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Tag: next gen ministry

What I’m Working On This Month (and Amazon Prime Big Deal Days Faves)

Kathie Phillips Leave a comment

The culmination of summer programming and fall kick-off means a somewhat slower October. Here are a few things on my October kidmin/next gen ministry to-do list:

Onboarding new adult and student leaders

Over the past several weeks, we’ve invited adults and students to consider serving in our kids ministry. We’ve processed applications, checked references, conducted background checks for the adults, and had them come in to observe in their desired areas. Next up…interviews with me and placement. It’s always exciting to add new people to our team!

Baptism Sunday

We schedule baptisms quarterly but due to late planning, our September date got bumped to October. I’ll be coordinating meetings between our senior pastor, families, and myself. During the meeting, we’ll get to know the family a bit, review the baptism logistics, and answer any pertinent questions.

2nd Grade Bible Presentation

At the end of this month, we’ll present new Bibles to 2nd graders in our morning worship services. We got a jump start on preparing the Bibles, which I purchased several months ago (when they were on sale). Our Next Gen Operations Coordinator will make personalized book plates for each child and I will coordinate day-of details with our senior pastor and worship planning team. It’s one of my favorite Sundays of the year!

November curriculum edits

No surprise here…November is on the horizon, so editing curriculum is near the top of this month’s priority list. One day, I hope to be further ahead in editing, but until then…here we are.

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days

Today (October 7th) is the last day for Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, so I’ve been checking them out and purchasing a few wish list items. If you’re looking to snag some great deals yourself, here’s a link to some of my favorites. *Note: this is not an affiliate link, just sharing my faves.

Now it’s your turn…what are you working on this month? Did you find any amazing Amazon deals?

Time Blocking: My New Ministry Productivity Hack

Kathie Phillips Leave a comment

If you ask a kids ministry leader what their top needs are, you might discover a three-way tie between volunteers, time, and money/resources. I get it! Effective ministry requires all of these things, so today I want to share what has recently helped me around the area of time management – time blocking.

A glance through my planner (yes, I’m still a pen and paper planner girlie) would reveal LOTS and LOTS of lists. It’s a rare day that my work week schedule isn’t jam-packed. During the final stretch of our VBS planning at the end of May, I tried time blocking, a new-to-me technique.

Time Blocking Defined

I’d define time blocking as assigning a set time and timeframe to each item on your day’s to-do list. I’ve found that this method has allowed me to better focus on my priorities and allowed my productivity to increase, particularly when I group like tasks together.

Here’s an example of a recent day’s to-do list:

  • Attend worship planning meeting
  • Attend staff meeting
  • Meet with [Next Gen Operations Coordinator]
  • Continue curriculum edits

And here’s how I planned my day:

  • 8:30 am – 8:45 am Unpack work bag/heat up breakfast
  • 8:45 am – 9:00 am Eat breakfast
  • 9:00 am – 9:30 am Check email
  • 9:30 am – 9:55 am Get set up for the day
  • 10:00 am – 11:15 am Attend worship planning meeting
  • 11:15 am – 12:30 pm Attend staff meeting
  • 12:30 pm – 1:00 pm Stretch legs, eat lunch
  • 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Work on curriculum edits
  • 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm Meet with [Next Gen Operations Coordinator]
  • 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm Rectify receipts, stretch legs, update office calendar
  • 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Email and other computer work

Did the day go exactly as planned? Probably not – but that’s ok. My calendar is a guide, not the master. Unexpected things pop up, things take longer (or not as long) to complete, and I can rearrange things as needed. Sometimes, after mapping out my plan, I realize that I might need to reprioritize my tasks and schedule them for another day.

What has helped me the most has been having a good pulse on my time and the space to focus without too much distraction.

Keep in mind:

  • I don’t use a time blocking planner or worksheet. I use the planner I already own. Each day has 2 columns, each with 7 blank lines. In the left-hand column, I list my to-do list and I time block in the right-hand corner. That suits my needs perfectly!
  • If something unexpected comes up and I can’t complete a task, I circle it so that it can be added to another day’s list.
  • I estimate how long each task will take or how much time i can allot to it. Aside from meetings, most of my schedule is flexible.
  • This method can be effective using a paper or digital planner.

As I’ve mentioned, this hack has helped me manage my time much better. If only it were that easy for volunteer recruitment and a bigger budget!

Now it’s your turn…what’s been a helpful time management hack for you?

Why I Stopped Blogging – and What Brought Me Back

Kathie Phillips

After almost 3 years of not writing or publishing a blog post, I resumed writing in this space a few months ago. I thought I’d pause to catch up and share why.

Let’s Start at the Beginning

I started this blog back in May 2012 (you can find my first post here) after months and months of deliberating if this was a space I wanted to enter. (I am an introvert and a pretty private person, so sharing on the internet was WILD to me.) At that time, kids ministry blogs were pretty popular, with most having (from what I could tell) pretty good traction. I wasn’t sure if I, unknown in the kids ministry world, would stand a chance at making a name for myself. I was afraid of failing. But I bit the bullet and dove in, writing from my ministry perspective and hoping that others would join me for the ride.

After a while, my posts caught the attention of several influential leaders and organizations, many of whom invited me to write guest posts for their publications. Over time, I was also offered freelance projects and speaking engagements that blew my mind. It really was a dream come true for someone afraid of putting herself out there.

Then…A Few Shifts

In 2021, during the tail end of the global pandemic, I recognized a personal shift when I assumed my current role as our church’s Senior Next Gen Director. I was transitioning into that expanded role during a time that our church was also in a season of transition. I felt ill-equipped to share anything of value. (In retrospect, that statement is quite laughable now because I learned SO much in the first 6-month timeframe!)

The landscape of sharing online had also shifted. More online content became video-based (think Instagram reels) and since I dread being in front of the camera, this made me feel as if my delivery method was outdated, unneeded, and unsustainable.

I felt like I had nothing to say, but at the same time…

I felt like I had a lot to say, if that makes sense. I felt like a lot of things that I wanted to talk about would have been fruitless or not appropriate for the internet (mostly that part lol) so I just said nothing.

I was also grieving the loss of my beloved grandmother and literally hit writer’s block – HARD!

Why I Came Back

I missed blogging. I enjoyed many years of regularly posting and had developed a system that worked well for me. I intentionally held on to my blog domain name with the intention of returning at some point. I’d do a few random reviews here and there, but that was about it. After posting regularly for the past few months now, I feel a spark re-ignite…and my ‘Drafts’ folder has some gems that I’m looking forward to developing.

While video-based content (podcasts and reels) is still super popular, I realized that this is MY form of content creation. I enjoy being able to write with no pre-established parameters. I also still have a pretty solid number of subscribers and Facebook page followers who are viewing my content, so I want to show up for you and them. (Be sure to follow along on Facebook if you’re not already.)

I will close with this…

The children’s ministry and Next Gen spaces are still vibrant, thriving communities, probably even more so than when this blog started 14 years ago. Leaders still want practical help for their week-to-week, day-in and day-out ministry roles. If I can play a role with that, even a small one, that’s worth it in my book.

I’m so grateful for this little community I’ve built. Thank you for being here. Great things ahead!

Let me know in the comments what topics you’d like to see me cover.

What I’m Working On This Month (September 2026)

Kathie Phillips

Happy September! We are approaching my favorite time of year (fall) and I couldn’t be more thrilled! We’re also winding down my busiest time of year (February – September), and I am ready for a little bit of a slower pace. With our ministry year kick-off happening in just a few weeks, I still have quite a bit of a workload to work through before that can happen. In fact, some of what I’m working on is carrying over from last month.

Here’s what I’m currently working on:

Finishing September Curriculum Edits

I am a little behind on this, but since our program year starts post-Labor Day, I do have a little bit of time to finish (and I mean a very little bit).

Promotion Sunday

On September 13th, we’re promoting our kids to the next class based on their age or grade, so we’re busy making final preparations for that. (Here’s a more detailed look at how we prepare.)

Meeting With My Key Leadership Team

Last month, I shared how I’m building a leadership team called “Team Champions”. The team is complete and our first meeting is scheduled for this Sunday. We’ll review our purpose, dream about the future, look at the next three months’ curriculum themes, and brainstorm how we’d like to bring those themes to life. I’ll share more details in a future post about who is on the team and a few goals I have for us.

Meeting With Our Spiritual Formation Director

One of my key roles as Next Gen Director is to provide families with opportunities for connection and spiritual formation. Each year, I meet with our Community Life/Spiritual Formation Director to brainstorm classes/workshops that would be beneficial to families with kids and students. This has looked different over the years, but since we have a new Spiritual Formation Director, this is all brand new to her. I’m looking forward to putting our brains together!

Supporting Our 6th Graders as They Transition Into Student Ministry

Helping our 6th graders successfully transition into student ministry is one of the ways our Next Gen staff team collaborates, so my presence at our 6th grade move up event is important. I’ll have a pretty low-key role, but being a familiar face to students and their grown-ups helps to make the transition go as seamlessly as possible.

I’m sure your September to-do list is just as long (if not longer) than mine! Now it’s your turn. What are you working on this month?

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