7 Key Problems in Kids Ministry, with Josh Mulvihill

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Jan 30, 2026

Dr. Josh Mulvihill, Executive Director of Church and Family Ministry and former children’s and youth pastor, challenges common assumptions in kids ministry. He discusses church history’s impact, the danger of age-segregation and entertainment-driven programs, the proper roles of church versus parents, and practical steps to bring children into corporate worship.

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ANECDOTE

Mentor Who Shaped A Young Pastor

Josh described a mentor named Chuck who met monthly and shaped his theology as a young pastor.
That mentoring sustained him through ministerial challenges and theological growth.

ADVICE

Hire And Train With Worldview Checks

Assess candidates' worldview when hiring children's ministry leaders and use a standardized assessment tool.
Provide ongoing theological resources and group training for volunteers to raise doctrinal competency.

INSIGHT

Spheres Of Authority Matter

God ordained distinct spheres: family, church, and government with specific roles to avoid chaos.
When the church usurps the family's role it demotivates parents and creates role confusion.

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Are today’s kids ministries actually helping—or unintentionally hurting—the faith of the next generation?

Today I’m joined by family ministry veteran Dr. Josh Mulvihill for a candid, biblically grounded conversation about seven key problems in modern kids and youth ministry and why Christians can no longer afford to ignore them.

Drawing from Scripture, church history, and current research, Josh challenges some of the most unquestioned assumptions in evangelical churches today, such as age-segregated worship, attractional entertainment models, and the growing confusion between the church’s role and parents’ God-given responsibility to disciple their children.

This conversation is not a hit piece on kids ministry. Both of us love and support children’s and youth ministry when they’re aligned with Scripture. Instead, we hope this episode will be a wake-up call for parents, pastors, grandparents, and church leaders to evaluate how their churches can better reach the next generation.

SHOW NOTES:

Go to summit.org/natasha to learn about Summit Ministries' conferences for kids ages 13-22 and use code NATASHA26 to get $500 off an in-person conference when you register by March 31.

Josh's website and podcast: https://gospelshapedfamily.com/

Josh is the Executive Director of Church and Family Ministry at Renewanation: https://www.renewanation.org/

Josh is a board member of Awana: https://www.awana.org/

Get Josh's book, "Family Ministry: How Your Church Can Shepherd Parents and Grandparents to Make Disciples": https://www.amazon.com/Family-Ministry-Shepherd-Grandparents-Disciples/dp/1951042093

For more on how Dr. George Barna assesses the worldview of survey respondents, see: https://natashacrain.com/what-is-a-biblical-worldview-with-george-barna/.

Learn more about my three apologetics books for parents and teachers: https://natashacrain.com/books/

Curricula recommended by Josh:
Bright https://britecurriculum.com/
Gospel Story https://martymachowski.com/book/gospel-story-curriculum/