Kirstin Vlodica is a Christ follower, wife, mother and pastor. Kirstin grew up in Apple Valley, CA and currently serves in Bend, Oregon (her husbands home town). Kirstin is married to Tyler and they have two beautiful daughters. Kirstin is the Children's Pastor at New Hope Church. Kirstin has a passion to help see more people live out the life Jesus has called them to.
Kirstin and I met in August 2012 when I accepted a call to serve at Central Peninsula Church. She was serving on the staff in a children's ministry coordinator role when I arrived. About a year into my tenure at CPC our Children's Director resigned. I wish I could say that I immediately hired Kirstin for the role but I didn't. About six months later it was obvious she was the person to lead our Children's Ministry and she did a FANTASTIC job! Through her relational ministry and loving leadership our church reached more families! I am blessed to call her a friend and partner in ministry. I hope you love her insight her as much as I do.
1. Just over a year ago you accepted a call to serve at a wonderful church in Bend, Oregon. What has God taught you during this transition?
What a year it has been! Our family left the bustling city, where we lived for 6 years in a tiny two bedroom apartment, to a small town where we are enjoying almost an acre of land with deer roaming our yard. What a change! I think it was normal to be anticipating starting fresh and being excited about the new ministry. However, when after two months we experienced major change in leadership and a difficult transition at New Hope Church, I was reminded that ministry isn’t for wimps and that trusting God rarely looks like we imagine it will.
2. You have a great balance of education about the stages kids experience and compassion for parents, how do you help parents navigate the stages of their kids lives?
Here’s what I know… Every parent wants to be a better parent. The best parents want to be better, the distracted parent wants to be better, the parent that thinks they’ve failed wants to be better. In Deuteronomy 6, Moses reminds us to “impress” core truths on the hearts of the next generation. I think God wanted us to know that our role is to not just present information but to keep translating and reinforcing truth until it is “impressed” into a child’s mind and heart. When parents understand how to help their kids relate to God through their imagination, intellect, emotions, personality, and physical being we will see kids develop a faith that is real at every phase. I see my role as a partner to help parents leverage each phase to help their kids develop a real and lasting faith.
3. How has being connected with Orange shaped your ministry?
I have come to understand that Orange is much more than a curriculum for Sunday morning programming. What I love about Orange is the way their team equips and provides resources that make me better. One of my strengths is leading strategically and Orange gives me so many tools to support our ministry goals. For example, I value equipping leaders and volunteers and Orange has an entire training and equipping strategy that I can personalize and use. Another way it has shaped my ministry is through coaching. I have taken advantage of the connections I’ve made through conferences and intentionally sought out relationships with leaders who I want to learn from. Currently I am being coached and mentored by two different amazing leaders who are on staff at Orange. I feel like I’m learning from the best and am so grateful for these opportunities that make me a better leader.
4. Headlines seem to be full with pastors whose marriages are falling apart. What is one thing you do to keep your marriage strong and fresh?
My husband, Tyler has been in graduate school for the past three years. I work full-time in ministry and he stays home with our youngest daughter a few days a week while also doing an internship. Our life and marriage often feels like a revolving door or a baton hand-off as we juggle it all. One of the things we’ve done is to protect our saturdays as a family- with Sunday being a work day for me this becomes our only day together. We try to explore and adventure together. We’ve had to say no to some other good things on Saturdays but we know that our time with just our little family is so important. In our very limited time together this season, we’ve chosen FUN together as a value when the responsibilities of our jobs and school can be weighty.
5. How do you balance being a mom, pastoral leader, friendships and other aspects of life?
I was recently challenged by a mentor and friend to stop thinking there is a way to balance it all. I’ve always struggled with trying to put all the “callings” I felt from God in some kind of order of importance and then feeling so completely guilty when my time didn’t reflect that order. But the reality is, I am a whole person who is called to be a mom and a wife and a pastor and sometimes there just isn’t a way to keep all those roles even and equal in my time and attention. I truly believe that family and ministry can be done well. Frank Bealer in his book The Myth of Balance says, “When guidelines are clear and solutions are created in advance, serving in the local church becomes an empowering way of life, not a sacrificial burden to bear.”
I’ve tried to be very intentional and honest about what it looks like for ministry to be a family calling not just a personal one. I think we’ve found joy and empowerment knowing people are coming to know Jesus not just because Mommy is doing her job but because our family is an active part of something really awesome- God’s family getting bigger!
6. You’re currently working on a graduate degree, what are you most excited about and what are you not looking forward to?
I started a Master’s 8 years ago but gave up on it after marriage and having our first daughter. So, with our youngest starting Kindergarten and my husband finishing up his program, I thought it’d be a good time to keep the craziness going! I just have such a craving to learn. The program I’m doing is a Masters in Ministry and Leadership with an emphasis in coaching leadership. I’m most excited to learn how God might continue to use me in ministry and sharpen those skills and gifts. I’m totally nervous to be back in school with actual deadlines and the pressure of academia. And let’s be honest, I might the old one in the class now!
7. If you could give your 20 year old self one piece of advice what would if be?
I’d tell myself that God’s goodness to me is so beyond what I could have hoped. Not always easy, but oh so sweet.. I’d also tell myself that my husband ends up being really awesome so to stop crying over that other guy!
Make sure to go connect with Kirstin on social media! If you're a children's pastor I highly encourage you to reach out to her and learn more!
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