Guest: Rev. Jeff Cloeter is an author and a parish pastor in St. Louis, Missouri. He’s a sixth-generation pastor whose ministry has also included camps, youth ministry, and church planting.  In our conversation, he'll talk about what it means to be a cross-generational church. Listen for practical advice and ideas.

Resources:

• Sticky Faith by Powell and Clark
• Kara Powell website

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Guest: Rev. Jeff Cloeter is an author and a parish pastor in St. Louis, Missouri. He’s a sixth-generation pastor whose ministry has also included camps, youth ministry, and church planting. 

This Episode: Internships don’t have to be exclusive to the business world. Discover ways you can develop an internship program in your ministry, no matter the size of your church.

Resources:

• The Bible, especially the gospels and the epistles
• Look for churches in your area who might have resources
• Younglife 
• InterVarsity

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Guest: Dema Kohen. Involved in children’s ministry for more than 30 years on three continents, Dema is the chief creator at WeAreKidMin.com, where he develops resources for churches and families to help their children experience God and develop a lifelong faith. 

This Episode: A discussion about Fear Busters, a five-week series that teaches children how to face their fears and overcome them. This practical series connects with children on a heart level—fear ends where faith begins!

Resources:

Fear Busters teaching series at ctainc.com

WeAreKidMin.com

2023 Family Prayer Calendar at WeAreKidMin.com

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Our guest, Pastor Jeff Cloeter, is an author and a parish pastor in St. Louis, Missouri. He’s a sixth-generation pastor whose ministry has also included camps, youth ministry, and church planting. 

Pastor Jeff talks about the importance of believing in and making time for team building. He brings ideas for how to go about team building, how to avoid pitfalls, and for how to make the most of your team-building efforts.

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 Our guest is A. Trevor Sutton, author of CTA’s In His Steps Devotional Prayer Journal—for Easter preparation. Trevor is a pastor and writer living in Lansing, MI. Trevor has written many devotion books for us at Christ to All, and this new suite of materials for Easter preparation is some of his latest work.

Introduction: A discussion about the In His Steps Devotional Prayer Journal and the suite of materials to engage those in your ministry in the weeks leading up to Easter.

Show Notes:  

• The Christian Church has been “doing Lent”—the six weeks leading up to Easter—for a very long time! Seasons of transformation, anticipation, and renewal are important and have been present throughout the Church’s history.
• CTA’s In His Steps materials are a great tool to introduce or reinforce a Lenten practice in your church
• Devotional Prayer journal: a guided journey—for individuals or groups—to walk in the footsteps of Jesus
• In His Steps suite of materials—a ready-made Lenten experience
  • 6 sermons—reinforce the message from the journal each week
  • Discussion questions
  • Promotional videos
  • Bumper videos
  • Holy Week Experience—a ready-made worshipful experience for your congregation
    • Booklet guide
    • Stations/Areas to visit—each with an action, a thought, and a prayer
    • Meditative, self-guided
    • Reinforces what the congregation has been learning but can be less intimidating to engage others who haven’t been involved, as an evangelism option

Resources:  

• New! In His Steps suite of materials at ctainc.com
• Torn line of products and resources at ctainc.com

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Cyndee Ownbey, author of Rethinking Women’s Ministry: Biblical, Practical Tools for Cultivating a Flourishing Community, explains the need for and gives practical tips and ideas for the how-to of women's ministry training. 

As part of the conversation, you'll learn about CTA's digital training resources.

Resources:

• Women’s Ministry Toolbox 
• ctainc.com (search for Women’s Ministry Leadership)
• CTA’s Digital Training Manual - Women’s Ministry Leadership
• CTA’s Christlike Commitment – Women’s Ministry Quarterly Training Companion
• Cyndee’s podcast: 3 Secrets to Building Better Leaders and Stronger Women’s Ministry Teams
• The Advantage

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Pastor A. Trevor Sutton of Lansing, MI, the author of our upcoming release for volunteers titled Serving with a Heart like Jesus, shares practical tips and insights regarding getting and keeping volunteers.

Trevor discusses a pyramid approach for asking volunteers and brings ideas that will help you keep and support your volunteers once they're part of the team.

Resources:

• Serving with a Heart like Jesus softcover book (search title or item #SHJ23SC at ctainc.com)
• CTA’s Focus on Leadership with Dr. Adam Bowers (available in The Advantage at  ctainc.com)
  • Building a Leadership Pipeline 
  • Training Leaders
• Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service by Disney Institute with Theodore Kinni
• The Advantage

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Guests Jessica Bordeleau and Dr. Rick Marrs join us for a conversation about teenagers and how their youth pastors and volunteer youth leaders can help them face their feelings of being overwhelmed and anxious. Jessica has worked with youth and young adults for more than 15 years in local and national capacities. She serves as a digital media producer and is the author of CTA’s Just Breathe book. Rick has been doing counseling and soul care work for over 40 years as a professor, counselor, licensed psychologist, pastor, and author. He served as a reviewer of the book during development.

The conversation touches on kinds of stress teenagers face, how to know when you should refer a stressed-out young person to a professional counselor for help, and encouragement for youth leaders.

Resources:

• Just Breathe: Devotions for Overwhelmed Youth as a paperback at ctainc.com
• Just Breathe: Devotions for Overwhelmed Youth as an e-book on Amazon
• A Christian Guide to Mental Illness, Volume 1 by Stephen Saunders
• A Christian Guide to Mental Illness, Volume 2 by Stephen Saunders
• The Advantage

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Guests Susan Cutshall and Julie McDonald review one of Christ to All's newest Christmas lines intended to engage young families with kids, The Story of the Christmas Tree.

CTA’s The Story of the Christmas Tree line—including the Felt Tree and Story Book—directly connects the traditional Christmas tree with the story of Jesus’ birth.

Leader’s Event Set includes

• Softcover children’s book
• Downloadable Digital Event Guide for community Christmas party or Sunday school event
• Felt Christmas Tree with large ornaments
• Children’s Ornament Set
• Free digital resource pack (Item #SCT22REPK)

How to use these items:

• Sunday school
• Mother’s Day Out program
•  Church family event (or outreach event)—use as door prizes
• “Happy Birthday, Jesus” party
• Children’s church
• Telling and retelling the story—for both teachers and children
• Multigenerational opportunities, teens and preteens 
• Assisted-living centers
• Homeless shelters

Making a difference for families when the items “go home”

• Easily connect their own tree to the one in the book and the one in the classroom
• See that the pieces of their own nativity set are the same ones on the tree
• Helping make the connection between church lessons and home discussions
• A ready-to-use resource for parents

Resources:

2022 Christmas product lines from CTA – Christ to All:

• The Story of the Christmas Tree line of products and free resources
• A Night like No Other line of products and free resources

Other Favorites Discussed:

• Dog Tag Ministry Messages
• Remembering My Someone Special
• Family Conversation Starters
• Ornaments of Faith®
• Activity Books
• Backpacks and tags

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The challenges of church ministry can sometimes add up to overwhelming. Multiply that by the isolation that many church leaders experience, and it feels like the math doesn’t work! You’re not in this alone. At Christ to All, we want to see Christians highly effective in ministry. We’ll talk with ministry experts from around the country and get their take on the very challenges you’re feeling. The Focus on Leadership podcast with host Jane Robinson will inspire, uplift, and renew church leaders and volunteers. 

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