Time to UNPLUG and Reconnect

Have you ever wanted to UNPLUG from the hectic busy pace of ministry life? That is the entire point of Yosemite Summit. It is a week where you are unplugged in every sense of the word. No computer, no e-mail, no phone calls, no work, no deadlines, no ’emergencies’, no pressure. Better than a day off spent catching up on personal things – it is a complete break for the sake of complete rest and renewal. I was once told by a very wise mentor, “Karl, you need to stop being a human doing, and learn to become a human being.” That is what Yosemite Summit is all about. It is an annual cessation of activity. Too often we confuse busyness with what God is truly seeking from us. Not that we aren’t busy doing good things! But we get so busy doing these good things, that our relationship with God can grow distant, and soon God is wondering, why or who we are truly busy for? Stopping, completely, once a year is an opportunity to recalibrate. It is a time for reflection and renewal. It is not a time of evaluating ministry goals and seeking a new “ministry vision”…

Continue reading

STATE of the KIDMIN

So, did you watch the STATE of the UNION address by the President? Regardless of your political opinions, it is a good practice to stop once a year and consider the state of the union. How are we doing? What have we accomplished? What could we do better? Who can we honor? Have you ever considering addressing the STATE of the KIDMIN? Often we get stuck in a rut. We do the same things every year because… well, we did them last year. And the year before. And possibly, the year before that. Maybe you should consider doing your own “STATE of the KIDMIN” for your parents, leaders and volunteers. You could do a luncheon or simply a letter you send out. But similar to the President, share what has gone well, what could be done better, and honor some people who have served well. There is always cause for applause in the children’s ministry. And the good news is, there probably isn’t two parties in your kidmin you have to worry about “crossing the aisle” to appeal to! So what is the STATE of your KIDMIN? Is it time to do some evaluating in what YOUR KIDMIN should do…

Continue reading

When Your Volcano Fizzles

What do you do when you put a lot of hard work into an event or idea in ministry… and the end result is disappointing? For Christmas Luke got a home made volcano. We  were pretty excited about it and spent several days building it and looking forward to the final moment on the eve of our trip home when we would erupt the volcano. The climax of the project, was, well, let’s just say it’s a good thing we all had a good sense of humor about it. Here is a video of the dramatic eruption! As we laughed about our volcano disaster, it occurred to me that the same thing has happened to me many times in ministry. I got a “great idea” – put a lot of work and energy and time and often resources into bringing the idea into reality, only the have the final result be… well, disappointing. What then? If it hasn’t happened to you yet, it will. You’ll have a great looking volcano that only fizzles. You can laugh about it, but more importantly, you can learn from it. What are some of the lessons we learn in leadership from our flops? Ask,…

Continue reading

Fall is Here! Get Yerself TRAINED!

Everywhere I go I run into Kidology Members who ask me where they can get affordable Leadership Training and I am surprised how often they are unaware that they have access to FREE online video Leadership Training as part of their Kidology Membership. I created Kidology Online Training specifically because I know not every leader can go to conferences. Through these FREE streaming online videos every Premium Member of Kidology can learn what I’ve learned in my twenty plus years of being a leader and children’s pastor. Then, to add to the learning experience, each training session has an optional add-on download kit that provides a RICH 30+ page PDF that goes even deeper into the material, has bonus material, a downloadable version of the video so you can go mobile with it or full screen and even gives you a PowerPoint so you can then, in turn, train YOUR leaders! When you are done and compile all FIVE PDFs the sum result is the Kidology Handbook Leader’s Edition, your companion to the highly popular Kidology Handbook Teacher’s Edition. But remember – while the download kits have a modest fee, the VIDEOS ARE FREE TO VIEW as a part of…

Continue reading

Do You Love to Equip and Encourage in Kidmin?

Do you love to Equip and Encourage in Kidmin? Many in children’s ministry are struggling to survive each week – they are beginners just figuring things out. They are needing help and are seeking it all over the web. They end up on Kidology.org by the thousands daily. Are YOU that special breed THAT LOVE TO HELP kidmins like that? Long before Facebook, Twitter, or any other kidmin blog or website – Kidology.org has existed for the SOLE purpose of Equipping and Encouraging Those in Children’s Ministry – AND YOU CAN JOIN OUR TEAM. As we approach our 20 year birthday, we are looking to grow our ministry team. Kidology.org is the single largest online database of collective HELP for those in children’s ministry – and it has gotten that way because of people who share my passion for Equipping and Encouraging Those in Children’s Ministry. Do you love answering questions? Do you love to write? Do you love to publish materials? Do you love to share what you create? Kidology.org offers the perfect place for you to MINISTER to other kidmins ALL OVER THE WORLD! And we need your help. We have a volunteer team of Kidmin Professionals (tho…

Continue reading