Ask Me Anything: Kids Ministry Edition with Josie Rivett (Season 2, Episode 10)
Ask Me Anything: Kids Ministry Edition with Josie Rivett (Season 2, Episode 10)
This is a different type of episode for us—it’s our first Ask Me Anything episode. Bec enjoyed her chat with Josie so much that she found a way to bring her back! Maddy and Bec pepper Josie with questions from women who volunteer and work in kids ministry across WA. We run the gamut of topics from rural churches to doubts about enduring in teaching kids after leadership failures. This is a delightfully encouraging episode if you have kids in your life, even if you are not gifted in singing or children’s craft or possess the teacher voice. Josie reminds us that sharing our faith with children is a whole church task, because we are a family.
Questions in our AMA include:
What do you look for in a good kids curriculum (apart from your own), what does it need to have?
What are the building blocks to a good, effective kids ministry?
How do you involve and empower the whole family in kids ministry, not just the child? How do you involve the parents in discipling children?
What advice do you have for supporting kids who don’t want to be there Sunday morning as they’ve spent all week in school and it’s like school again. How do you engage their hearts?
Any tips on running a kids ministry program in a small rural church with kids from Kindy - Year 6 all in together. How do I engage them all well?
We have a large kids ministry program but they are all in age group siloes. How can you have those cross-age friendships and mentoring where big kids are able to share their faith and take responsibility?
How have you gone trying to foster a spirit of worship and praise in kids? Little kids love to sing and dance but the Year 4-6s want to act too cool for school. How do you help them enjoy it?
What do you suggest for someone who is keen to be a kids ministry coordinator/pastor in a paid role, as it doesn’t seem like there’s a set degree or path for it. How do I go about being trained and equipped for it?
Where did your passion for kids ministry come from and how do you sustain it?
How do you help other people become passionate about kids ministry and retain leaders for the long term, not just when their kids are small?
How do you keep faithfulness and enthusiasm for kids ministry when the same is hard at church? I have been horrified by how many so-called ‘Christian’ leaders have fallen in the last few years, where God is seemingly on the side of the empire and not the vulnerable, children have not been protected and people have failed to speak up at all levels. It has left me frankly embarrassed to even be a Christian and to start pulling apart what I have been taught. How can I continue, or should I?
About Josie
Living Words combines three things Josie loves: Jesus, teaching and kids. She’s passionate about quality teaching that’s enjoyable, engaging, and thought-provoking. Using her experience and studies in education and theology, Josie has created a Biblically sound curriculum that’s easy to access, understand, and implement. Josie is helped by a team of people who have taught others about Jesus for many years.
While her favourite things are her husband and four kids, she loves having a chat and would never say no to a small (or large) piece of cake. Josie attends Providence Church in Perth, Western Australia.
Mentioned in today’s episode:
The TED Talk by Rita Pierson about “kids don’t learn from people they don’t like,” is called Every Kid Needs a Champion.
Perth Children’s Ministry Conference has a live stream for people in rural areas.
Moses tells the Israelites to tell their children what God has done for them in several Bible passages. The main sections are Exodus chapter 10 and Deuteronomy 6:21. In these passages, God commands parents to pass down their faith by sharing stories of how He saved them from slavery.
Jesus invites the little children to come to him in Matthew 19 and Mark 10.
The story of Joseph asking the cupbearer not to forget him, but he forgets for two years until Pharoah has a dream is recounted in Genesis 40-41.
You can Josie for bespoke training for your church on the contact form on her website, Living Words, or email hello@livingwords.net.au