Tag: K! Magazine

Categories
children's ministry cartoons

Down to Our Level Cartoon

Last Sunday, I had several kids who wanted me to play games with them. They like it when an adult takes an interest in them. Several years ago, such an incident inspired this “down to our level cartoon.”

Down to our level cartoon. A girl says about a teacher, "He was sitting down to get to our level, when his back filed a formal complaint."

I’ve learned that when I’m consistently in a classroom, and I take an interest in what the kids are doing, they naturally want me to participate in their activities. To me, it’s common sense. But how often do we do just that? How often do we set aside our agenda for a moment and focus on the other person?

Continue reading “Down to Our Level Cartoon”
Categories
children's ministry cartoons

Spiritual Discipline for Kids Cartoon

I have worked with kids at church for some time. My goal has been to pass along some of the joys and insights I have learned along the way. That can be challenging when children are excited and very active. So this led to this spiritual discipline for kids cartoon.

Spiritual discipline for kids cartoon. A teacher says, "It can be challenging to teach spiritual discipline to a child who once stuck gum drops up his nose."

Morning and Evening Kids

There is a big difference between a Sunday morning and an evening group of kids. On Sunday morning, most children are subdued. They may be just waking up. Perhaps the cereal hasn’t kicked in or they were doing activities the night before.

Continue reading “Spiritual Discipline for Kids Cartoon”
Categories
children's ministry cartoons

Cartoon: Volunteer Donuts

I have heard some lamenting over the past year when it comes to workers in the church. This cartoon I drew about volunteers and donuts in 2013 reminds me that volunteering has changed dramatically since the pandemic.

Cartoon of a man tossing a donut to a teenager. The man says, "The youth have been great volunteers. Plus, they word for donuts!"

While some teenagers may still be as enthusiastic as the guy in the cartoon, it has been a challenge to recruit volunteers. This article from Christianity Today illustrates the challenges many churches are facing.

Continue reading “Cartoon: Volunteer Donuts”
Categories
children's ministry cartoons K! Magazine Kidzmatter Magazine Magazine

The Things We Do For Kids

Injured man on a hover board says, "A hoverboard and a fractured ulna are a small price to pay for connecting with kids."
Published in "K! Kidzmatter Magazine"

Yes, I’ve been on a hoverboard before. But for some reason, I escaped unscathed. Still, it was enough of a harrowing experience to create a cartoon about it.

Parents and teachers do a lot of things to relate to kids. The other day, my sister sent a video of her dancing with her daughter. She was doing what she needed to do to keep her kindergartner entertained. There has been a lot of that activity going on while we have been cooped up in our houses and apartments for the last two weeks with a COVID-19 quarantine.

I’m willing to bet it will be worth it when you share the memories in a few years. It may seem things are dire at the moment, but kids will probably remember this time as a fun break that allowed them to connect with their parents in a way they never would have been able to do otherwise.

So embrace today and find another new way to connect with your son or daughter. Just be careful of those hoverboards. You don’t need a broken ulna right now!

Injured man on a hover board says, "A hoverboard and a fractured ulna are a small price to pay for connecting with kids."
Published in “K! Kidzmatter Magazine”
Categories
K! Magazine Kidzmatter Magazine Magazine motivation

How Is Your Reality TV Show Going?

Cartoon of a student and a Sunday school volunteer. The student says, "You'll love serving in the fifth grad class. It's kind of like being in a reality TV show."
Published in "K! Kidzmatter Magazine"

There are some days when I think the last couple of weeks have been a twisted reality TV show. People have been sequestered in their homes with whatever they could scrounge at the grocery and instructed to live within the confines of their home with the kids while they attempt to work from home and homeschool their kids. Whew!

It has reminded me of a time or two when a class could get unruly and devolve into an out-of-control reality show atmosphere. Oh, how I long for those days! 

They will be coming soon. Sometime late spring or in the summer, Sunday school classes will be back in session. It may take some time for students and teachers to get their bearings again. In the meantime, hold on for today. If you are feeling you are in a bizarre reality show, see if you can ask the director for a raise or bonus. Just beware of that added twist that those shows like to add just to make things interesting.

Cartoon of a student and a Sunday school volunteer. The student says, "You'll love serving in the fifth grad class. It's kind of like being in a reality TV show."
Published in “K! Kidzmatter Magazine”