Home Archive by category "Discipleship" (Page 7)

Category: Discipleship

“Problem” Kids – Aren’t Really a Problem After All!

This is a guest post, re-posted from itsyourbooknow.blogspot.com with permission. This week I had a Sunday School training with Karl Bastian, the Kidologist. The topic was discipline, and I was eager to learn. That’s one of the hardest things for me as a Sunday School teacher. I walked out with a lot of great tips. Grace based tips. Which I love, because I’m a big fan of grace. All new ideas I’d never thought of, heard of, or tried before. I’m eager to try this out. But the thing that struck me the most wasn’t so much a tip as it was a perspective. Which was pretty much the perspective that framed all the tips. You know those “good” kids? You know, the ones who bring you Christmas gifts and say please and thank you and never disrupt class? You probably aren’t going to make a difference in their life. Why? Because their lives are already on a good trajectory. They usually come from good homes, homes where parents are doing a wonderful job teaching them about faith and how to live like Jesus. If you weren’t in their lives, they’d probably still turn out to be wonderful Christians. You…

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YOU Are a Bible Character!

Did you know that YOU are a Bible character? It’s true! Consider this. An upcoming lesson in DiscipleTown has the theme “Pray and Obey,” and this is the “Connect with Your Kids” element. I wanted to share it with you early, because I think it is relevant to your lesson every week, no matter what you may be teaching this Sunday. It’s all about sharing when you have done what you are asking your students to do. It’s all about BEING what you are TEACHING. That makes YOU a “Bible Character.” It is one thing to tell kids they need to pray and obey. It is entirely another to give them a real world example from someone they know who has done it. Prayerfully reflect on a time in your life when you have needed to “pray and obey,” and then God gave you the power to do the right thing. Share your story. It can have a powerful impact on your students. Don’t underestimate the power of your story on your students. We often tell Bible stories and forget that these Bible “characters” were just ordinary people like us. They didn’t know their stories would end up in the…

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What if a Kidmin had reached little Bobba?

Over in the Kidmin Talk forum discussion on Kidmin Talk Episode 49: Mutiny, The Kids Have Taken Over Kids Church, I am offering a FREE SCAR FORCE VBS to someone who posts a picture of their favorite Star Wars character! One poster, Matt Owens, suggested: Karl, my favorite character is Boba Fett. He’s a clone among millions, but he’s the only one who saw Jango as his father. He had such a heart-breaking childhood experience and he chose a path of bitterness and vengeance. This kid needed a Kidmin in his life! It made me think, YES! Imagine if a children’s pastor could have found poor little Bobba and invited him to a bounty hunter VBS or clone summer camp or discipled him in the power of spiritual weapons, instead of hunting Han Solo, he could have been a missionary evangelists to bounty hunters and the galaxy could have been saved so much turmoil! He could have been a galactic version of the Apostle Paul! What a lost opportunity for sure. Imagine how different the entire Star Wars saga could have been if someone had reached that poor little poor at a young age – a boy who had experienced…

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The ALL NEW Awesome Adventure is HERE!

And let me tell you, it is AWESOMER than ever! (Download the Promo PDF) If you have been discipling with Awesome Adventure over the years – you are in for an EYE-POPPING surprise! You will find the same Bible-Rich Content that covers the same 12 Basic Discipleship Lessons – but communicated in an entirely new exciting way! I’ve been personally transformed into a cartoon (!) – and entered into the book to take Dee, Cy and Paul (and their trusty dog, Chip) and two other new Christians, Luke and Laura, on a hike in Yosemite National Park to learn all about God and what it means to walk with Him! Along with way they visit actual historic sites in Yosemite while learning about the Bible, Prayer, Fellowship, Spiritual Gifts, and many other important topics – while discovering the parallels between hiking and walking the Christian life! They learn that discipleship comes with dangers, and decisions and even a run in with a bear! Your young diciples will learn right along with the kids in the book what it means to live for God along the path of life. There are fun interactive puzzles, codes, mazes, word searches, and colorful illustrations…

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10 Ways to Make a Difference

We aren’t in children’s ministry to administrate. We aren’t even in kids ministry to teach. We are ministers of kids because we want to make a difference in the lives of children. Below is a PDF of some slides pulled out from one of my presentations I like to give when I am speaking at conferences or encouraging volunteers. I enjoyed speaking to the volunteers at a church this Sunday, and wanted to make these slides available to them, and to anyone else who might find them helpful and challenging. They are TEN WAYS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the life of a child. They are, in a sense, “ten secrets” to connecting with kids beyond just teaching great lessons and being a good leader. These are the things that will set you apart. They are what make you a relational minister. And they are the things that kids will remember years later long after lessons are assimilated into who you are and events are forgotten. I almost hate to give away my secrets, except that they will change lives when applied. So I can’t keep them to myself! Download and Apply Often for Great Results in your Ministry!

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