Happy 100 episodes of the Kids Ministry Circle Podcast! To celebrate this milestone, my husband, Luke, took over and interviewed me! Together we look back on some of my favorite episodes, what I am learning these days and what is coming up in this next season of Kids Ministry Circle. We are grateful you are here and cheers to the next 100 episodes! Resources Mentioned: Drama of Scripture Churchfront Worship & Tech Podcast...
Oct 23, 2024•1 hr
Our guest today is Joshua Cooley. Joshua is a former kids ministry leader turned author! In our conversation, we talk about Josh's journey into ministry (it's a wild story!), the importance of foundational questions in faith for children, and how to navigate big questions that kids ask. Josh emphasizes the significance of using everyday moments to teach kids about God and encourages new leaders in kids ministry to keep learning and growing in their faith. Don't forget do get your copy of Josh's ...
Oct 16, 2024•41 min
Welcome to another episode of The Kids Ministry Circle Podcast! Today's episode is one big kids ministry party. My guests are three members from the Kids Ministry team at Hespeler Baptist Church in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada! Together we talk about the differences and similarities of church culture in Canada compared to the United States. We also explore the unique dynamics of volunteer-driven ministry, the challenges of discipleship in a secular culture, and the importance of community engageme...
Oct 09, 2024•1 hr
The answer to the title of this podcast is a resounding YES! Our guest today is Abby McClelland! Abby is the Elementary Director from The Crossing Church in Missouri and she reached out to me with a new book she wrote called, God Says Go. Of course I ordered the book and knew she had to come share about it with the rest of you. Abby shared how her and her team have been working together how to teach and share the Great Commission with the kids and families in their community. We talk about the p...
Oct 02, 2024•50 min
Do you ever look at people and wonder how they do it all? Josh & Sarah Denhart are two people who are serving the church, raising kids, caring for ministry leaders, and so much more! But, what I love the most about Josh & Sarah is their willingness to share how the hard seasons have shaped them and how they continue to put God at the center of all that they do. In this episode we have an honest conversation about what life has looked like for Josh & Sarah as they have served together...
Sep 25, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Today's episode is with a couple of my favorite leaders in the kids ministry space. Chuck Peters and Jana Magruder lead the team behind Lifeway Next Gen and help create some of our favorite resources. Throughout this episode, they share how they work together united with one vision and they highlight the value of transparency, vulnerability, and grace in their professional and personal interactions. We talk about the joys of launching a brand new curriculum and the importance of being culturally...
Sep 18, 2024•45 min
The conversation around identity is one of the most important Next Gen conversations of our culture. We must consistently remind kids that they are made in the image of God and that God loves them so deeply. Today on the podcast Christie Penner Worden joins me to dive deep into the identity conversation and talk about her new book, The Me I Was Made to Be: Helping Christian Parents Navigate the Identity Conversation. Whether you lead preschoolers, elementary kids, or students, it is never too ea...
Sep 11, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Today’s episode is a tender one and comes with a trigger warning! I have felt this pull to talk about what to do when we experience grief as ministry leaders. It is not an, if we experience grief, but it is a when we experience grief. Leading teams, pastoring families, and teaching kids about the goodness of God can be so hard when you as the leader are walking through a season of grief. We fight the lie that when we show up on a Sunday, we must be perfect. We forget that the safety of the local...
Sep 04, 2024•1 hr 2 min
In today's episode, I get to introduce you to two of my favorite people and my favorite former co-workers. James + Julie Paquette have been married for over two decades and have been doing ministry together in the local church for almost 10 of those years. They join me to talk about the importance of prioritizing your marriage before your ministry. Ministry can quickly become our everything but ministry does not define us. How can we set healthy boundaries to protect our marriages, our families,...
Aug 28, 2024•1 hr
On today's episode, Beth Cunningham joins me to talk all about millennial parents and generation alpha. Beth is the Kids Pastor at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, AL. Every couple months, I invite someone on the podcast with decades of experience in ministry to help us assess what kids ministry looks like right now. Beth shares what she is noticing about parents and kids today and how we can be meeting them right where they are at. Resources Mentioned: Kids Ministry Circle Cohort Church ...
Aug 21, 2024•56 min
Today’s podcast is for all you multi-site church leaders! We all should be a part of churches that plant churches so maybe you are not at a multisite church right now, but you never know what God could do. I hope no matter what season you are in, you listen and store all the wisdom in your pocket for another day. My guest today is Delia Cornwell. Delia is the Central Kids Pastor at Radiant Church in Tampa, Florida. Radiant Church is made up of 10 campuses! Delia shares her story of finding herse...
Aug 14, 2024•56 min
After a month of Matt and the Student Ministry Circle team taking over the podcast, Lauren is back! Our guest today is Katie Robinson. Katie is the Family Ministry Parent Resource Coordinator at Port City Community Church in North Carolina. Katie is also an author! Her collection of books is called Walking Together: navigating with hope through the very real and hard parts of life. They are designed to help elementary-aged children process common yet difficult topics. In this episode we talk abo...
Aug 07, 2024•47 min
It is the last week of the Student Ministry Circle takeover! This week, Matt McDermott is joined by Matt McCauley. Matt is the Family Ministry Director at The Village Church and he shares his ministry story and the shift from Student Ministry to Family Ministry. He emphasizes the importance of equipping parents to be the primary disciplers of their children and he walks through the framework for family discipleship at The Village Church. The conversation around family ministry is not just a stud...
Jul 31, 2024•1 hr
Student Summer Takeover continues with an interview between Matt McDermott & Kyle Gray. Kyle is camp director at Word of Life and he shares his experience in ministry and the importance of discipleship, especially in the context of summer camp. Together they talk about the benefits and common concerns of summer camp and how it serves a vital purpose in student ministry, providing spiritual growth and community building opportunities. They also discuss the importance of personal growth and au...
Jul 24, 2024•1 hr 16 min
We are half way through the Student Ministry Circle podcast takeover! Today's episode is a special one. Matt McDermott is joined by his friend, co-worker, and Student Ministry counterpart, Morgan Marshall. Together they cover a multitude of topics like male and female friendships, teaching students how to evangelize, equipping small group leaders, and don't miss their hot take on summer camp! Resources Mentioned Student Ministry Circle Cohort Kids Ministry Circle Cohort...
Jul 17, 2024•50 min
Get ready to hear from a Youth Ministry EXPERT! Ron Marrs is a longtime teacher, pastor, mentor, and champion of youth ministry. This episode covers so many different topics from discerning calling, writing curriculum, and discipleship with this generations students. They even work through a case study where a ministry leader is working through feelings of burnout and disappoint. This episode will equip you and encourage you to keep leading for the long haul. Resources Mentioned: Kids Ministry C...
Jul 10, 2024•54 min
It is time for the Student Ministry Circle Takeover! We believe that one way kids ministry leaders can learn to serve families better is by knowing what the student ministry leaders are doing and learning. We are excited for this takeover to give us a new perspective! In this episode, Matt McDermott talks to Justin Knowles. Justin is the Network Youth Director at Sandals Church in Riverside, CA and shares his incredible story of how he ended up in ministry and the unique and creative ways they a...
Jul 03, 2024•1 hr 6 min
Who doesn't love a bonus episode!? For this episode, guest is Melanie Hester. Melanie serves as the Director of Discipleship Engagement for Awana and is one of my favorite people to talk about all things discipleship with. We all know that it is so important to champion the parent and help them disciple their kids as the primary spiritual voice, but where does Sunday morning fit in? In this conversation we work to answer that question. Together we talk about the importance of child discipleship ...
Jun 28, 2024•58 min
Today's episode is all about Family Ministry. My guest today is Amber Pike. Amber works for Renewanation, an organization that has a goal of transforming culture by giving millions of children a Biblical worldview. We talk about how to lead with a family ministry mindset. She emphasizes the need to train and equip parents, not just provide resources, and highlights the importance of caring for the entire family unit. Amber shares practical ideas for incorporating family ministry into events and ...
Jun 26, 2024•46 min
Today's episode is with Chris Ammen! Chris is a Kids Ministry Pastor, a writer, and owner of our favorite Kaleidoscope Kids Bibles. Chris shares his journey in children's ministry, emphasizing the value of dedicated leadership and the strategic importance of partnering with parents. He introduces the concept of 'Teams' as a successful discipleship program and discusses the importance of community, accountability, and competition in engaging families. We talk about strategic planning, program dev...
Jun 19, 2024•51 min
Today's episode is Vance Martin. He is a friend, a leader who I trust deeply, and a champion for all things Next Gen Ministry. Vance serves as the VP of Next Gen for Slingshot Group and is here to help us all think strategically and intentionally around developing leaders in the local church. Vance & I talk about all things developing the next generation and kids ministry leaders everywhere can ask the question, "Who are you investing in?"
Jun 05, 2024•50 min
It was a gift to interview Dave & Jess Ray from Doorpost Songs. Musical worship is a huge component to local church kids ministry but few actually know how to teach kids about worship. Dave & Jess ask a few big questions and help us think intentionally about what songs we play, how our volunteers interact, and how we can teach the next generation of singing God's word. Resources Mentioned: Kids Ministry Book Club Connect with Doorpost Songs: @doorpostsongs https://doorpostsongs.com/about...
May 22, 2024•51 min
In this weeks episode, I am joined by Kayla Maxey. Kayla is a Family Life Pastor here in Colorado and she wears many hats. Kayla talks about the importance of being a connector and not carrying the load by herself but bringing in your fellow staff and key volunteers. Kayla's church also has a year-round preschool at their church and we definitely talk about that relationship and how to share space in a way that glorifies God!
May 15, 2024•45 min
Are you in the middle of summer programming or planning VBS for the very first time? I invited 3 of my favorite kids ministry leaders who just happen to have buckets of knowledge when it comes to VBS to answer some of the questions you all submitted. We cover everything from schedules to preschool programs and curriculum to family follow up. I hope this workshop helps you as you are planning your own summer events. Resources Mentioned: Kids Ministry Circle Event Debrief Guide Deeper Kid Min Reso...
May 08, 2024•1 hr 9 min
May is National Foster Care Month so we are talking about the many ways the church can care for foster + adopt families. I believe that Kids Ministry leaders are at the forefront of caring for these families and we want to do to it well. I invited my friend Matthew Haines to join me on the podcast to share his experience as a kids ministry leader and foster dad. Matthew shares so much wisdom from both sides of the conversation. Resources Mentioned: Summer Book Club Foster Parent Well Podcast @fo...
May 01, 2024•44 min
Tap into your creative side today! My guest is Madi Hackworth or you may know her as Madi Hax on Instagram. Madi has set out to use her gifting and bring creative resources to kids ministry leaders and ministries all over. She is such a gift to this community and I know you will love hearing her story and learning from all the wisdom she has to offer! Connect with Madi: @madihaxcreative https://www.madihax.com/
Apr 24, 2024•45 min
My guest is Jeff Dalrymple. Jeff is the Executive Director of ECAP, Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention. ECAP was created in 2019 to provide awareness, accreditation and resources in order to help Christian organizations that serve kids protect the vulnerable in ministry. Some of the stories that Jeff shares in this episode are heartbreaking and based on the stats that you will hear Jeff talk about, there is a good chance that a few of you listening have experience sexual abuse or have jour...
Apr 17, 2024•44 min
In today's episode I invited Matt McDermott, the Director of Student Ministry Circle to talk all about promotion Sunday! We share our own promotion Sunday experiences, talk through how to celebrate kids well from kindergarten to high school graduation, and how to include parents every step of the way. We talk about promotion Sunday and all milestones through the lens of three different steps: teaching, equipping, and blessing. These steps will help you be intentional and create a very meaningful...
Apr 10, 2024•1 hr 5 min
We all know that there is no jr. Holy Spirit but how does that truth play out in Sunday morning programming? I invited Mal Corwin to help us think about that questions. Mal is the lead kids pastor at the Belonging Co. in Nashville, TN and she shares so many stories of how her church is making space for kids to hear and talk to God. In any podcast conversation, it is helpful to be reminded that you don’t need to implement everything you hear and this conversation with Mal is no excuse. But I do h...
Apr 03, 2024•54 min
What if we raised up a generation that changes the world instead of the world changing them? That is the question that my friend Mel MacDonald asked in her new book Discipling World Changers and it was such a gift to have her on the podcast to talk all things kids ministry. We seriously talk about a little of everything and I know you will leave being encouraged and equipped to keep going! Resources Mentioned: VBS Workshop Connect with Mel: @melissajmacdonald Get Mel's book: Discipling World Cha...
Mar 20, 2024•47 min
