Children's Ministry: Not Just Babysitting - Tamara Stillwell

Episode Description

In this enlightening episode of The Other Pastors Podcast, hosts Colt Straub and JB interview Tamara Stillwell, Children's Pastor at Grace Church Plano. With extensive experience since starting as a volunteer in sixth grade, Tamara shares powerful insights about the importance of children's ministry, common misconceptions, and practical strategies for engaging today's tech-savvy kids.

Watch on YouTube:

Watch the full episode here

Episode Highlights:

Tamara's Journey into Children's Ministry

Started volunteering in 6th grade while attending services with her mom
Pursued early childhood education in college
Played professional basketball overseas before feeling called back to children's ministry
Has served at her home church, Grace Church Plano, where her parents have been members for 37+ years

Common Misconceptions About Children's Ministry

"It's just babysitting" - Tamara emphasizes it's true ministry: "We don't just do childcare, we do children's ministry and adult care is also provided."
"Kids can just go to big church" - Children need age-appropriate teaching and parents need uninterrupted worship time

Measuring Success in Children's Ministry

Are kids excited to come and asking their parents to bring them?
Are children inviting their friends?
Are visitors returning and becoming regulars?
Are children accepting Jesus regularly?
Tamara shares they've documented over 7,000 children accepting Christ in their ministry

Technology Challenges & Creative Solutions

More children have phones at younger ages (even 1st-3rd graders)
Today's children have a 15-90 second attention span
Practical strategies Tamara implements:
- Constant movement while teaching to keep visual engagement
- Interactive "Let's Draw" moments to visualize Bible stories
- Short recap videos (1-3 minutes) at the end of lessons
- Creating activity-based learning rather than passive listening

Ministry Longevity & Preventing Burnout

Prayer is the "secret sauce" to staying passionate
Seek God directly instead of only human validation
Regularly reconnect with your "why" - look at salvation lists, classroom chairs, etc.
"Devote yourself to the Lord, not a leader, not a mentor, not a building"

Impactful Testimony

Tamara shares a story of a girl who started attending at age 3, whose grandmother brought her only because she kept asking to come to church. Despite family struggles, this young woman is now 19, a manager with a stable job, and living for the Lord.

Time Markers:

00:00 Welcome & Introduction
01:00 About "The Other Pastors" podcast
03:20 Introduction to Tamara Stillwell
05:58 Tamara's journey into children's ministry
11:49 Common misconceptions about children's ministry
17:36 "Lightning round" questions
19:17 Messiest children's ministry activity (slime disaster)
20:28 Funniest thing a child has said after salvation
21:51 Experience working under Pastor Gerald Brooks
24:34 Navigating feeling undervalued
28:41 Encouragement for long-term ministry
32:05 Measuring success in children's ministry
34:43 Testimony of long-term impact
37:07 Most rewarding moments in children's ministry
39:38 Concerns about technology and cultural impact
42:02 Creative strategies for engaging the "TikTok generation"
45:58 Final encouragement
47:07 Prayer for children's ministry leaders

Connect With:

The Other Pastors Podcast: otherpastors.com
Grace Church Plano: graceforplano.org
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/a-tXE5j_tLA

Key Quotes:

"We don't just do childcare, we do children's ministry and adult care is also provided."
"The secret sauce is prayer, number one."
"If an adult gets saved, they will be a good disciple for maybe 30, 40 years... but if a child gets saved... you're talking about somebody who can be a disciple of Jesus for 60, 70, 80 years."
"Devote yourself to the Lord, not a leader, not a mentor, not a building."
"The Lord loves longevity."