CMU214: Music in Ministry provides learners with foundational knowledge and experience for incorporating music in a meaningful way in children’s ministries. Topics covered include music history and theory, music in children’s worship services, children’s choirs, and technical arts associated with musical performance.

Some of the topics covered in this course include:

• Music and the Church
• Elements of Music
• Children’s Worship Services
• Children’s Choirs
• Sound Systems
• Projection
• Lighting

Be one of the first to enroll in the new Music in Ministry course by signing-up today!

CMUO courses begin monthly, so you can sign-up and begin your journey toward expanding your children’s ministry skills anytime. No matter whether or not you have taken an online course through CMUO before, you can sign-up today to begin your online learning experience as soon as September 1st. Simply logon 24/7 to cmuo.com and find out more details. Current CMUO learners or those who have already applied and been accepted to CMUO can register for the new "Music in Ministry" course at: cmuo.com/register

Registrations for September 1st courses will be accepted thru August 25th.

Free Workshop – Biblical Foundation for Music in Worship Services

Want to catch a glimpse of what a CMUO instructional presentation is like? You can view a free training workshop entitled, "Biblical Foundation for Music in Worship Services".

Additional FREE children’s ministry training workshops are available at cmuo.com/workshops. Find even more encouragement and children’s ministry ideas by listening to the Children’s Ministry Talk podcast at childrensministrytalk.com.

Have a question about CMUO? Contact CMUO Learner support at: http://www.cmuo.com/support

We hope to see you "in class" soon!

- Children’s Ministries University Online

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Children’s Ministry Magazine, as part of their 20th anniversary celebration, is spotlighting in its September/October 2010 issue, children’s ministry leaders who’ve made a significant, positive impact in children’s ministry. CMUO co-founder Dick Gruber was honored to be named to this prestigious list of children’s ministry pioneers!

Download the article here or read it in the upcoming September/October 2010 issue of Children’s Ministry Magazine

Please join the entire CMUO team in congratulating Dick and thanking him for his 30+ years of ministry to children!

Christmas is a busy time with church programs and family gatherings. Remember this year to take some time to relax with your loved ones. The elves here at our workshop have been busy this Christmas season creating more helps for you in your ministry to children. You will find at cmuo.com/resources a series of lessons we’ve prepared for use in children’s church. Check out our podcast at childrensministrytalk.com and have a great holiday. I found a fabulous item at onewaystreet.com called the Bible Story Bag. They have about a dozen to choose from including the Christmas Story and the Wordless Bag. I have used these both and always get good response form children and adult workers.

January is just around the bend. I hope that some of you will find me at CPC in Nashville. I’ll be the tall guy wearing red Chuck Taylors. (Those are shoes). I am also participating in the Assemblies of God Potomac and Penn-Del Districts children’s ministries retreats as well as the North American Children’s Ministries Conference. I look forward to meeting you in my travels.

God bless and quit putting off that continuing education. The cost has never been cheaper nor the information delivered more practical than what we offer at CMUO.com. Take a look and sign up for classes this new year.

Now to close in the words of Tiny Tim, “God bless us, everyone.”

His servant, your servant,

Are you planning to attend the North American Children’s Ministries Conference? Would you like to earn 3 college credits for doing so? If so, then the Children’s Ministries University Online (CMUO) elective course, CMU 493: Children’s Ministry Conference is for you!

This online course will give the student a deeper understanding of the development and implementation of vision and goals in children’s ministry leadership. Through reading, research, and participation in leadership training at the North American Children’s Ministries Conference, students will gain knowledge and insight into practical application of children’s ministries theory.

Those enrolling in this course in conjunction with attending the North American Children’s Ministries Conference should attend a pre-conference training day as well as twelve workshops/plenary sessions at the conference. Total time spent in pre-conference and workshops/plenary sessions should be 25-30 hours. Post-conference assignments are required.

To take advantage of this opportunity to earn 3 college-level credits for attending the North American Children’s Ministries Conference, do the following:

1. Register for the North American Children’s Ministries Conference at https://secure1.ag.org/Registration/ncmc/2009/
2. If you have never taken an online children’s ministries training course through Children’s Ministries University Online (CMUO), apply online at cmuo.com/apply as pay the $25 application fee.
3. Register for the 3-credit CMUO course, CMU 493: Children’s Ministry Conference at cmuo.com/register and pay course register fee of just $90 per credit. That’s a discount of over 80% compared to other on-campus college courses!

We look forward to seeing you at the 2010 North American Children’s Ministries Conference! For more conference details, visit http://cmaconferences.com/ncmc/home/

CMU211: Kids in Ministry examines how to involve preschool and elementary children in ministry in the local church, the community, and missions. Attention will be given to how children learn to serve, and how teachers can recognize and cultivate the God-given talents of each of their students. How to motivate children and how to avoid obstacles that discourage their involvement will be discussed. Included will be resources that encourage children to be active in ministry at their age-level.

Some of the topics covered in this course include:

• Scriptural Basis for Involving Children in Ministry
• Educational Perspectives on ‘Hands-on’ Learning and Participation
• Age-level Characteristics
• Readiness and Maturity
• Role of Discipleship in Children’s Ministry
• Role Models and the Power of Influence
• Creating an Environment that Promotes Participation
• Guiding Children with Special Gifts and Leadership Skills
• Creativity in the Classroom
• Teaching Responsibility and Faithfulness
• Your Class: A Training Ground for Young Disciples
• Short and Long Term Goals for Involving Kids in Ministry
• Kids with Purpose
• Be one of the first to enroll in the new Kids in Ministry course by signing-up today!

CMUO courses begin monthly, so you can sign-up and begin your journey toward expanding your children’s ministry skills anytime. No matter whether or not you have taken an online course through CMUO before, you can sign-up today to begin your online learning experience as soon as November 1st. Simply logon 24/7 to http://www.cmuo.com and find out more details. Current CMUO learners or those who have already applied and been accepted to CMUO can register for the new “Kids in Ministry” course at: http://www.cmuo.com/register

Registrations for November 1st courses will be accepted thru October 25th.

Additional FREE children’s ministry training workshops are available at http://www.cmuo.com/workshops.

Have a question about CMUO? Contact CMUO Learner support at: http://www.cmuo.com/support

We hope to see you “in class” soon!

- Children’s Ministries University Online

CMUO is proud to partner with the American Children’s Ministers’ Association (ACMA) to offer accredited, college-level children’s ministry training online. ACMA is the professional association for children’s ministers that seeks to raise the standard of children’s ministry across America by encouraging and assisting local children’s ministry leaders at the local level. If you are a children’s ministry leader, click here to learn more about becoming a member of ACMA today!

CMUO offers fully-accredited college-level children’s ministry education that can be completed entirely online! Children’s ministry leaders can progress through each course individually or with fellow workers at his or her own pace and can choose to either take a single course or progress through the required coursework to earn a one year certificate (30 credits) in children’s ministries through Valley Forge Christian College. Credits can be transferred to any other Bible college or seminary that accepts transfer credits.

All courses are user-friendly, utilizing the latest in self-paced online educational technology. Classes present a practical, no-nonsense approach to children’s ministry. Click here to take a look at the online children’s ministry courses available through CMUO.

Best of all… CMUO is affordable! Tuition is offered at a discount of over 80% compared to most traditional on-campus college courses.

ACMA Member Benefits and Discounts

The $25 application fee is waived for all ACMA members! Simply apply today to CMUO and note on your application that you are an ACMA member to have your application fee waived.

As additional discounts and benefits for ACMA members become available, they will be announced here.

So what are you waiting for? New courses begin monthly so you are free to start your studies when most convenient. Take the first step to becoming better equipped to serve the children of your church and community by applying today to CMUO.

CMU354: Early Childhood Ministry offers an overview of early childhood ministry. This course will begin to prepare the learner for ministry to children within the local church, for ages birth through kindergarten. Attention will be given to understanding the needs of the “whole” child, philosophy of ministry and practical application, and church programs.

Some of the topics covered in this course include:

• Early Childhood Theories and Practices
• Historical and Current Trends
• Setting Up Your Classroom
• Space, Safety, and Resource Considerations
• Organizing a Distinctly Christian Learning Environment
• Teaching the Young Child
• Leading a Young Child to Christ
• Strategies fo Dealing with Challenging Behaviors
• Supporting the Family
• Recruiting Volunteers and Paid Staff

Be one of the first to enroll in the new Early Childhood Ministry course by signing-up today!

CMUO courses begin monthly, so you can sign-up and begin your journey toward expanding your children’s ministry skills anytime. No matter whether or not you have taken an online course through CMUO before, you can sign-up today to begin your online learning experience as soon as September 1st. Simply logon 24/7 to http://www.cmuo.com and find out more details. Current CMUO learners or those who have already applied and been accepted to CMUO can register for the new “Early Childhood Ministry” course at: http://www.cmuo.com/register

Registrations for September 1st courses will be accepted thru August 25th.

Free Workshop – Creative Storytelling

Want to catch a glimpse of what a CMUO instructional presentation is like? You can view a free training workshop entitled, “Creative Storytelling “ at http://www.cmuo.com/workshops/creativestorytelling.

Additional FREE children’s ministry training workshops are available at http://www.cmuo.com/workshops.

Have a question about CMUO? Contact CMUO Learner support at: http://www.cmuo.com/support

We hope to see you “in class” soon!

- Children’s Ministries University Online

Greetings in the wonderful name of Jesus. He is our Good shepherd and loves the children.

I wanted to drop you a quick update regarding Children’s Ministries University Online. Since we opened the doors almost three years ago, over 583 students have registered and most have taken one or more classes. It is exciting to watch the progress of these students as they continue to sharpen their tools for ministry to God’s children.

We have just awarded our very first certificate in children’s ministries. Ruthie Hill has completed all requirements and is our first student to complete the certificate program. We are proud of her accomplishment. Several other students are nearing completion as I write this letter.

Take a look at cmuolite.com for information our upcoming live training event. October 9-11, 2008 we will host a live training event on the campus of Valley Forge Christian College. Students may participate on campus or virtually from the comfort of their own homes. Both on campus and virtual attendees will enjoy the content of this conference through our conference archive. All general sessions and workshops will be available to every registrant well beyond the week of the event. You will be able to use this material for your inspiration and that of your workers for months to come.

Speakers such as Jim Wideman, Dale VonSeggen, Wayne Tesch, and Dave Boyd will be featured at this event. Many others will be teaching workshops and sharing in our general sessions. We’ve got a great selection of exhibitors participating on campus and/or online with more yet to come on board. Excitement is building here at CMUO central as we receive registrations from around the world.

Children’s Pastor Jessica Vega has been organizing the workshop leaders and topics for the conference and all of these are nearly in place. Here are just ten of the over 50 workshops available:

• Discipline Strategies in an Undisciplined World
• 17 Habits of a Successful Children’s Leader
• Organizing Your Ministry and Yourself
• Building a Biblical Worldview
• Building a Team That Lasts
• Breakthrough Spiritual Retreats
• Your Church Should Have A Puppet Ministry
• Using Contemporary Puppets and Ventriloquism
• Active and Engaging Worship
• Collaborative Planning and Document Creation using Google Docs

Check out the conference and register today at cmuolite.com. Register by August 28th to receive a discount. Student and group discounts are also available. We look forward to participating with you in this historic conference.

May God richly bless you in your continuing ministry to His children.

Dick Gruber
Children’s Ministries Specialist
Valley Forge Christian College
Children’s Ministries University Online