Kids Ministry Answers

Churches often think about outreach in terms of how we can get people to come to us. But some of the best opportunities to serve our communities begin when we show up where people already are. In this episode of Kids Ministry Answers, we’re tackling a question about how churches can build meaningful partnerships with local schools. So we asked Sunny Brown to join Jason and Linda to share practical ways to listen to school leaders, meet real needs, build trust over time, and become the kind of church that consistently shows up to serve its community.

QUESTION:
“How can our church build a meaningful partnership with our local schools?”

ANSWER: In this episode, we’ll talk about how to...
  1. Reframe school outreach by focusing on serving your community instead of promoting your church
  2. Build relationships with school leaders by listening first, following through, and earning trust over time
  3. Identify the needs schools actually have and find where those needs overlap with your church’s people, gifts, and resources
Move beyond one-time outreach projects to create consistent, sustainable partnerships that serve schools for the long haul

Ask a Question:
Have a kids ministry question you want us to talk about? Send it in at KMA.show and your question might be featured in a future episode!

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Subscribe to Kids Ministry Answers on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen for practical ideas, leadership tips, and ministry tools you can use right away. If this episode was helpful, leave a quick review to help other leaders find the show.

Resources:

Creators and Guests

Host
Jason Sivewright
Jason Sivewright is the Creative Lead at Stuff You Can Use and Co-Pastor of Engage South KC in Kansas City, Missouri. He also owns his own LLC called Sweet Boy Books with which he writes and publishes children's books. If you'd like to chat with Jason about worship arts, writing, speaking, creating, or his dog, “Tyrannosaurus Cubby Rex,” reach out! He would love to connect with you!
Host
Linda Moon
Dr. Linda Moon is the Executive Director of Curriculum at Stuff You Can Use, Associate Pastor and Director of Education at her church in La Cañada, California, and hosts the podcast Calling Water. She holds master’s degrees in Cross-Cultural Studies and Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership with a specialization in Educational Psychology from the University of Southern California.
Producer
Caitlyn Smelser
Caitlyn Smelser is the Executive Assistant at Stuff You Can Use and former youth pastor. On any given day you'll find her out for a run, hiking with her dog, Gus, or paddle-boarding on the lake. If you'd like to chat with Caitlyn about where to find the best hiking trails or how to make a perfect french macaron, she'd love to connect with you!

What is Kids Ministry Answers?

You ask the questions, and we help you find the answers. Kids Ministry Answers is hosted by Dr. Linda Moon and Jason Sivewright from Stuff You Can Use! Every episode features a question about kids ministry submitted by ministry leaders, kids pastors, and volunteers! Got a question about leading your kids ministry or training volunteers? Visit kma.show to send it in — your question might be featured in an upcoming episode!