The INCM Podcast

INCM Host - Liza Gant RHK Team - Robert Crosby & Kayla Smith Questions answered: Why is this such an important conversation to have now ? What has changed over the past five years? When we talk about ministry burnout, what are some key theological and psychological principles we need to keep in mind? What are some practical things pastors can do to prevent burnout or deal with burnout when it...

INCM Host - Liza Gant RHK & Guest - Kayla Smith & Dr. Leon Blanchette (Olivet Nazarene University) Questions answered: Why do we need to approach supporting family discipleship differently now than five years ago?  What are some basic theological or psychological principles you think are important in the conversation about supporting families?  What are some strategies you’d want to see ch...

INCM Host - Liza Gant RHK Team - Robert Crosby & Kayla Smith Questions answered: Why do we need to pivot the way we equip volunteers? What are some general theological or psychological principles that we should keep in mind when we talk about equipping volunteers? What are some best practices for equipping our volunteers? Resources:   reachhurtingkids.com/training Social Media: RHK Instagram I...

INCM Host - Liza Gant RHK & Guest - Robert Crosby & Kim Botto Questions answered: Ministry leaders have been recruiting and caring for volunteers for decades. Why do we need to change the way we’re doing things now? What has changed in the past five years? What are some key theological or psychological principles that we should keep in mind when we talk about recruiting and caring for volu...

INCM Host - Liza Gant RHK & Guest - Robert Crosby & Amber Pike (Renewanation) Questions answered: When we talk about teaching kids in the church, how have things changed over the past five years? What are some general theological and psychological principles we should keep in mind? If someone wants to learn more, what are some good resources? Resources: reachhurtingkids.com/teaching   T he...

INCM Host - Liza Gant RHK & Guest - Kayla Smith & Yancy (Yancy Ministries) Questions answered: Why do we need to approach worship differently now than five years ago? What's changed?  What are some basic theological or psychological principles you think are important in kids' worship? What are some worship strategies you'd want leaders to try?  Resources: reachhurtingkids.com/w...

INCM Host - Liza Gant RHK Team - Robert & Lori Crosby Questions answered: What has changed over the past five years?  What are some key principles we should keep in mind when we talk about small groups? What are some practical strategies that can help us create small groups that actually work? Are there resources that can help our listeners grow in this area? Resources: Small Groups The Reach...

INCM Host - Liza Gant RHK & Guest - Kayla Smith & Dr. Erin Smith Questions answered: Why do we need to revisit this topic? What has changed over the past five years?  What core theological or psychological principles do we need to keep in mind? What are some specific, practical strategies we can use to build stronger relationships with kids and help them open up? What resources do you have...

INCM Host - Liza Gant RHK & Guest - Kayla Smith & Hannah Bolick (ECAP) Questions answered: What has changed as far as safety and abuse prevention in the past 5 years?  What core theological or psychological principles do we need to keep in mind? What are some specific, practical strategies children’s ministry leaders can use right now?  Resources: reachhurtingkids.com/safety ECAP Standards...

INCM Host - Liza Gant RHK & Guest - Kayla Smith & Steve Grcevich (Key Ministry) Questions answered: When we talk about ADHD and autism, these are things that we’ve known about for a while. Has anything changed over the past five years? What are some theological or psychological principles we should keep in mind when working with children with ADHD or autism? What are some practical steps o...

INCM Host - Yanet Coombes RHK & Gues t - Lori Crosby & Juile Cooper Questions answered: Why do we need to talk about childhood anxiety and depression? Particularly in the last 5 years?   When caring for kids with anxiety and depression, what are some theological and psychological principles we should keep in mind? What are some practical strategies or steps we can take to care for kids in...

Show Notes: INCM Host - Liza Gant RHK Team - Robert & Lori Crosby and Kayla Smith Questions answered: What has changed in the last 5 years regarding challenging behaviors? And how to handle them?  Why is pivoting in children’s ministry critical now?  What core theological and psychological principles do we need to keep in mind?  What specific tools can be used to handle challenging behaviors? ...

Join us for season 3 of the INCM Podcast. Children’s ministry has changed. Since COVID-19, churches have faced drops in engagement, volunteer shortages, and rising behavioral and mental health challenges. If we want to reach today’s kids in today’s culture, we need to pivot. But that doesn’t mean chasing trends. It means using best practices—strategies rooted in sound theological and psychological...

Children are inundated with messages every single day about their identity. It’s our job to help them to know what is always true—what God says is true.  Because what kids believe about themselves influences their thoughts and decisions.  We can help kids discover that their identity is found in God’s Big Story—where Jesus is Lord and the Holy Spirit is present. And we need to leave room for their...

With the constant push and pull of ministry life, it’s easy to become distant of the Gospel. It’s not an intentional move, or one we ever hope to make when entering ministry, but slowly over time we can become focused on lesser things. Keeping the Gospel central keeps our hope alive. It ignites our faith in Christ and reassures us of His goodness. It is why we are in ministry to begin with. His St...

Hands down, parents are the greatest influencers of their children’s faith formation. If you’re a Christian parent reading this, you feel the gravity of your responsibility. You know the joy and exasperation, the awe and challenge of the parenting journey, and you deeply desire to see your son or daughter become the person God made them to be. As we continue our Faith Formation discussion, let’s a...

Within the context of a healthy, whole-church approach to faith formation, children’s ministry plays an undeniably crucial role.   In 2005, David Kinnaman, now president of Barna Group, summed up why: “Young people are spiritual sponges whose most impressionable years are too important to pass up.” His statement remains as true as ever. As we continue our Faith Formation discussion, let’s ask thes...

Christianity is counter-cultural in America. The wind is no longer at our backs. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If we have been lulled by fair weather, our faith can become stronger as we adapt to the changes in our cultural environment.  Considering this change, it’s wise to ask ourselves:  How are we partnering with other areas of the church for ministry to children? Are we resourcing a...

What is spiritual formation and why is it important? (5:31) Simply put, spiritual formation is discipleship. It’s what we all signed up to do and why we’re doing what we’re doing. We want to see the next generation live out a vibrant faith for their lifetime. What is spiritual formation not? (14:19) Why is this topic important for us to define and talk about? (25:35) WIth spiritual formation, it’s...

Spiritual formation is taking place every moment of every day. Whether intentional or not, every person is being spiritually formed in the big moments and the small. Through intentionality, prayer, and the leading of the Holy Spirit, children’s ministry leaders and families, together, can lean into everyday moments as children come to know, love, and follow Jesus. In this podcast series, INCM and...

In the episode, we conclude our series with a conversation that clarifies and summarizes the role of children’s ministry in caring for the hurting. This will help us as children’s ministry leaders develop perspective for what it really means to be ambassadors of reconciliation. Welcome to the INCM Podcast. For more information on the INCM or Trauma Free World, click the links below. This twelve-ep...

In this episode, the conversation will help to equip you to know how to de-escalate hard situations with kids, create greater trust with children who are communicating with their behaviors, and empower you and your teams to build and maintain meaningful relationships with kids. Welcome to the INCM Podcast. For more information on the INCM or Trauma Free World, click the links below. This twelve-ep...

In the episode, the conversation will equip you to know how to create a greater connection with parents from a trauma-competent standpoint and empower them to further the ministry in areas that matter to them. Welcome to the INCM Podcast. For more information on the INCM or Trauma Free World, click the links below. This twelve-episode season will launch on April 8th and will release each Friday. L...

In this episode, Julie Cooper and Michayla White are going to continue the conversation by digging into what it looks like for us to build safe communities around the kids we serve. This is really going to help us as children’s ministry leaders to develop trauma-informed teams that reach all kids with the love of Jesus Welcome to the INCM Podcast. For more information on the INCM or Trauma Free Wo...

In this episode, we discuss Trauma Informed Environments. This conversation will equip you to know how to nurture and develop environments where kids feel safe and where they can truly have the opportunity to connect with Jesus. Welcome to the INCM Podcast. For more information on the INCM or Trauma Free World, click the links below. This twelve-episode season will launch on April 8th and will rel...