NextGen Conversations

Shelly Nall, nextgen director at First UMC in Blue Springs, joins us to discuss how to plan meaningful and engaging Christmas events for families. Shelly shares her wisdom on adapting to the needs of different generations, fostering community through creative programming, and the importance of keeping the holiday season stress-free for leaders and volunteers. Related Resources Illustrated Ministry...

Every community – both big and small – has young people. Rev. Po'ese Vatikani, currently the pastor of Carrollton UMC, has a track record for multiplying the next generation ministry wherever he serves. He shares his why and how in this episode of NextGen Conversations. About Rev. Po'ese Vatikani Po'ese Vatikani was born and raised in the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific as the son of a schoo...

Let's be honest, most of us don't understand esports. Yet at Ashland UMC in St. Joseph, adding an esports center to their youth room has totally leveled up their ministry. Tom Keller, director of youth ministries at Ashland UMC, shares about the success and how other churches can make an impact with their context's esports. About Tom Keller Tom serves as the Director of Youth Ministries and Contem...

Imagine this: You've been hired part-time by a small, aging congregation to start a youth group and attract younger people to the church. What would you do? Former youth leader Jessica Sachs, who you might remember from the morning sessions of UNITE, weighs in. About Jessica Sachs Jessica is a lifelong Methodist with almost a decade of student and small group ministry experience and continues to s...

Imagine this: You're the new volunteer children's ministry leader starting the ministry from scratch. What would you do? We kick off this season of NextGen Conversations by role-playing this scenario with Ministry Architects ' Stephanie Caro. About Stephanie Caro Stephanie Caro has been involved in ministry to children, youth and adults in the local church (both large and small) since … a long tim...

At Westside Church, a two-year-old satellite campus of First UMC (Kearney), a little grant money and creativity took the kid's ministry to the next level. Through digital mediums and activity box deliveries, the church kept connecting with families despite the strange circumstances of 2020. Listen as Children's Director Nicolle Downing and Site Pastor Mitch Buhman share what worked, what didn't an...

In our final episode of Season 1, we're in conversation with Maggie Lohmeyer, NextGen youth specialist at the Missouri Conference. Maggie shares a little about her background in ministry and how through her work with NextGen she aims to connect youth leaders and youth. This episode highlights some of the networking events, youth group programs and resources NextGen makes available to local churche...

This week we're in conversation with Rev. Tadd Kruithoff to discuss how Trinity UMC in Piedmont, Missouri, does discipleship. Instead of focusing on facts alone, Kruithoff and his team lean into the relational aspect of discipleship through Holy Listening. This method allows kids to lead the conversation and share about their own lives in their own words while volunteers simply guide the conversat...

Social life, schoolwork, family drama and social media: Even without a pandemic, students and leaders have a lot on their plates. The Awakened Life, written by Rev. Angie Olsen and Sarah Bollinger, offers an invitation to peace and silence amid the chaos of life. This week we're in conversation with one of the book's authors, Angie Olsen, to discuss the importance of silence and meditation. We dis...

What would it look like to have a youth program that was easy to maintain and had a primary focus on daily discipleship? That's exactly how Becca Boren, director of youth and young adult ministries at Good Shepherd in Kansas City, has her program aligned. Becca shows us how to turn the standard youth ministry model on its head and allow youth to mentor youth in a meaningful way. At Good Shepherd,...

This week we're in conversation with a panel of elementary teachers from all over Missouri to discuss what it's like to teach during COVID-19. Pandemic life is hard enough for everyone but being a teacher may be one of the most difficult professions right now. In our conversation we discuss their struggles and joys as well as how to best use technology to connect with young people. This conversati...

Life during COVID is challenging right now, but especially so as a parent of young children. This week we sit down with a panel of four families with elementary-aged children to discuss what life has been like navigating quarantine, mask culture and school as it continues evolve. This honest and real insight into their lives will help shape how churches view ministry right now and why family minis...

This week we're in conversation with Mona Candea, Children's Ministry Coordinator at Grace UMC in Olathe, Kansas. Mona walks us through the challenging world of COVID-era family ministry. She and her team have evolved the way that they do ministry over the last year, and Mona has a lot of great ideas to share with churches that are struggling with where to start. Through use of new digital media a...

This week we're in conversation with Sarah DeClue, Children's Ministry Director at La Croix Church in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and newly appointed Next Generation Ministry Team Chair for the Missouri Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. With the world the way that it is right now, connecting with kids and families outside of church walls is increasingly important. Sarah chats about t...