Interns and seasonal staff are a wonderful gift to the local church! I am grateful for the opportunity to come alongside them, helping us all grow in both ministry skills and character so we can face challenges and celebrations together for God’s glory. As a new church that values strong relationships, I’m reminded that coaching for success beyond Sundays is the true goal.

I’ve had the privilege of supervising part-time staff who lead the nursery team of lay servants, a children’s ministry intern who directed day camps and special events, and a summer youth intern who designed our first fall confirmation cohort. Every six months, we step into team self-evaluations: late September due in early October & late March due in early April is my typical routine.

I ask each one to answer these questions:

What can I, or the church, do to help you grow in ministry skills and development? This tells me what support they need to take their skills and discipleship to the next level.

What contributions or achievements have you made during this time? This helps me celebrate their impact and successes, including things I may not have recognized.

Do you have skills that aren’t fully used in your role? The church is a perfect place to use both spiritual gifts and practical training for God’s glory.

How would you improve the department? This shows me what’s on their hearts and taking up space in their heads as a priority. My attention to these details tells our team, “I hear you!”

What 1-3 goals do you hope to achieve by the end of the summer/year? Whether church-related or not, this helps me see how I can pour into each one. During a follow-up face-to-face I can ask the hard questions of what they are learning, how are they practicing their holy habits, and how can I help?

Are there resources that could help you thrive in your ministry? I want to make sure they have what they need to serve well.

To invest further in the team, I invite each person to take the Working Genius assessment early on. This $25 investment in each team member further equips her/him to best serve the team and tells me how to best set her/him up for success. For example, a team member whose working genius is Galvanizing/Enablement thrives when given clear tasks and structure, while someone strong in Discernment/Invention may need more coaching for brainstorming sessions. By using tools like a shared Google Doc for tracking weekly and seasonal tasks, we create an environment where each team member can flourish.

Building an effective and joyful team requires care and attention. Self-evaluations help set the stage for success, encouraging us all to grow in God-fidence and faith in following the Holy Spirit in all we do on Sundays and beyond.

“These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.” Titus 2:15

The Oikos Principle is a simple yet effective way to be intentional about loving people to Jesus. By embracing holy habits like prayer, witnessing, and everyday interactions, disciples who make disciples can share the love of Christ in a natural and relational way with people we already have a relationship with.

Oikos is a Greek word meaning “household” or “inner circle of extended family.” But in our daily lives, our oikos will include more than just relatives—it’s the circle of people we regularly interact with, such as neighbors, coworkers, classmates, teammates, coaches, grandkids, and even service providers like hairdressers, doctors, nail tech, barista, and landscapers. These are the people God has supernaturally placed in our lives, not as ‘projects’, but as future brothers and sisters in Christ.

A practical way to start is by making a prayer list of 8-15 people by name in your oikos. If you have kids or a spouse, put them on the list! Other family members, friends, or acquaintances who are part of your everyday life belong there, too. Our prayers are the fuel, simple yet powerful:

• Lord, may [NAME] come to faith in Jesus.
• Lord, though [NAME] believes in You, I pray they grow in their faith and hunger for Your Word.
• Lord, may the decisions [NAME] makes honor and glorify You.
• Lord, let my interactions with [NAME] draw them closer to You.
• Lord, may [NAME] sense Your presence and encouragement.

When we pray consistently, God grows a boldness in us to talk about Jesus and reflect His love in our everyday lives. We become more caring, ask better questions, build trust, and make deeper connections. The Holy Spirit nudges us to reach out more often, to pray for and with our oikos, and to share helpful resources that speak to their challenges. Over time, we find ourselves being more generous, courageous, and attentive to the needs of those around us. We become more like the Jesus in the process.

Krista Bontrager, known as Theology Mom, explored the Oikos Principle in a 2024 series of podcasts on evangelism through relationships already in place. This principle was pioneered by Rev. Tom Mercer of High Desert Church in California, offering a practical way for everyday believers to share Jesus as Christ commanded in the Great Commission. You don’t have to be Billy Graham to make an impact—you just need to be intentional about loving those in your oikos to Jesus.

In 2018, I was challenged by Dave Ferguson’s Hero Maker to focus on reproducing leaders in the church. Then in 2021, Dave and Jon Ferguson introduced the B.L.E.S.S. model—Five Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor and Change the World. Our pastors have taught this B.L.E.S.S. approach twice in the past year because having a plan, and modeling that plan, to reach neighbors and nations helps us live out our mission to make disciples of Jesus.

So, what’s your plan for sharing Jesus with your oikos? Whether it’s through B.L.E.S.S. or the Oikos Principle, I’d love to chat and encourage you on this journey!

“Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.” Psalm 66:16

A plus-one is more than just a guest’s companion at an event—it’s a partner, a teammate, and a co-laborer. In ministry, while I may be the invited guest to a meeting or gathering, I always pray for a plus-one to invite alongside me.

As a collaborator and verbal processor, having a plus-one brings so many benefits:

• Clarity & Understanding – Someone to process what we just heard, ensuring I grasp what was truly taught. (I admit, sometimes I hear things that were never actually said!)
• Follow-Through & Action – A partner to help implement the best next step rather than letting inspiration fade or me trying to invent a new wheel.
• Shared Passion & Purpose – A teammate who will carry the vision forward—whether launching a new initiative, improving ministry security, sharing in teaching responsibilities, or rolling out new systems to best unify and maintain a healthy culture.
• Continuity & Coverage – If I’m unable to attend due to sickness or emergency, my plus-one ensures our team still has a seat and voice at the table.
• Discipleship & Development – Someone I can invest in, mentor, and grow alongside as we pursue a common mission. This is my chance to intentionally disciple another and grow into a deeper friendship-in-the-Lord.
• Fresh Perspectives – A newer team member can bring fresh eyes, innovative ideas, and renewed excitement to familiar tasks.

This past Saturday, our first- and second-level church leaders gathered for a leadership retreat—an incredible time of scripture, table-life, Holy Spirit-led discussions, and foundational system-building for our work together in unity and love to make disciples who make disciples sharing Jesus with neighbors and nations helping one another grow in the image of Christ Jesus.

Since Family Ministry has such a significant influence on church culture, I intentionally invited a plus-one. I looked to those who recently joined our church—new members eager to serve. I also considered those stepping into serving in Family Ministry —bringing fresh perspectives. And I jumped at the chance to make a new ministry friend, introducing her to others and sharing the morning together.

We laughed, we prayed, we learned, and (mostly) completed our assignments—ha! The next day, after worship, we were still giggling in the aisle over a Holy Spirit-inspired idea that has us energized and ready to take action. We’re excited to serve, dream, and see where God leads this ambitious vision.

The next time you’re the invited guest at the ministry table of teaching, training, celebrating, and designing, prayerfully consider bringing a second (Grease!), a wingman/wingwoman (Top Gun!), a second chair (Band/Orchestra!), or a Titus (Paul!). Jesus never sent His disciples out one at a time, but rather in twos and threes up to seventy.

“Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also.” Galatians 2:1

Adolescence is like riding a wild roller coaster, full of twists and turns—physical, mental, emotional, and social changes all swirling together with a sprinkle of spiritual curiosity and a dash of hormones! It’s a time when questions pop up like popcorn, but the answers often seem a little fuzzy and tangled. So how can the local church help these young adventurers tackle some fundamental identity questions? Enter “Who Am I?”—a fantastic faith milestone for 5th and 6th graders!

The resources I curated to design a 4.5 hour retreat, 2 hours on Friday evening and 2.5  hours on Saturday morning, included:
“Understanding Me: Who Am I?” by Janine McNally
Psalm 139, NIV translation
“Who Am I?: Solving the Identity Puzzle” by Martyn Iles
“Enjoying God My Creator” by Kids Enjoying Jesus (some resources are free right now!)

To kick things off, the students decorated blank journals, sketched themselves on the first page, and jotted down three things that make them unique. I prepared a PowerPoint presentation combining elements from “Understanding Me: Who Am I?” and the free goodies from “Enjoying God My Creator,” sprinkled with teachings from “Who Am I?: Solving the Identity Puzzle,” and a few uplifting modern worship songs inspired by Psalm 139. Throughout our time, we scribed three verses at a time and read aloud often Psalm 139, dissecting the vocabulary and ideas that sparked our amazement of God’s care, preparation, attention, and love for His creation of people.

We tackled the myths surrounding truth, discussed the changes they’re experiencing, and explored how Christians have cherished human life for centuries. We recognized that we all stumble and fall, yet our Creator has already mapped out our identities. The conversations were nothing short of incredible, and our guiding mantra became: “We cannot know who we are until we accept whose we are.”

But the milestone isn’t just about the info—it’s about reconnecting! As these students grow up and engage in various age-level milestones, they get the chance to rekindle friendships with their church friends. By 5th and 6th grade, their social circles revolve around sports, dance, teams, and academics, but these moments at their home church allow them to grow in Biblical wisdom while sharing sticky faith-formation experiences. This not only deepens their relationship with their Savior but also strengthens their bonds with one another.

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24