Greetings Friends and Students!

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,

Children’s Ministries University Online (CMUO) is pleased to announce the launch of its latest 3-credit course Kids in Ministry to be available beginning November 1, 2009.

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.

Are you a children’s ministry leader serving in a church but without any formal children’s ministry education? Are you looking to continue to broaden your ministry knowledge and skills while expanding your children’s ministry network? If the answer to either of those questions is yes, then Children’s Ministries University Online (CMUO) is for you!

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.

CMUOnet, the children’s ministries social learning network sponsored by Children’s Ministries University Online, has just received a major upgrade and is packed now with even more features!  It’s now easier than ever for users to connect with one other, post to personal of group blogs, share bookmarks, find groups of interest, or even start their own group to begin connecting with other children’s ministry leaders.

CMUOnet is powered by the Elgg social networking platform and was recently featured as one of the latest Elgg-powered education social networks.  CMUOnet is the social learning platform for Children’s Ministries University Online and allows children’s ministry leaders to create communities of learning and meet both socially and academically and network with one another.

Best of all…CMUOnet is free!  Want to give it a try?  Visit cmuonet.org and sign-up for your free account today.  Within minutes you can begin networking with children’s ministry leaders from around the globe.

Welcome to the new blog for Children’s Ministries University Online (CMUO)!