Dick Gruber and Jason Rhode answer questions and comments from Facebook, topics including: curriculum, room decorating ideas, and tweens. They mentioned the following links during the show:

• CM Blog Directory – childrensministrytalk.com/blogs
• Free CM Stuff – freecmstuff.com
• Dick Gruber’s Free Resources – dickgruber.com
• Trading Spaces: Boys vs. Girls
• J12 – j12.com
• One Way Street – onewaystreet.com

Drop us an email, leave a comment on the blog, or visit us over on Facebook or Twitter. We’d love to include your comments and questions in our next episode.

Keep the feedback coming! Send your questions, comments, or ideas to childrensministrytalk@gmail.com. You can now give us a call! Leave us your question or comment by calling (484) 442-0322. As always, you can find complete details about this podcast at childrensministrytalk.com.

Jason Rhode and Ryan Frank discuss the American Children’s Ministers’ Association. They mentioned the following links during the show:

• American Children’s Ministers’ Association – acmaonline.org
• Napkin Conference – napkinkonference.com
• Ryan Frank – ryanfrank.com
• Kidz Matter – kidzmatter.com
• Children’s Ministries University Online – cmuo.com

Drop us an email, leave a comment on the blog, or visit us over on Facebook or Twitter. We’d love to include your comments and questions in our next episode.

Keep the feedback coming! Send your questions, comments, or ideas to childrensministrytalk@gmail.com. You can now give us a call! Leave us your question or comment by calling (484) 442-0322. As always, you can find complete details about this podcast at childrensministrytalk.com.

Dick Gruber and Jason Rhode discuss using technology in children’s ministry. Jason shared the following points to remember when using technology in children’s ministry.

Points to Remember…

• Technology is just a tool…think of it as another tool in your ministry toolbox that can help you to be more effective in your ministry.
• You will only be as effective in ministry as you rely on God for your strength; avoid the temptation of relying on your own strength just because you can.

Keys to Using Technology Effectively in Your Ministry:

1. Have a purpose. Don’t just use technology for the sake of using tech.
2. Use technologies that are the best fit. After you determine the purposes or needs that you have, select technologies that help you meet those needs (ie: communicating with others, ministry administration, time management, presentations, etc.)
3. Spend less time, not more! Technology should ultimately make your life easier, not more complicated.
4. Know when to pull the plug. In our society today there is often the expectation that we need to be available 24/7. Email/IM/SMS all make this possible. Set boundaries and take time away from the technology.
5. Start with free. If there is a free version of a technology that’s available, try the free version first before spending too much time and $$ on a premium paid version
6. Stay relevant. Pick technologies that your staff, kids, or parents are also using.
7. Be realistic. Don’t take on too much at once, don’t try to master too many new technologies at once.
8. Involve kids whenever possible. Just because you can do something with technology, doesn’t mean YOU should; train-up kids to use the technologies.

Rhode’s Top 10 Online Technologies You Can’t Live Without

1. Google Reader (reader.google.com) – keep track of your favorite news, blogs, or other RSS-enabled sites
2. YouVersion (youversion.com) – online Bible study site, also available on mobile platforms like iPhone, iPod Touch, and BlackBerry
3. Google Docs (docs.google.com) – collaborate with team when developing documents, spreadsheets, or presentations
4. Twitter (twitter.com) – keep in touch via 140 character short messages from either online, computer client, or mobile device
5. Facebook (facebook.com) – Stay connected with volunteers, parents, and kids; create your own groups
6. Ning (ning.com) – create your own private social network for connecting with workers, parents, or kids in your ministry
7. YouTube (youtube.com) – share videos from ministry events; kids create videos to share in ministry
8. SlideShare (slideshare.net) – share PowerPoint presentations with others
9. Google Sites (sites.google.com) – create a simple online presence for your ministry or yourself
10. Delicious (delicious.com) – bookmark your favorite online resources for easy access from any computer and/or share with others

Drop us an email, leave a comment on the blog, or visit us over on Facebook or Twitter. We’d love to include your comments and questions in our next episode.

Keep the feedback coming! Send your questions, comments, or ideas to childrensministrytalk@gmail.com. As always, you can find complete details about this podcast at childrensministrytalk.com.

Dick Gruber and Jason Rhode discuss building relationships thru summer events. Dick shares guidelines for children’s ministry activities, parties, events, and field trips [PDF].

Drop us an email, leave a comment on the blog, or visit us over on Facebook or Twitter. We’d love to include your comments and questions in our next episode.

Keep the feedback coming! Send your questions, comments, or ideas to childrensministrytalk@gmail.com. As always, you can find complete details about this podcast at childrensministrytalk.com.

Jason Rhode and Dwayne Riner discuss the use of technology in children’s ministry. They discuss philosophy of using technology in ministry and the current state of technology in children’s ministry. Dwayne mentioned his new blog devoted to technology in children’s ministry and also briefly shared regarding the new CMUO course he is developing on video editing.

Drop us an email, leave a comment on the blog, or visit us over on Facebook or Twitter. We’d love to include your comments and questions in our next episode.

Keep the feedback coming! Send your questions, comments, or ideas to childrensministrytalk@gmail.com. As always, you can find complete details about this podcast at childrensministrytalk.com.

Dick Gruber and Jason Rhode discuss principles for choosing the right curriculum for your children’s ministry based on Dick’s article on choosing curriculum. Dick also discusses his new CMUO course on children’s presentations.

Drop us an email, leave a comment on the blog, or visit us over on Facebook or Twitter. We’d love to include your comments and questions in our next episode.

Keep the feedback coming! Send your questions, comments, or ideas to childrensministrytalk@gmail.com. As always, you can find complete details about this podcast at childrensministrytalk.com.

Dick Gruber and Jason Rhode discuss the topic of Beginnings and Endings. They also share recommendations for planning ahead in the new year.

In our next episode, we’ll be responding to recent questions and comments we’ve received. Drop us an email, leave a comment on the blog, or visit us over on Facebook or Twitter. We’d love to include your comments and questions in our next episode.

Keep the feedback coming! Send your questions, comments, or ideas to childrensministrytalk@gmail.com. As always, you can find complete details about this podcast at childrensministrytalk.com.

Dick Gruber and Jason Rhode respond to several questions posted, including where to purchase puppets, recommendations for starting a bus ministry, as well as suggestions for controlling seemingly chaotic situations.

Dick shared these puppet resource sites:

• One Way Street
• Puppet Productions

In our next episode, we’ll be responding to recent questions and comments we’ve received. Drop us an email, leave a comment on the blog, or visit us over on Facebook or Twitter. We’d love to include your comments and questions in our next episode.

Keep the feedback coming! Send your questions, comments, or ideas to childrensministrytalk@gmail.com. As always, you can find complete details about this podcast at childrensministrytalk.com.

Dick Gruber and Jason Rhode discuss the topic, “Hallo-What? Halloween Outreach Ideas.” Why conduct a Halloween outreach? Dick shares these reasons…because children:

Come to your door
Are open to the supernatural
Ready for fun
Everybody is excited except believers

Dick shared these following things to remember when conducting Halloween outreaches:

• Pray for wisdom
• Begin at a level of mutual understanding
• Let the children come
• Effective evangelism is always relational

Dick also shared the Do Not ABC’s of Halloween…do not:

Attack Halloween
Bash Satanic costuming
Catch yourself along with a child
Depict God as a cruel judge
Engage in practical joking
Force a committment

Dick also mentioned his Halloween Booklet and his Trick or Treat Tract.

In our next episode, we’ll be responding to recent questions and comments we’ve received. Drop us an email, leave a comment on the blog, or visit us over on Facebook or Twitter. We’d love to include your comments and questions in our next episode.

Keep the feedback coming! Send your questions, comments, or ideas to childrensministrytalk@gmail.com. As always, you can find complete details about this podcast at childrensministrytalk.com.

Dick Gruber and Jason Rhode discuss the topic, “Increasing Your Son Protection Factor.” Dick shares that the higher the number, the greater the protection.

Skills
Passion
Faith

Dick referenced the following books in his comments:

• Children’s Ministry Leadership by Jim Wideman
• Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions by George Barna
• Crucial Concepts in Children’s Ministries by Randy Christensen
• Prayer: The Cry for the Kingdom by Stanley Grentz

In our next episode, we’ll be responding to recent questions and comments we’ve received. Drop us an email, leave a comment on the blog, or visit us over on Facebook or Twitter. We’d love to include your comments and questions in our next episode.

Keep the feedback coming! Send your questions, comments, or ideas to childrensministrytalk@gmail.com. As always, you can find complete details about this podcast at childrensministrytalk.com.