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

In this episode, I talk with Children's Pastor, Lindsey Whitney. Lindsey does a great job resourcing leaders and parents at her church, and she shares those resources on her blog GrowingKidsMinistry.com.  In our conversation, she walks through a lot of those resources – from Bibles for different age groups, to books and apps – and how they share those resources at her church.

Lindsey WhitneyLinks Mentioned in This Episode

GrowingKidsMinistry.com

Resourcing Parents with Bibles/Apps by Age Group

Infants and Preschool

• Preschool Bible by V. Gilbert Beers (detailed review here)
• Sweet Dreams Princess: God’s Little Princess Bedtime Bible Stories, Devotions & Prayers
• Goodnight Warrior: God's Mighty Warrior Bedtime Bible Stories, Devotions and Prayers

Kindergarten

• Storytime
• Jesus Storybook Bible

Early Elementary

• International Children’s Bible
• 365 Classic Bedtime Bible Stories: Inspired by Jesse Lyman Hurlbut's Story of the Bible

Later Elementary/Preteens

• Action Bible (detailed review here)
• The Kids’ Devotional Bible by ZonderKidz (2nd-4th grade)
• The Almighty Bible (divided into individual books of the Bible)
• The Action Study Bible 

Teens

• NIV Youth Quest Study Bible: The Question and Answer Bible (detailed review here)
• The Story

Audio Bibles/Apps

• Little Kids Adventure Bible (CD) – Audio Bible for young kids
• Life at the Pond – 30 minute episodes teaching young kids godly values
• Jelly Telly App – Devotions and stories for kids

In this episode, I talk with Nick Salyers about a book that he and Caleb Stevens co-authored: Collegiate: 7 Big Ideas to Make College Awesome. Using the book as a springboard for this conversation, we talk about how parents can set students up for success in college, what students can do to prepare for college, and then how church leaders can equip the students and parents in their ministries. Nick also gives us an update on the organization he is a part of, called Champion Tribes, and what they are doing to help dads invest in their middle school sons.

Nick Salyers

Connect with Nick on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Facebook and Instagram

Links Mentioned in This Episode

Collegiate: 7 Big Ideas to Make College Awesome – Nick Salyers and Caleb Stevens walk through seven big ideas – purpose, vision, community, growth, impact, adventure, and urgency – that will help college students make the most of their college years and intentionally become the person they want to be

Normal Triangle – A typical approach to college and the actions that result

Remarkable Triangle – A remarkable approach to college driven by vision and passion, and the life that results

Episode 013: Ben Kerns on Youth Ministry Challenges (check out his plan for high school seniors)

Episode 052: Jeff Henderson on Helping Dads Invest in Their Sons

Champion Tribes – An organization dedicated to equipping busy dads to invest deeply in their middle school sons' lives through a rite of passage experience (Follow on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram)

 

Action Items

1. Get the book
2. If you’re a parent of a high school student, read it alongside your child
3.  If you’re a leader, get it in the hands of a few parents and students in your ministry. Consider working this book, or the principles in it, into an overall plan for seniors during their high school year at your church

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In this episode, I welcome back Tom Bump to the podcast. Tom recently transitioned from a small church to being the Family Life Director at one of the smaller campuses at a large multi-site church. Tom talks about the similarities and differences between small church and big church world and what both can learn from one another. He also talks about how we can lead and grow the church by investing in people–whether you have other staff around you, or a team of volunteers–by encouraging them to use their gifts instead of you trying to do everything on your own.

Tom Bump

Connect with Tom on Facebook and Twitter

Kids Ministry Collective Facebook Group

Kids Ministry Collective Podcast

Links Mentioned in This Episode

33 Ministry Hacks – A 6-week course designed to help ministry leaders leverage 21st-century tools. Registration closes Monday, July 16.

Episode 040 – Tom Bump talks more about delegating and focusing on your strengths

Leadership and Church Size Dynamics – Tim Keller talks about how strategy changes with growth, and what strategy looks like based on your church size

Action Items

1. Make your to-do list
2. Make your to-don’t list
3. Recruit someone to do a job that you currently do
4. Pursue coaching

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Leave a rating and a comment in iTunes to let me know how this podcast is helping you and your ministry. Also, let me know how we can make it better!

In this episode, I welcome back NextGen Pastor, Kenny Conley, to the podcast (Check out Episode 25 & Episode 67 for our previous conversations). Kenny and I talk about 3 key ministry hacks to help you accomplish more in less time and improve the quality of the ministry you offer. We also talk about his new course, 33 Ministry Hacks (details and registration can be found here).

Kenny Conley

Connect with Kenny on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

IAmNextGen.com

ChildrensMinistryOnline.com

MISSION Church

Links Mentioned in This Episode

33 Ministry Hacks – A 6-week course designed to help ministry leaders leverage 21st-century tools. Registration closes Monday, July 16.

PreschoolMinistryLeader.com – A resource sight for preschool leaders

How to Camp Blog Post (blog post) – Hacks for developing a registration process that will help you have all registrations in a month before camp starts

CampBrain.com – Camp registration software

Ministry Hacks: How to Camp

1. Go all digital
2. Determine cost/kid
3. Motivate parents to sign up early with artificial deadlines
4. Begin with 1-day only sale, move to regular price, and have a late registration price
5. Be prepared to give a firm “no”

Ministry Hacks: Volunteer Recruiting

1. Have two monthly volunteer orientations
2. Recruit to an orientation, not an application
3. Email/text reminders to list of contacts
4. Have an observation process in place that is run by coaches
5. Train leaders in observation

Google Calendar – Invite people in your g-suite organization to choose appointment times

Calendly.com – An app for scheduling different types of appointments and inviting people to meetings

Action Items

1. Check out 33 Ministry Hacks
2. Evaluate your volunteer process–Consider adding a volunteer orientation or revamping your observation/training process
3. Try Google or Calendly and see if one (or both) helps free up some of your time and keep your schedule straight

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In this episode, I talk with Junior High Ministry Leader, Justin Herman. Justin shares the three things he believes are essential to building a successful ministry, what it looks like to develop long term strategies, and what he does to partner with parents.Justin Herman

Connect with Justin on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Call or Text Justin at: 7146000354

HeyJustinHerman.com

Mariner's Church | Sandals Church

Volunteer Playbook Summer Session – 25% OFFThe Volunteer Playbook Group is 10-week course designed to help ministry leaders recruit more volunteers while working on all parts of their ministry that relate to volunteers—onboarding, training, structure, vision, culture, and more. Registration for the summer session closes at midnight EST on July 2. Click here to register now and get 25% off.Links Mentioned in This Episode

Controlled Chaos Podcast – A podcast for junior high ministry leaders

Trumpia – Mass text messaging system

The Youth Cartel – An organization dedicated to encouraging and coaching youth ministry workers

ChurchSwag.org – Custom branded products and apparel

3 Essential Components of Junior High Ministry

1. Your ministry needs to be fun-real, relevant, a place to belong, a place where students have friends, and a place where everyone is known
2. It's all about leaders–have more and better leaders
3. Partner with parents–let them know you are there for them and their kids

What It Takes to Be Fun

1. Know what the plan is when a new kid shows up, and make it feel like you were expecting them
2. Know what your plan is when kids are gone so they know they are missed
3. Take it easy on the rules

Keys to Partnering with Parents

1. Communicate with parents often and in a manner they can predict
2. Make time for parents and have conversations with them
3. Host parent nights

Action Items

1. Take the 3 pillars Justin talked about and give your ministry a grade for each of them. Then, develop some actions steps you can take to improve one of them (whether it's the one you are strongest or weakest in.)
2. Ask: Is there a long term strategy you need to develop and implement?
3. Determine one step you can take to improve your connection with parents.

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In this episode, I talk with North Point Ministries Middle School Director, Britt Kitchen, about how they plan their student ministry calendar-from content, to the ins and outs of events, trips, and retreats. We also break down how they approach utilizing space and facilities, and how they have made their student and office spaces multi-purpose. Britt also walks through mile markers, and how they are intentional about creating moments for parents and students to have great conversations.

Britt Kitchen

Connect with Britt on  Twitter and Instagram

Email: [email protected]

Links Mentioned in This Episode

Episode 092: How North Point Does Student Ministry With Louie Lovoy

The Seven Checkpoints for Student Leaders: Seven Principles Every Teenager Needs to Know (book) – Andy Stanley and Stuart Hall break down the 7 things that are key for student ministry leaders to understand and communicate to teens and parents

Student Ministry Calendar (Teaching Content)

1. Friendship during August
2. Service in November
3. Moral boundaries and sex in the spring
4. Family series in June

Student Ministry Calendar (Mile Markers)

1. 6th grade: Walk in the park where parent shares story with student (Students need to hear that doubts and struggles are okay)
2. 7th grade: Parent goes on mission trip with student
3. 8th grade: SGL and parent send-off

Student Ministry Calendar (Event Planning)

1. 1 year in advance: Vision meeting about big picture goals for event
2. 4 months out: Decide content
3. 8 weeks out: Open registration at first price point
4. 5 weeks out: Increase price point
5. 2 weeks out: Registration closes

 

Action Items

1. Sit down with your team and plan out the next year
2. Evaluate your content by mapping out all the categories you hit throughout middle and high school
3. Use some of the trip/retreat tips he shared when planning your next event
4. Have a conversation with leadership about student space and how you can maximize the facility you have

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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 very different sized churches, in two different parts of the country, what was similar and what was different in those two churches, and what that transition looked like.

Steve Cullum

Connect with Steve Cullum on Facebook | Twitter| Instagram

Student Ministry Podcast

LifeBridge Christian Church

Links Mentioned in This Episode

Student Ministry Podcast – Check out Steve's podcast on all things youth ministry

Download Youth Ministry – A great resource for content and training videos to use with your leaders and parents

TrainedUp.Church – An online training platform for churches

Research & Stats on Mental Health & Suicide

How to Create a Protocol – A resource from Orange that details how to put a protocol together

Crisis Contact Numbers – A chart of crisis contacts all leaders should have on hand when a tragedy strikesServing Families of Students Struggling with Mental Health

1. Raise awareness
2. Put resources in their hands, including a contact sheet
3. Partner with local mental health organizations to host workshops
4. Build out a crisis protocol
5. Invite parents and students to trainings, along with leaders

3 Things To Do When a Student is in Harm's Way or Experiences Harm/Tragedy:

1. Take them to a safe, public place (if possible with another leader present)
2. Listen and ask clarifying questions (don't promise to keep secrets you can't keep)
3. Connect with the youth pastor or another pastor on staff right away

Action Items

1. Talk to some professionals in your community about mental health
2. Organize a training with students, parents, and leaders at your church
3. Block out time in your schedule to meet with your key leaders monthly

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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 your ministry to lead in their schools. We also talk about being a woman in church leadership, specifically student ministry, and how to embrace that calling in spite of stereotypes or other barriers.

Charlie Conder

Connect with Charlie on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

CharlieConder.com

Orange

Amazon and Orange Conference WinnersAmazon Gift Card:

• Todd McKeever
• Jason Yon
• Hattrick12
• Parkusaurelius
• LizaXM

#OC19 Ticket:

• Bru pru

Links Mentioned in This Episode

The Seven Checkpoints for Student Leaders (book)–  Andy Stanley and Stuart Hall share the seven principles every teenager needs to know, and how student leaders can embrace these principles to build a solid ministry

Becoming a Level 5 Multiplying Church (book) – Todd Wilson and Dave Ferguson help churches determine where they are on the church multiplication scale, and dive into how to push through the barriers to become a level 5 church

TheYouthCartel.com – An organization that helps youth ministry leaders, youth ministries, and churches do what they do better by providing coaching, programs, and other resources

Partnering With Schools: Campus Thrive

1. Teachers can share faith with students
2. Meets twice a month before school
3. Music, message, and students share testimony
4. Includes student led games and scripts
5. Serve teachers
6. Provides tutoring to students

Action Items

1. Bless local school teachers and staff
2. Start the conversation with students in your ministry about partnering with schools in your area and how you could have a presence in their schools

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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 separate, unique environment for them that can help them get the most out of this important transitional phase. From vision and principles, to practical tips on how to go about engaging preteens in your church, this conversation and this book point to some critical questions for children's and student pastors as they seek to have a maximum impact on the faith of the next generation.

Dan Scott

Connect with Dan on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Orange

Links Mentioned in This Episode

Caught in Between

Episode 031: The Power of Story with Dan Scott

3 Questions Every Preteen Has

1. Do I have friends?
2. Who likes me?
3. Who am I?

Questions to Ask When Engaging Preteens

1. Do preteens have a space that is separate from the youngest elementary students?
2. What does large group look like?
3. How do small group leaders approach biblical content?
4. Do preteens feel the responsibility of being the church of today?
5. Do preteens know and feel that the church is the safest place to ask questions about faith?
6. Is the content too activity-driven or too abstract?

Tips for Engaging Preteens in Your Church

1. Create an experience for them to look forward to
2. Recruit a team of volunteers that embraces this vision
3. Lean into a unique small group experience
4. Give preteens jobs and opportunities to serve
5. Have events specific to preteens and their families

Keys to Remember When Introducing a Preteen Environment in Your Church

1. Over-communicate
2. Get the right people in the right room at the right time
3. Facilitate conversations between children's and student ministry leaders
4. Know what your leadership needs to hear to come onboard and approach them with a plan
5. Initiate focus groups and conversations with parents and preteens
6. Network with other churches who are doing this and learn from them
7. Implement your plan at a strategic time in the year

Action Items

1. Get the book and read it
2. Start something. Ask: What is one thing I could implement that would give preteens something unique and separate to look forward to?

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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 our teams, other leaders, and students–find their voices.

Sam Collier

Connect with Sam on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

AGreaterStory.org

North Point Community Church

Orange

Links Mentioned in This Episode

Find Your Voice – Sam shares how to find your voice and the passion God has given you, and then he walks through how to capture the power of influence so that others can hear the story you have to tell

A Greater Story Podcast – Check out Sam's podcast that's all about living a greater story

Action Items

1. Get Find Your Voice. Read it, and share it with someone else that you want to encourage or pour into.
2. Ask yourself: How can I help students and/or leaders find their voice? Who do I need to encourage right now?

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Leave a rating and a comment in iTunes to let me know how this podcast is helping you and your ministry. Also, let me know how we can make it better!

Next Episode: Dan Scott

In the next episode, I talk with Dan Scott about his new book, Caught in Between, and how we can serve preteens and their families well when they are in this “caught in between” phase.