Kids Ministry Circle Podcast

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 Fa...

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 thi...

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...

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 lea...

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...

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 w...

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...

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 ministr...

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 u...

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 admi...

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 Chi...

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...

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 C...

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 d...

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 un...

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 effectiv...

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 encou...

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: Af...

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 Churchfro...

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...