Kristen Ivy
Kristen Ivy is the Executive Director of Messaging at Orange and the founder of The Phase Project, and co-author of the Phase Guide series, "It's Just a Phase," and "Playing for Keeps." She combines her degree in secondary education with a Master of Divinity and lives out the full Orange spectrum as the wife of XP3 Students Orange Specialist, Matt Ivy, and the mother of three children, Sawyer, Hensley, and Raleigh.
Voices of the Phase Project :: Brooklyn Lindsey
Wednesday November 8, 2017 | Kristen IvyEvery middle schooler needs someone to affirm their personal journey. Maybe that’s why after 16 years in middle school ministry affirmation is part of Brooklyn’s second nature. Even if she wasn’t an expert on the mind and world of adolescence, even if she wasn’t a skilled communicator, even if she didn’t have a passion for […] Read more
They Grow Up So Fast | It’s Just A Phase So Don’t Miss It
Wednesday November 1, 2017 | Kristen IvyThis post was written by Kristen Ivy, Director of Messaging at Orange and Director of The Phase Project. “They grow up so fast.” That’s the number one comment I hear from strangers who see me with my children. They are six, four, and six months and we are a walking reminder to everyone who has […] Read more
Voices of the Phase Project :: Dan Scott
Wednesday October 25, 2017 | Kristen IvyAfter 9 years of full-time children’s ministry, Dan joined the Orange team bringing not only the perspective of a ministry practitioner and the father of four but also the knowledge of an avid reader. (We have becoming increasingly convinced there is no book on child development and parenting Dan has not read.) Maybe interviewing Orange […] Read more
A Dynamic View of God: Helping Kids Connect with God at Every Phase
Wednesday October 18, 2017 | Kristen IvyImagine going to a U2 concert with a group of toddlers. Or buying tickets to see Yo Gabba Gabba with a middle school group. Or watching Barry Manilow with all 3rd-grade boys. Hopefully, you’ve never done any of these things. Musicians, even great musicians, play for a specific audience. Not everyone relates to country music, […] Read more
Measuring What Seems Un-Measurable
Tuesday October 17, 2017 | Kristen IvySome things in life are easy to measure. How many times did you tweet? How many Double Stuf Oreos did you eat? How many miles per gallon does your vehicle get? Some things in life are harder to measure. How much water is in the ocean? How many people live in the Ukraine? How much […] Read more
Navigating the Four Phases of High School
Thursday October 12, 2017 | Kristen IvyPhase Defined: A time frame in a kid’s life when you can leverage distinctive opportunities to influence their future. The phase that should matter most to you is the phase they are in now. The phase that matters most happens before or after this phase. Adults tend to assume, “They are like me now.” Adults […] Read more
Navigating the Two Phases of Middle School
Thursday October 5, 2017 | Kristen IvyPhase Defined: A time frame in a kid’s life when you can leverage distinctive opportunities to influence their future. The phase that should matter most to you is the phase they are in now. The phase that matters most happens before or after this phase. Adults tend to assume, “They are like me now.” Adults […] Read more
4 Questions Every Ministry Leader Should Ask Themselves
Wednesday October 4, 2017 | Kristen Ivy“Every child deserves a champion, an adult who will never give up on them, who understand the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.” – Rita Pierson You’re part of a unique tribe of leaders who spend every week teaching programming and leading the next generation. If you’re going to […] Read more
Voices of the Phase Project :: Sherry Surratt
Wednesday September 27, 2017 | Kristen IvyAs the former visionary CEO and President of MOPS International and now as our Executive Director of Family Strategy, Sherry Surratt is one of the most influential champions for kids in the preschool phase. Sherry’s wisdom about parenting and about preschoolers comes not only from an academic background in child development, but also her time as a teacher […] Read more
God Is like a Balloon
Wednesday September 13, 2017 | Kristen IvyMaybe God is like a balloon. There are two ways to think about thinking. Maybe that sounds too philosophical to be practical, but it may be the most critical idea when it comes to how a kid relates to God. It’s also just one more thing that separates humans from the rest of creation. Animals […] Read more
