Can faith, creativity, and extreme sports collide to help your family discover true purpose and character?

On this episode of the Collide Kids Podcast, host Christen Clark chats with renowned action sports artist Lynne Ruttkay, whose career designing for top skateboard and surf brands shaped both her artistry and her journey of raising a Christian kid in Southern California’s action sports culture. Hear how Lynne’s faith was deepened by a unique community, why character matters in family life, and how her imaginative audio-fiction podcast, "Shred: The Legend of Kid Z," inspires spiritual growth, discipleship, and intentional Christian parenting through adventure.

• [00:03:05] Lynn’s unexpected path from single mom to action sports artist
• [00:09:29] Using art, design, and family life as a platform for discipleship and faith at home
• [00:11:39] The creative heart and faith behind The Shred Games Podcast

Resources:

• Lynne's Podcast sites: shredgames.com, @shredgamespodcast
• Website: collidekidspodcast.com
• Instagram: @collidekidspod

Clip Finder:

What is an Audio Fiction Podcast?: "And a lot of people don't know what is an audio fiction podcast. And now I've kind of come up with this. Makes it simple."
— Lynne [00:03:41 → 00:03:49]

Inside the Action Sports Industry: "A lot of times I'd have to do R and D research and development and you go into the local shops and you see what's kind of trending with the youth so that you can design artwork for surf and skate and snowboard companies."
—Lynne [00:04:27 → 00:04:40]

Staying Ahead of Industry Trends
"I was kind of knowing what was cool before the industry had. Would shift toward it, which, that was pretty neat."
— Lynne [00:10:10 → 00:10:48]

Finding Self-Worth Beyond Physical Limitations: "The controlling idea is what gives you your worth, because that's what all of us, every single person alive, that's the thing you're searching for. What is it that gives me value?"
— Lynne [00:15:07 → 00:15:21]

Hollywood and Faith: "The lead character in real life is a pastor, but none of us ever knew that, you know, so they don't. They leave out."
— Ashley Bohinc [00:17:04 → 00:17:13]

Creating Magic for Others: "It was just fun to make things magical, you know, for another person to be having that uplift of joy, you know?"
— Lynne Ruttkay [00:20:13 → 00:20:22]

Bark proactively works to monitor, detect, and alert you to potential issues on your kids' devices. Visit bark.us to learn more about how you can keep your kids safe online. Use the code COLLIDEKIDS to get 15% off Your Bark Technologies Plan !

Some days, you might play The River for some nice background music. Some days, you'll play it so your kids don't hear anything inappropriate. But some days, you listen because life has knocked you down, and you need help getting back up. We're here for all of them. Our goal is to introduce as many people as possible to Jesus through music and service. You can listen and get connected at https://riverradio.com/

Support the show

What if understanding your story and God’s purpose for it could change your family’s perspective on faith, adoption, and belonging?

In this episode of the Collide Kids Podcast, host Christen Clark is joined by Emmanuel Jean Russell: first-time author, adoptee from Haiti, and son of bestselling author Karen Kingsbury. Emmanuel opens up about his “shadow memories” of childhood in Haiti, the incredible faith journey of his adoption, and how every child, adopted or not, can discover purpose and position through Christ. They explore international adoption, supporting adoptive families, and how discipleship and family time shape kids to know God’s love in tangible ways.

• [00:05:49] Emmanuel’s early memories in Haiti, and his grandmother
• [00:09:27] The meaning behind Emmanuel’s name (“God with us”)
• [00:13:30] Adjusting to family life in a new country
• [00:14:13] Writing his new children's book: “Hello, My Name Is Emmanuel”

Resources:

• https://www.emmanueljeanrussell.com/
• https://www.tyndale.com/p/hello-my-name-is-emmanuel
• https://www.karenkingsbury.com/onechancefoundation
• Website: collidekidspodcast.com
• Instagram: @collidekidspod

Clip Finder

The Nature of Faded Childhood Memories: "I call my memories in Haiti shadow memories, because I can't fully remember them. But like, if you're like on a beach, you can see the shadow and you know, like, kind of maybe if the person's tall or like if it's a female or male, but you can't see the details. And so my memories in here are like shadows."
— Emmanuel Jean Russell [00:05:56 → 00:06:12]

Dreams That Shape Destinies: "And so for that dream to come true, she gave me up to an orphanage."
— Emmanuel Jean Russell [00:06:57 → 00:07:01]

Honoring Family Through Storytelling: "Well, there are a lot of reasons, but one of the main was, like, as I said, I don't remember what happened to my grandma, but I believe by telling her story and giving her an image, because I don't actually even remember what she looked like, but by giving her an image in this picture book, that it would help the memories become more clear."
— Emmanuel Jean Russell [00:08:54 → 00:09:12]

Finding Purpose Beyond Circumstances: "So by having my story, that it can help kids and adults know that there is purpose and you can find it through him who is Jesus."
— Emmanuel Jean Russell [00:10:59 → 00:11:08]

Helping Orphanages Without Adopting: "But you can always give to those companies that are helping people get the chance to adopt."
— Emmanuel Jean Russell [00:16:04 → 00:16:10]

The Beauty and Caution in Adoption: "But I believe there's beauty in everything. And so if you are willing, if you're looking into it, ask other families who have done it, do research, because you do have to be careful on sometimes where you adopt to."
— Emmanuel Jean Russell [00:16:36 → 00:16:49]

Childhood Mischief Gone Wrong: "And by the time it was 20, we realized we were all getting stung. And so we had to run back to our yard, back to our house."
— Emmanuel Jean Russell [00:19:55 →

Some days, you might play The River for some nice background music. Some days, you'll play it so your kids don't hear anything inappropriate. But some days, you listen because life has knocked you down, and you need help getting back up. We're here for all of them. Our goal is to introduce as many people as possible to Jesus through music and service. You can listen and get connected at https://riverradio.com/

Support the show

What if the next generation’s favorite toys could help ignite faith and purpose at home?

On this episode of the Collide Kids Podcast, host Christen Clark welcomes Howard Quiggly Chang, original designer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys and creator of Ancientz—a new collectible toy line based on biblical heroes. Howard shares his story of rediscovering faith, using creativity for inspiration in Christian parenting and discipleship, and how meaningful toys can point kids and families toward spiritual growth.

• [00:02:49] Howard’s journey from young artist to Ninja Turtle toy designer
• [00:09:07] A personal awakening: giving struggles to God and finding new purpose
• [00:12:41] How Ancientz blends faith, imagination, and biblical stories for family time
• [00:18:47] Building faith at home: the importance of faith-filled heroes in raising Christian kids

Resources:

• Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ancientz/ancientz
• Website: www.ancientz.com
• IG: @ancientz_official

Clip Finder:

Viral Topic: Creative Ninja Turtle Mashups
"I would come out with the Navy Seal Turtle. I would revisit some of the characters that they had and match them up into something fun and creative. And I would come up with all these fun, creative mashups of the Turtles with something else."
— Howard Quiggly Chang [00:08:04 → 00:08:17]

Finding Faith in Hard Times: "And when I gave my problems, literally to God, I encountered him for the first time. And I learned how to pray. I learned how to depend on something more than myself."
— Howard Quiggly Chang [00:09:27 → 00:09:39]

Making Bible Stories Accessible to All: "You don't have to be a believer, you don't have to come from faith household. But just love the characters. They look cool, the story's good, but they all have a story that come from the Bible."
— Howard Quiggly Chang [00:21:22 → 00:21:34]

Breaking Religious Stereotypes in Pop Culture: "But I really feel these characters, the stories that could be made, is strong enough that it could get into pop culture. People might love it as much as they like. The Ninja Turtles, the X Men."
— Howard Quiggly Chang [00:22:54 → 00:23:08]

Bark proactively works to monitor, detect, and alert you to potential issues on your kids' devices. Visit bark.us to learn more about how you can keep your kids safe online. Use the code COLLIDEKIDS to get 15% off Your Bark Technologies Plan !

Some days, you might play The River for some nice background music. Some days, you'll play it so your kids don't hear anything inappropriate. But some days, you listen because life has knocked you down, and you need help getting back up. We're here for all of them. Our goal is to introduce as many people as possible to Jesus through music and service. You can listen and get connected at https://riverradio.com/

Support the show

What if the secret to raising strong Christian kids is dependent on their relationship with their grandparents?

On this episode of the Collide Kids Podcast, host Christen Clark talks with Josh Mulvihill about how grandparents play a vital role in Christian parenting, family life, and spiritual growth. They discuss discipleship at home, the lasting influence of intentional grandparents, and practical ways families can nurture faith across generations—even when grandparents aren’t nearby.

Website:

• renewanation.org
• gospelshapedfamily.com
• Instagram: @collidekidspod
• collidekidspodcast.com

Thanks to Jay Lee from provisionpods.com for editing this episode!

Clip Finder:

Viral Topic - Lessons from the Farm: Now living on a farm and having to care for animals, it brings a greater appreciation for all that imagery in scripture and what it means to truly be a good shepherd and to, to care for, to defend.
— Josh Mulvihill [00:05:21 → 00:05:36]

The Vital Role of Grandparents in Faith: "Well, two things. One is the Bible and two is research. So the Bible has a lot to say about grandparents and their role and it's kind of God' that grandparents have a purpose, an important role to play in our coming to know and love Jesus."
— Josh Mulvihill [00:07:45 → 00:08:02]

The Surprising Power of Grandparents: "Grandparents are the one of the very few people that are, are present in a person's life from the little years all the way up through the adulthood years."
— Josh Mulvihill [00:09:52 → 00:10:03]

The Untapped Power of Christian Grandparents: "But if you think there's like 30 million Christian grandparents in America, that is like mind blowing that number. And if you think about what if even just a percentage of those individuals captured a vision for God's design for grandparenting man, the impact could be huge."
— Josh Mulvihill [00:10:24 → 00:10:46]

Viral Topic: The Irreplaceable Role of Grandparents
"You can, you can supplement some, but it never is a full replacement."
— Josh Mulvihill [00:14:03 → 00:14:07]

The Power of Adoptive Grandparents: "if you don't have a grandparent that is alive or is active in your life, the, the body of Christ is, could potentially be that and, and supply some of what's not there. You know, the adoptive grandparent kind of thing."
— Josh Mulvihill [00:15:08 → 00:15:23]

Viral Topic: Honoring Grandparents in Faith Communities: So just hearing thank you and we honor you, we celebrate you, you matter, whether that's from you or your church is, that's a huge blessing.
— Josh Mulvihill [00:16:52 → 00:17:01]

Generational Faith: "That's a hundred year discipleship vision for a family to perpetuate faith from one generation to the next."
— Josh Mulvihill [

Bark proactively works to monitor, detect, and alert you to potential issues on your kids' devices. Visit bark.us to learn more about how you can keep your kids safe online. Use the code COLLIDEKIDS to get 15% off Your Bark Technologies Plan !

Some days, you might play The River for some nice background music. Some days, you'll play it so your kids don't hear anything inappropriate. But some days, you listen because life has knocked you down, and you need help getting back up. We're here for all of them. Our goal is to introduce as many people as possible to Jesus through music and service. You can listen and get connected at https://riverradio.com/

Support the show

What if revival could begin in your living room through simple moments of faith with your kids?

In this kickoff episode for the new season of the Collide Kids Podcast, host Christen Clark sits down with Mutheu Esilaba, family ministry director and lifelong disciple-maker from Nairobi, Kenya. Together, they dive into practical ways Christian parenting can ignite purpose, spiritual growth, and inspiration in family life—revealing how even the busiest families can make time to raise kids rooted in faith at home and spark a hunger for God across generations.

• [00:02:49] Mutheu’s journey: From Nairobi, Kenya to family ministry in Michigan
• [00:13:18] What “revival” means for Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and Christian families today
• [00:20:28] Practical steps for discipleship and spiritual growth in the home
• [00:27:41] Real stories of transformation—kids, parents, and revival at church

Resources:

• Website: collidekidspodcast.com, upeoshop.com

• Instagram: @collidekidspod

Quote Finder:

Cultural Perspectives on Poverty: "And we went to this like soup kitchen and all the Westerners are like, this is so sad. And we're like, this is great food. What's the problem? So it was just so interesting."
— Mutheu Esilaba [00:08:16 → 00:08:27]

Viral Topic: Kids Want a Bigger God
"And began to watch kids and students desire a bigger God than we were offering and need a bigger God than we were offering because they were going through heavy things. And this cute little plastic one that fits in your pocket wasn’t big enough."
— Mutheu Esilaba [00:15:06 → 00:15:19]

Gen Z's Spiritual Hunger: "she's an expression of this, like, hungry, running to Jesus. I just want to give him my whole life."
— Mutheu Esilaba [00:17:07 → 00:17:13]

Viral Topic: The Power of a Simple Invitation
Quote: "there's all these things we try to do to get kids to read the Bible. She's not even come to our student programming at this point."
— Mutheu Esilaba [00:18:00 → 00:18:05]

Viral Baptism Moment: "And this little boy came up and he was 10 years old and there were so Many baptisms that I had to go back there and help the community life team. So I'm looking at this kid, big eyes, he has tears in his eyes. And he's like, I want to get baptized."
— Mutheu Esilaba [00:24:28 → 00:24:40]

The Importance of Family Worship: "What we miss though is worshiping as a family."
— Mutheu Esilaba [00:28:14 → 00:28:17]

Viral Prayer for Community Impact: "I pray that there would be kids, students, parents, leading people to Jesus, that we would just start praying specifically by name for people you bring into our lives who don't know you or who are hurting, hurting. And that we would watch you work and be on the front row seat of that Lord."
— Mutheu Esilaba [00:34:07 → 00:34:07]

Viral Topic: How Faith Inspired My Social Enter

Bark proactively works to monitor, detect, and alert you to potential issues on your kids' devices. Visit bark.us to learn more about how you can keep your kids safe online. Use the code COLLIDEKIDS to get 15% off Your Bark Technologies Plan !

Some days, you might play The River for some nice background music. Some days, you'll play it so your kids don't hear anything inappropriate. But some days, you listen because life has knocked you down, and you need help getting back up. We're here for all of them. Our goal is to introduce as many people as possible to Jesus through music and service. You can listen and get connected at https://riverradio.com/

Support the show

Welcome to a special season finale episode of the Collide Kids Podcast! Host Christen Clark is joined by Brian Dixon—author, podcaster, business coach, and co-founder of Hope*Writers—for an episode packed with encouragement, practical tips, and a dose of hope just in time for summer.

Brian shares his journey from being a teacher to helping writers share their message through Hope Books. Learn why “hope” is at the heart of everything Brian does, both in his faith and in his work with authors.

Listen in for Brian’s step-by-step advice on how to build, not just write, a book—including planning, mapping, and sticking to a goal (with a deadline!). Discover why everyone, even kids, has a story worth sharing, and how tough moments in your life can be transformed into hope-filled messages for others. Plus, we get a sneak peek of Brian’s upcoming children’s book “Ruby May Writes a Book,” and practical ways families can make time for big dreams.

Thank you for tuning in all season! Be sure to check the show notes for links, discussion questions, and more resources. Wishing you an amazing summer—remember, God loves you so much!

Go to https://yourhopestorybook.com/ to download a digital copy of Brian's book for aspiring writers!

Clip Finder:

Viral Evangelism Strategies: "It's giving a reason for the hope that you have."
— Brian Dixon [00:06:51 → 00:06:53]

Viral Topic: Write the Book You Needed
"Generally what I recommend is you write your book for yourself two or three years ago."
— Brian Dixon [00:16:46 → 00:16:51]

Viral Topic - The Gift of Time: "But yet we look at our hours in the week, 168, and we say, lord, we don't have enough. No, he's given you everything you need, right? Everything you need to live a life of godliness, to live the vision and the mission that he's put you on this earth to do."
— Brian Dixon [00:19:46 → 00:20:01]

How to Structure a Bestselling Book Chapter: "Every chapter follows the same structure. So it might have a quote at the beginning, then a story, then some teaching points, then maybe some application questions, and then maybe a journal prompt. That's what's called the chapter outline."
— Brian Dixon [00:23:42 → 00:23:55]

Longing for Acceptance as a Kid: "For years I wanted Eddie to come to my house and play with my Lego. Like, that was like, the vision is like, one day Eddie will come to my house and I'll finally fit in and I'll finally be cool."
— Brian Dixon [00:28:52 → 00:29:01]

The Power of Belonging: "But what I realized in sharing that is that that is part of my hard story is not feeling like I belong. Right? And so I believe that God can use a story like that to encourage me to make sure nobody else ever feels that way."
— Brian Dixon [00:30:11 → 00:30:26]

Bark proactively works to monitor, detect, and alert you to potential issues on your kids' devices. Visit bark.us to learn more about how you can keep your kids safe online. Use the code COLLIDEKIDS to get 15% off Your Bark Technologies Plan !

Some days, you might play The River for some nice background music. Some days, you'll play it so your kids don't hear anything inappropriate. But some days, you listen because life has knocked you down, and you need help getting back up. We're here for all of them. Our goal is to introduce as many people as possible to Jesus through music and service. You can listen and get connected at https://riverradio.com/

Support the show

Get ready for another fun and faith-filled episode of the Collide Kids Podcast! Host Christen Clark sits down with Aaron Collier, a husband, dad, Disney enthusiast, and manager at WinShape Camps. Aaron shares all about his journey from children’s pastor to camp leader, his love for shaping kids’ faith, and why summer camp is such a big deal for families.

Discover the amazing story behind WinShape Camps and how camps now reach over 100 cities and even stretch internationally! Aaron explains what makes camp so special, why partnering with local churches is key, and how camp experiences help kids find their gifts and deepen their faith even after summer ends.

You’ll laugh at Aaron’s “shaken, not stirred” Diet Coke memory, and learn how you can join camp, support local campers, or land an awesome summer job. Christen also wraps up with three great family discussion questions so you can keep learning and growing together.

So, whether you’re a camp veteran or totally new, tune in for camp stories, encouragement, and a whole lot of fun!

Go to camps.winshape.org to learn more about their overnight camp or a day camp experience in your area!

Know a college student looking for a summer job? check out workatwinshape.org !

Clip Finder:

Making Life Decisions After College: "My wife and I wanted to settle down, have kids, and you can't really travel on the road and do that. Like, as a married couple, it's a little hard."
— Aaron Collier [00:05:18 → 00:05:26]

Dream Jobs and Unexpected Journeys: "And then just a few years ago, a role opened up for me to oversee church partners at WinShape Camps, and it's like a dream role."
— Aaron Collier [00:06:03 → 00:06:12]

Empowering Communities Worldwide: "They do what we call a catalyst model where they launch the city to be able to do it on their own eventually, which is just so such a cool equipping thing that we get to do."
— Aaron Collier [00:11:08 → 00:11:18]

How Summer Camp Changed My Life: "camp truly did change my life."
— Aaron Collier [00:13:46 → 00:13:48]

Finding Purpose Through Camp: "And I wouldn't be doing something for around fourteen years if I didn't fall in love with it."
— Aaron Collier [00:13:48 → 00:14:20]

Finding Your Calling: "You're so good with kids and, like Mhmm. Can't truly help me discover, like, what my calling was in life. And it was just so instrumental to me."
— Aaron Collier [00:14:36 → 00:14:45]

Viral Camp Experiences: "Coolest part of the week, though, for our Winshape Communities teams is, like, on Friday, we do what we call Friday Family Fun Day Mhmm. Where at lunchtime, we invite parents to what we call the closing party, and they get to come and see the recap of the entire week and get to dance with their kids as they're doing the theme song."
— Aaron Collier [00:17:47 → 00:18:04]

The Importance of Local Church Partnerships: "if we're not partnering with a local church, we're actually not doing a service for the local church and connecting th

Bark proactively works to monitor, detect, and alert you to potential issues on your kids' devices. Visit bark.us to learn more about how you can keep your kids safe online. Use the code COLLIDEKIDS to get 15% off Your Bark Technologies Plan !

Some days, you might play The River for some nice background music. Some days, you'll play it so your kids don't hear anything inappropriate. But some days, you listen because life has knocked you down, and you need help getting back up. We're here for all of them. Our goal is to introduce as many people as possible to Jesus through music and service. You can listen and get connected at https://riverradio.com/

Support the show

Welcome to another fun and inspiring episode of the Collide Kids Podcast! This week, host Christen Clark is joined by Jared Greer, known for his appearances on "American Ninja Warrior" and as the founder of Overcoming Obstacles Ministries.

Jared shares his incredible journey from youth pastor to American Ninja Warrior competitor and explains how his passion for Jesus and overcoming challenges led him to create a traveling ninja obstacle course ministry. With honesty and humor, Jared tells behind-the-scenes stories of his TV appearances—including funny fails, tough training, and how God used every win and wipeout for His glory. He also offers practical advice on facing your fears, bouncing back after setbacks, and sharing your faith with friends.

Families will love hearing how Jared’s ministry has helped over 180,000 kids hear about the hope of Jesus, and how anyone can start practicing sharing the gospel right where they are. Plus, you’ll enjoy some ninja jokes and thoughtful discussion questions perfect for sparking conversation at home!

Special thanks to our editor, Jay Lee, from provisionpods.com.

Check out obstacleministry.com to learn more about Jared, Overcoming Obstacles events, and Jared's amazing trick shots!

Clip Finder:

Following Multiple Passions vs. Specialization: "You really need to kind of specialize in something to, like, become the best."
— Jared Greer [00:04:54 → 00:04:57]

Resilience After Failure: "What do you do when you fall? You get back up. And I just keep getting back up and saying, okay, God, how can you use my failures for your glory? How can you use success for your glory? Whatever happens, First Corinthians 10:31, whether you're eating or drinking or whatever you're doing, do it all for the glory of God."
— Jared Greer [00:10:56 → 00:11:09]

Understanding the Gospel Basics: "God is real, God loves us. Sin entered the world."
— Jared Greer [00:21:29 → 00:21:32]

Viral Topic: The Human Condition and Redemption: "God showed his love in this way that while we were sinners, Christ died for us."
— Jared Greer [00:21:58 → 00:22:03]

Viral Topic: "How to Receive the Good News According to Jesus": Jesus said that, you know, with two words is how he described to receive the good news, the gospel, to repent and believe.
— Jared Greer [00:22:06 → 00:22:55]

Viral Topic: Sharing Faith with Family
"just share out of the overflow of your relationship with Jesus seems to, to be what has worked best for me, you know, like just to, to you're reading the Bible and just talk about it, you read it with them."
— Jared Greer [00:23:33 → 00:23:43]

Viral Topic: The Greatest Leadership Tip
"Really? Just that your walk with Jesus is the most important thing. He's like, that's. That's the most important thing. Like, if we can keep that at the forefront of our lives, then, you know, there are other things we have to figure out, but, like, they'll fall into place."
— Jared Greer [00:25:58 → 00:26:11]

Bark proactively works to monitor, detect, and alert you to potential issues on your kids' devices. Visit bark.us to learn more about how you can keep your kids safe online. Use the code COLLIDEKIDS to get 15% off Your Bark Technologies Plan !

Some days, you might play The River for some nice background music. Some days, you'll play it so your kids don't hear anything inappropriate. But some days, you listen because life has knocked you down, and you need help getting back up. We're here for all of them. Our goal is to introduce as many people as possible to Jesus through music and service. You can listen and get connected at https://riverradio.com/

Support the show