Monday, September 29, 2008

KIDMO Comments

We regularly get letters and emails from people telling us the difference that KIDMO!  has made in their ministries. Here's a quick collection of comments that we've recently received. -- Do you use KIDMO! curriculum? If so, please take a moment to comment on this post and share your experience. We'd love to hear what you have to say! -- If you don't use KIDMO! and have questions, please post those too so our users can respond to you!

~The KIDMO! Team

   

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For several years our church children's ministry was in decline. Then we found KIDMO! God has used this resource to transform our ministry. Attendance has nearly tripled in the last 18 months. Even our fifth grade boys now beg to lead the worship. Thanks to the creativity and energy of KIDMO! our kids are learning to apply biblical truth to their everyday lives.

Greg and Renee Carper
Carmel Presbyterian Church-Carmel, CA

Click here to read Greg Carper's current article in Religious Product News "Jesus On The Big Screen "

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KIDMO! has brought a new vibrant and alive perspective for teaching foundational concepts to our kids and is providing the building blocks for strong spiritual development. Johnny Rogers' crazy spunk has thrilled their minds and the catchy tunes, actions and phrases spark a desire for wanting more of God in the hearts of all who participate. Even the adults!

Heather Glidden
First Free Church-Rockford, IL

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Since discovering KIDMO! our attendance has tripled-and we have no more complaining kids! We also have many stories of kids getting their parents up for church, running from the car to be in class, and visitors who have told their parents this is where they want to come to church! If that isn't enough our volunteers are thrilled to not be overloaded with preparation so they can focus on making relational connects. We can't wait to start Lil' K with our preschoolers!

Beth Wilkes
Orange Park Presbyterian Church-Orange Park, FL

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KIDMO! is not just about teaching and informing, but helping to make world-changing disciples. Our kids are going out with confidence into their neighborhoods and schools.

Scott Dobson
Church of the Open Door-Glendora, CA

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We started using KIDMO! about a year ago and love it. I was hesitant at first, but after God began speaking to me committed to give it a try. What blew me away is that kids we have never been able to engage before are finally connecting!

Amanda Marshall
Centerpointe Community Church-Orlando, FL



Friday, September 26, 2008

Building a Relational CHAIN - #2 Honor

This is the second post in a series on building a strong relational CHAIN with your kids. There are 5 aspects to this relational CHAIN.

    Connect    HONOR    Ask    Invest    Notice

Today I want to share some thoughts on Honoring your kids. A great way to do this is by celebrating their arrival. So, how can you do this effectively?

1) Show Enthusiasm: Giving high-fives and greeting a child with enthusiasm offers that child a sense of celebration and gets them excited about being there.  

2) Call Them by Name: Calling a child by his or her first name makes them to feel known and valued.

(Name tags are a great way to help you and your volunteers.) 

3) Set Busyness Aside: When a child arrives at your door, stop what you are doing to acknowledge each one as he or she enters the room. This focused attention lets each child (and the adults who drop them off) know that they are important to you. This is a job is so important that you may want to do it yourself!

Your ultimate goal should be to greet and treat each boy or girl the same way you would greet and treat Jesus. In Matthew 18:5 (NLT) Jesus said, "...anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me."  Acknowledging and welcoming children was important to Jesus, and it should be important to us as we seek to reach and teach kids about Him.

Thanks for investing your time and energy into kids! I hope you stay encouraged as we seek to inspire world changers together! 

Johnny Rogers

Check out Johnny's personal blog here.

The KIDMO! Concept

KIDMO! is not about information, but transformation. Not just biblical stories, but a biblical worldview.

We want to teach God’s truth in ways that impact a child’s choices and actions. Creativity and imagination are precious resources for penetrating their language and culture. Kids must be needed, valued, and connected. Their church experience must be relevant to their daily lives. Kids have time, availability, and enthusiasm to accomplish great things for His Kingdom. A kid’s day-to-day existence is not side tracked by many of the complications that distract their adult counterparts. By teaching them to develop a biblical worldview, we can ignite an awakening that will impact generations to come. For the same reason that Jesus gave his attention to kids, we believe kids grow best when nurtured by loving mentors and teachers. That’s you! 

Let’s Inspire World Changers Together!

~The KIDMO! Team

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Building a Relational CHAIN: #1 Connect

I don't know about you, but there are times when I've wondered if I'm really connecting with the kids in my ministry. I've watched them walk out the doors of my classroom and wondered, "Are they really getting it? Are they making a connection between what was just taught and what life will throw at them this week?”  What do we need to provide to inspire our kids to change their world?  Well it all begins with relationship.

I want to encourage you to be purposeful about building a strong relational CHAIN with your kids. There are 5 aspects to this relational CHAIN.

    CONNECT    Honor    Ask    Invest    Notice

Today, I want to share some thoughts on connecting. Here are 3 ways you and your volunteers can Connect with your kids this week.

1) Kneel Down - It's easy for us as adults to stand up and tower over kids. When you kneel down and get on their level it makes you more approachable.

2) Look them In the Eye - Making eye contact with a child conveys value and improves communication. Eye contact tells the child, "I'm ready to listen." 

3) Practice Focused Attention - Even though there may be a lot going on around you, take a few minutes to dedicate your attention to that one child. Focusing your attention allows that child to feel that he or she is the most important person in the room. Focusing your attention in the midst of busyness takes practice, but it can yield a huge harvest in the heart of a child.

Kneeling down, looking a child in the eye and focusing on each one takes intentional effort. If you think about it, this is what Jesus did for us. The God of the universe became small, He got down on our level, so that He could look us in the eye. He intentionally pursued a personal relationship with each of us and He did it because of His love for us. 

Be encouraged today and know that you ARE making a difference! 

Johnny Rogers


Check out Johnny's personal blog here.

We Believe!!!


We Believe: Kids are World Changers!

We Believe: Jesus, God's only Son, is the ultimate world changer, bringing forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and a purpose for living to all who believe and trust in Him.

We Believe: The Bible is the true and inspired Word of God.

We Believe: Kids have an amazing ability to understand Biblical truth and apply it to their lives.

We Believe: God uses kids to reach their sphere of influence. 

We Believe: In the Local Church. We celebrate the diversity of the body, and embrace the unique and vivid ways in which God inspires His people to worship Him. We recognize that doctrinal differences exist, and we give way to the local church to teach the principles that they hold true, consistent with a sound biblical basis. Jesus set a powerful example of how to build unity in the body as He embraced people of varied backgrounds, cultures, ethnicity, and in how He valued relationship above all else.

Welcome to the KIDMO Blog!

Hey everyone! Welcome to our brand new blog! Thanks for being here! Our hope is that this will be a place where you can connect with your firends at KIDMO! We'll share KIDMO! news and information, and pass along tips, tricks and ideas to encourage and equip you to make the most of your children's ministry. 

While you're here, we welcome you to leave your comments and questions. 

Thanks for being our blog buddy!

~The KIDMO! Team