Home Archive by category "Children’s Ministry" (Page 100)

Category: Children’s Ministry

We’re Moving to Colorado

Yes, we are packing everything up and moving to Colorado this month! In his book Visioneering, Andy Stanley makes the following statement: “Everybody ends up somewhere in life.  A few people end up somewhere on purpose.” I have been in Chicagoland since my parents brought me here in 1985. My wife has been here since she married me! I LOVE the city of Chicago! The architecture, the sports teams, the political corruption, the hustle and bustle, the malls (that’s for Sara) the blizzards (yes, I love to snow blow), and the friends made over the years, will all be things I will miss. It is a world class city. I have traveled throughout the world as well as the United States and there is NO CITY like Chicago – not even close. But in m y heart I’ve always been an outdoors guy. And after hosting two Yosemite Summit retreats, nearly dying in April, and again in May, it was time to stop putting off for “someday” what could be done now. I grew up in Colorado where my dad pastored a country church in Elizabeth, Colorado. We got picked up from school on Friday and drove to the country…

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Order of the Ancient Impacts Families

As my blog readers probably know, I wrote a novel for kids called The Order of the Ancient. You expects kids to love a good novel, but I’m always so extra encouraged when I get notes from parents and adults on how my novel for kids impacted them as adults… which was always an intent in my writing it, and why the language of the books was never ‘dumbed down’ to simply kids vocabulary. Here is an e-mail I got today that not only made my day, but asked some key questions that showed great insight into what is coming in book two: Hi Pastor Karl- This summer our daughter Breenah attended Timber-lee Christian Camp and loved everything you said and did.  We purchased your book and read it as a family.  The spiritual growth in our family as we were reading this book was awesome (especially for Mom and Dad).  As adults this book spoke to our hearts about the way we take our Bibles for granite and our time with God. God used this to change the heart of our family- Thank you!! We would like to know when the next book is coming out? If there is…

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A BRAND NEW Kids Church Curriculum!

I am excited and honored to be the first to tell you about a BRAND NEW curriculum for children’s church! It is called DiscipleTown! While it is part of the comprehensive children’s discipleship strategy from DiscipleLand, it is a highly creative and fliexible children’s church curriculum that will work in ANY church setting.  More details and a chance to pre-order will released NEXT WEEK. Here is a SNEAK PEEK VIDEO leaked on YouTube direct from the author, who you just might recognize, even with the shades on! FORWARD TO YOUR FRIENDS AND HELP SPREAD THE WORD! If you are still choosing what to teach in September, let me encourage you to plan on DiscipleTown! The first unit will be a four week series on How to Worship, which is a wonderful way to start out the school year – and as a downloadable product, it will be in your hands soon! You can then use whatever else you have planned in October. You are welcome to ask questions in comments, and I will answer the best I can. Complete details will be coming NEXT WEEK!

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A Leader and a Friend

I recently was blessed to spend a week with Pastor Todd McKeever, a true champion of children’s ministry, ministering at a kids crusade at his church in Arkansas. I appreciate Todd for a variety of reasons, and not just because he has been a member and supporter of Kidology.org nearly since the beginning both as a member and Champion and CP Team Captain, but because he a great leader. What makes Todd a great leader? He always pushes for excellence. Nothing Todd does is half-baked and nothing frustrates him more than settling for the minimum. He is always asking how it can be done better, look sharper, and be more effective. After our first Sunday at his church his first questions were, “What was your experience? First impressions? What was difficult? What could we do better?” Next I found a survey in my email. Everything Todd touches can’t help but improve, and that is a mark of a leader. He has an  insatiable appetitive for learning and growing. Todd is the personification of “leaders are readers.” His idea of a family outing is a trip to Barnes and Noble to read together. The latest books are open on his desk with bookmarkers sticking…

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When the Kids take over Kids Church

Over on Kidology.org there is a discussion about kids leading kids church, as well as one asking for samples of different children’s church services. So, I decided to kill to forum birds with one stone, er, one post! I’ve led over 1000 children’s church services and all of them have been run by kids. As described in my Kids Church Book (available as a download) I use what I call my K.C. Krew, and they help not only run Kids Church, but plan and prepare as well. In addition to all they do every week, from set up to running sound, acting is skits, doing puppets, taking the offering, leading games, to the take down – at least once a year I would guide them through a process of writing their own lesson.  I’d start with telling them how I come up with topics, how I study the Bible, how I choose the activities and write the various components of the lesson. It is a great opportunity for them to understand what happens even deeper behind the scenes and to be trained to do it themselves. Well, one year, they BLEW ME AWAY! After discussion and prayer, we decided to…

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