For a video experience, click above. Prefer reading? Continue below. I recently met two KidMin leaders from the same church who were telling me about their struggles with finding quality volunteer teachers. In way of illustration, they told me about one teacher in particular—the one who had caused them the most hair loss. "He's a little bit awkward," the one leader told me. She talked about his struggle to stay on topic, his quirky mannerisms, and his perpetual unpreparedness

Image: cherish365.com There's an expression that has always bugged me: "You can't have your cake and eat it too." Seriously?! Of course you can! Who in the world would buy cake if they couldn't eat it. The entire cake industry survives on these two inalienable rights: A. You can have cake. B. You can partake in the eating of that cake too. In a way, a lot of KidMin leaders are facing their own "cake" dilemma. They've been convinced that their curriculum can be fun OR it

Dear KidMin leaders: On behalf of the waste management industry, I would like to thank you for your continued use of the take home sheets. These unread parent communication tools fill the trash cans of many homes and church lobbies and provide job security for countless trash collectors. Let me guess... As much as you love the waste management industry, that's probably not what you have in mind when you hand out the take home sheets at the door. You're probably hoping

I love getting emails! No...not the ones from the Nigerian prince. (Btw...I'm still waiting to hear back from you Prince Otumfuo. Did you get my money transfer?) I'm talking about emails from my blog followers and the fast growing community of GO! curriculum users. I recently got an email from Michelle Ross. She's a GO! user and her story highlights one of the best ways you can get new families to return and stick to your church. A few weeks ago, Michelle had 2 new kids vi

Too much of a talking head can be terribly boring for most kids. Inviting kids to interact during the Large Group lesson is a great way to foster active learning and it gives them ownership of the lesson, but it’s not without its perils. Even the best of kids can have villainous tendencies that jeopardize a lesson. If you want to become an “Inter-Action Hero,” here are a few alter egos to watch out for along with ways to counteract them: The Joker: He’s just out for a go

If you're lost in the wilderness and it feels like you're walking in circles, guess what? You probably are! In fact, according to a recent study, walking in a straight line is harder than you might think. During the study, researchers blindfolded participants and told them to try their hardest to walk straight. Without being able to see, though, the subjects of the study walked in surprisingly tight circles. How tight? Less than 66 feet in diameter. Whoa! The researchers

If you and I were to have a conversation about GO!, it might sound something like this: YOU: So tell me about this GO! curriculum thingy. ME: Oh my gosh, it's the best! Once you start using it, you'll never stop. YOU: Well, of course you'd say that. You created it! ME: Hmmm...I see your point. I've been in your shoes before, so I get it! You would expect me to say great things about a curriculum that is so close to my heart. That's why I love hearing the bazillions (roug

Wouldn't it be great if you found a curriculum that was both Biblically rich AND wildly fun? A curriculum that put God at the center of the story, but put kids at the center of the storytelling? A curriculum that volunteers love as much as the kids? (Answer: Why yes...yes it would!) I've got great news: that curriculum exists. It's called GO! We know that most people like to kick the tires of a new curriculum before driving it off the lot. That's why we're giving you 4 FREE

A couple of years back I was beginning to feel an unsettled stirring in my heart. After many months of thought and prayer, I was just starting to feel like God had a new adventure for me. I felt like it was big, but I really had no idea what it could be. So I said a prayer—one of those dangerous sorts of prayers. In retrospect, I only suggest you say this prayer if you’re seriously ready to have God rock your world! I said to God, “What’s next?” Later that night I was

You may have already realized that when you buy a KidMin curriculum, there’s the price and then there’s the cost. The price is the money that you spent to initially purchase the curriculum, but the cost is the total amount that you spent to execute the curriculum over the course of its lifetime. Here are a few questions that will help you determine what the REAL cost of your curriculum is. How much time do you spend rewriting the curriculum? This can be by far the biggest h

One of the best parts of being on the GO! team is hearing back from the family of GO! users. They're an enthusiastic bunch, to say the least! And every week they send us words of encouragement that make us smile. We hate to pick favorites, but...well...here are our top 5 favorite reviews and why we love them: #5: “GO! has been a blast! It’s so easy to work with and it’s saved me hours and hours of time so I can focus on other things. Thank you! I’m very impressed with it!”