as other hikers walked on by, just a few feet away and missed it completely. I won’t even name it here, its worthy of secrecy – but if you ask me in…

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Reunited after 31 Years!

Thanks to Facebook, I reconnected with two childhood friends over Christmas break while in California. And what better place than Portillo’s – a popular chain I discovered in Chicago that now has a location in Buena Park, California. (Just down the street from Knott’s Berry Farm.) Dennis I’ve known since we were in a 4th and 5th combination class at Gompers Elementary. I don’t remember now which grade it was, but Dennis transfered in mid-year and soon we were best buds. We met Richard a few years later and by junior high (Bancroft Junior High) and during my freshman year at Lakewood High School, we walked to and from school together every day down Coldbrook Avenue. I moved away to Chicagoland that summer and as often happens, I lost track of them. Over the years I often tried to look them up and a few years ago we found each other online. I believe Richard actually found me and then connected me with Dennis, as they had kept in touch. In fact, until just recently, Richard lived in the same house having inherited from his parents. He lived there for like 40 years! I could have just gone and rang…

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Merry Christmas from Kidology

Merry Christmas from Karl Bastian and Team Kidology! I was only a few months old when I participated in my first nativity re-creation with my big sister. I don’t remember it, of course, but I am so thankful for my mom and dad who made Christmas special every year – and who made Christ the focus of our celebration. There are so many wonderful distractions this month – most of them good things! But the DAY has finally arrived. No more waiting. No more anticipation. No more shopping or lines! No trying to find a parking spot! The day is here. Time to Chill. Eat. Laugh. Relax. Give gifts. (And get some!) Some of you may not even check e-mail. That’s good! But if you peeked, I just want to wish you a Very Merry Christmas from my family, and everyone at Kidology. Isn’t it cool that on Jesus’ Birthday we all give gifts to each other? But the Greatest Gift can never be topped! In the midst of all the activities, be sure to find that quiet moment to simply reflect on that Gift and how much a difference He has made in your life. We can get so…

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Creative Video Bible Story Telling

We’ve all seen and perhaps used videos in children’s church. But did you know you can make your own? Here is a GREAT sample from a church where I’ll be doing some teaching training in the new year (via skype). I think it is a great example of how you can make a video that requires NO MEMORIZED LINES! Kids LOVE to see themselves on video – as well their friends. Plus, the experience of making the video also reinforces the learning process. Here is how the creator of the video described it: This was a project that was Jesus-inspired.  I have NO videography, director, script writing, etc. experience, but after a test run with my kids I thought this could be doable.  It’s shot on my iPhone 6 and as you know, edited on iMovie. The beauty of this project is a) no memorized lines; b) the film shoot can be chaotic and I’m giving directions the whole time, but it’s all muted and voiced over; c) isn’t dependent on kids all showing up on a given Sunday to perform and half of them are out for colds or vacation; d) gives parents something to take home and share;…

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