Today's episode is with a couple of my favorite leaders in the kids ministry space. Chuck Peters and Jana Magruder lead the team behind Lifeway Next Gen and help create some of our favorite resources.

Throughout this episode, they share how they work together united with one vision and they highlight the value of transparency, vulnerability, and grace in their professional and personal interactions.

We talk about the joys of launching a brand new curriculum and the importance of being culturally aware as we lead and serve kids and families.

I know you will love this conversation!

Resources Mentioned:

HYFI Curriculum

Flip the Script Book

Lifeway Kids

The conversation around identity is one of the most important Next Gen conversations of our culture.

We must consistently remind kids that they are made in the image of God and that God loves them so deeply.

Today on the podcast Christie Penner Worden joins me to dive deep into the identity conversation and talk about her new book, The Me I Was Made to Be: Helping Christian Parents Navigate the Identity Conversation.

Whether you lead preschoolers, elementary kids, or students, it is never too early to start teaching kids about their role in the BIG story of God or their true identity only found in Christ.

Resources Mentioned:

Christie's book, The Me I Was Made To Be

@christieworden

Today’s episode is a tender one and comes with a trigger warning! I have felt this pull to talk about what to do when we experience grief as ministry leaders. It is not an, if we experience grief, but it is a when we experience grief.

Leading teams, pastoring families, and teaching kids about the goodness of God can be so hard when you as the leader are walking through a season of grief. 

We fight the lie that when we show up on a Sunday, we must be perfect. We forget that the safety of the local church is there for us too. 

So we are going to talk about it. This episode comes with a big trigger warning. Kimmy, our guest today has a story that includes infant loss and the grief that comes with losing a child. If this conversation will not be helpful for you to hear today, that’s okay. 

Resources Mentioned:

Kids Ministry Circle Cohort

Grief/Suffering Resources:

Signing on Sunday: 40 Meditations for When Church Hurts by Megan Hill

Held by Abbey Wedgeworth

In today's episode, I get to introduce you to two of my favorite people and my favorite former co-workers.

James + Julie Paquette have been married for over two decades and have been doing ministry together in the local church for almost 10 of those years. They join me to talk about the importance of prioritizing your marriage before your ministry. Ministry can quickly become our everything but ministry does not define us. How can we set healthy boundaries to protect our marriages, our families, and our relationships? James, Julie, and I dive right in!

Resources Mentioned:

Re-Engage Ministry

Kids Ministry Circle Cohort

On today's episode, Beth Cunningham joins me to talk all about millennial parents and generation alpha. Beth is the Kids Pastor at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, AL. Every couple months, I invite someone on the podcast with decades of experience in ministry to help us assess what kids ministry looks like right now.

Resources Mentioned:

⁠Kids Ministry Circle Cohort

Church of the Highlands Resources

One Hope Research

Today’s podcast is for all you multi-site church leaders!

We all should be a part of churches that plant churches so maybe you are not at a multisite church right now, but you never know what God could do. I hope no matter what season you are in, you listen and store all the wisdom in your pocket for another day. 

My guest today is Delia Cornwell. Delia is the Central Kids Pastor at Radiant Church in Tampa, Florida. Radiant Church is made up of 10 campuses! Delia shares her story of finding herself in Kids Ministry and how Radiant church jumped from one campus to 10—I’ll give you a hint—it was a lot of hard work. 

Delia shares the joy and sadness of launching campuses and what it takes to consistently raise new leaders to send and new leaders to fill the gaps.

Resources Mentioned:

Kids Ministry Circle Cohort

Student Ministry Circle Cohort

After a month of Matt and the Student Ministry Circle team taking over the podcast, Lauren is back!

Our guest today is Katie Robinson. Katie is the Family Ministry Parent Resource Coordinator at Port City Community Church in North Carolina. Katie is also an author!

Her collection of books is called Walking Together: navigating with hope through the very real and hard parts of life. They are designed to help elementary-aged children process common yet difficult topics. 

In this episode we talk about how to partner with parents well, how to hold grief and joy simultaneously and trust God with whatever families are journeying through.

Resources Mentioned:

Kids Ministry Circle Cohort

1-on-1 Coaching

Walking Together Book Website

Buy Books 1 & 2 of the Walking Together Collection

@portcitychurch

@portcity.kids

[email protected]

It is the last week of the Student Ministry Circle takeover!

This week, Matt McDermott is joined by Matt McCauley. Matt is the Family Ministry Director at The Village Church and he shares his ministry story and the shift from Student Ministry to Family Ministry.

He emphasizes the importance of equipping parents to be the primary disciplers of their children and he walks through the framework for family discipleship at The Village Church.

The conversation around family ministry is not just a student ministry or a kids ministry conversation. It must be a team effort--not only with ministry leaders but with kids, students, and volunteers.

Resources Mentioned:

@studentministrycircle

Family Discipleship Book

Student Ministry Circle Cohort

Student Summer Takeover continues with an interview between Matt McDermott & Kyle Gray. Kyle is camp director at Word of Life and he shares his experience in ministry and the importance of discipleship, especially in the context of summer camp.

Together they talk about the benefits and common concerns of summer camp and how it serves a vital purpose in student ministry, providing spiritual growth and community building opportunities.

They also discuss the importance of personal growth and authenticity in youth ministry. They emphasize the need for youth leaders to lead by example and pursue Christ in their own lives.

This conversation is honest, challenging, and one that you will surely love.

Resources Mentioned:

@studenministrycircle

@kyle_gray

Student Ministry Circle Cohort

Kids Ministry Circle Cohort

Word of Life

We are half way through the Student Ministry Circle podcast takeover! Today's episode is a special one. Matt McDermott is joined by his friend, co-worker, and Student Ministry counterpart, Morgan Marshall.

Together they cover a multitude of topics like male and female friendships, teaching students how to evangelize, equipping small group leaders, and don't miss their hot take on summer camp!

Resources Mentioned

Student Ministry Circle Cohort

Kids Ministry Circle Cohort