In this special episode of the Kids Ministry Circle podcast, I am sharing some big news on the next season! Hear the news, wha I am working on, and how you can join in on the fun! Let's build a Kids Ministry!
It’s another week, with another episode where I learn something new about how to teach kids about God and His Word. I am so excited to introduce you to today’s guest, Mary Wiley. Mary is a mom, kids ministry volunteer, author, and a publisher for B&H publishing. Her latest book is called Discovering the Bible: A Kid's Guide to Reading and Understanding God's Word and just wait until you hear how she uses this book in her own church. I was instantly hooked. Together, we talk about helping kid...
It's time for another pep talk. VBS, Kids Camp, or whatever you have planned for Summer programming may be in full swing or right around the corner and we could all probably use some encouragement. In this episode, I share 5 things that you can focus on or remember during VBS. I am cheering you on. To God be the glory!
I have heard from countless leaders about the struggle of the preteen years in Kids Ministry. They aren’t quite ready for student ministry, but they are searching for deeper discipleship opportunities. I was even asked a few weeks ago if I knew of anyone creating curriculum or content for preteen girls and I am so excited to introduce you to someone who is doing just that and she just happens to be neighborhood! Janna Widdifield is the founder of Vessels. Today we talk about preteen girls and wh...
Today on the podcast we have Barry & Jess Saylor from One Hope. They serve on the research team at One Hope and have led projects to help parents and ministry leaders better understand the generations, discipleship, and struggles of parenting. In this episode, we deep dive their research on Generation Alpha. This research is important and impactful. Don't miss this conversation and download the entire research for yourself! Resources Mentioned: Summer Intensive One Hope Research: Gen A...
We’ve all been keeping our eyes on the stats about Gen Z, Bible sales, and pop up revivals happening on college campuses, but what about Gen A? Can we pinpoint what ministry leaders have done different this time? Is it possible to recreate what is happening now for the next generation? Those are the questions we are asking in today’s podcast and I invited Shane Pruitt to talk all about it. Shane is an author, speaker, and Director of Next Gen for the North American Mission Board. We talk about c...
This one is for the moms, people who lead alongside moms, and people who support a mom in ministry. My guest today is my friend and mentor, Nancy Matossian. I got a front row seat to watch Nancy raise her girls and work in full-time vocational ministry and it was such a gift to bring her on the podcast to talk about being a mom in ministry. We talk about the illusion of balance, how to navigate difficult church seasons, and how we can change our perspective to notice God. Resources Mentioned: Su...
My friend Natalie Frisk is back on the podcast and we planned to talk about her new book, A Light to Share, but we ended up talking about so much more. Natalie is an author and the Director of Curriculum at Raise Up Faith. She is also one of my favorite kids ministry thought leaders to brainstorm and share ideas with—as you will clearly hear on the podcast today. Resourced Mentioned: Raise Up Faith Curriculum A Light to Share Book Raising Disciples Book Kids Ministry Circle Summer Intensive...
My guest today is Ryan Coatney. Ryan wears many hats as pastor, head of a school, and what you may know him for, founder of Cross Formed Kids Curriculum. I’ve talked about Cross Formed Kids many times and it was about time I had Ryan on the podcast. I gave Ryan the what feels like impossible task of helping me unpack how to talk about Salvation and present the Gospel story. As you can tell in this episode, I had lots of questions and Ryan so graciously answers them and gives us so many tools to ...
Today’s episode is a unique episode well for a unique week. If you are listening to this when it is released, it is the Monday of Holy Week. Approximately 6 days before Easter weekend festivities kick off, of course depending on when those festivities actually begin. Is there a way to make Holy Week less stressful? Is there a way for you to get what you need to get done and actually enjoy Easter weekend with your church family. I think so. I think it’s possible to calm the chaos. So hears my pep...
I invited Preston Hocker to join me on the podcast today. Preston is a pastor, security advocate, and co-creator of Lead Volunteers latest course, Lead Security. Preston helps us think about security holistically and gives us encouragement and advice on how to cast vision to senior leadership or volunteers to take safety more seriously. This conversation is an important one so I hope that you lean in and resist the urge to say, “that would never happen to us” and skip past this episode! Resource...
One aspect I believe that kids ministry leaders should always be learning and growing in is our ability to teach good theology to kids of all ages. It’s hard and I can attest that I have even grown leaps and bounds in this area and partially because I’ve personally grown in my love and knowledge of God. We can’t teach what we don’t know and believe. Over the next couple months, we are sprinkling in episodes that help us grow in knowledge around a specific doctrine or theological conversation and...
My guest today is Amanda Druffel. Amanda is one of the creators behind Kids Ministry Solutions. Her and her mom create the cutest and most helpful teaching resources for home and church, but she also is on instagram helping us all be more efficient in our work. Her helpful tips are suggestions from many years in ministry are helping us all balance home & work life. In our conversation today we talk about balancing it all and how we can work more efficiently to free up our time for our people...
Kim Botto is back on the podcast today and we are taking things to the next level. Kim was on the podcast back in 2023 where we talked through building a Special Needs Ministry. Today, we are talking about her new book, Boundless Hope for Every Child, and what belonging looks like in those unexpected moments on Sunday morning. Resources Mentioned: Boundless Hope book Listen to Episode 38 with Kim Botto https://kimbotto.com/...
Today's episode, I am diving into another one of the 5 Foundations of Kids Ministry: Volunteers! I am sharing 5 random, yet intentional things you may not be thinking about when it comes to leading a team of volunteers. It is short and sweet and I think it will be the pep talk we all need in the middle of the Spring semester.
Part of the job of a kids or family ministry leader is to continue to equip and encourage parents to step into their role as disciple-makers. Parents have a million reasons not to participate in home discipleship and we get the incredible opportunity to remind parents there are a million reasons to participate in home discipleship. My guest today is Vanessa Myers and she is a longtime kids ministry leader and creator of Family Faith Builders. She has created countless resources for family discip...
It is always bittersweet when the time comes to graduate kids into student ministry, but we know they are ready! In today's episode, I chat with Dan Istvanik all about the big transition from kids to students. Dan is a family pastor, creator of Youth Ministry Hub and on the Next Gen team for the Global Leadership Network. He shares his 30+ years of youth ministry wisdom as we are all gearing up to move kids from one ministry to the next. Resources Mentioned: Milestone Masterclass Middle Years...
Tis' the season for Easter planning! In this episode, hear how two real Next Gen leaders are preparing their teams and ministries for Easter Sunday. Hear how they debrief, plan, recruit, and celebrate their teams throughout the Easter season. We also share a few stories of maybe what not to do or how to learn from our mistakes. You will love this real conversation with real leaders that I admire so much. Resources Mentioned: Milestone Masterclass Wonder Ink Seder Resource...
Today's episode looks a little different as we introduce a new podcast format that will be sprinkled throughout the year. In these unique episodes, I will be talking about one of the 5 foundations of kids ministry. This week, we are zooming in on partnering with parents. I share some research I find fascinating and what to do with it. Research Mentioned: OneHope State of Child Discipleship Children's Ministry in a New Reality Resourced Mentioned: Parent Roundtable...
Have you ever been stuck when teaching kids big Christian doctrines? Same. My friends Sam Luce & Hunter Williams wrote a new book that will help leaders and parents everywhere teach kids theological truths that will impact their faith for a lifetime. Resources Mentioned: Spring Cohort Creating Milestones That Matter How to Teach Kids Theology Book...
In today's episode, I sit down with Lynne Howard from the team at David C. Cook and we deep dive into curriculum but more specifically scope & sequence. We talk about how to really use a scope & sequence to plan your year, equip your parents, and better serve your volunteers. Resources Mentioned: Spring Cohort Wonder Ink Curriculum Connect with Lynne: lynne.howard@davidccook.org...
My guest today is Cortney Jenkins. Cortney is the creator behind Awe & Wonder, a hub of resources to help churches and families reach all kids with the Gospel story. Today we talk about how to teach kids of all abilities using a variety of curriculum and techniques. Whether you have your own designated classroom for kids with special needs or are starting from the beginning, I know Cortney’s wisdom will be so encouraging and helpful. Resources Mentioned: Awe & Wonder Curriculum Follow Co...
In today's episode, I share about what is coming for 2025! I talk about how we are being faithful to our mission and vision and what are the new and excited announcements. We are grateful you are a part of this community and listening along as we learn and grow! Resources Mentioned: VBS Curriculum Video Creating Milestones That Matter Course Spring Cohort...
Happy 2025 friends! To ring in the new year, I am sharing 5 things I said the most as a kids ministry coach. Maybe these things will bring you encouragement, too. To learn more about one-on-one coaching and the Spring Cohort, use the links below. Kids Ministry Coaching Spring Cohort
In this episode of the Kids Ministry Circle, I talk with Kenny Conley to hear about his latest 90-day volunteer recruiting challenge! He set out to recruit 50 volunteers in 90 days and I am out to get the inside scoop. We talk about Kenny's secret sauce to recruiting and onboarding new volunteers and the many way he plans on retaining all of his new volunteers. Resources Mentioned: Kids Ministry Circle Cohort Ministry Boost 90-Day Challenge 5 Steps to Recruit Volunteers Now @ministryboost...
The Kids Ministry Circle Podcast is back after a quick Thanksgiving break. Today's guest and I are talking about a little hot button in our culture right now so buckle up! Christina Embree is the founder of Refocus ministry. Refocus exists to help you identify the bridges and barriers to intergenerational ministry in your church and give you the tools you need to create a culture of generational discipleship and faith formation. A few weeks ago our guest today, Christina Embree posted an article...
In today's episode, I interview Brian Dembowczyk and we talk a lot about family discipleship. Brian has a brand new book out called Family Discipleship That Works and so we talk about how this format he suggests throughout his book could really work for a lot of families trying to establish home discipleship rhythms. We explore the themes of gospel transformation in parenting, the importance of understanding image bearing in children, morality versus moralism, and the role of kids ministry leade...
In today's episode, our guest today is Candice Wynn. Candice is a long-time leader in the youth and family ministry space. Our conversation evolves the landscape of church dynamics post-COVID, the shifting perspectives on discipleship, and the role of technology in modern ministry. Candice highlights the unique challenges faced by millennial parents and the necessity of equipping them for effective discipleship. Also, Candice shares her journey in youth ministry and the creation of BOON, a commu...
Welcome to a new episode of the Kids Ministry Circle Podcast! This week, I had the opportunity to talk to Derek Altom, the director of events and development at D6. Derek and I talk about how we can all get better at equipping parents and how it is not just a one time event, but discipleship happens in all areas of life. I loved the story about Derek’s son memorizing scripture in the car! So encouraging and so applicable to all parents. Of course, I invite Derek to share his families Christmas t...
Pull out the twinkle lights, Christmas trees, and fake snow! It is time to start decorating for Christmas! But where do we start and how do we find the balance of whimsy and sophisticated? I invited the part of the team from Wit.Co Creative to teach us best practices when it comes to decorating our hallways for Christmas. Resources mentioned: Wit.Co Creative Kids Ministry Space Tour Greenery: Afloral Christmas Trees: Balsam Hill Large Scale Christmas Decor Walmart Garland Amazon Garland White Co...
