In this episode, I talk with children’s ministry speaker, consultant, and writer, Melissa MacDonald. She and I have a great conversation about helping kids find their place in God's story. Melissa shares how to disciple kids and teach them the Bible in a way they can understand it and apply it to their lives.
Melissa MacDonald
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Christian and Missionary Alliance
Links Mentioned in This Episode
Missing (book) – Melissa shares how leaders can learn from millennials, not miss the next generation, and how to disciple kids
Key Notes from Missing:
- “I didn't feel like I belonged.” What does community look like?
- “It was a nice story but it didn't matter to me.” How do we help them encounter a living story?
- Do not depend on curriculum to dictate your direction
- Ask: Who are we? How are we gifted? What has God called us to? What four truths do we want to communicate?
- Weave your mission and vision into the curriculum you choose
Where Do Churches Miss the Mark?
- Remaining stuck in tradition as culture changes
- Focusing on memorization and information instead of transformation
- Wasting time instead of making every minute matter
How to Disciple Kids When Teaching the Bible:
- Remember that you are not a history teacher
- Help God's word come alive and point kids to how they can apply it
- Insert yourself into the story
- Communicate that their choices effect God's story
- Kids love to see the weird in the story
- Address the unnerving so that they understand that no matter what, God wants to redeem your story
- Be as prepared as possible and as interruptible as possible
Action Items
- Check out Melissa's book Missing
- Evaluate your teaching and the teaching of others on your team. Consider how much you are inserting yourself into the story and helping the kids apply it practically to their stories.
- Ask yourself: How much time do I spend on editing or re-writing curriculum?
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Next Episode: Michael Covington
In the next episode, I talk with Michael Covington of Disciplr. We have a great conversation about the new things Disciplr is putting out this year, and he shares the revolutionary changes they are making in how you get curriculum, customize it, and share it with your team.
