Search Results for: awana

A Gauntlet in Kidmin?

The Gauntlet was one of the best scenes in the classic movie staring Sean Connery as Kind Arthur – but it wasn’t until this week that I saw a Gauntlet used in kidmin! Was this some kind of new disciplinary device? Did the kids forget to bring their Bibles? What could this be? Actually, it was just a fun way to honor the kids who had completed a section in their Awana Handbooks – and judging by the smiles and laughter, they loved it. Is handing out candy or giving stickers not getting the results you’d like? Perhaps it is time to add a Gauntlet to your children’s ministry! Regardless of whether you start handing out swim tubes to leaders – I commend their creativity in doing some NEW and DIFFERENT to recognize kids and motivate them to participate. What creative thing are YOU doing to engage kids in your ministry?  

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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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A Fun Game with Stacking Cups

I try to use Sport Stacking cups any chance I get because they always engage and excite kids, and they can be a great learning tool too. Tonight I was tasked with teaching on teamwork and how we all must work together using our different gifts and talents. So, as I often do when I need to teach is I mine the incredible content found in DiscipleTown units and looked that the How to Discover Gifts and Talents, and found a great game! In the lesson it suggested numbered Styrofoam cups (since that is available to anyone) but I prefer to use Speed Stacks cups. I made two sets of ten cups using ten different colors. (Yeah, I own a lot of stacking cups, including many discontinued colors.) Then I made slips of papers with the colors names on them. To choose volunteers I simply passed out the slips one at a time to ten volunteers. The Rules: They needed to make a pyramid, BUT they could only touch the cup of the color they were assigned. Teamwork and communication were needed! Round One: Simple pyramid, one on two on three on four cups. Any order, but each child could…

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What is Easter About Anyway?

By popular demand, I have created an ALL NEW ToyBox Tale for Easter! It features Happy Meal toys Mr. Peabody and Sherman greeting Jesus just as He exits the tomb along with a fun lesson introduction as I explore all the silly Easter “stuff” you see in stores around this time that have nothing to do with the meaning of Easter, despite the fun they are. It’s a fun video that is just under 15 minutes. It was a lot of fun to make! So What Is Easter Anyway? is a 14-minute ToyBox Tale style retelling of the Easter story through the use of action figures and other Easter-themed toys. Great for use in transitional ministry situations or as an introduction to teaching about this important holiday. The video — provided in both MOV and MP4 video formats (720 x 480) — explores the various things associated with the holiday, from eggs to rabbits and beyond. Utilizing the time travel storytelling narrative of Mr. Peabody & Sherman, kids will discover Jesus just as he was coming out of the tomb! I went goes shopping for Easter stuff to see if he could discover the meaning of this pastel holiday. After…

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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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