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

In this episode, I talk with Kellie Krueger of Beachcities Church. Over 70% of the weekly kids' team at Beachcities is comprised of student volunteers. Kellie walks through the leadership structure, how it works with so many student volunteers, and how the kid and student teams work together to encourage students to serve and own their own faith. She also shares about a summer camp that her church puts on for the community at different schools in the area, and how that has been a great opportunity to meet and invite unchurched families to Beachcities.

Kellie Krueger

Email: [email protected]

Beachcities Church

Links Mentioned in This EpisodeKidsGames – The general KidsGames hubKidsGamesOC – Beachcities KidsGames site complete with camp info, details, FAQ, and moreFamily Ministry Goals – The goals of Beachcities Family Ministry for kids and students, parents, and volunteersVolunteer 101 Video – A training video showed at Beachcities during volunteer onboarding in family ministryPractical Tips for Creating a Culture of Student Service – A resource full of practical steps (from recruiting and parent communication, to social media, to expectations, to appreciation)  you can take to create an irresistible environment for students to serve inKidsGames Camp Docs/Resources

1. Guide Responsibilities
2. KidsGames Leadership Org Chart
3. KidsGames Volunteer Handbook
4. KidsGames Parent Info Packet

3 Key Components to the Strong Student Volunteer Team at Beachcities

1. Kid and student ministries partner together
2. Students are encouraged to ask the question: Who can you invite to serve with you?
3. Students are part of a cleaning crew where they attend a service, serve at a service, and help maintain the environment and facility during a service

Action Items

1. Look at your numbers and ask the question: What percent of your team is students? or What percent of your students serve?
2. Create a plan to invite students to serve
3. If you lead in kids' mini

In this episode, Tom Bump, David Maddron, Tom Pounder, Steve Cullum, and I recap OC18. We break down our key takeaways, favorite ideas, and practical steps we were encouraged to take back to our ministries as we continue the mission of helping the next generation know Jesus.Orange Bloggers & Podcast Leaders

Connect with Tom Bump on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Kidmin Collective Podcast

Connect with David Maddron on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | David Maddron | DavidMaddron.me

Connect with Tom Pounder on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YM Sidekick Podcast

Connect with Steve Cullum on Facebook | Twitter| Instagram | Student Ministry Podcast

Links Mentioned in This EpisodeRewatch OC18 live here & Register for Orange Conference 2019 here

Orange

Married People – Orange's ministry for Married People in your church

Made Known – Kenny Conley and Orange partnered together to put out a resource that equips you to reach out to families in your church who have suffered pregnancy and/or infant loss

Creating a Volunteer Strategy for Getting it all Done – Crystal Chiang's presentation and notes from OC18

Key Takeaways from OC18

1. Listen to parents
2. Invest in leaders and develop a leadership structure
3. Create an environment where people feel comfortable belonging before they believe
4. Pursue ministry for Married People
5. Provide your volunteer leadership with authentic community and envision them
6. Ask: What do I need to stop doing so that my ministry can grow?

Action Items

1. Ask: Which of t

In this episode, I talk with Kevin Jennings. Kevin is a marketing strategist who works with Orange and helps people communicate their message through social media and email marketing. He walks through a plan for how you can market well from scratch, highlighting mistakes we often make, what to focus on, and tools we can use.

Kevin Jennings

Connect with Kevin on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Call/Text: 615-455-3399

KBJ2.me

Orange

Links Mentioned in This Episode

Think Orange Podcast | ParentCue Podcast | Married People Podcast | Carey Nieuwhof Podcast

Common Mistakes Churches Make in Their Social Media Strategy

• Using social media to replace email, newsletters, bulletins, and handouts
• “Screaming and yelling” (Look what we're doing)
• Providing boring content that is full of info
• Promoting your ministry and events, but not the character or culture of the church and the people
• Recruiting followers but not engaging them
• Using bad designs and graphics

Tools for Your Digital Content and Social Media Strategy

• Canva
• MailChimp
• Squarespace
• Design Pickle
• Pro Church Tools
• Creative Market -download Insta story templates, infographic, logo bundles
• Piktochart
• Fiverr
• Go Weekly

Scheduling Tools for Your Social Media Strategy

• Onlypult
• Hootsuite
• Buffer
• Bulk.ly

Build or Re-create Your Social Media Strategy

• Clarify your purpose and what the win is
• Capture email addresses
• Choose one primary platform and one secondary platform, and give each a purpose
• Operate by the 60-20-20 rule (60% content is about others, 20% is get-to-know and behind-the scenes, 20% is to directly pitch or talk about what you are offering them)

The Five P's of a Social Media Strategy

1. Define the purpose
2. Create a plan
3. Build a process
4. Choose people to be part

In this episode, I talk with NextGen Pastor, Jim Murphy, about event planning. Jim talks through how his church plans events and the project management system they use. He dives into the weeds, sharing key components of the planning that goes into these events and a video that shows how to practically use the project management tool his team uses to organize their events.

Jim Murphy

Connect with Jim on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Email: [email protected]

TheNextGenBlog.com

The Evangelical Covenant Church

Links Mentioned in This Episode4 Stages of Event Planning

1. Development (6-12 months out): Event on calendar; debrief from previous event; determine teams, roles, and people needed
2. Implementation: Plan for renting, purchases, facility, needed mock ups, and promotion
3. Execution (3 weeks out): Teams are fully recruited and have instructions; work on plan for set up; and make final creative adjustments
4. Evaluation: Begin evaluating process during execution, and do final evaluation after event

Covenant Church NextGen Newsletter – Check out an example of Covenant Church's quarterly NextGen update

TextInChurch.com – A communication channel churches can use to message volunteers, parents, attendees, and other groups of people

Basecamp – A system teams can use to collaborate on projects, have conversations, share files, etc.

Basecamp Training Video – Jim walks through a practical demonstration of how his team uses Basecamp

Trello – A collaborative project management tool

Asana – A tool teams use to track their work

Action Items

1. Watch the Basecamp training video
2. Choose a project management tool
3. Define your event planning process

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L

In this episode, I talk with Interim Executive Director of INCM, Michayla White, about some research they have done involving millennial parents. Michayla breaks down some of the stereotypes surrounding this generation of parents and shares the results of a survey that leans into what matters most to them.

Michayla White

Connect with Michayla on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Email: [email protected]

INCM

Links Mentioned in This Episode

Pew Research – A foundation that seeks to help people and organizations make wise decisions with the support of data

Millennial Parents of Faith and What You Need to Know – A presentation to help educate leaders on millennial parents, who they are, and what matters most to them. Michayla shares the key findings of their survey in this presentation.

5 Things You Can Do to Reach Millennial Parents

1. Value invitation and meet them in the their spaces
2. Care about their marriages
3. Prioritize safety and security in your environments
4. Train volunteers to interact with parents
5. Resource them and allow them to inspire you

INCM Resources

Children's Pastors Conference – Register for CPC19 here

Kidmin.com – Resources for children's ministry leaders

Children's Ministry Certification

Online Events

Webinars

Action Items

1. Review your preschool environment for safety and security
2. Start a focus group of millenial parents

Subscribe | Share | Rate | Comment

To make sure you never miss a post, hit the subscribe button in iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or Tune In radio. Keep your friends and co-workers up-to-date as well by sharing it with them via email or social media.

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: Jim Murphy<

In this episode, I talk with Shelley Donaldson, Nick Elio, Mark Oestreicher, and Eric Woods – 4 of the 5 contributing authors of 4 Views on Pastoring LGBTQ Teenagers. They each share why they wanted to be a part of this project and why it's important to have an open dialogue about this. Specifically, we lean into the question: What do you do when LGBTQ teenagers in your ministry come out to you? While these authors do not all agree on everything, they are united in desiring that LGBTQ teenagers feel that the church is a safe place for them and know that they are loved by God. It's a great, open, honest conversation that allows leaders of all opinions and beliefs to learn from one another.

Connect with the Authors

Shelley Donaldson: Facebook | Twitter |Instagram | Email | TheTravellingTheologian.com

Gemma Dunning: Facebook | Twitter | GemmaDunning.com

Nick Elio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | NickElio.com

Mark Oestreicher: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Email | WhyIsMarko.com

Eric Woods: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram |  EricDWoods.com

Links Mentioned in This Episode

4 Views on Pastoring LGBTQ Teenagers

4 Views on Pastoring LGBTQ Teenagers (Kindle Edition)

TheYouthCartel.com

What should I do when LGBTQ teenagers in my ministry come out to me?

1. Remember you are ministering to people
2. Know that you’re the first resource to offer
3. Understand that your role is is to remind them they are loved by God, they are loved by you, you're there for them, and you want them there
4. Affirm their courage in telling you
5. Be honest about where

In this episode, I have a conversation with Kurt Johnston of Saddleback Church about how Saddleback does student ministry, the key components of that strategy, what has remained constant, and what has changed over the past ten years. We also dive into the questions facing student ministry and church leaders as they struggle to engage and create points of involvement for high school students, at a time when high school ministry seems to be struggling more than ever Finally, Kurt also teases out what it has looked like transitioning from the role of a student ministry leader to a NextGen leader at his church.

Kurt Johnston

Connect with Kurt on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Email: [email protected]

Saddleback Church

Links Mentioned in This Episode

The Purpose Driven Life (book) – Rick Warren helps you explore what it looks like to live with your God-given purpose at the center of everything

Resources for Students

Middle School Survival Series: My Faith | My Family |  My Friends | My School

10 Minute Moments: God's Story – 31 relevant devotions for teens that take ten minutes each and help them develop the discipline of a daily devotion

The Jesus-Centered Life – 40 devotions for teenagers

Reframing Jesus: A Fresh Look into a Familiar Face

99 Thoughts About Guys: For Girls' Eyes Only

99 Thoughts About Girls: For Guys' Eyes Only

Tempting Stuff (5-Week DVD Curriculum)

Resources for Student Ministry

This Book Gets Around – A resource to help people get to know those around them better

In this episode, I talk with Danielle Bell about her church's discipleship strategy for children's ministry. Danielle walks through the key components of their strategy and shares specific details about how they execute these components. From breaking down Sunday morning and Wednesday night programming, to talking about retreats, family worship, and baptism classes, the intentionality and principles behind their strategy are incredibly helpful and can translate across the board in kids' and student ministry.

Danielle Bell

Connect with Danielle on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

DandiBell.com

Dawson Memorial Baptist Church

Links Mentioned in This Episode

ChurchLeaders.com – Check out content and resources for ministry leaders

Gospel Project – An organization dedicated to resourcing people of all ages with gospel-centered content and studies

Hillsong Kids Big | Lifeway Zip | Children Desiring God | North Point Superhero Series

24 What (blog post)– Danielle breaks down a 24-hour discipleship event for kids24 Hours 4 Him FAQ (blog post) – Answers to four frequently asked questions about the 24-hour discipleship eventGospel Class (blog post) – Key components to a gospel class for kidsUncreated Creator – Family Worship (blog post) – Danielle shares how her church built a family worship experienceRecipe for Family Worship (blog post) – What it takes to create a family worship experience

The Gospel: God's Plan for Me (book)– A booklet for kids that presents the gospel in kid-friendly language and points kids to Jesus while giving them next steps to take in their faith

Gospel-Centered Kids Ministry (book) – Brian Dembowczyk talks about the good news of Jesus, pointing kids to the gospel, and how that can change their lives and the world

Components of a Discipleship Strategy

1. Sunday morning: Life Group hour and church with adults
2. Wednesday night: Application

In this episode, I talk with Amy Fenton from Orange about VBS. Amy shares best practices for planning ahead and how to build a team and process in order to create a remarkable experience for kids. And, she dives into the difference between focusing on evangelism or discipleship during VBS, and what these two approaches look like.

Amy Fenton

Connect with Amy on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Orange

Links Mentioned in This Episode

Episode 008: Amy Fenton on Recruiting Volunteers and VBS

OrangeVBS.com

Orange VBS Facebook Group

Making the Connection After VBS-Don't Miss It – Thoughts on how to follow up well with families after Vacation Bible School

Genius Expert: Plan a Top-Notch Vacation Bible School – Amy shares how your ministry can leverage sign up genius to plan ahead for Vacation Bible School

Planning Vacation Bible School

1. Start right now
2. Pick a great curriculum – Check out Orange's here
3. Make a plan
4. Ask core leaders in your ministry to own different parts
5. Pray
6. Make a plan for follow up

Best Practices for Running Vacation Bible School

1. Do sign ups ahead of time
2. Distribute registration info and details about kids' leaders and groups before the week of
3. Leave room for guests
4. Communicate about a deadline
5. Communicate often what to expect when they arrive
6. Prepare daily emails in advance to send to parents each afternoon, letting them know what their child learned that day
7. Figure out who was there and follow up
8. Network with other leaders in your area

Action Items

1. Check out Orange's resources for VBS
2. Determine the priority for your VBS–evangelism or discipleship
3. Write a plan and develop a timeline for your church's VBS. Save that in a system as you work this year so you can duplicate it next year.

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In this episode, I talk with my friend, Kevin Monahan, the NextGen Pastor at 12Stone Church in Atlanta, GA. 12Stone does a great job with leadership development and is so intentional about raising up the next generation of ministry leaders through summer internships and 2-year residencies. Kevin walks through what those programs look like, the content and plan they follow, and their philosophy and strategy for development. And, finally, he shares how others can be a part of 12Stone's residency program through a church partnership that allows other churches to get resources and bring residents on at their churches.

Kevin Monahan

Connect with Kevin on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Email: [email protected]

12Stone Church

Links Mentioned in This Episode

Episode 009: Kevin Monahan on Volunteer and Staff Development

ChurchResidency.com – All the details on 12Stone's Residency program

ChurchResidency.com Partnership – Apply to partner with 12Stone's Residency program today

Resources.12stone.com

3-Part Strategy for Leadership Development

1. Support them
2. Work with them
3. Let them lead on their own

Action Items

1. Check out ChurchResidency.com
2. Have a discussion about whether or not your church should have an internship/residency program, or if any changes need to be made to a program that may already be in place
3. Follow the 3-part strategy when bringing someone on and developing them as a leader

Subscribe | Share | Rate | Comment

To make sure you never miss a post, hit the subscribe button in iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or Tune In radio. Keep your friends and co-workers up-to-date as well by sharing it with them via email or social media.

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!