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Karl Honored in Moody Alumni Magazine

Pastor Karl Bastian, children’s pastor and founder of Kidology.org – and graduate of Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, Illinois, was honored in the Moody Alumni Magazine in the Winter 2025 edition. Karl graduated in 1993 and his wife, Sara, shortly after. (The article incorrectly dates her graduation much later.) Karl was the first Children’s Pastor at the Moody Church in Chicago, a church, founded as a ministry to children by the great evangelist, Dwight Lyman Moody. You can read more about Karl’s personal connection to Moody Bible Institute in his article: D.L. Moody: A Life Dedicated to Reaching the Lost, Starting with Children. Below is linked the article from Moody Alumni Magazine’s 2025 Winter Edition. It was such an honor to be included in the same issue as Alumni of the Year, Dann Spader, the founder of Sonlight Ministries – a ministry that had a profound impact on Karl in his high school years as a student leader being discipled by his youth pastor, Dan Gute in the Sonlife Youth Ministry Strategy, a philosophy of ministry Karl still employs today in youth and children’s ministry. A version of it can be seen in one of the first posts on Kidology:…

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The BEST Parent Training Resource EVER!

WOW! THIS is the absolute MOST AMAZING parenting resource I discovered at a recent kids ministry conference – it’s a MUST HAVE. Equip your parents in the most amazing way. You get 100 short, practical parenting tips videos to share with your parents, all searchable and indexed! Over 3 hours of training, but in bite sized video tips. My parents are going to be SO BLESSED by this. Learn more at: https://app.biblicalparenting.org/Xct11

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DICTIONARY JOKES – Real Definitions!

DICTIONARY JOKES – Real Definitions! Gravity: Not just a good idea, it’s the law! Gross ignorance: 144 times worse than normal ignorance. Clock: A small mechanical device to wake up people without children. Karaoke: A Japanese word meaning “tone deaf”. Opera: Where a guy gets stabbed in the back and sings about it. Racial prejudice: a pigment of the imagination. Normal: A setting on a washing machine. Health: The slowest possible rate of dying. Poverty: Having too much month left at the end of the money. Boy: A noise with dirt on it. Sleep: That fleeting moment just before the alarm goes off. Cynic: Someone who smells the flowers and looks in the casket. Witlag: The delay between delivery and comprehension of a joke. Skier: Someone who pays an arm and a leg to break them. Kidmin: The greatest job earth. Want help making the definition of your ministry, “AMAZING” – Get Coach Karl on your team at KarlBastian.club

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A Tribute to Larry Mahan — “Mr. SONshine”

A Tribute to Larry Mahan — “Mr. SONshine” By Karl Bastian I lost a dear friend in ministry this week—Larry Mahan. To many, he was a Gospel Magician. But to those who really knew him, he was far more than that. Larry was a joyful innovator, a creative light, and a humble servant of Jesus who spent his life making ministry not only impactful, but irresistibly fun. Affectionately known as Mr. SONshine, Larry lived up to his name. Wherever he went—whether a church, a school, or a Fellowship of Christian Magicians meeting—he brought the joy and warmth of Jesus. He wasn’t just shining; he was reflecting the “Light of the world” (John 8:12) with every trick, every laugh, every lesson, and every encounter. Larry created simple, fun illusions that anyone could use to share the Good News with kids. He understood something essential: ministry to children doesn’t need to be complicated—it needs to be engaging, joyful, and Jesus-centered. His book, Shtick: The Art of Entertaining Children, remains one of the first resources I recommend to children’s pastors. When I first read it, I felt like I could’ve written it myself—not to rob him of the credit, but because I found…

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The Influence of a Child: How an 11-Year-Old Girl Helped Shape a President

As a kids pastor, I often reflect on the profound impact children can have on the world around them. Recently, I discovered a story that beautifully illustrates this truth—a tale involving none other than Abraham Lincoln. A Personal Connection While Abraham Lincoln has no direct living descendants, my father-in-law was a descendant of the Hanks family, Mary Todd Lincoln’s lineage. Standing tall and bearing a striking resemblance to Honest Abe, he often donned the iconic stovepipe hat, embodying Lincoln’s spirit. Yet, it wasn’t until a friend shared this particular story with me that I realized the depth of influence a single child can wield. The Letter That Changed History In October 1860, 11-year-old Grace Bedell from Westfield, New York, penned a letter to presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln. Having seen his campaign portrait, she believed he would look better with a beard and suggested that growing one might help him win more votes, especially from women who would then persuade their husbands to support him. Dear Sir, (she wrote)  … I am a little girl only 11 years old, but want you should be President of the United States very much so I hope you wont think me very bold to…

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