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Category: Leadership

TODAY is the Day!

TODAY Is the Day By Pastor Karl Bastian Every children’s ministry leader has a shelf labeled “Someday.” Someday we’ll launch that parent night. Someday we’ll start that special needs initiative. Someday I’ll write that curriculum. Someday we’ll fix check-in. Someday I’ll call that volunteer who could be amazing. “Someday” is a comfortable word. It asks nothing of us today. But momentum in ministry doesn’t begin with someday. It begins with a decision: Today is the day. Not necessarily the day you pull off the event. Not the day you execute the full plan. But the day you move it forward. Scripture reminds us, “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day…” (2 Corinthians 6:2). God works in the present tense. While we dream about tomorrow, He invites obedience today.  The Myth of the Perfect Moment We often wait for ideal conditions. When things slow down. After Easter. Once the budget stabilizes. When we get more volunteers. When we feel more confident. Ecclesiastes 11:4 gently warns, “Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.” If a farmer waits for perfect weather, no seed ever hits the soil. Children’s ministry leaders can…

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Expect the Unexpected

“Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.” My dad used to say this often as I was growing up, and the older I get, the truer it feels. We love plans. We like calendars that behave, weeks that make sense, and outcomes we can predict. We pray for God’s guidance, but if we’re honest, we often hope He’ll guide us exactly where we were already planning to go. He also told me once, “Ever notice the word IF is in the middle of life?” IF is central to life, but we forget that when we settle into routine – especially routine we enjoy. Then life happens. The phone rings with news we didn’t want. A door closes we were sure God had opened. A conversation takes a turn we didn’t rehearse. A season stretches longer than expected. A calling looks nothing like the picture we had framed in our minds. Change hit us hard. That’s when we are confronted with a choice: Panic or Trust? Here’s the tension we wrestle with: we believe God is sovereign, but we still resist surprises. We trust His plan, but we prefer advance notice. We quote Jeremiah 29:11, yet we panic when…

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Winter Camp – Time Travel! 2004-2005

Going through some old DVDs I found my Arctic Blast Highlight Videos DVD! Ripped it and uploaded to YouTube! Most of these kids are now grown up and some are married! This is from Village Church of Barrington. ENJOY! 2004 Highlight Video: 2005 Highlight Video: THIS is why it is always worth the time to make a highlight video. Need help? See Kidology.org/highlightvideos

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The Ultimate TOOLBOX for Kids Ministry!

Kidology’s Ultimate Toolbox for Children’s Ministry is PACKED with helpful tools – it’s not just a book – it interacts with Karl’s website to provide all the templates and forms shown in the book! Read what others are saying about this book: “This book is a gold mine of information on how to build a God-honoring children’s ministry from the number one expert on the subject. I have experienced first-hand Karl’s practical wisdom and contagious enthusiasm for reaching and teaching children. Whether you have been in ministry a long-time or are a newbie, I guarantee you will gain tools you can put to immediate use. Thank you Karl for sharing what God has taught you over the years!” — Dan Huffman, Pastor of CompassKids The Compass Church, IL “Kidology’s Ultimate Toolbox isn’t a toolbox you grab for one little job. No, there’s an entire garage full of tools in this book! Karl has gathered all the critical lessons he’s learned over his decades in kidmin and presented them in concise nuggets. You’re getting the essential information – short and sweet – regarding just about every topic related to children’s ministry that you can think of. The colorful pages, extra space…

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Be like MOSES!

When Moses Learned to Delegate — and Why You Should Too If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by ministry responsibilities, you’re in good company. Even Moses—yes, that Moses—hit his breaking point trying to do it all. In Exodus 18, Moses’ father-in-law Jethro watched him spend an entire day listening to the people’s problems, one by one. At the end of the day, Jethro essentially said, “This isn’t good. You’ll wear yourself out!” (Exodus 18:17–18). It wasn’t that Moses was doing bad work—he was doing important work. The problem was that he was doing work others could do. Jethro offered wise counsel that still speaks to every leader today: “Select capable men… and appoint them as officials” (Exodus 18:21). In other words, delegate. Step 1: Know What You’re Doing Before you can delegate, you have to know what you’re actually doing. Many leaders feel overwhelmed but couldn’t clearly list all their regular responsibilities if asked. Start by writing them down. Every meeting, every prep task, every errand, every “quick favor” that somehow lands on your desk—get it all on paper. Seeing it laid out in black and white can be both humbling and freeing. You can’t decide what to give away until…

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