Nick Blevins Family Ministry Podcast: Children | Youth | Students | NextGen

In this episode, I talk with Youth Pastor, Steve Cullum, about how to come alongside students in your ministry who are struggling with their mental health. He walks through what it looks like to partner with organizations in your community to equip youth, parents, and leaders to champion students as they walk through mental health struggles. We also have a conversation about Steve's role in two ve...

In this episode, I talk with Orange Specialist Charlie Conder who serves and consults with student pastors that utilize XP3 Students . Charlie shares about partnering with schools, and gives us the inside scoop on a partnership she spent ten years building with local schools in her area. She walks through what that partnership looks like, how it is student led, and how you can empower students in...

In this episode, I talk with Dan Scott about his new book Caught in Between: Engaging Your Preteens Before They Check Out . This book leans into the undeniable fact that preteens start to check out of elementary ministry in the last couple years, but are also not ready to be with eighth graders who are heading to high school. Dan talks about the needs of preteens and what it looks like to create a...

In this episode, I talk with author, communicator, host, and Director of City Strategy at Orange , Sam Collier about his new book, Find Your Voice . Sam clarifies what it looks like to find your voice, barriers to finding your voice, and why we so often overlook or miss the passion and gifts God has given us. He also talks about how we, as ministry leaders, can help others in the church–people on...

In this episode, I talk with Kellie Krueger of Beachcities Church . Over 70% of the weekly kids' team at Beachcities is comprised of student volunteers. Kellie walks through the leadership structure, how it works with so many student volunteers, and how the kid and student teams work together to encourage students to serve and own their own faith. She also shares about a summer camp that her churc...

In this episode, Tom Bump, David Maddron, Tom Pounder, Steve Cullum, and I recap OC18. We break down our key takeaways, favorite ideas, and practical steps we were encouraged to take back to our ministries as we continue the mission of helping the next generation know Jesus. Orange Bloggers & Podcast Leaders Connect with Tom Bump on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Kidmin Collective Podcast Co...

In this episode, I talk with Kevin Jennings. Kevin is a marketing strategist who works with  Orange and helps people communicate their message through social media and email marketing. He walks through a plan for how you can market well from scratch, highlighting mistakes we often make, what to focus on, and tools we can use. Kevin Jennings Connect with Kevin on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Call...

In this episode, I talk with NextGen Pastor, Jim Murphy, about event planning. Jim talks through how his church plans events and the project management system they use. He dives into the weeds, sharing key components of the planning that goes into these events and a video that shows how to practically use the project management tool his team uses to organize their events. Jim Murphy Connect with J...

In this episode, I talk with Interim Executive Director of INCM , Michayla White, about some research they have done involving millennial parents. Michayla breaks down some of the stereotypes surrounding this generation of parents and shares the results of a survey that leans into what matters most to them. Michayla White Connect with Michayla on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Email: Michayla. Whi...

In this episode, I talk with Shelley Donaldson, Nick Elio, Mark Oestreicher, and Eric Woods – 4 of the 5 contributing authors of 4 Views on Pastoring LGBTQ Teenagers . They each share why they wanted to be a part of this project and why it's important to have an open dialogue about this. Specifically, we lean into the question: What do you do when LGBTQ teenagers in your ministry come out to you?...

In this episode, I have a conversation with Kurt Johnston of Saddleback Church about how Saddleback does student ministry, the key components of that strategy, what has remained constant, and what has changed over the past ten years. We also dive into the questions facing student ministry and church leaders as they struggle to engage and create points of involvement for high school students, at a...

In this episode, I talk with Danielle Bell about her church's discipleship strategy for children's ministry. Danielle walks through the key components of their strategy and shares specific details about how they execute these components. From breaking down Sunday morning and Wednesday night programming, to talking about retreats, family worship, and baptism classes, the intentionality and principl...

In this episode, I talk with Amy Fenton from Orange about VBS. Amy shares best practices for planning ahead and how to build a team and process in order to create a remarkable experience for kids. And, she dives into the difference between focusing on evangelism or discipleship during VBS, and what these two approaches look like. Amy Fenton Connect with Amy on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Orange...

In this episode, I talk with my friend, Kevin Monahan, the NextGen Pastor at 12Stone Church in Atlanta, GA. 12Stone does a great job with leadership development and is so intentional about raising up the next generation of ministry leaders through summer internships and 2-year residencies. Kevin walks through what those programs look like, the content and plan they follow, and their philosophy and...

In this episode, I talk with Jim Wideman about the importance of thinking differently. We all have ways of doing ministry that have become routine–typically because we are busy and want to be able to focus on people, as God has called us to do. But, we still need to make time to pray, lean into the wisdom of others, ask questions, and understand the new things God is calling us to in each season....

In this episode, I talk with Louie Lovoy. Louie helps lead, coach, and resource the student ministry leaders in  North Point's network and strategic partner churches. We have a great conversation about what North Point's student ministry looks like and how that translates in partner churches of all sizes, all over the country. From teaching content, to planning trips and retreats, to creating a gr...

In this episode, I talk with Jana Magruder, author of Nothing Less . Nothing Less  is a book based on research with 2000 Protestant parents, that asks the questions: What were the things that influenced your child’s faith the most? and What mattered most in helping them follow Jesus?  Jana walks through the top indicators, and also shares a few surprising things that didn’t make the list and why....

In this episode, I talk with the author of Spiritual Parenting , Dr. Michelle Anthony. We walk through some of the principles in her book, and then break down what family ministry looks like at her church. She shares the groups, events, resources, and other unique components of their plan for equipping parents to be the primary spiritual leaders in their kids' lives. Dr. Michelle Anthony Connect w...

In this episode, I talk with Ashley Bohinc, Director of Middle School Strategy at Orange . Ashley and I have a great conversation about engaging middle school students in large group and small group settings. She shares practical tools for inviting them into conversations, and affirming the way they think and interact with others during this unique phase. And, she unpacks what it looks like to con...

In this episode, I talk with Director of Kids' Club and Student Ministry, Kim Botto, about what her church has done to serve kids and families that are hurting, have experienced trauma, have difficult backgrounds, or are facing other challenges. She shares about the space and time she and her team create to pray and listen for God's direction in their ministry, and how they went about pursuing thi...

In this episode, I talk with Erin English. Erin is the Early Childhood Pastor at Westside Family Church . Erin shares the principles and practical steps that helped grow her volunteer team from 250 to 400 in just two years. We then have a great conversation about goal setting and evaluations, digging into the importance of using these tools to help you pursue what God has in store for you and your...

In this episode, I talk with Family Pastor Chris Sasser, of Port City Community Church . Chris shares how he and his team are partnering with parents in their church through  The Parent Network . The Parent Network is a 4-part initiative they started two years ago. Chris walks us through how they launched The Parent Network , shares the four parts of their strategy, and gives the inside scoop on h...

In this episode, I welcome my friend, Bill Hegedus, back to the podcast. Bill shared with us in Episode 018 about preteen ministry and partnering with parents.  This time, we have a great conversation about what he's been up to this past year since stepping into a new position, and how he's changed the way his church serves preteens and their families. Bill Hegedus Connect with Bill on Facebook |...

In this episode, I talk with Alston Causey, the UpStreet Director at Gwinnett Church , about what his church is doing to create a remarkable volunteer culture. Alston shares the huge role that vision plays in this, and why leading with the “why” is so important. He also walks through the practical things they do to be intentional about creating a great volunteer culture, and gives us an inside loo...

In this episode, I talk with Alison Leamon about preschool ministry. Alison walks through what preschool ministry looks like at her church – from programming, to volunteers and recruiting, to key events they do to partner with parents. She shares the vision and “why” behind what they do, and also shares practical tips on how to mobilize volunteers and help parents be intentional with the youngest...