Welcome to Episode 29 of the Grow Your Ministry Podcast with Damean Easter.

In this episode, Damean talks about one of the most uncomfortable parts of ministry—fundraising. Asking for money can feel awkward, stressful, and even discouraging. But the reality is that events, camps, trips, and meaningful ministry experiences all require resources. Damean walks through how fundraising doesn’t have to feel transactional or pressure-filled. With a little strategy and creativity, it can become an opportunity to share your vision, build relationships, and invite your whole church into what God is doing through your ministry.

What We Cover:

• How to plan fun, creative fundraisers for your ministry.
• What steps to take to make fundraising more engaging and inclusive.
• How sharing your vision for ministry can help with fundraising.

For More:
Visit growcurriculum.org/blog for more ministry ideas, helpful tools, and the full show blog from this episode.

Welcome to Episode 28 of the Grow Your Ministry Podcast with Damean Easter.

In this episode, Damean talks about one of the most familiar tensions in ministry — balancing what’s important with what feels urgent. Every week brings responsibilities, unexpected problems, relationships to nurture, and vision to lead. And while the urgent moments aren’t going away, they don’t have to derail your entire week. Damean walks through a simple, repeatable way to plan your week around four key areas so you can stay focused, lead well, and still leave room for the surprises ministry always brings.

What We Cover:

• Why it's so important to plan how you'll spend your time each week
• How focusing on 4 key things every week can help you grow in your leadership and time management.
• How to download a Weekly Planner that's designed just for church leaders!

For More:

Visit growcurriculum.org/blog for more ministry ideas, helpful tools, and the full show blog from this episode.

And you can grab your free printable 2026 Weekly Planner by Grow Curriculum here!

Welcome to Episode 27 of the Grow Your Ministry Podcast with Danny Sugimoto.

In this episode, Danny explores how families in your ministry can celebrate Advent in simple, meaningful, and spiritually formative ways. Christmas isn’t just a day — it’s a season full of anticipation, reflection, and connection. We'll walk through how families can serve together, study Scripture, pray intentionally, tell stories, sing, create, and build traditions that help them focus on hope, peace, joy, and love.

What We Cover:

• Why Advent is such a meaningful season for families
• Simple ways families can celebrate Advent together
• How the Advent Journey Devotional Cards can help families grow spiritually this season

For More:

Visit growcurriculum.org/blog for more ministry ideas, helpful tools, and the full show blog from this episode.

Looking for an Advent resource to share with your families? Check out the Advent Journey Devotional Cards — a daily card deck from Grow Curriculum designed to help kids, teenagers, and families read Scripture, reflect together, take action, and pray through the season of Advent.

Host: Danny Sugimoto

Be sure to subscribe for more practical training, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Welcome to Episode 26 of the Grow Your Ministry Podcast with Linda Moon.

When you started in ministry, it was because you wanted to help kids and teenagers grow in their faith. But growth doesn’t just happen — it’s shaped by habits, opportunities, and experiences that help kids and students discover who God made them to be. In this episode, Linda walks through how to help your group use their unique gifts to love God, love others, and make a difference in the world. You’ll learn why using our gifts is one of the four key spiritual habits in the Grow Discipleship Strategy, and how two practical resources — Community Care Kits and The After You Service Project — can help your group put those gifts into action.

What We Cover:

• How using our gifts helps kids and teenagers grow spiritually
• Ways to create opportunities for your group to serve and lead
• Two ready-to-go service projects to help your group make an impact

For More:

Visit growcurriculum.org/blog for more ministry ideas, helpful tools, and the full show blog from this episode.

Ready to help your group start serving others?

Check out these two discipleship activities from Grow Curriculum:

• Community Care Kits: A creative way to help your group notice needs around them and respond with compassion.
• The After You Service Project: A hands-on experience that helps kids and teenagers learn about food insecurity and serve others with empathy.

Host: Linda Moon

Be sure to subscribe for more practical training, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Welcome to Episode 25 of the Grow Your Ministry Podcast with Danny Sugimoto.

In this episode, Danny talks about one of the biggest challenges every ministry leader faces — finding and keeping great volunteers. From leading games and small groups to setting up and tearing down every week, volunteers make ministry possible. But creating a team that’s motivated, equipped, and excited to serve takes more than a sign-up form. Danny walks through how to build a volunteer culture people love, empower your team to lead well, and develop a strategy that helps volunteers grow all year long.

What We Cover:

• Why it’s important to create a culture volunteers love
• How volunteers make your ministry better
• The steps that can help you recruit, train, and retain volunteers

For More:

Visit growcurriculum.org/blog for more ministry ideas, helpful tools, and the full show blog from this episode.

Want to build a stronger volunteer team? Check out the Volunteer resources in the Grow Marketplace for handbooks, training guides, and more!

Host: Danny Sugimoto

Be sure to subscribe for more practical training, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

• (00:10) - Welcome

Welcome to episode 24 of the Grow Your Ministry Podcast with Jason Sivewright.

If you’ve been following Jesus for a while, you probably have a few spiritual habits that help you grow — things like reading the Bible, praying, or going to church. But for kids and teenagers, those ideas don’t always come naturally. They’re still figuring out what faith looks like in their everyday lives. In this episode, Danny and Jason talk about what spiritual growth really looks like for the next generation and how you can help kids and teenagers develop lifelong spiritual habits that stick.

What We Cover:

• What spiritual growth actually looks like for kids and teenagers.
• The four spiritual habits that help kids and students build a faith that lasts.
• Why every kid and teenager’s spiritual journey looks different — and that’s okay.

For More:
Visit growcurriculum.org/blog for more ministry ideas, tools, and the full show blog from this episode.

Host: Jason Sivewright

Be sure to subscribe for more practical ministry training, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

• (00:10) - Welcome

Welcome to episode 23 of the Grow Your Ministry Podcast with Danny Sugimoto.

In kids and youth ministry, procrastination can sneak up on us fast. Maybe you waited too long to plan a big event, realized mid-year you haven’t emailed parents in ages, or found yourself frantically Googling for a no-prep lesson on Saturday night. We’ve all been there — but it doesn’t have to be that way. In this episode, Danny walks through how one well-planned annual meeting can transform your year into something calmer, clearer, and more effective.

What We Cover:

• Why it's so important to do an annual planning meeting every year for your ministry!.
• How to plan an entire year of ministry in 6 key areas: discipleship, teaching, weekly environments, events, volunteers, and families.
• How to use the Annual Strategy from Grow Curriculum in your ministry, for free!

For More:

• Grab your Calendar Cards here.
• Visit growcurriculum.org/blog for more ministry ideas, tools, and the full show blog from this episode.

Host: Danny Sugimoto

Be sure to subscribe for more practical training, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

• (00:10) - Welcome

Welcome to episode 22 of the Grow Your Ministry Podcast with Jason Sivewright.

In this episode, Jason dives into one of the most practical (and fun) parts of kids and youth ministry: games. Games aren’t just a way to burn energy. They help kids and teenagers build friendships, connect with leaders, and create memories together. But designing great games takes more than grabbing the first idea that comes to mind. Jason walks through how to choose a theme, build with the right structure, and test your games so they actually work with your group.

What We Cover:

• How to pick a theme for your kids and youth ministry games
• The four structures you can use to design fun and engaging games
• Why testing your games before you play them makes all the difference

For More:
Visit growcurriculum.org/blog for more ministry ideas, helpful tools, and the full show blog from this episode.

Want even more ready-to-go games for your ministry? Head to the Grow Marketplace for a whole bunch of games!

Host: Jason Sivewright

Be sure to subscribe for more practical training, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

• (00:10) - Welcome