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Category: Leadership

Curriculum: Your Ministry’s Foundation

While the word “curriculum” may solicit yawns from many people, don’t underestimate the importance of curriculum on your ministry! The foundation of your educational ministry is your curriculum. Everything else hinges from and is built upon the foundation laid by your educational hour teaching material. How high and how deep and how broad your educational ministry will be is greatly determined by curriculum. HOW DO YOU CHOOSE CURRICULUM? THE WRONG WAY: Use what you have always used Let your teachers each pick their own Look at tons of samples and pickone based on what appeals to you Depend on curriculum promotions Use what some other great church uses THE RIGHT WAY: Determine what YOU would like to accomplish in your Sunday School educational program. List your educational goals List weaknesses with current material. Make a list of what you are looking for. THEN look at published materials that match your criteria. I remember when I started my previous ministry, our curriculum situation was a mess! Here was what we were facing: Every teacher used what they liked, over five published curriculums were in use, some taught without any published material. Repetition and Omission of Bible stories was not only likely,…

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Sneak Peek: I’m Launching a Podcast!

The time has finally come! I’m launching a Children’s Ministry Podcast this summer, and as usual, my blog readers get the first peek! So here is very first episode: Episode 1: What Are Your Red Sneakers? In this very first episode of Children’s Ministry Podcast, Karl and his faithful sidekick Gus ask listeners, “What Are Your Red Sneakers?” Tune in to learn helpful insights and tips to help you and your children’s ministry become more effective. DOWNLOAD HERE: Children’s Ministry Podcast w/ Karl and Gus – 001 (MP3 14.5mb) Let me know what you think! And any ideas for direction/topics along the way. UPDATE: You can now listen and subscribe at Kidology.org/podcast

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Addicted to Ministry?

“Hi Craig, my name is Karl, and I too am a recovering ministry-a-holic.” In the current issue of K! Magazine, there is an excellent article by my friend, Craig Jutila, former children’s pastor at Saddleback Community Church, where he very honestly and transparently talks about his own personal “crash” from being so addicted to ministry he found himself in an unhealthy place spiritually, emotionally, and relationally with his family. I appreciated his candor. I’ve attempted to be as open here on my blog (and even more so in one on one relationships) about my own “demise” as a children’s pastor nearly two years ago who thought he could do everything and keep his walk with God and family life healthy. Why are the best lessons in life learned so painfully? Craig’s topic was “spiritual renewal” and he admits (as I will) that we can be so good at faking it and knowing all the answers even as we are dying on the inside – but unwilling to admit our need. He quotes an unknown person as saying we don’t change until, “you hurt enough that you have to” or you “learn enough that you want to.” We both admit, it…

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Best Advice Ever Received

I don’t remember who told me this story, or if I read it in a book, but it came to me at a period of my life when I was suddenly more teachable than ever before having come to the end of “myself” and it made a huge impact. The story was of a pastor who had just gotten a call to a much larger ministry and wanted to seek out the council of a well known and highly successful pastor of an even larger ministry. He was excited to get a lunch appointment with this pastor and came ready to glean as much wisdom as he could from this one meal they would share. After they had ordered he explained that he was soon going to be going to a larger ministry and wanted as much advice as possible on how to survive and thrive in this new bigger ministry. The seasoned pastor smiled, and calmly responded, “Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.” The younger pastor wrote down this first bit of advice and then looked up ready to write down the next pearl of wisdom this godly man would have to share… but no words followed. Seeing the…

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Confessions of a Driven Pastor

A while back I found the articles linked below on pastors.com and they were exactly what I needed at the time. I have since shared them with many men and I offer them here, not as something I think you might need, but as something I NEEDED that you just might too. I recommend you read and digest just one at a time and actually DO the recommended assignment provided in each PDF download. Confessions of a Driven Pastor I (Download Part One) It’s no longer safe to assume that people in ministry have healthy souls and just need a little coaching in the leadership area. – Pastor Lance Witt  Confessions of a Driven Pastor II (Download Part Two) For years I intuitively knew that I was violating my soul. In honest and quiet moments, I longed to get off the treadmill but didn’t know how. – Pastor Lance Witt I pray that you will find these artilces as convicting and as helpful to you as I did.

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