The Amazing Kids Ministry Podcast

00:00 - Coming Up 00:44 - Today’s Guest, Payton Bates: Why Kidsmin 05:27 - Part of A Big Church 10:57 - Leading People Twice Her Age, Building Systems 20:11 - When Dynamics Change 29:08 - Keeping The Ask Honest 33:31 - Casting and Understanding Vision 41:42 - Volunteers of All Ages 44:35 - Final Thoughts   Tyler sits down with Payton Bates—his actual sister—and what starts as playful sibling banter quickly turns into a surprisingly powerful conversation about calling, leadership, and kids ministry at scale. Payton shares how a clear moment in fifth grade set her on a path toward becoming a children’s pastor, even through seasons of burnout and healing. She unpacks what it was like leading kids ministry in one of America’s fastest-growing churches—15,000+ people, multiple campuses, and no building, just relentless “load-in/load-out” every week, during the pandemic. Explore Amazing+, our comprehensive ministry strategy for 0-18 – Full access to curriculum, media, tech, training, and tools. https://www.joinamazing.com/amazingplus #KidsMinistry #ChildrensMinistry #NextGenMinistry #GenZPastor #YoungLeaders #CalledToLead #KidsPastor #amazinglife #kidmin #podcast

00:00 - Coming Up 00:55 - Today’s Guest, Renata Redman: How Kids Ministry Life Came To Be 07:29 - The Global Church: Differences and Similarities 11:19 - The Response to Kids Ministry Life 16:00 - Recruiting Volunteers 24:48 - Using Orange Curriculum: Renata’s Experience 28:59 - The Future of Kidsmin: Hopeful and Excited 35:07 - Where to Find Renata 36:04 - Final Thoughts In this episode, Renata from Kids Ministry Life shares her global ministry journey and a powerful reminder for church leaders: sustainable kids ministry begins with prayer, not panic. Drawing from real-life leadership moments, she reflects on trusting God for the right people, building healthy volunteer teams, and equipping parents as primary disciplers at home. This conversation is for kids pastors, family ministry leaders, and church teams who want to lead with faith, clarity, and confidence—starting on their knees and moving forward together.   Explore Amazing+, our comprehensive ministry strategy for 0-18 – Full access to curriculum, media, tech, training, and tools. https://www.joinamazing.com/amazingplus #AmazingKidsMinistry #kidsministry #kidmin #amazinglife #orangestrategy #childrensministry #volunteers #kidspastor #burnout #leadership #babysitting #strategy

00:00 - Coming Up 00:48 - Today’s Guest Ryan McCully 03:38 - Growing Up Catholic: Consistency and Practice 06:19 - Finding Consistent Leaders, Making The Ask 10:17 - Casting Vision with Leadership 14:33 - Intentional Shifts: The Fruit 20:29 - Neurodivergent Families: Meeting Their Needs 31:05 - The Why, The Ask, and The Strategy 37:53 - Final Thoughts Kids ministry is one of the most important—and most misunderstood—roles in the church. In this episode, Ryan McCully pulls back the curtain on the pressure, burnout, and quiet expectations KidMin leaders carry. From parent trust to volunteer care, this conversation challenges the idea that kids ministry is just “babysitting.” If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, unseen, or stretched thin in ministry, this episode will hit close to home. Explore Amazing+, our comprehensive ministry strategy for 0-18 – Full access to curriculum, media, tech, training, and tools. https://www.joinamazing.com/amazingplus

0:00 - Coming Up 1:02 - Today’s Guest, Leda Rupert: Her Call To Kids Ministry 4:11 - The Non-Negotiables and The Importance of Training 17:19 - Vision Casting: Safety 22:36 - Keeping Secrets 25:10 - Why Leda Cares 26:07 - Implementing Policies: Where To Start 30:21 - Leda’s Non-Negotiables 30:59 - Final Thoughts Tyler and Leda take on a vital conversation about protecting children and ensuring their safety within our communities. They explore the non-negotiables of childcare, sharing personal stories from families they’ve worked with and the meaningful connections formed along the way. The discussion highlights the deep responsibility that comes with caring for children, who are precious and deeply valued. At the heart of the conversation is trust—the trust parents place in others to safeguard what matters most. This is a thoughtful and essential dialogue for anyone who cares about children and community. Explore Amazing+, our comprehensive ministry strategy for 0-18 – Full access to curriculum, media, tech, training, and tools. https://www.joinamazing.com/amazingplus #AmazingKidsMinistry

0:00 - Coming Up 0:51 - Today’s Guest, Andrae Jones: Staying Curious 6:32 - Finding A Balance 10:38 - Leading Diverse Groups: Intentional Shepherding 18:38 - Protecting Culture 22:09 - Reaching Out and Learing 28:44 - Books Kid’s Pastors Should Read 30:19 - Wrapping Up Kids pastor Andrae Jones joins the Amazing Kids Ministry podcast to break down how he leads a fast-growing, multi-site kids ministry without getting stuck in “maintenance mode.” Andrae shares the practical framework he uses to turn research, trends, and real conversations with families into ministry decisions that actually work—without changing for the sake of change. You’ll hear how he builds team buy-in across generations, leads high-capacity volunteers with clarity and respect for their time, and protects a strong culture through coaching and hard (but healthy) conversations. If you’re trying to grow a ministry that’s both effective and deeply relational, this episode is packed with strategies you can use immediately. Explore Amazing+, our comprehensive ministry strategy for 0-18 – Full access to curriculum, media, tech, training, and tools. https://www.joinamazing.com/amazingplus

0:00 - Coming up 1:04 - Today’s Guest, Sam Luce: The Start of Kidsmin 5:36 - What Sam Does Now 7:28 - The Importance of Solid Theology 11:38 - Building A Faith Framework for Kids, Watering It Down 19:04 - Teaching Truth and Salvation 25:36 - Formation vs. Fun 31:56 - Engaging Imagination Intentionally 35:54 - Check Out Sam’s Books In this powerful episode, Sam Luce, a 28-year veteran of kids ministry, unpacks the wild backstory behind the term Kidmin. If you’ve ever wondered whether kids can handle deep truths, or if your ministry is forming disciples or just keeping kids entertained, this episode is a must-watch. Get ready to laugh, reflect, and walk away with a renewed vision for what it really means to make Jesus the center of it all. Explore Amazing+, our comprehensive ministry strategy for 0-18 – Full access to curriculum, media, tech, training, and tools. https://www.joinamazing.com/amazingplus #kidsministry #orangestrategy #parentengagement #kidspastortips #kidmin #samluce

Discover how consistent volunteers, empowered parents, and the Orange strategy can transform your kids' ministry. Amy and Esther share real stories, practical tools, and the mindset shifts that help churches disciple kids and families together. This episode is perfect for any kids pastor feeling stretched too thin.   0:00 - Coming up 1:04 - Today’s guests, Amy Fenton & Esther Gray: How They Got Here 7:19 - Unpacking The Orange Strategy 11:09 - Implementing Orange Strategy 13:03 - Biggest Strategy Surprise 17:41 - Benefits of Walking Alongside Kids 19:56 - Parents Engagement 24:29 - Finding The Right Fit 27:56 - Advice To Kids Pastors  Explore Amazing+, our comprehensive ministry strategy for 0-18 – Full access to curriculum, media, tech, training, and tools. https://www.joinamazing.com/amazingplus #kidsministry #orangestrategy #churchvolunteers #parentengagement #kidspastortips  

Get the 100% FREE Every Child Special Needs course here! – https://www.joinamazing.com/everychild Practical strategies and mindset shifts to help your church support neurodivergent kids, kids with special needs, and any child who needs help finding their place. –––––––––––––––––––––––– You don’t need all the answers to welcome every child—you just need to be willing 💛 In this episode, special needs parent and disability ministry consultant Diane Dokko Kim shares what it’s really like to attend church with a child with autism; and what makes a family feel truly wanted instead of merely accommodated. If you’ve ever felt underqualified to serve neurodivergent kids, this conversation will give you some amazing insights, and remind you that God uses your willingness more than your expertise.   0:00 - Coming Up 0:41 - Today’s Guest, Diane Dokko Kim: Its Personal 2:34 - Inclusive Church: Where To Start 5:51 - Belonging: Help Us Help You 8:35 - Inclusive Church, Inclusive Culture 13:38 - Final Thoughts   #kidsmin #kidsministry #kidminpodcast #specialneeds #everychild

Get worship dance videos, lyric videos, and instrumentals your classrooms will LOVE with Amazing Music! - https://www.joinamazing.com/music ___________   In this episode, we sit down with Dove Award-winning artist Yancy, known for her engaging worship songs and animated character.   Yancy shares her unexpected journey into children's worship music, driven by her passion for creating impactful and catchy pop songs tailored for young minds. She discusses the importance of intentional worship leadership, the need for church leaders to take worship seriously, and how simple nuggets of truth in worship can deeply influence both children and adults.   0:00 - Coming Up 0:51 - Today’s Guest, Yancy: The Why and How 6:44 - Lessons Learned 10:45 - An Excellent Calling, Sharing The Truth 14:55 - Yancy’s Burden, Intentional Worship 17:35 - Using Worship To Teach 23:43 - Preaching Using A Pen

In this episode of the Amazing Kids Ministry Podcast, worship leader and long–time church mom Rita Springer sits down with Tyler to talk about staying in love with the church even when it’s messy and imperfect. Rita shares why she still believes the local church is breathtakingly beautiful – even with all the flaws and mess that come with it. This is not a conversation about crafts and curriculum. It’s about the inner life of the kids pastor, volunteer, and ministry leader who secretly wonders: “Why hasn’t God done what He promised?” “Can I be this disappointed and still lead kids?” “Does God see me serving in this hallway where no one else notices?” 0:00 - Coming Up 1:12 - Today’s Guest, Rita Springer: Loving The Church 6:37 - Fostering, Feeding, Encountering 13:09 - Reverent, But Honest 16:38 - Dealing With Disappointment, In Agreement With God 29:27 - Full Surrender: Getting Over Yourself 34:37 - Explaining God Using Glasses _______________ Explore Amazing+, our comprehensive ministry strategy for 0-18 – Full access to curriculum, media, tech, training, and tools. https://www.joinamazing.com/amazingplus

In this episode, we're joined by artist Lecrae, to discuss effective communication; maintaining message potency while making it accessible to a wide variety of listeners.   00:00 Mastering the Art of Communication 00:13 The Importance of Audience Awareness 01:12 Distilling Messages for Different Audiences 05:30 The Role of Feedback in Effective Communication 07:28 Choosing the Right Medium for Your Message 11:53 The Power of Double Speak 14:44 Communicating with Everyday Objects 16:55 Conclusion and Final Thoughts _______________ Explore Amazing+, our comprehensive ministry strategy for 0-18 – Full access to curriculum, media, tech, training, and tools. https://www.joinamazing.com/amazingplus

In this episode, Jim Wideman discusses the evolution and innovation in children's ministry from the 1700s to the present day. Reflecting on historical practices such as Sunday school, vacation Bible school, and modern innovations like electronic check-in systems. We discuss innovation over mere creativity and the need for new approaches to minister effectively to children.   Chapter Markers: 00:00 Introduction and Jim's Background 01:34 History of Children's Ministry 08:30 Innovations in Children's Ministry 16:29 Challenges and Future of Children's Ministry 23:08 Personal Reflections and Mentorship 30:38 Conclusion and Final Thoughts