The Awakened Life with Rev. Angie Olsen

At Westside Church, a two-year-old satellite campus of First UMC (Kearney), a little grant money and creativity took the kid's ministry to the next level. Through digital mediums and activity box deliveries, the church kept connecting with families despite the strange circumstances of 2020. Listen as Children's Director Nicolle Downing and Site Pastor Mitch Buhman share what worked, what didn't and what they'll keep doing as we enter into a new season of ministry.

In our final episode of Season 1, we’re in conversation with Maggie Lohmeyer, NextGen youth specialist at the Missouri Conference. Maggie shares a little about her background in ministry and how through her work with NextGen she aims to connect youth leaders and youth. This episode highlights some of the networking events, youth group programs and resources NextGen makes available to local churches in Missouri.

Resources

• LEAP 2021 Information
• Recorded NextGen Gatherings
• Upcoming NextGen events

This week we’re in conversation with Rev. Tadd Kruithoff to discuss how Trinity UMC in Piedmont, Missouri, does discipleship. Instead of focusing on facts alone, Kruithoff and his team lean into the relational aspect of discipleship through Holy Listening. This method allows kids to lead the conversation and share about their own lives in their own words while volunteers simply guide the conversation, teaching children to see God in everyday life.

Resources

• Spiritual Conversations with Children: Listening to God Together by Lacy Finn Borgo
• General Overview of Holy Listening
• Helpful videos and spiritual formation curriculum: GoodDirtMinistries.org
• Helpful items for accompanying children in their life with God: www.kutsucompanions.com

Social life, schoolwork, family drama and social media: Even without a pandemic, students and leaders have a lot on their plates. The Awakened Life, written by Rev. Angie Olsen and Sarah Bollinger, offers an invitation to peace and silence amid the chaos of life. This week we’re in conversation with one of the book’s authors, Angie Olsen, to discuss the importance of silence and meditation. We discuss how this is reinforced by the spiritual practices of Jesus and how we can use this time to grow in our own relationships with him. Angie even gives us a sample of one of the practices that can be found in this book.

Resources

• The Awakened Life Curriculum
• The Awakened Life

What would it look like to have a youth program that was easy to maintain and had a primary focus on daily discipleship? That’s exactly how Becca Boren, director of youth and young adult ministries at Good Shepherd in Kansas City, has her program aligned. Becca shows us how to turn the standard youth ministry model on its head and allow youth to mentor youth in a meaningful way. At Good Shepherd, Becca has created a system of accountability and growth in her program that has allowed youth to take on meaningful leadership roles while making their faith their own. If you want to learn how she did it and how you can lay the groundwork for a mentoring program of your own, listen in.

Resources

• Three18 Info Letter
• Scripture Memory Sheet
• How to Study Scripture Example
• Three18 Covenant
• Spiritual Disciple Write-Up
• Rooted Ministries

This week we’re in conversation with a panel of elementary teachers from all over Missouri to discuss what it’s like to teach during COVID-19. Pandemic life is hard enough for everyone but being a teacher may be one of the most difficult professions right now. In our conversation we discuss their struggles and joys as well as how to best use technology to connect with young people. This conversation will definitely hit home for anyone that has children or works with them and will make you appreciate the teachers in your life a whole lot more.

Life during COVID is challenging right now, but especially so as a parent of young children. This week we sit down with a panel of four families with elementary-aged children to discuss what life has been like navigating quarantine, mask culture and school as it continues evolve. This honest and real insight into their lives will help shape how churches view ministry right now and why family ministry still holds incredible value, even though it’s more complicated than before. These families share what works for them and how churches can step up to the plate in their lives to make a real difference. It also gets a little silly because what can parents do except laugh through the craziness!

This week we’re in conversation with Mona Candea, Children’s Ministry Coordinator at Grace UMC in Olathe, Kansas. Mona walks us through the challenging world of COVID-era family ministry. She and her team have evolved the way that they do ministry over the last year, and Mona has a lot of great ideas to share with churches that are struggling with where to start. Through use of new digital media and innovative outreach, there’s a little something for every church to learn.

Orange: Updated every Sunday morning with age specific bible story videos

Illustrated Faith: Sign up for the password-protected archives of children’s bulletins, family devotionals, coloring pages and more.

Deeper KidMin: Think teachers-pay-teachers but for children’s ministry-by-children’s ministry leaders

Canva: A resource to easily create beautiful graphics

Cokesbury: The publishing company posts a Sunday School video weekly on its Facebook page.

Sparkhouse: Hosts Thursday Facebook live trainings that are quick and helpful

Facebook Groups:

• Children’s Pastors and Children’s Ministry Group
• Illustrated Ministry Community
• Mastering Ministry Workshop

Ministry Boost

This week we’re in conversation with Sarah DeClue, Children’s Ministry Director at La Croix Church in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and newly appointed Next Generation Ministry Team Chair for the Missouri Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. With the world the way that it is right now, connecting with kids and families outside of church walls is increasingly important. Sarah chats about the importance of including the whole family in a children’s ministry program and offers some great places to get started at your own church, regardless of size.

Resources

7 Family Ministry Essentials: A Strategy for Culture Change in Children's and Student Ministries by Michelle Anthony and Megan Marshman 

Spiritual Parenting: An Awakening for Today's Families by Michelle Anthony

Why Orange Curriculum?