The Think Orange Podcast

Many ministry leaders want to support children with autism and their families, but they feel underqualified or don’t know where to start. In this episode, we share a breakout session from Orange Conference with Diane Dokko Kim, a disability ministry consultant and the author of “Unbroken Faith.” Diane addresses the four most common questions she hears about engaging children with autism and other disabilities, and she shares some practical strategies you can use to make sure families feel accepted and cared for. 

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If we want to keep telling our story well and engaging with a changing culture, our ministries need to innovate. In this breakout session from Orange Conference 2022, Vice President of Orange Leaders Joseph Sojourner breaks down what innovation is, why it’s important, and how to start making it an everyday part of your ministry. He also shares five practical tips for fostering innovation among your team and broader organization. 

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70% of changes made in an organization end up failing, so what can we do to make sure our ministries are able to make and maintain changes to meet the needs of students? In this episode, we share a breakout session from Orange Conference with Jake Mulder, senior director of strategy at Fuller Youth Institute. Jake breaks down the difference between adaptive and technical change, shares a case study that demonstrates the challenges many ministry leaders face, and unpacks five key things that can help you create adaptive change in your organization.

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Teenagers can access almost any information online, but they’re craving connection more than ever. In this episode, we share an Orange Conference breakout session with Leslie Mack, Director of High School Strategy at Orange. Leslie explains how you can shift your focus toward building experiences that focus on things students can’t find anywhere else, and she shares some practical questions you can ask yourself to get started. 

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In order to lead others well, you first must lead yourself well. In this episode, we share an Orange Conference breakout session with Doug Fields, co-founder of Download Youth Ministry. Doug unpacks five areas “below the surface” in a leader’s life where it’s especially important to lead ourselves well, and he shares practical tips for improving in each of these areas.

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Team culture has always been important, but many of us are thinking about it more than ever in 2022. In this episode, we share a breakout session from OrangeConference with Orange’s Executive Director of Staff Culture and Development Trey McKnight.Trey unpacks 6 of the most important things leaders can do to champion a healthy team culture, and he shares some practical examples of what it looks like when these principles are put into practice.

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When you create opportunities for teenagers to serve, it helps them build a lasting faith and an understanding of how they fit into God’s story. In this episode, we share a breakout session from Orange Conference 2022 with Orange Specialist Charlie Conder. Charlie explains why service is so important for teens and then walks us through some key questions we can ask ourselves to better understand the role service should play in our ministry and programming. 

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If you want to lead well for the long haul, resiliency is the key. In this episode, we share a session from Orange Conference 2022 where Danielle Strickland breaks down five attitudes that can help you become a more resilient leader. Danielle is a speaker, justice advocate and author whose most recent book, “The Other Side of Hope,” focuses on rediscovering humanity in the midst of cynicism and despair. 

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The past few years have presented enormous leadership challenges, and the reality is that work today is radically different than it once was. In this episode, Orange President Kristen Ivy and Students Director of Church Engagement Trey McKnight share their best strategies for continuing to lead well in the midst of these changes. They tackle several common leadership challenges, including underperforming team members, miscommunications, and eager new employees, and they challenge leaders to focus on building a healthy culture, beyond just a strong mission. 

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Now more than ever, parents want to know that the church cares about the things they value most for their kids. In this episode, Orange President Kristen Ivy and Director of High School Content, Shane Sanchez discuss some of the ways that parents’ priorities have changed since the start of the pandemic, and they share practical advice for engaging with both parents and kids in your ministry. Kristen also shares some of the latest research from Orange and Parent Cue about what parents value most, what they worry about, and the places where we as leaders can provide support.

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