Join Me Online for the Coolest Preteen Onference!

I’m excited to be a part of the FourFiveSix.org Online Conference in just a few weeks! Or, as 456 calls it, the Onference! (Get it? Online Conference = Onference!) The line up is amazing! Several of my friends will be presenting: Heather Dunn, Patrick Snow, Ryan Frank, Johnny Rogers, Gregg Johnson, Yancy, Gordon West, Chip Henderson and more! If you work with preteens, this is THE training event for you! My workshop is called: Mutiny! The Preteens Have Taken Over Kids Church! It’s all about how to have preteens plan, prepare and pull off children’s church – so they are learning to lead for life now! I hope you’ll register and join us! P.S. You can learn more about 456 on their website.

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Make Child Check-In Fast and Safe!

KidCheck is constantly working to improve child safety and check-in procedures. They are constantly developing new technology that allows parents to easily and quickly check in their child, update their information, and keep track of their pick-up receipts electronically. The newest software is also improving the usability for children’s ministry workers. Teachers and volunteers can more easily keep track of their attendance, as well as communicate more quickly with the parents when important information needs to be shared. Check out the latest features below!  Express Check-In With Express Check-In: Parents start check-in on their phone from home, the car, the parking lot – wherever there’s an internet or cellular data connection. Once they arrive, they simply tap ‘submit’ on their device to complete check-in. The KidCheck PrintHub Express recognizes the check-in and prints the associated child name badges and guardian receipts. That’s it. Parents no longer need to wait until they arrive at your location, stand in line, or use a check-in station. No waiting in line. No additional check-in station. Convenient, fast, easy. Available in all KidCheck editions Find more info about Express Check-In What is Express Check-In (Video) How Express Check-In Works (Video) Electronic Guardian Receipts Guardian receipts are available electronically through the…

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How Do You Talk to Your kids About Tragedy? By Ron Brooks

Thank you, Ron Brooks, for permission to re-post this helpful article on my blog. How to Talk to Kids About Tragedy. By Ron Brooks The largest massacre in US history in Las Vegas. The shooting at Columbine. The devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Irma and Harvey. The Tornadoes of Moore, Oklahoma. The school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  The terrorist attack on 911. The terrorist attack in Paris, France. The mass shooting in Orlando.  All terrible tragedies, and if your child has heard about these events, you may be wondering how to talk to your kids about tragedy. With social media such a huge part of our life now, events like this are widely publicized. You are hardly able to turn on the TV or read through a Facebook feed without seeing reports. Many of our kids will see photos or hear about all the people that lost their homes or their lives in the storm. While we may do our best to shield our kids from horrible events, the truth is, many will find out. We homeschool our daughter, so it may be easier for me to keep bad news like this from her, but for others it is…

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Connecting Digitally with Your Kids

For Father’s Day my son cracked me up when he wrote in my card, “I love you more than the games on my ipad! :)” So touching. But the reality is, my son is growing up in an age where he plays on an ipad as much as he does with physical toys and games. I’m delighted that Lego still captures his imagination as much as Minecraft, and that he’d still rather play outside than on his X-box, but at the same time I have a love-hate relationship with iPad games. There are times I wish he didn’t have one – but I also realize that touch-tablet technology is the world he is growing up in. While he can use the family iMac with ease, it is very likely that by the time he is a teenager, the computers we use will be the technological dinosaurs of a past age. I enjoyed growing up using the very first personal computers and leaping on each advancement as they came out. Even waiting in line for a new Apple OS to be released instead of the free downloads of today. But this ‘Old Dog’ has to recognize that both the reality of…

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Johnny Magic BOX OPENING!

I’ve known Johnny Magic for many years. I’ve performed with him, highly recommended him, and learned from him as well. I like to joke that I want to be more like him when I grow up, except he is younger! So you can imagine how excited I was when Johnny Magic created a Magic Kit for kids! However, this is much more than just another magic kit. In addition to amazing tricks presented in a very cool case where kids can store them, it also includes an app with video instruction, another with background music and sound effects and yet another that is a super cool ticket scanner for your child’s show. (all free!) Beyond all that, Johnny includes training that will help kids learn how to be a great performer or presenter whether they use magic or another creative art. So when my son’s kit arrived in the mail – we made it an event and filmed the UNBOXING! Enjoy! Order yours TODAY! What a fantastic Christmas or Birthday Present! P.S. You can listen to Johnny explain the Magic Kit and the idea behind it on my latest podcast.

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