Podcast appearances and mentions of Melissa J Macdonald

In this powerful episode of the Small Church Ministry Podcast, host Laurie Graham sits down with Melissa MacDonald to explore the critical role of recognizing and connecting with hurting kids in small church settings. Melissa shares her personal experiences as a foster parent, after-school program director, and ministry leader, offering practical insights on how to love, support, and disciple children from challenging backgrounds. Learn how to shift your ministry mindset from lesson completion to heart connection, and discover why every child matters - regardless of church size or resources. Perfect for volunteers, ministry leaders, and anyone passionate about making a difference in children's lives.Connect with Melissa J. MacDonald:www.melissajmacdonald.comGet your free ticket to the Small Church KidMin + Youth Ministry Conference:www.smallchurchsummits.comJoin our free Facebook Community: www.facebook.com/groups/smallchurchministryRate, Review, & Follow Laurie on Apple Podcasts"I love Laurie and The Small Church Ministry Podcast!!" > www.smallchurchsummits.com/kidmin2025Support the showFollow Us:Website: https://smallchurchministry.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallchurchministry/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallchurchministryCreative Solutions for Small Churches Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallchurchministrySmall Church Network: https://smallchurchministry.com/membership/

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Being leaders is such an up and down place to be. As Kids Ministry leaders it can be even more challenging in today's world and we must become resilient in who we are before we can lead boldly. Melissa J. MacDonald shares some great practical wisdom of every leader and we had some great conversations about where we are and were we are going as ministry leaders.  To learn more about Mellissa J. Macdonald check out her website Thank you to the Episode Sponsor: SundaySchool.store  Check them out today for all your ministry needs!! 

Melissa has so much valuable experience in youth ministry, and in guiding other pastors to success. She talks in this episode about her passions and why coaching can be a big benefit to us. You are not going to want to miss this. Especially our theory about eating tacos while golfing. You can get ahold of Melissa J. MacDonald at https://www.melissajmacdonald.comShe also Recommends the Connected Families Podcast

Our good friend, Melissa J. MacDonald, returns to the podcast nearly two years after she helped us launch KidZ at Home. At the onset of the global pandemic KidZ at Heart discerned the need for a free resource to get into the hands of parents, grandparents, teachers, and ministry leaders. Something that could be used at home as a supplement to churches and children's ministries who were all trying to figure out how to embody the phrase, "the Church has left the building."Melissa was instrumental in helping us launch our video series and accompanying resource guides for KidZ at Home in March of 2020. Shortly thereafter, the KidZ at Heart Podcast was developed as a way to listen to the new KidZ at Home episodes that were being created weekly, at first, and then monthly. We decided to increase the frequency of podcast episodes by hosting additional conversations with other ministry leaders and practitioners in the areas of children's ministry and spiritual formation. We are excited to see our community grow as more and more people are finding their way to the KidZ at Heart podcast. So, we decided to spend some time with Melissa and celebrate what God has done over the course of these past two years. We also share some news about the future of KidZ at Home in this episode.Even though we're still in the midst of hard times, we can celebrate our God who is always  faithful, always present, and always giving us new songs for every new season. Melissa MacDonald is a speaker, trainer, author, coach, lover of the church, and one of the leading voices in children's ministry. She would love to connect with you! Simply visit www.melissajmacdonald.com. You can connect Melissa's social media or send her an email by scrolling to the bottom of her home page.Please rate, leave a review, subscribe and share this podcast with others. Thank you!KidZ at Heart Podcast Hosts:Gordon West (KidZ at Heart, President/CEO)Adam Ormord (KidZ at Heart, Chief Culture Officer)

Gordon and Adam welcome Melissa J. MacDonald back to the podcast, one year after she helped launch KidZ at Home, for a special conversation on the spiritual practice of Practicing the Presence of God.Melissa is often found speaking on children's ministry related topics as well as leadership, discipleship, healthy churches, soul care, and more. She's a trainer, coach, and in-demand speaker for kids camps and youth events - and is considered one of the leading voices in children's ministry. Melissa is the author of "Missing: An Urgent Call for the Church to Rescue Kids." Find out more at her website - www.melissajmacdonald.comNothing can bring a sense of fulfillment and make life more significant, nothing can clarify our value more, than to be aware of God's presence as he shows favor toward us and transforms us. What a gift we give our children as they acquire the habit of noticing God’s nearness. They look through heavenly lenses when they evaluate life in light of his presence. God knows. God is near. God is with them.Recommended Resources:It Will Be Okay, by Lisa TerkeurstGod Is Always With Me: Psalm 139, by Dandi Daley MackallFound: Psalm 23, by Sally Lloyd JonesTo download our free Resource Guide for this episode, please visit www.kidzathome.org and scroll to the bottom of the page. This episode is listed under the category "Receive God's Love."KidZ at Heart Podcast Hosts:Gordon West (KidZ at Heart, President/CEO)Adam Ormord (KidZ at Heart, Chief Culture Officer)Click here to watch our Video Conversation with Melissa J. MacDonald on YouTube.

Gordon West and Melissa J. MacDonald (https://www.melissajmacdonald.com/) welcome Michael Washington back for another great conversation (originally released June 22, 2020).Michael is a pastor in Chicago, a chaplain, a prolific writer, a student and a professor, a father of two adorable boys, a respected voice in the field of spiritual formation, and a member of KidZ at Heart's board of directors.Our focus is on the spiritual practice of intercessory prayer. Intercession is good for our souls — and the souls of our children! Intercession dilutes self-centeredness, self-interest, and self-promotion. Intercession nurtures compassion, gratitude, and mercy. As we pursue intercession, we decrease and the life of Christ in us increases (John 3:30).If you would like to receive the additional free resource described in the video, please send an email to trainingresources@kidzatheart.org and ask for the downloadable "Pray God's Promises" cards.To download our free Resource Guide for this episode, please visit www.kidzathome.org and scroll to the bottom of the page. This episode is listed under the category "Respond to God's Love."

Gordon West and Melissa J. MacDonald welcome Ted Wueste to this week's conversation on the spiritual practice of guidance. Ted is the founder and Executive Director of the Spiritual Formation Society of Arizona. To learn more about Ted's ministry of Spiritual Direction, visit http://www.desertdirection.com.There are times we get mixed signals from sources of guidance. Cultural voices will change over time. The voices of authority can waffle depending on hidden agendas and personal benefits. Even the laws of the land can be altered. We need something that gives us enduring and reliable guidance.If we don’t acquaint our children with ways to identify godly wisdom and guidance, we rob them of life-giving wisdom — the Word of God; the unity of understanding with other wise Christians; and the loving promptings of the Spirit of God.To download our free Resource Guide for this episode, please visit www.kidzathome.org and scroll to the bottom of the page. This episode is listed under the category "Receive God's Love."

Gordon West and Melissa J. MacDonald welcome Becky Dietz, Vice President of Training Resources (KidZ at Heart), to the conversation about Radical Love. Submission is one of the most misunderstood, yet most important spiritual practices for us to engage in with God and with others.Romans 12:10 (CSB) beautifully summarizes the invitation into submission: "Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Outdo one another in showing honor." That invitation has no age limit. Adults and children alike are invited into the joy of loving others radically.To download our free Resource Guide for this episode, please visit www.kidzathome.org and scroll to the bottom of the page. This episode is listed under the category "Reflect God's Love."

Gordon West and Melissa J. MacDonald welcome Michayla White, Executive Director of the International Network of Children's Ministry (INCM), to a special conversation on the topic of celebration.What a difference it will make if our children have the purposeful life practice of celebration woven into their stories. How wonderful for them to know that even though some things in our world are sad, we have so much to celebrate! If only we can help our children see everyday reminders that God is intervening in our world. Celebrating is a life-giving attitude and a life-giving activity. Let’s show our children that celebrating identifies us as the beloved children of a generous Heavenly Father.To download our free Resource Guide for this episode, please visit www.kidzathome.org and scroll to the bottom of the page. This episode is listed under the category "Reflect God's Love."

Gordon West and Melissa J. MacDonald welcome special guest, Vernie Schorr Love, the author of "Spiritual Disciplines for Children: A Guide to a Deeper Spiritual Life for You and Your Children," to discuss the spiritual practice of study. God has preserved the Scriptures over thousands of years so we can know his character, and that he loves us. He did not preserve Scripture so that we could accumulate facts. He did not give us the Bible so that we could merely be informed. We are repeatedly told in Scripture that God wants us to know him — relationally, not just factually. To download our free Resource Guide for this episode, please visit www.kidzathome.org and scroll to the bottom of the page. This episode is listed under the category "Receive God's Love." Recommended Resources:Spiritual Disciplines for Children: A Guide to a Deeper Spiritual Life for You and Your Children, by Vernie Schorr LoveJesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name, by Sally Lloyd JonesLoved: The Lord's Prayer (Jesus Storybook Bible), by Sally Lloyd JonesFound: The 23rd Psalm (Jesus Storybook Bible), by Sally Lloyd Jones

In today's conversation, Gordon and Melissa look at purposeful life practices that children can incorporate at any age. If you want the children in your care to enjoy the true abundance of a life in God’s presence, then begin early in their lives to invite them into purposeful spiritual practices. It is in God's presence where they will fully become who God created them to be.To download our free Resource Guide for this episode, please visit www.kidzathome.org and scroll to the bottom of the page. This episode is listed under the category "Receive God's Love."

In our first conversation in the KidZ at Home series, we discuss Scripture Prayer as a spiritual practice for children. Our hosts are Gordon West (President and CEO of KIdZ at Heart International) and Melissa J. MacDonald (Author, Speaker, Coach).Visit http://www.kidzatheart.org to learn more about KidZ at HeartVisit https://www.melissajmacdonald.com to learn more about Melissa J. MacDonaldTo download our free Resource Guide for this episode, please visit www.kidzathome.org and scroll to the bottom of the page. This episode is listed under the category "Respond to God's Love."

Passionate about the church and about kids, Melissa J. MacDonald travels extensively speaking, training, coaching, and consulting. She’s the author of Missing: An Urgent Call for the Church to Rescue Kids. She currently serves as the National Children’s Disciplemaking Specialist for the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination. With a fresh and unique perspective Melissa boldly calls the church to be The Church everywhere she goes. She’s been to over 30 countries and seeks out the best ethnic food in every city she visits.  Find out more at www.melissajmacdonald.com.  

Terrace Crawford sits down with Melissa J. MacDonald and talks about how to bridge the gap between Youth and Children's Ministries!  PLUS+ We're giving you some great resources! Don't miss this important episode ... and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes! Thanks to our sponsors: MinistryDownloads.com, Group Mission Trips, Experience Mission and Dare 2 Share Live!