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Children's Ministry: Not Just Babysitting - Tamara Stillwell | The Other Pastors Podcast



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.

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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

  1. "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."

  2. "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

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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."

 
 
 

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