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Category: Teaching

ChatGPT Reviews Kidology.org

I asked AI via ChatGPT to list the Top 20 Challenges and Topics of Children’s Ministry Leaders and then to access how well Kidology.org addresses those. This was the result… including this image: (I did no editing and for the most part it’s pretty accurate! I simply added a few links to resources as they were described, but there is MUCH more on the site than even what is listed here! If you are looking for something not listed here, we probably have it after 30 years of building the site, just write and ask!) Certainly! As of my knowledge cutoff in October 2023, Kidology.org is a well-established online resource dedicated to equipping and encouraging children’s ministry leaders. Founded by Karl Bastian, known as the “Kidologist,” the website offers a wealth of resources, training materials, and a supportive community aimed at addressing the various challenges faced in children’s ministry. Here’s how Kidology.org addresses the top 20 issues facing Children’s Ministry Leaders Today: Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers: Kidology provides practical articles and training modules on effective strategies for volunteer recruitment and retention. They offer ideas on building a strong volunteer culture and recognizing volunteer contributions to prevent burnout. Curriculum Selection and…

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BLOW UP Your Object Lessons!

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I’ve said it for decades, “You should BLOW UP your object lessons!” But before you try to go buy dynamite and end up with the ATF knocking down your front door, let me explain! First of all, I LOVE OBJECT LESSONS! Did you know, Kidology.org started as an object lesson website back in the Fall of 1994? The same time that Amazon.com started. (Why am I not a billionaire? LOL) We still have hundreds in the Object Lesson Zone. Object Lessons are one of THE most effective ways to teach kids – because while most spiritual concepts are abstract and invisible – words like faith, love and propitiation (Huh?) are challenging to explain to kids who are concrete relational, meaning, if they can’t see, touch, smell, hear, or eat something, it doesn’t exist! Object lessons help link these abstract concepts to concrete physical objects (or experiences) so that children can relate to them. Children’s teachers aren’t the first to use them – Jesus used object lessons all the time, and he was teaching adults! But here is what I mean by “blowing them up.” Often, in an object lesson book there will be an idea of an object that can…

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A Lesson without a Story is an Incomplete Lesson.

In Bible College I learned that the theological definition of faith is ‘active belief’. This means that to believe something is not enough; you must act on that belief in order for that belief to be transformed into faith. Therefore, if you want to put your faith in Jesus, you can’t just believe in Jesus, you need to act on that belief by putting your faith in Him. That active belief becomes faith. I could now go on with various biblical references to unpack this concept from James, John, and the Apostle Paul, but instead – let me shift to another way of explaining faith. In Sunday School, as a young boy, my teacher told me a story about a young girl whose bedroom was on the second floor. In the middle of the night, she was awakened by the smell of smoke followed almost immediately by the sounds of sirens out in the street. As her dad had taught her, she felt the door and, noticing it felt warm, she knew not to open it. She went to her window and opened it instead. As the cold night air rushed in, she heard the firemen below instructing her to…

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Always Bring Your A-GAME!

Always Bring Your A-Game! One cannot over-emphasize the eternal impact and importance of your weekly investment into the lives of the children God has entrusted to you. It is during these formative years that children make decisions that will shape the direction of the rest of their lives. They need your best! Too often we compare ourselves to others and wish we were better – or get discouraged by what we can’t do. God makes no such comparisons. He asks only that we do our best and be our best. I call it bringing our A-Game each and every week, regardless of ministry size, number of kids, or what challenges we face. God sees that dedication and faithfulness and I believe He honors and rewards it with results in changed lives. Here is a checklist to help you bring your A-Game to your classroom! Appearance. First impressions make an impact! What do kids think when they see you? From our outfit to our smile – we need to be attractive to kids. Fun hats, playful jewelry, costumes, and most of all, a big smile will communicate to kids instantly that they are going to enjoy learning from you. If you…

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Unlock Learning with Intentional Questions

The Quest for Quality Questions! The story goes that a student once asked his wise old mentor, “Why is it that every time I ask you a question, you respond with a question of your own?” to which the teacher responded, “Why do you think I do that?” Obviously, the teacher understood the power of questions. Questions are the key that unlock answers and unravel the mysteries of our world. Children love questions! At the earliest age, “Why?” seems to become one of their favorite words! I remember when my young son would play a verbal game with me by asking “Why” after every answer I would give to see how far I was willing to go before I figured out I was just being played. A popular magazine has as its tag line, “Enquiring minds want to know.” This would be a perfect tag line for children! A wise teacher doesn’t ask questions off the cuff – they intentionally plan them in advance! Here are some Quick Tips on how to use questions to engage children in learning to use questions. Then I’ll go deeper on how to ask questions that truly change lives. Ask questions that are more…

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