They Read My Mind

O.K. – I’ll be honest. There WAS one thing I hated about being a children’s pastor. I avoided it like the black plague. It was pure evil. Satan, I thought, must have come up with the idea. It was a plot to keep me from ministering to kids, sharing the Gospel, doing visitation, and equipping and encouraging my volunteers. Database Management. And it wasn’t my fault! The church’s database stunk too! If they couldn’t even keep theirs up to date, what hope did I have?! So I’d create my own, I thought. I bought every software sold on the market. Even programmed my own once. (that was a nightmare!) For seasons at a time, I didn’t bother, or I’d let it look I was keeping track of the kids – but God knew I didn’t have a clue who had really been there or not. Don’t worry – I made sure the person who dropped off the kid picked up the kid and that we had a “never alone” policy in place. Sunday morning security was a priority. But beyond keeping the kids safe on Sunday – my data was usually a mess! Please tell me, I’m not the only…

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Kidology Crash Course – ONE DAY ONLY

You’ve Always Wanted to Become a Kidologist, and Master the Ways of Kidology! Now is your chance to spend an entire day with me and learn my ministry secrets in person! What are my secrets for connecting with kids? How can you make your classroom one that kids will talk about years from now… and tell their kids about? How do share the Gospel with kids in more creative and effective ways? And how can you Unleash your own creativity? Take your own personal ministry technique up several notches in 2011! ON MARCH 15th, 2011 – you can spend an entire day with me in San Diego at the Town and Country Resort in a very informal learning environment as I takes you on a learning journey through my four favorite training sessions! The cost is only $69 and I can tell you that I will make it well worth your investment with the resources you will receive that day! (I am under-promising and will over deliver!) This is a MUST-ATTEND EVENT you do NOT want to miss! HOW IS IT POSSIBLE? I’ll be doing a PRE-CONFERENCE as part of the Children’s Pastor’s Conference – BUT – you do not…

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Jimmy Jim Says TRY JESUS!

Don’t Like Green Eggs and Ham? Jimmy Jim says TRY JESUS! JESUS LOVE YOU! I’m Jimmy Jim! JESUS LOVES YOU! Will you accept Him? That Jimmy Jim! That Jimmy Jim! I do not like that Jimmy Jim! Do you know Jesus? Do you know Him? Would you like to accept Him? I do not want to be a Christian, Jimmy Jim! I do not want to accept Him! Would you accept him here or there? I would not accept him here or there. I would not accept him anywhere. I do not want to be a Christian. I will not accept him, Jimmy Jim. Would you accept him in a house? Would you accept him with a mouse? I will not accept Him in a house, I will not accept Him with a mouse. I will not accept Him here or there, I would not accept Him anywhere. I do not want to be a Christian, I will not accept Him, Jimmy Jim. Would you accept Him in a box? Would you accept Him with a fox? Not in a box, Not with a fox. Not in a house, Not with a mouse! I would not accept Him here or…

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A New Normal is Here

On a recent overseas trip, the President of the United States used a phrase that caught my ear.  He mentioned a “New Normal”, suggesting that Americans must prepare to accept current unemployment rates as staying steady into the future. This got me thinking that there is a “New Normal” in children’s ministry as well. Things have changed! What was was once considered “normal” is rapidly changing! As I watch my 4-year-old use my iPhone or iPad, I see that his world is going to be much different than mine. Indeed, he has had his own iPod Touch because at age 2 he was caught operating my iPhone without any instruction. I knew he needed to be equipped to embrace his world. Perhaps you are following the discussions in the Leadership Forum, where Greg Baird has invited 18 authors to write about The Future of Children’s Ministry. What are you doing in your ministry to embrace this New Normal? Or does your ministry still look like it did 10 years ago? There are no easy answers, but I can tell you this: When you were a kid, you could tell which teachers were with it, and which weren’t, and you gravitated…

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How Are You Using Technology To Connect?

How are you using technology to reach today’s kids? In his contribution to Greg’s Baird’s series on The Future of Children’s Ministry, Todd McKeever writes about how he has allowed texting during church to give tweens a safe way to ask tough questions. Since the average American teen now texts over 3000 times a day – it’s might be better to join ’em than to fight ’em! Join the discussion on Kidology and share how YOU have tapped into technology to connect with kids or engage kids in your ministry. BUT FIRST – watch this incredible video, and consider if you need to DISCONNECT from our cell phone a little more. I know this convicted me:

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