MAde to Connect
Are you passionate about making a meaningful impact on your community? Are you trying to forge deeper connections with children and their families? Do you want your church to be a place where children feel safe, welcome, and loved?
If so, Made to Connect is an training opportunity you won’t want to miss.
Given the post-pandemic rise in depression and anxiety among children and adolescents, along with the effects of abuse, neglect, screen time, and divorce, a trauma-informed children’s ministry is now essential.
Get ready to have your eyes opened and your heart filled with compassion. This training reveals the crucial link between childhood adversity and our ability to build healthy, loving relationships with others. We’ll show you how our experiences shape our behavior, and help you equip your leaders and volunteers so they too can better serve the children in your ministry.
Watch this video and learn why having a trauma-informed children's ministry is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity.
Discover how to provide the support and care that children in your community need. Learn to be a beacon of hope and love for those who need it most. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of those who need it most. Get ready to have your eyes opened and your heart filled with compassion!
- Learn how to create a safe, welcoming, and loving environment
- Gain a deeper understanding of the impacts of trauma and adverse experiences
- Understand the value of early relationships
- Equip and empower staff and volunteers with practical tools
- Make a real difference
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Why is Made to Connect important?
Children’s Ministry is more than just a church program; it’s where children experience the love of Jesus, lifelong relationships are formed, and families find a sense of belonging. While programming, curriculum, and engaging activities are important, the core of Children’s Ministry is making children feel safe, welcomed, and loved so that they can learn that Jesus loves them.
Made to Connect was everything. I was tear filled listening to the speakers as they put into words what my heart has been feeling. Thank you Ryan and North for your wisdom. This information will help the children in our community feel loved, seen, and heard.
Cassie Blau
Ryan and Kayla are experts on Trauma-Informed Children’s Ministry. They are the best I know on this subject.
Jason Johnson
What Makes Made to Connect Unique?
Will Made to Connect Help our Ministry?
We’re passionate about equipping churches to make Children’s Ministry a fun and engaging place for kids. But let’s not forget the lasting impact of creating a safe, welcoming, and loving environment for them. When children feel safe, they’re more likely to experience and accept God’s love. Discover how to provide the support and care that children in your community need. Learn to be a beacon of hope and love for those who need it most. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of those who need it most.
Ryan and Kayla North have an incredible model to train churches to make their spaces safe and effective for the most vulnerable in a community. I have researched the best trauma training for churches, organizations, and more offered, and I find Made to Connect to be the best. I brought them to my local community, and can say there has been a marked rise in individuals served through CarePortal attending local, trauma-informed churches who have created safe, welcoming spaces.
Courtney Ross
Ryan and Kayla bring a fresh perspective to Children’s Ministry by encouraging us to consider the whole child. With practical steps for application and relatable stories from real-life experiences, Made to Connect was one of the most enjoyable training events I have ever participated in. The perfect mixture of psychology, neuroscience, and theology helps those in attendance better understand the children in their ministries.
Jackie Overton
Will Made Connect help our community?
Given the post-pandemic rise in depression and anxiety among children and adolescents, along with the effects of abuse, neglect, screen time, and divorce, a trauma-informed children’s ministry is now essential. These factors significantly impact brain development and attachment making it difficult to for children to seek, form, and maintain healthy relationships.
Equip your staff and volunteers to help kids who’ve been impacted by trauma. You’ll get practical methods as well as a deeper understanding of what is happening in the minds of children you’re guiding. You and your team will get a wealth of knowledge about the impacts of trauma and practical tools for working with children who have experienced it. We’ll learn how we are affected by our experiences and how they shape our behavior. And most importantly, we’ll share practical strategies you can use to make a real difference in the lives of children in your ministry.
Made to Connect is designed to be led in the context of a weekly staff meeting. No travel and no large events. Each module contains a video (some modules have multiple videos) around 15 minutes long as well as questions to start the discussion with your group. Additionally, there are videos of six proactive tools, three interactive activities, additional resources, and a case study.
- Module 1 - Why Does Understanding Trauma Matter?
- Module 2 - What Puts Kids at Risk?
- Module 3 - What is Impacted by Trauma?
- Module 4 - Practical Ways to Help
- Proactive Tools
- Interactive Activities
- Case Study
- Recommended Resources
Why Do We Need Made to Connect?
According to the Barna Group, 58% of engaged Christian parents cite Children’s Programming as the primary reason for church choice. That means that Children’s Ministry is the number one reason that families choose to attend a church, choose to stay at a church, or choose to leave a church.
According to the Public Religion Research Institute, Millenials (those born between 1981-1996) are the first generation where less than half (42%) of its members consider religion to be an important aspect of their lives.
Children's Program is the Primary Reason for Church Choice
The Importance of Religionby Generation
Meet Ryan and Kayla
Ryan and Kayla North are a dynamic husband-and-wife duo who have dedicated their lives to strengthening families and equipping parents with the tools they need to create loving and thriving homes. Through their impactful work with One Big Happy Home and The Empowered Parent Podcast, Ryan and Kayla have become trusted voices in the realm of foster and adoptive parenting, as well as nurturing healthy family dynamics.
Their unwavering commitment to empowering parents and strengthening families has earned them a well-deserved reputation as leaders in the field of parenting and child development. Through conferences, workshops, online courses, articles, and personalized coaching their transformative work continues to inspire and guide countless parents on their journey towards creating harmonious and thriving households. Their passion for adoption and foster care is deeply personal. They have six children, four of whom joined their family through adoption from the foster care system.
Ryan and Kayla founded One Big Happy Home as a platform to provide parents with valuable resources, guidance, and support as they navigate the journey of raising children. Through their articles, videos, and online community, they offer practical strategies and emotional support that empower parents to address trauma, behavior challenges, and attachment issues. Their approach is rooted in empathy, understanding, and evidence-based techniques, creating a space where parents can learn and grow together.
The Empowered Parent Podcast is a powerful extension of their mission to empower parents and caregivers. Each episode delves into relevant parenting topics, offering insights, expert interviews, and practical advice to help listeners navigate the challenges of parenting. Their warm and relatable on-air presence makes their podcast a go-to resource for parents seeking encouragement, wisdom, and actionable strategies.