It Just Stacks Up!

If you are a regular reader on Kidology.org, you know my passion for relational ministry, a term I started using over twenty years ago before it was hip. (Download my free book on the topic.) Jesus did a lot of teaching – but first he formed relationships with those He wanted to reach. It is no different in children’s ministry. When we play with kids we create a relationship, and out of that relationship we can have a huge impact! One of the BEST tools I have discovered for connecting with kids is with Speed Stacks. I helped introduce sport stacking to the world of kids ministry years ago when I discovered what a magnet it was for drawing and engaging kids. As I promoted it on Kidology, Speed Stacks credited me with expanding the growing sport from schools to churches across the country. I even headed up the effort to introduce sport stacking as an official Awana Game. (See Awana.org/sportstacking) I even got to be their spokeman! Kids LOVE sport stacking with Speed Stacks! It is fun, easy to learn, and is probably the best sport when it comes to allowing kids of all athletic ability compete equally. Regardless…

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CPC14 Resource Center Interviews!

One of my favorite things about the Children’s Pastors Conference is the Resource Center. CPC remains the ONLY kidmin conference that provides a level playing field for all resource providers and publishers. While publisher created conferences can be fantastic, I love CPC because there is no agenda other than equipping and encouraging. Enjoy the other conferences, but be sure to come to CPC where you can learn about all that is NEW and exciting in Kidmin. I especially enjoy meeting small ministries/companies that are just starting out and love helping them get the word out about what God has laid on their heart to create and share, often out of their own family or church ministry success. That is what gave birth to Kidology.org – sharing what I’ve learned – so I celebrate a place where I can meet others with that same passion. We enjoyed exhibiting – but we love to share what others are doing as well! Kidology exists to help YOU FIND what you are looking for, even if it’s not on Kidology.org – that’s our Mission! Here is a collection of videos I did with my iPhone on a pole so you could meet these great…

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A Jumbo Night at Awana

As you may know from following my blog (past posts linked at end) I’ve been working as a consultant for Awana and Speed Stacks on an exciting project to incorporate Sport Stacking into the Awana Circle Games! The Awana Sport Stacking Kit is now available for churches with Awana Clubs, and this fall the Lord opened the door for me to serve as the Game Leader at my son’s Awana Club so that I could implement this new program first hand. I decided to wait a month and get to know the club, the leaders and kids a bit before introducing something new – but last night I introduced the concept of Sport Stacking in Awana by introducing the Jumbo Stacks and a few of the games that use the giant cups. If you are a member of my Awana Game Time Facebook Group, you get a link every week to my PDF Game Plan, but if you aren’t, here is a link to my Game Plan for last night. Even if you don’t have an Awana Club, you may enjoy this group as there is a LOT of Game idea swapping going on! Some instruction on Sport Stacking is…

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It All Stacks Up to FUN!

As I leaked last August when I was looking for trial churches, Sport Stacking is coming to Awana Clubs this fall! It’s no secret that I not only love Sport Stacking, but have also used it as an super duper fun outreach in my own ministry. I’ve stacked against an NFL football player, a world champion sport stacker (and won), used Speed Stacks to teach (They All Fall Down), or just for fun at birthday parties (As Angry Birds and in a Human Tower Escape). But my favorite and most effective times are when I use them at church as a way to connect with kids, getting them excited about coming to church and bringing their friends. Which is why I started nicely pestering my friends at both Speed Stacks and Awana years ago about the need for a partnership. After many brain storming meetings with the Sport Stacking experts at Speed Stacks and the Awana Game experts at Awana we have come up with some really fun games for the Awana Circle. Next, we had nearly 50 churches try them out during the last club year, and offer laboratory-tested improvements to make them even better! And now… (drum roll…)…

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A Convertible Half Wet!

What do you do when you are out with your convertible, enjoying a beautiful day with the top down, and it starts to rain, and THEN you discover that the the automatic top is broken? I’ve been on the road (well, technically, in the air!) for weeks – speaking at Camp Hartland and Camp Timber-lee, and all the while my convertible has been in the garage with the top down while I’ve been filming in my car DiscipleTown videos for the next series. (How to Navigate the Old Testament, due out Aug. 20th) So when I pulled out today, I had no idea the top was broken, its been down for a month! I discovered when I was out on a conference call with DiscipleLand after lunch with the family at the mall. I was then meeting at Speed Stacks HQ getting the low-down on some new products (BTW, I am the VERY FIRST non-employee to get a prototype on something I’ll blog about later!) when it started to rain! What to do? Go home and cut out of an important meeting? Park under a tree? Then the innovative team at Speed Stacks discovered that the back double doors of…

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