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Category: Kidmin Talk

Kidology Lab: Tina Houser: A Creative Champion for Children’s Ministry

Tina Houser, who recently graduated to Glory on Christmas Eve, December 24th, 2024, was one of the most creative and prolific content creators I have ever known. But more than that, she reflected Kidology’s mission more than anyone else I’ve known. My passion in life is to BOTH “Equip and Encourage,” those who minister to children, and that is exactly what Tina did – constantly. I can’t even count how many times Tina sent me a kind note of encouragement out of the blue. Often, as an author, I’ll ask people for a quote or endorsement of a book or resource to help promote it – but with Tina, she was constantly reaching out to me to send a compliment or word of encouragement about something I had created, posted or written. And coming from her, it always made my day! If you didn’t know her, there is a good chance you have used one of her books. Tina Houser was a well-known and well-loved leader in the realm of children’s ministry and Christian education. She was recognized for her creative, hands-on approach to teaching the Bible to kids. You may have run into her at the Children’s Pastor’s Conference…

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The Laughing Classroom is the Learning Classroom

I once saw on a teacher’s bulletin board a poster that said, “The laughing classroom is the learning classroom.” That truism has always stuck with me, and I’ve aspired to make it true of my classroom ever since. It’s true! Kids who are laughing are learning. This sounds counter-intuitive. We think that if kids are laughing, they aren’t listening, but the opposite is true. They are engaged at the deepest level. How can this be? I remember, in my literature class in Bible college, my professor told the class we will learn more from our television viewing and leisure reading than we will from her class. I was stunned she would say such a thing, especially about her own class! She went on to explain that when we are taught something in a formal setting, we listen, but we evaluate. New information is passed through several grids where we decide whether we agree with the information. We evaluate the data against other information we have received, past experiences, and other sources, and a collective conclusion is made where we determine what we accept, and what we reject. It’s a healthy process, just as you are reading this and deciding whether…

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Dealing with Problem People

For Kidmin Talk #157, I decided to share one on my Coaching Zoom calls since the topic is one that is so important to ministry leaders. The primary reason fail in ministry has nothing to do with skills or performance, it is because people can’t get along with others. Learn the secrets of getting along with others, especially difficult people! Links and show notes available at Kidology.org/kidmintalk157

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Connecting with Today’s Digital Kids!

It’s no secret we live in a digital age! Take home papers are no longer the most effective ways to reach kids between Sundays. So how DO you connect with today’s digital kids? Pastor Karl Bastian, founder of Kidology.org talks about his three favorite ways to connect with kids in today’s digital world. Paper take-home handouts are no longer the best tool. You’ll love these modern options! See complete show notes and iTunes link at: Kidology.org/kidmintalk155

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When Teaching a Large Age Range

I was reading a discussion over on the Kidology.org forums* about how to teach to a wide age range and there were some comments suggesting different age ranges to aim for. Some were suggesting “aiming for the middle” or “targeting the older kids” so as not to bore them, whereas others thought it better to teach to the younger ones so as not to lose them. I’d like to suggest a different approach after having taught over 1,000 children’s church services to first through sixth graders for over twenty-five years. It’s a rather simple suggestion: AIM FOR EVERYONE! The key in a large group with a large age range is to shift your focus constantly. The secret is to be highly visual and to be physically moving and animated to keep the younger ones tracking with you (don’t stand still and never sit, meaning you the teacher) and use humor constantly to keep a connection with your audience. Think about it: Senior pastors preach to a wide audience range of age and intelligence and education and world view and learning styles and they can do it! They don’t break their audience into groups! How do they do it? It isn’t…

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