Episode 304: Why Child Discipleship Matters More Than Ever with Matt Markins
From Nick Blevins Family Ministry Podcast: Children | Youth | Students | NextGen by Nick Blevins: Church Leader, Speaker and Coach
May 12, 2026 · 37 min · Episode 304
About this episode
Nick Blevins interviews Matt Markins about the importance of child discipleship and the factors shaping children's faith today.
What stories are shaping the faith and worldview of today’s kids? In this episode, Nick sits down with Matt Markins, CEO of Awana, to talk about child discipleship, biblical worldview formation, and the core message of his new book, The Story We Tell Our Children . Matt shares his personal story, the research behind Awana’s child discipleship focus, and why churches need to move beyond “Bible-lite” teaching toward helping kids understand the full story of Scripture. They discuss: The three biggest factors that shape lasting faith in children Why many churches unintentionally teach moralism instead of the gospel The difference between teaching Bible stories and teaching the story of the Bible How screen culture and modern media shape kids’ worldview Why parents and churches both play critical roles in faith formation How Awana’s Bright curriculum approaches Scripture and discipleship If you care about helping kids develop resilient, lasting faith in Jesus, this conversation is packed with practical insight and theological depth. Timestamps 00:00 Intro and Welcome 00:24 Matt Markins’ Personal Story and Journey into Ministry 03:40 How Awana Has Changed Over the Years 05:20 Why…
People in this episode
Host: Nick Blevins
Guest: Matt Markins
Topics covered
- child discipleship
- biblical worldview formation
- faith formation
- church teaching
- screen culture
- parental roles
Keywords
- child discipleship
- faith
- biblical worldview
- Awana
- church teaching
- moralism
- screen culture
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Awana
Books & works: The Story We Tell Our Children
More episodes of Nick Blevins Family Ministry Podcast: Children | Youth | Students | NextGen
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- Episode 306: Parenting and Leading with Purpose with Angie Hooie · May 26, 2026 · 31 min
- Episode 305: How to Raise Kids with a Faith That Sticks with David Rausch · May 19, 2026 · 37 min
- Episode 303: Church Assimilation Now with Greg Curtis & Tommy Carreras · April 21, 2026 · 55 min
- Episode 302: How to VBS with Jeremy O'Neill · March 18, 2026 · 52 min
- Episode 301: Preteen Ministry – What’s Old & New with Sean Sweet · January 27, 2026 · 27 min
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