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How to Teach Sport Stacking

As I hope you know – Sport Stacking – is one of the funnest* sports and activities that you can do with kids. It is a sport that kids of all ages and athletic abilities can do. When I was a full time children’s pastor, I discovered this amazing sport and incorporated into our children’s ministry and it became not only a magnet for kids, but a super relational tool for simply playing with and interacting with the kids in my church. Parents also found it to be a fun way to engage with their kids in a fun activity that they could do with children of any age – and of course, kids enjoyed beating their parents at a fun sport. Now, Sport Stacking has become an official part of the Awana Game Time. I launched it last week with a series of games using the Jumbo Cups. My goal there was a fast, easy introduction that would get the kids excited about the sport and the concept of stacking around the Awana Circle. But tonight, it was time to introduce them to the actual sport, and provide some training the stacking techniques. The Key is to keep the…

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Kidology Coaching is a Life Preserver

It is always encouraging to hear how Kidology Coaching changes lives as well as ministries. If you have ever considered getting a personal coach, read this letter from our most recent graduate, and pray about growing with one of our coaches. We have just added a woman to our coaching team, so for ladies who have been waiting for that, now is your chance! Dear Karl, Upon graduating from the Kidology Coaching Program, I want let you know that the Kidology Coaching Program has been a “life-saver” for me! Literally! The work that you and the coaches have put into the curriculum, the training you’ve had and all the components of this coaching program is exemplary. I want to tell you how this program has changed my life in hopes that someone else could relate and become a part of the program at a just the right time in their life. When I signed up for the coaching program I was at a “low” in my ministry. I had gone through the “honeymoon” stage of my ministry (where everyone was thrilled to have me there and helped me along with everything, because I was new and naïve) and was facing…

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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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Powerless Fan

As I said on Facebook: Yes, I’m sad. The Broncos lost their first game after a 17 regular season game winning streak. However, just as I am not responsible in any way for their loss, it reminded me that can take no credit when they win either. I am merely an observer. That’s all a fan can do. But then, why the emotion? It’s so stinkin’ fun to be the home town of a winning team! My heart goes out to… (oh, I won’t pick on any of my friends who feel like this every week, it’s not their fault either.) But I must say, if we HAD to lose, what better place to lose? It was moving to see the “enemy” stadium express such love and respect for OUR quarterback. And yet, “Luck” was on their side, and as much as they love the guy Denver has grown to admire, they wanted to see their new guy triumph over the old champion – and I gotta admit, as painful as it was to watch, I am happy for them. So we dry our tears here in Denver and look forward to seeing Peyton continue to amaze us as the…

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“Problem” Kids – Aren’t Really a Problem After All!

This is a guest post, re-posted from itsyourbooknow.blogspot.com with permission. This week I had a Sunday School training with Karl Bastian, the Kidologist. The topic was discipline, and I was eager to learn. That’s one of the hardest things for me as a Sunday School teacher. I walked out with a lot of great tips. Grace based tips. Which I love, because I’m a big fan of grace. All new ideas I’d never thought of, heard of, or tried before. I’m eager to try this out. But the thing that struck me the most wasn’t so much a tip as it was a perspective. Which was pretty much the perspective that framed all the tips. You know those “good” kids? You know, the ones who bring you Christmas gifts and say please and thank you and never disrupt class? You probably aren’t going to make a difference in their life. Why? Because their lives are already on a good trajectory. They usually come from good homes, homes where parents are doing a wonderful job teaching them about faith and how to live like Jesus. If you weren’t in their lives, they’d probably still turn out to be wonderful Christians. You…

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