The Bible2School Podcast with Meredith

Faith-Filled Summer Fun with Stephanie Smith Summer is here!!  Today we're exploring fun and easy ways to have an intentional, faith-filled summer with the kids in your circle of influence.  Stephanie Smith, our Director of Operations, is sharing three ideas for summer fun! Ready for a faith-filled summer? Let's go.... STEPHANIE SMITH is Bible2School’s Director of Operations, keeping everything ru...

Fun and Engaging Ideas for a Kid's Prayer Walk with Don MacLafferty Let's get outside with our kids and engage them in prayer in God's creation!  Today's guest, Don MacLafferty from In Discipleship, is sharing some simple tips to incorporate God's creation, walking, and prayer in a fun and impactful way!  Ready to lace up your sneakers and go for a walk? Let's go.... DON MACLAFFERTY is a disciple...

Helping Our Children See Jesus with Tom Luttmann Helping children see Jesus is what our partner, Bible Visuals International, is all about!  We're going to hear from Tom Luttmann, Bible Visuals International's Executive Director, about how they support the efforts of ministries who evangelize and disciple children, and how we can apply the lessons they have learned from ministry partners in our ow...

How God is Working Through Praying Moms with Sally Burke Hey teachers, it's spring and we're praying for you and your students to end the school year strong!  As president of Moms In Prayer International, Sally Burke leads moms around the world in praying for their children and their schools.   She's sharing some simple yet powerful tips on prayer and sharing stories about answered prayers today!...

Ways We Can Help our Kids Be Passionate About Prayer with Leslie McCarthy Kids ask lots of good questions about prayer, like "Why do you talk to God?" and "Does He answer prayer?"  Today we're talking to Leslie McCarthy, a Bible2School teacher and who is passionate about prayer!  She'll introduce us to practical ways to talk about and incorporate prayer with the children in our circle of imfluence...

The Impact of Prayer for our Nation and Leaders Today we're hearing from William Graham, Billy Graham's grandson, and past honorary chair of the National Day of Prayer.  Get ready to hear from this amazing third generation evangelist about his familiy's ministry and the importance of prayer for our nation and leaders. Ready to be inspired by Will? Let's go.... Will Graham is Vice President and Ass...

Why Intentionality Matters in the Life of a Child Have you ever wondered if the family dinners, notes in the lunchboxes, and all the other little ways you intentionally show love and disciple a child is making a difference?  You'll want to tune in to hear our guest, Jonathan Pitts, as he discusses how hope, intentionality, consistency and even friendship has a lasting impact in the life of a child...

4 Reasons to Volunteer It’s National Volunteer Week, and we’re celebrating by highlighting one of our favorite ways to get our hearts closer to Jesus — volunteering! In this fun episode, Kori and Lee chat about four main reasons why we should slow down and take the time to serve others. We truly believe that Jesus came to serve, and we can’t be like Jesus unless we serve others.  Our hope is that...

FUN Ways to Explain the Easter Story to Children Easter is a celebration of Jesus conquering death so we can be with Him in Heaven one day. This can be a challenging story for some kids to grasp, especially the crucifixion. Do you know how to explain the Easter story to the kids in your life? We're here to help! In this podcast episode, we chat with our friend Meredith Steidler and explore FUN way...

Why Mentorship Matters in God’s Eyes In this podcast episode, we dive deep into the topic of mentorship with Patricia Engler, a Christian apologetics speaker, writer, and Youth Outreach Coordinator for Answers in Genesis. She has a heart for mentorship and has learned first-hand how valuable the unique relationship is for both the adult and the child. She believes that we are designed by God for r...

Building Relationships to Start a Bible2School Program Are you curious how to get a Bible2School program into your community? This episode is for you! Bible2School CEO, Kori Pennypacker, explains why we believe that ministry is a team sport. She unpacks how we can help you build your own community team. We have a unique formula that has proven to be very successful in building a foundation of sust...

Building a Meaningful Life Through Big Questions This podcast episode dives into deep questions we can ask our kids to help them build a meaningful life. Scott Schimmel, President and Chief Guide of The YouSchool, has a heart for influencing young children and teenagers through asking good questions and modeling good answers. He truly believes that this is what can help kids have a relationship wi...

Encouraging Creativity with Bible Story Skits Feel like you’re running out of creativity when it comes to teaching the Bible to the kids in your life? We’re here to help! In this episode, Bible2School teacher, Jody Grasser, talks about the power of engaging children’s creativity and imagination through skits to help them remember Bible stories. Jody is passionate about God’s Word and she has some...

Bringing the Bible to Life Through Storytelling This podcast episode is sure to inspire you and spark some creativity! Joshua Enck, President and Chief Story Officer of Sight & Sound Ministries, is passionate about inspiring and motivating people through the art of storytelling.  Sight & Sound Theatres brings the Bible to life through dynamic broadway-style shows that are not just to inform and ed...

When Kids Ask Tough Questions, like “What Happens After I Die?” It’s no secret that kids are thinkers, and they can ask tough questions that might leave us speechless. At Bible2School, there are three questions we hear the most from kids. One of them is “What happens after I die?” Stephanie Smith, Bible2School’s Director of Operations, is a former teacher and helped write our curriculum for 2nd, 3...

Breaking Through the Fatherlessness Crisis This episode discusses a very important topic in our culture — fatherlessness. Did you know that fatherlessness is considered the most significant family or social problem facing America today? For example, 85% of the youth in prison today grew up in a fatherless home. Our guest for this podcast is Ken Bevel, who has an incredible story about his life wit...

In this episode, we talk to Danica Elder, a special needs specialist and educator, on the importance of supporting kids with special needs and their families. Children with special needs come in all different shapes and sizes, but they have been built with the same God-sized hole in their hearts! We feel that ALL kids need to hear about the gospel and that Jesus has particular concern for the kids...

God Wants Us to Be a Good Steward & a Cheerful Giver In this episode, we talk with Megan Risser, Donor Engagement Officer & Marketing Manager at Bible2School, about something she is passionate about – stewardship and putting others first! She gets personal about why this is so near and dear to her heart and the inspiration behind it in her life.  Megan believes that stewardship touches every part...

Love is in the air as Valentine’s Day approaches! In this episode, we highlight a favorite Bible2School lesson from teacher, Leslie McCarthy: the Thanksgiving lesson. So, what does Valentine’s Day and Thanksgiving have in common? Gratitude! Leslie dives into her favorite lesson and provides practical ways we can encourage the children in our lives to have a grateful heart, no matter what season we...

Back to the Basics of Sharing the Gospel with Kids Lee and Kori get back to the basics of sharing the gospel with children in this episode. It can seem awkward to talk to kids about the gospel and salvation because we’re afraid they won’t understand. But kids CAN make the decision at any age to accept Jesus as their Savior, and we’re here to help make it easy! So, how do you begin the conversation...

How to Have Hard Conversations with Kids, with Columbine Survivor Crystal Woodman Miller (Episode 27) In this powerful episode, Crystal Woodman Miller describes her experience as a survivor of the Columbine school shooting when she was 16 years old. Crystal was in the library at the time of the shooting — the room where most of the violence occurred. She explains how she relied on God that day and...

How to Become a Great Disciple Maker to the Children in Your Life with Don MacLafferty (Episode 26) Don MacLafferty, Founder & President of In Discipleship, unpacks the importance of being a great disciple maker to the children in our lives. He also offers a few effective ways to disciple kids that can be simple for anyone! He believes that discipleship is all about relationships and that we must...

Happy New Year! Co-hosts Lee Nienhuis & Kori Pennypacker are back together for this special podcast episode where we review 2021 and look ahead to 2022. At Bible2School, we are dreaming new dreams together for this year and we continue to be blown away by the growth that God is bringing. A new year brings new possibilities, and we can’t wait to see what God has planned! Some of the highlights from...

Merry Christmas! Let's put the spotlight on the best gift of all - Jesus!  Carol Rabold, an experienced Bible2School teacher and leader, is ready to share some practical ways to help our children put Jesus first this season.  Ready for a gift of fun and practical Christmas ideas? Let's go.... CAROL RABOLD is a Program Director with Bible2School.  Carol has been involved in children's ministry for...

We all know it's important for our kids to feel valued in their schools and groups. Have you ever considered that our kids can be influential in creating a culture of value?  Our guest today, Ben Vander Kodde, has been helping children in public schools do just that through positive peer relationships. Ready to learn how to equip our children to create a culture of value in their schools?  Let's g...