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Is the Great Pumpkin evil?

During this time of year, I always receive e-mails asking me what I think about how the church should deal with Halloween. This holiday is a perfect subject for discussing how Christians should engage each other and ministry when there are equally powerful but opposite convictions on what is right. I'd recommend taking a look at "When Good People Disagree" on Kidology, which brings up a few points on how to handle disagreements.

In the end, it's important to remember that we each should have convictions, people who disagree with you probably love God as much as you do (really, they do!), as unique creatures we have unique opinions, and that as a Body we'll be spending a lot of time together during eternity!


Because Jesus Loves Children,
Karl D. Bastian - a.k.a. "The Kidologist"
Pre-order The Kids Church Cookbook: Part 1
The Kids Church CookbookThe Kids Church Cookbook cooks up Karl Bastian's secrets for what it takes to be a Chef of the Word of God -- and he should know, having served up over 1,000 Kids Church services! This resource is loaded with insightful instruction and practical training that will help both beginners and veterans.

There are 7 individual training installments to The Kids Church Cookbook, each featuring a 25+ page PDF as the "main course," along with a "side dish" consisting of a 15+ minute Training Video.

The first installment, Called to be a Chef, is available for pre-order, with an expected shipping date by November 1.  For less than the cost of a movie ticket and popcorn, each installment of The Kids Church Cookbook can be purchased for just $9.99... if you are a Kidology Premium Member.

» Pre-order Part 1: Called to be a Chef
» Learn more about The Kids Church Cookbook
Article: When Good People Disagree
When Good People DisagreeThe Kidologist, Karl Bastian, writes, "During this time of year, I always receive e-mails asking me what I think about how the church should deal with Halloween. I have addressed this issue in the past, however, I would like to discuss instead a higher issue, and use Halloween as the relevant example."

"The issue revolves around how Christians should deal with disagreement, because many people disagree regarding what to do with Halloween. Halloween is a perfect subject for discussing how Christians should engage each other and ministry when there are equally powerful but opposite convictions on what is right."


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Boo!  It's our Halloween Zone!
HalloweenGhosts, goblins, and God? Halloween is a time when our culture becomes obsessed with death and the morbid.

Origins and traditions aside, the reality is that it's one of the biggest kids' holidays in America. Redeem this time of year with creative ideas and resources.

» Treat yourself to our ministry tricks
» Ask Halloween questions in the Forums
» Looking for an alternative adventure? Try Order of the Ancient
What's next for DiscipleTown?
DiscipleTownWith over 200 churches already using the first two units of our new  DiscipleTown Kid's Church curriculum, you may be asking, "When is Unit 3 going to be available?"

The next installment will be released November 20 and is titled "How to Grow Spiritual Fruit".  Moving forward, a new DiscipleTown installment will arrive each month throughout the school year.

Haven't tried DiscipleTown yet?  What are you waiting for?  Each unit is designed to stand-alone or be used with other installments.  Plus, being available via download, it's quick to get and quite affordable!

» Unit 2: "How to Use My Bible" - Kidology Members save $5
» Unit 1: "How to Worship" - Kidology Members save $5
» Learn more about DiscipleTown curriculum
Checking in on "Your Salvation"
SurveysEarlier this month we encouraged you to take a new survey we entitled "Your Salvation."  It's been a fascinating way to compare the spiritual paths of fellow children's ministry workers.

We thought it would be of interest to share some of the initial results on this active survey (240+ responses and counting!)

How old were you when you accepted Jesus as your Savior?
  • 26% - Age 9 to 12
  • 21% - Age 5 and Under
  • 19% - Age 6 to 8
  • 12% - Age 13 to 15
  • 10% - As an Adult
View the full results on Kidology.org.  See how your story compares to others!

» Haven't added your choices? Take this survey today!
Turkey and Trees with Ease!
Living ThanksgivingIn search of some lessons to use for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas? (Who isn't!) Might we point you to some nifty releases from TruthQuest, including Truthopolis Series 5: "Living Thanksgiving" and Truthopolis Series 6: "Living Christmas".

Both are CD-ROM-based curriculums that take a unique, Biblical approach to the holidays. Plus, Kidology members save $2 on each title!

» Discover "Living Thanksgiving" - Kidology Members save $2
» Discover "Living Christmas" - Kidology Members save $2
Don't miss the Thanksgiving Zone!
ThanksgivingGobble up large helpings of Kidology Thanksgiving ideas! From historical to fun, we've got a wide variety of lessons, articles, and ideas for you to use this holiday in your children's ministry.

(Unfortunately, this Zone does not include any recipes for making Snoopy's famous Thanksgiving dinner of jelly beans, toast, and popcorn -- if you haven't a clue what that means, then you might want to watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving!)

» Explore the Thanksgiving Zone
» Ask Thanksgiving questions in the Forums
Latest Openings in the Job Center
Kidology Job CenterIf you are a Kidology Member looking for a new ministry or a church seeking a children's pastor or professional, the Kidology Job Center can help!

Here are the latest openings:

» Take advantage of the Job Center
Give my team a chance!
Game IdeasKidology Forums member Wayne Stocks shares the following situation:

"I'm running AWANA games again tonight at the church. In our 3rd-6th grade boys group, the same team seems to be winning each week. At that age, I focus more on the physical games (dodgeball, crab soccer, etc.) because the boys like them."

"That said, I'm looking for a game that is really fun that doesn't require as many physical skills to give the other teams a chance. Any ideas? I've scoured my books and various websites, and I haven't found something yet that looks like fun to me!"

» Do you have any great game ideas?