Amanda Patterson spent years trying to give the dream away.
What started as a simple idea during a children's concert eventually became K-LOVE Kids, a growing ministry designed to help children discover that their faith is real, personal and powerful. But before there was music, videos or a website, there was a calling she wasn't sure she wanted to carry.
In a recent conversation with Crystal Thornton, Patterson shared how God took a dream she tried to hand off to someone else and turned it into a ministry reaching children and families across the country.
Hear Crystal Thornton's complete conversation with Amanda Patterson in the podcast below
A Seed Planted In An Unexpected Place
The idea first came while Patterson attended a children's concert with her daughter.
The experience was colorful, energetic and packed with excited children. But something felt missing.
"There were thousands of just these babies having the best time ever, but none of it was about Jesus," Patterson recalled. "I just had this gut punch moment while I was there of, man, what if these kids were worshiping Jesus?"
The question stayed with her long after the concert ended.
"What if we created something that was still colorful and entertainment and just the kids loved and were having the best time and the parents were having the best time, but it was about Jesus?"
The dream remained in her heart for years.
When God Confirmed the Calling
When Patterson shared her vision for K-LOVE Kids with leadership, she wasn't expecting to be the one leading the initiative.
She simply wanted to see children reached for Christ.
"I specifically was trying not to," she said with a laugh, acknowledging that she understood the enormous responsibility such a ministry would require.
After sharing what she believed K-LOVE Kids could become, Patterson offered to serve in whatever capacity was needed.
Instead, K-LOVE CEO Tom Stultz invited her to lead the vision herself.
"He was like, 'Oh no, no, I want you to come in and run this,'" Patterson recalled.
Looking back, she now sees how God had been preparing her long before the opportunity ever arrived.
"It's like the Lord has been weaving a tapestry for you and you've only been seeing the strings," Patterson said. "Now all of a sudden you can see the whole picture."
What once felt like disconnected experiences now made perfect sense. God had been faithfully preparing her for the very work He was calling her to do.
Fighting For One Child
As plans for K-LOVE Kids moved forward, Patterson had a clear picture in mind.
Her daughter.
"I knew I was creating all of this for her. I knew she was so worth fighting for. The future of her faith was worth fighting for."
Then came a moment that made every challenge worthwhile.
"A couple of months ago, she actually gave her life to Jesus. It was beautiful."
When Thornton asked whether the effort would have been worth it if only one child had been reached, Patterson's answer came without hesitation.
"Every moment. And I would do it a hundred more times."
When The Dream Became Real
Months of research, planning and preparation eventually led to the filming of K-LOVE Kids' first music video.
Walking onto the set for the first time, Patterson was overwhelmed.
"We walked out onto the set that very first day and I saw everything set up," she said. "I just started crying."
The moment represented far more than a successful production.
"It was a culmination of months and months and months and months and months of hard work," she said. "Then all of a sudden it comes together in this beautiful way."
Children Understand More Than We Think
One of the most powerful moments came while filming the K-LOVE Kids Show.
Patterson expected a simple conversation among children.
Instead, she witnessed something profound.
One young participant named Ahmir shared what he would tell his younger self.
"When I was young, I met my birth mom and I always really struggled because she didn't want me," he said. "When I met her, I realized she didn't know Jesus. And so if I could go back in time and talk to my younger self, I would tell myself to tell her about the Lord."
The room fell silent.
Adults who had gathered to watch the filming found themselves wiping away tears.
"It was just this moment," Patterson recalled. "Watching these kids have this pure, amazing, vulnerable conversation with each other."
For her, it became a reminder of the faith Jesus sees in children.
"It was just the most beautiful picture of why the Lord says, 'Let the little children come to me.'"
Meeting Kids Where They Are
Patterson believes children are not simply the future of the church.
They are capable of living out authentic faith right now.
In a world where children spend hours each day consuming content, she believes Christian families need resources that help point young hearts toward Jesus.
"If I can find your children where they are and teach them more about Jesus, I will do that," she said.
Her vision extends beyond music.
"I will give them hope and give them joy and give them color and give them entertainment and give them deep stories and give them concerts and give them merchandise and give them all the things that they need to enrich their faith."
Take The Next Right Step
Today, Patterson sees a common thread running through every chapter of her story.
God was preparing her long before she understood why.
"There were so many things over the last several years that I'd never understood why the Lord had me there," she said. "Everything that the Lord had me walk through was in preparation for now."
For anyone carrying a dream that feels overwhelming or impossible, her advice is simple.
"I had this idea years before I ever came to K-LOVE, and the biggest piece I feel like that I did was take the next right step."
That obedience, one step at a time, ultimately led her exactly where God intended.
"You take that next right step every single time and the Lord will lead you where you need to go."
Watch the Latest K-LOVE Kids Video Below