In this episode, Andrew Snead spends time unpacking his journey from youth into children's ministry and how his passions have aligned in both areas. Andrew also shares the key focuses of River Valley Kids and the importance they place on trying new things that involve kids!

Andrew Snead

Connect with Porfirio by Email |  Phone: 612.619.5404

The Volunteer Playbook

My first book is out! Buy the book by visiting volunteerplaybook.com or by visiting Amazon. 

Episode Notes

• Prompted from an honest conversation with God and with leadership
• “My hands are open”
• Old Testament examples:
  • Samuel, at the age of 8 years old, heard the audible voice of God
  • Josiah made king at the age of 8
• There is no Jr. Holy Spirit

• Passions were congruent for both areas of ministry, but
  • Sometimes people equate our calling with our passion
  • Only God can define your calling
  • It's less about an age group or a position and more about helping light people on fire for Jesus
• Focus on the eternal scope of your calling

• The Word of God
• Know how to respond – “The Application for the Revelation”
• Kingdom Builders (missional-minded)

• Youth Pastor – don't dismiss your influence on kid's ministry or say “It's not for me”
• Churches are looking for people in kid's ministry who are:
  • Dynamic communicators (for all generations)
  • Organizational juggernauts

Action Items

1. Get kids involved in the content (live or recorded)
2. Build cross-functional teams with volunteers
3. Consider your on-ramps and off-ramps for all events
   

Watch it on YouTube

EPISODE COMING SOON!

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Special Sponsor: Clearstream

This episode is sponsored by Clearstream. Clearstream.io works with thousands of churches worldwide and integrates with tools your church already uses such as MailChimp, Church Community Builder, Rock RMS, Planning Center, and more. You can get started on a free-trial, and if you're with a new church plant under 1 year old can use Clearstream free for 12 months.

In this episode, Porfirio Caldera gives practical insights about moving to a NextGen staffing model within his church. Porfirio has maintained influence within the same church for over a decade in various ministry roles and he also shares the challenges faced while leading this change.

Porfirio Caldera

Connect with Porfirio by Email | Instagram

Orange Tour

Partnering with Orange Tour! **Head to orangetour.org to get your team signed up today!

Clearstream

Clearstream works with thousands of churches worldwide and integrates with tools your church already uses such as MailChimp, Church Community Builder, Rock RMS, Planning Center, and more. Find out more at Clearstream.io.

The Volunteer Playbook

My first book is out! Buy the book by visiting volunteerplaybook.com or by visiting Amazon. 

Episode Notes

• Told my lead pastor, in the first 6 months of a new role, I’ll probably make some big mistake
• Early on leading junior high ministry, learned what it meant to truly care for volunteers well
• Learned to raise the level of excellence for volunteers
• Leading student ministry, learned what it meant to bring on staff
• Leading in NextGen, learning what it means to help move the entire church forward (even if it means that the NextGen team has to step back for the church to win)

• Ministry is more like chess, being mindful of moving pieces strategically that help everyone win
• A win for other teams builds dividends long-term for the next generation
• Leading with humility
• Helping them see what you see
• If you want to help people see what you see, help them understand the “why” from your level

• Moved from 5 different ministries (plus extra departments) to two main leads over Students and Kids
• These lead roles champion the other staff that fall under that ministry
• Preparing for the next season

• Depends on your church context, but ours is in a constant state of change
• Sometimes small changes, sometimes larger changes
• The longer you stay, the more opportunity you have to influence people from the current place you are at (not the person you used to be)

Action Items

1. Focus on the bigger picture practically
2. Serve and focus on the team you serve on
3. Design a new structure before you need it

Watch it on YouTube

Ministry Boost Coaching is back!

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Get An Email When Each New Episode Comes Out

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Special Sponsor: Clearstream

This episode is sponsored by Clearstream. Clearstream.io works with thousands of churches worldwide and integrates with tools your church already uses such as MailChimp, Church Community Builder, Rock RMS, Planning Center, and more. You can get started on a free-trial, and if you're with a new church plant under 1 year old can use Clearstream free for 12 months.

In this episode, Brittany Nelson talks about her new book Time to Update and speaks on how to leverage digital platforms to lead children's ministry. She also answers some very specific questions on not only WHY it's time to integrate digital discipleship but HOW to do it.

Brittany Nelson

Connect with Brittany on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Get the book on Amazon!

Orange Tour

Partnering with Orange Tour! **Head to orangetour.org to get your team signed up today!

Clearstream

Clearstream works with thousands of churches worldwide and integrates with tools your church already uses such as MailChimp, Church Community Builder, Rock RMS, Planning Center, and more. Find out more at Clearstream.io.

The Volunteer Playbook

My first book is out! Buy the book by visiting volunteerplaybook.com or by visiting Amazon. 

Episode Notes

NOTES COMING SOON!

Action Items

1. Get the book
2. Implement an idea from one section
3. Pick 2 or 3 tools to use

Watch it on YouTube

Ministry Boost Coaching is back!

Click here to check out the amazing benefits of coaching groups with Ministry Boost.

Get An Email When Each New Episode Comes Out

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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.

Special Sponsor: Clearstream

This episode is sponsored by Clearstream. Clearstream.io works with thousands of churches worldwide and integrates with tools your church already uses such as MailChimp, Church Community Builder, Rock RMS, Planning Center, and more. You can get started on a free-trial, and if you're with a new church plant under 1 year old can use Clearstream free for 12 months.

In this episode, Larry Cramer shares his experience leading the kid's ministry at Christ Church of the Valley (CCV) and the innovative kidmin ideas they have implemented at each of their campuses. He also gives some insight into their strategy behind creating ministry environments focused on boys (males of the family).

Larry Cramer

Connect with Larry through Email | Instagram

Orange Tour

Partnering with Orange Tour! **Head to orangetour.org to get your team signed up today!

Clearstream

Clearstream works with thousands of churches worldwide and integrates with tools your church already uses such as MailChimp, Church Community Builder, Rock RMS, Planning Center, and more. Find out more at Clearstream.io.

The Volunteer Playbook

My first book is out! Buy the book by visiting volunteerplaybook.com or by visiting Amazon. 

Episode Notes

NOTES COMING SOON!

Action Items

1. Measure your retention
2. Put in a plan to gamify retention
3. Re-evaluate space based on “backyards”

Watch it on YouTube

Ministry Boost Coaching is back!

Click here to check out the amazing benefits of coaching groups with Ministry Boost.

Get An Email When Each New Episode Comes Out

Use the form below to subscribe to my email list where you’ll get an email each Tuesday when a new podcast comes out.

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.

Special Sponsor: Clearstream

This episode is sponsored by Clearstream. Clearstream.io works with thousands of churches worldwide and integrates with tools your church already uses such as MailChimp, Church Community Builder, Rock RMS, Planning Center, and more. You can get started on a free-trial, and if you're with a new church plant under 1 year old can use Clearstream free for 12 months.

In this episode, Brian Aaby from the Slingshot Group shares some of his experiences and interactions with ministry leaders who are asking the question, “Where have the high schoolers gone?” He also speaks about the top three things churches can look for within their next youth ministry hire.

Brian Aaby

Connect with Brian through Email

Clearstream

Clearstream works with thousands of churches worldwide and integrates with tools your church already uses such as MailChimp, Church Community Builder, Rock RMS, Planning Center, and more. Find out more at Clearstream.io.

The Volunteer Playbook

My first book is out! Buy the book by visiting volunteerplaybook.com or by visiting Amazon. 

Episode Notes

Observations from Slingshot, in regard to high-school attendance dropping within the church:

• Rise in searches for staffing with many youth pastors leaving their roles
• Frustrated executive leadership who are unable to find and keep youth pastors
• The 2nd most formative time in the lives of adolescents is between 11 to 14 years old
• Kids who were 11-14 during the pandemic are now 14-17 years old, and their neuro-paths were formed uniquely during that time
  • Bottom Line: High schoolers today were affected by the pandemic in ways we are just now witnessing
• Some pastors may need to extend some more grace to that youth pastor experiencing
• May need to track different types of attendance than just your large gathering of students to truly evaluate engagement
  • Ex: small Bible study on a separate night with students who cannot attend a youth service
• Read Brian's Article HERE

The current state of church staff searching within NextGen:

• Changes on average every 3 months, increasing and then decreasing again
• The average church using Slingshot is between 800-1500
  • Average searches are now taking longer
  • Expectations have had to change
• Churches must start building their own benches through residencies and internships

Action Items

1. Talk to other student ministers
2. Prepare your leaders to help teens
3. Focus on smaller groups

Ministry Boost Coaching is back!

Click here to check out the amazing benefits of coaching groups with Ministry Boost.

Get An Email When Each New Episode Comes Out

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Special Sponsor: Clearstream

This episode is sponsored by Clearstream. Clearstream.io works with thousands of churches worldwide and integrates with tools your church already uses such as MailChimp, Church Community Builder, Rock RMS, Planning Center, and more. You can get started on a free-trial, and if you're with a new church plant under 1 year old can use Clearstream free for 12 months.

In this episode, Janine McNally speaks about the newest emerging group of kids and youth, Generation Alpha, and some of the unique data being compiled to assist in reaching them inside and outside of our ministry settings. Janine also shares about her book titled When You See Fireflies which dives into some of these same principles geared toward reaching Gen Alpha.

Janine McNally

Connect with Janine through her Website

Clearstream

Clearstream works with thousands of churches worldwide and integrates with tools your church already uses such as MailChimp, Church Community Builder, Rock RMS, Planning Center, and more. Find out more at Clearstream.io.

The Volunteer Playbook

My first book is out! Buy the book by visiting volunteerplaybook.com or by visiting Amazon. 

Episode Notes

HIGHLIGHTS

Why focus on Generation Alpha?

• Prepping for teaching courses and came across research on Gen Alpha
• Mark McCrindle's book – Generation Alpha
• Decided to focus on the children of the most recent generation
• 2010-2024 on track to be the largest generation in history (almost 2 billion)

Behind “When You See Fireflies”

• Her daughter came up with the title
• For a brief time, fireflies come out and you can direct kids to “come inside” where it's safe
• The world is getting darker and darker and we need to call them in to where it's safe

Generation Alpha stats

• The first generation to be born into a world full of technology
• The “glass” generation
• Balance between “addicts” vs. “experts” of technology

How should the church respond?

• Competing with the world to WOW kids probably won't happen; so teach them how to use technology the right way
• Kids are engaged on social media more than ever before and are lonely, so when using technology we must think about the relationships being built
• Where can churches do better with relationships?
  • Teaching on a screen is OK; this can be helpful, but not the only engagement
  • Engagement with the material is necessary though so they can express their thoughts and questions
  • Families are busy, so build relationships through the activities they are already doing rather than create MORE things for them to do at the church
  • Get personal by going where families are (leaders taking gifts to homes)
• The complex world has led to non-nuclear families, absent parents, and redefined norms such as marriage, gender, and moral absolutes; the church can respond by:
  • Address those issues through Scripture and stories by asking and answering hard questions
  • Become relevant by focusing on the hard questions (aggressively)
  • Start tackling topics when questions start
  • Proactively address appropriate issues, at age-appropriate times and in age-appropriate ways
    • MUST HAVE strong relationships for this
  • Let kids do the thinking and problem-solving rather than just teaching the same way it has been done for 50 years

Action Items

1. Get the book
2. Read with a team
3. Come up with 3 adjustments to your ministry

Ministry Boost Coaching is back!

Click here to check out the amazing benefits of coaching groups with Ministry Boost.

Get An Email When Each New Episode Comes Out

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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.

Special Sponsor: Clearstream

This episode is sponsored by Clearstream. Clearstream.io works with thousands of churches worldwide and integrates with tools your church already uses such as MailChimp, Church Community Builder, Rock RMS, Planning Center, and more. You can get started on a free-trial, and if you're with a new church plant under 1 year old can use Clearstream free for 12 months.

In this episode, we explore our eighth and final important strategy from The Volunteer Playbook, with a principle that creates faith that lasts when you have STUDENTS SERVING in your ministry.

The Volunteer Playbook

My first book is out! Purchase the book by visiting volunteerplaybook.com or by visiting Amazon. 

Action Items

1. Partner with Student Ministry
2. Create a student-only gathering of those volunteers
3. Encourage students who serve to recruit

Ministry Boost Membership is available!

To learn more about how to build a healthy volunteer culture, check out Ministry Boost Membership.

Get An Email When Each New Episode Comes Out

Use the form below to subscribe to my email list where you’ll get an email each Tuesday when a new podcast comes out.

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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.

Special Sponsor: Clearstream

This episode is sponsored by Clearstream. Clearstream.io works with thousands of churches worldwide and integrates with tools your church already uses such as MailChimp, Church Community Builder, Rock RMS, Planning Center, and more. You can get started on a free trial, and if you're with a new church plant under 1 year old can use Clearstream free for 12 months.

In this episode, we continue exploring one of the eight most important strategies from The Volunteer Playbook, and the impact moving volunteers to a WEEKLY schedule can make on your ministry.

The Volunteer Playbook

My first book is out! Purchase the book by visiting volunteerplaybook.com or by visiting Amazon. 

Action Items

1. Get the book or the Frequency Course
2. Customize your timeline
3. Gather key leaders to dicsuss the plan

Ministry Boost Membership is available!

To learn more about how to build a healthy volunteer culture, check out Ministry Boost Membership.

Get An Email When Each New Episode Comes Out

Use the form below to subscribe to my email list where you’ll get an email each Tuesday when a new podcast comes out.

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.

Special Sponsor: Clearstream

This episode is sponsored by Clearstream. Clearstream.io works with thousands of churches worldwide and integrates with tools your church already uses such as MailChimp, Church Community Builder, Rock RMS, Planning Center, and more. You can get started on a free trial, and if you're with a new church plant under 1 year old can use Clearstream free for 12 months.

In this episode, we continue exploring one of the eight most important strategies from The Volunteer Playbook, and discuss the importance of developing and maintaining an ASSIMILATION PATH for volunteers.

The Volunteer Playbook

My first book is out! Purchase the book by visiting volunteerplaybook.com or by visiting Amazon. 

Action Items

1. Create a path
2. Make sure a volunteer push is part of it
3. Measure it for 6 months

Ministry Boost Membership is available!

To learn more about how to build a healthy volunteer culture, check out Ministry Boost Membership.

Get An Email When Each New Episode Comes Out

Use the form below to subscribe to my email list where you’ll get an email each Tuesday when a new podcast comes out.

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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.

Special Sponsor: Clearstream

This episode is sponsored by Clearstream. Clearstream.io works with thousands of churches worldwide and integrates with tools your church already uses such as MailChimp, Church Community Builder, Rock RMS, Planning Center, and more. You can get started on a free trial, and if you're with a new church plant under 1 year old can use Clearstream free for 12 months.

In this episode, we continue exploring one of the eight most important strategies from The Volunteer Playbook, and consider the things within church culture and volunteer structure that may be causing unnecessary COMPETITION.

The Volunteer Playbook

My first book is out! Purchase the book by visiting volunteerplaybook.com or by visiting Amazon. 

Action Items

1. Find out how many roles there are in your church
2. Compare that to the average attendance
3. Remove some barriers if there's too much competition

Ministry Boost Membership is available!

To learn more about how to build a healthy volunteer culture, check out Ministry Boost Membership.

Get An Email When Each New Episode Comes Out

Use the form below to subscribe to my email list where you’ll get an email each Tuesday when a new podcast comes out.

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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.

Special Sponsor: Clearstream

This episode is sponsored by Clearstream. Clearstream.io works with thousands of churches worldwide and integrates with tools your church already uses such as MailChimp, Church Community Builder, Rock RMS, Planning Center, and more. You can get started on a free trial, and if you're with a new church plant under 1 year old can use Clearstream free for 12 months.

In this episode, we continue exploring one of the eight most important strategies from The Volunteer Playbook, as we stretch our leadership capabilities by initiating a structure that values the role of COACHES on your teams.

The Volunteer Playbook

My first book is out! Pre-order or buy the book by visiting volunteerplaybook.com or by visiting Amazon. 

Action Items

1. Design a better structure
2. Create a Coach job description
3. Ask 5 people to become a Coach

Ministry Boost Membership is available!

To learn more about how to build a healthy volunteer culture, check out Ministry Boost Membership.

Get An Email When Each New Episode Comes Out

Use the form below to subscribe to my email list where you’ll get an email each Tuesday when a new podcast comes out.

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.

Special Sponsor: Clearstream

This episode is sponsored by Clearstream. Clearstream.io works with thousands of churches worldwide and integrates with tools your church already uses such as MailChimp, Church Community Builder, Rock RMS, Planning Center, and more. You can get started on a free trial, and if you're with a new church plant under 1 year old can use Clearstream free for 12 months.