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Karl the Pioneer?

As I have just spent the last two days driving across the “fruited plains” I have had time at the wheel to think again about the rich (and sobering) history of this Great Land. And I love to day dream about what life would have been like for myself and my family had we lived in a time when crossing it wouldn’t have been in an air-conditioned mini-van with cruise control and fast food stops or look-a-like rest areas on paved Inter-states – but perhaps along the Oregon or California Trails of 1840? A time when it took months at walking pace to travel hundreds of miles into the unknown leaving all comfort behind and going forward with only hope and courage. What would “Karl the Pioneer” be like? I have often been called a “Pioneer of the Internet.” In today’s definition of a pioneer I suppose that is true. If being a pioneer is to ‘bravely go where few have gone before,’ then sure. O.K. I was a pioneer. I was building webpages in HTML when most people didn’t have an e-mail address and “blogging” before WordPress or Blogger existed. I survived the “Dot Com Crash” because I built…

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Back to School Fall Curriculum!

Just wanted to make my blog readers aware that I’ve written a 4 week “Back to School” children’s church series!   This is a 4 Week BACK TO SCHOOL Series by Karl Bastian, and Kidology.org All Access Members get 50% off! Overview of Lessons:  LESSON ONE: MAKING THE GRADE (Becoming Friends with Jesus) LESSON TWO: BETTER THAN BRAINS (Growing in Wisdom)  LESSON THREE: YOUR BEST FOR GOD (Growing in Stature) LESSON FOUR: TWO THUMBS UP! (Growing in Favor with God and Man) The purpose of this unit is to help get kids excited about school in the fall and to see it in a new light. Instead of just somewhere they have to go to learn, they will be challenged to see school as a place they can shine for Jesus by being more like Him. They will be encouraged to do their best understanding that God has a plan for each of us, and preparing for that plan is very important. They will also be reminded not to compare themselves to others, but to see that God made them special and unique and no one else can be or do what they are meant to accomplish in this life.…

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Awana Sport Stacking Kits Available NOW!

Does your Awana Club STACK UP? It’s ALIIIIIIIVE! Awana.org/SportStacking is NOW LIVE! Are you ready to take it up to the next level? Pre-Order your Awana Sporting Stacking Kit TODAY! Wondering what Sport Stacking is? Let me tell you about it: Wondering what’s IN the Awana Sport Stacking Kit? New to Sport Stacking? Let me introduce you to Just the Three Stack: Here is a SAMPLE of one of the games of the DVD included with the Kit: SHARE THESE YOUTUBE VIDEOS YOURSELF! In case you missed the story on how Awana and Speed Stacks have teamed up, you can read my previous blog posts: Awana and Speed Stacks? (The original announcement) It All Stacks Up To Fun (Featuring a behind the scenes video)

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Leave ‘Em Better

Today, I want to share a thought that I got via e-mail from a friend of mine – a CP in Florida who is an “off the charts” super kids pastor. Not because she is well known, or runs a huge ministry, or for any of the reasons we tend to look for in the “Kidmin Who’s Who’s” – but because she has a HUGE heart for kids and Jesus. I talked about Shelly in the Kidmin Podcast, “It’s All About Jesus!” I love her personal motto, which comes in handy quite a bit in kids ministry. When things don’t always go as planned, you’ll hear Shelly say, “It’s All Good.” She even has it up on the wall of her office as a constant reminder, when God is in control, and you are trusting Him, “It’s All Good!” Shelly writes: Hello Friends! I want to share something that God whispered to me the last two minutes before I walked out the doors of a conference our staff recently attended. I was in the bathroom… the conference was over and I had dashed back in before we hit the road home. As I was washing my hands, I noticed a…

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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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