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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Top Three Kidology Tools for your Kidmin in the New Year

Top Three Kidology Tools for your Kidmin in the New Year Welcome to the 153rd episode of Kidmin Talk, the webcast show hosted by Karl Bastian, the Kidologist. Listen here on Kidology or subscribe via iTunes to listen on-the-go with your iPhone, iPod, iPad, or another mobile device. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW TODAY: The Kidology Way ebook All About Me Sheet for getting to know the kids Facebook Live about All About Me Sheet All About Me Blank Pic Form (for when kids turn it in without a picture) Kidology’s Ultimate Toolbox for Children’s Ministry Toolbox Zone Toolbox eTips for Volunteers WATCH THE PODCAST HERE: CONNECTING w/ KIDMIN TALK: E-mail: karl@kidmintalk.com Twitter: @KidminTalk or @Kidologist

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Shepherd or Sheepherder?

Shepherd or Sheepherder? Welcome to the 152nd episode of Kidmin Talk, the webcast show hosted by Karl Bastian, the Kidologist. Listen here, on Kidology or subscribe via iTunes to listen on-the-go with your iPhone, iPod, iPad, or other mobile device. KIDMIN TALK #152: Shepherd of Sheepherder: MENTIONED ON THE SHOW TODAY: Kidology Grants All About Me Sheets SHOW NOTES: FULL ARTICLE THIS PODCAST WAS BASED ON: Shepherd of Sheepherder Questions for Reflection: What do you think it means to be a Shepherd? What aspects of your ministry can be described as Shepherding? When do your children, volunteers or families feel shepherded in your ministry? (or do they?) What are your programs actually successful at? What does success look like and do you measure success? How do you measure success? What consumes your time? How effective is it? What are the tangible results that you can point to that merit the time invested? Is there a better way you could invest your time? What, if you stopped it, would no one notice? What do you do “just because?” If you listed everything you do in order of priority, what would be on the bottom half of the list? What if you…

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A Mother’s Legacy

Happy Birthday, Mom. My mom passed away in 1996 – but her presence and influence has never left me. I am so thankful for a mother who saw past my craziness and energy and hyper-activity and saw only God-given potential. I can remember countless times when she would hold my head between her hands and though exhausted (exasperated even!) she would say to me, “Karl, if you can ever figure out how to focus all this creative energy for God – watch out world.” Even when my creative energy was getting me in trouble, she was instilling in me HOPE that God wired me the way He did for a PURPOSE – that I wasn’t a screw-up – that He made me for a reason! That I would someday help people, even if while I was young it meant getting in trouble for being misunderstood. Today my puppets do the things that once got me in trouble. People buy DVDs of toys doing things that I once got taken away in church. Through Kidology.org and the other things I do, I have so many creative outlets now to equip and encourage other kid ministers and impacts kids, she no way…

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