Where Grace Grows: Helping Families Thrive through Gospel-Centered Community- Parenting has never been easy, but today’s cultural landscape makes it all the more confusing. Parents today are anxious, overwhelmed, and often uncertain, but the church has wisdom to share—not with formulas, but with encouragement, compassion, and gospel-centered wisdom. How can we, as [...]
For the Next Generation— I was crossing the bridge from my nineteen years as a member of Altadena Valley to becoming a staff member as well. This new chapter as Altadena Valley’s children’s ministry assistant had filled my heart with hope in numerous ways. I was excited to be working again, even [...]
How God Used Certification In My Life and Ministry- When our children were younger, we lived in a small neighborhood, and periodically the fire department would test the fire hydrants – our kids thought it was awesome! Each month of Certification last year felt like I was taking in information as if [...]
Laboring Together in Community— “Who will sign up to serve?” “I hope Joey will lead relay games again this year.” “I need a dynamic teacher for the pizza and story time room.” These were the thoughts swirling through my head as I closed my laptop. It was time to plan our annual [...]
Find Your People- Before I worked full-time as a Director of Children’s Ministry, I taught fourth grade at a local elementary school. It was a pretty large school, so there were six fourth-grade teachers. Three of us taught math and science, while the others taught language arts and social studies. Those of [...]
LEAD Retreat- Life-Changing and Ministry-Shaping The Children’s Ministry Director who went to her first LEAD Retreat at Ridge Haven several years ago is not the same Director who returned. When I boarded the airplane in Detroit, I couldn’t have known the effect that the next few days would continue to have on [...]
Encouraging New Children’s Ministry Leaders - This blogpost is intended for new Children’s Ministry leaders and those who mentor them. You might be leading in an established context or in a brand-new church plant as a new leader. We hope these thoughts are an encouragement to the work the Lord has called [...]
Yes, I am the New Children’s Director! Now what?- Yay! You are the new Children’s Director at your church, and it’s no surprise to your friends. After all, you love children! All your life people have told you how great you are with kids, and you knew they were right. Now, as [...]
On Earth as It Is in Heaven- Facing change is inevitable, but when we are not prepared, change can be wearisome and challenging. Now that I am in the post-diaper-changing and minivan era, I find myself wanting more predictability and comfort. Daily tasks such as driving, laundry, and grocery shopping, become “work” [...]
Thriving in Transition- I will be the first to admit I have not always thrived in transition. Whether it’s settling into a new church as Children’s Ministry Director or going through changes in your church, transitions are hard. I have learned a few things over the years to help stay healthy in [...]