Welcome to Grow
CDM’s mission is to strengthen the Church through connections. Through articles, podcasts, and resources we want to help connect you with people and tools that will help you in ministry.
Ministry to children can often feel lonely, but we hope this site will be a place that will encourage you and equip you for a lifetime of investing in the next generation. You are part of God’s covenant community and your investment in the little ones really does matter to God.
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GROW Virtual Conference – August 19-20, 2022
Theme: The Good Shepherd
Gather a group of teachers and volunteers at your church to participate in a
Livestream and recorded weekend of training.
Reachout Adventures VBS: An Unforgettable Experience With Lasting Impact-
Reachout Adventures VBS: An Unforgettable Experience With Lasting Impact Vacation Bible School is one of the most rewarding and hectic weeks of the year! Add in the months of planning, hours of meetings, and the moment-by-moment prayer to the God we long to introduce to these precious children, and it’s a full-time endeavor. Our church is preparing for VBS this very minute, [...]
Leading Children’s Ministry Through the Lens of Mission and Vision
Leading Children’s Ministry Through the Lens of Mission and Vision — Sometimes a renewed perspective on the mission and vision of the church comes from unexpected changes that remind us we are all a part of God’s family. The sanctuary had such a homey feel. A smaller space with pew doors that closed but evidence of open hearts as we recited creeds [...]
Celebrating a Christ-Centered Easter as a Family
Celebrating a Christ-Centered Easter as a Family- One of my vivid memories of Easter growing up is my mother buying matching Easter dresses for my sister and me. There are many Easter pictures of us in those dresses with Easter bonnets and baskets. Those memories are wonderful and warm, and I am thankful for them, but what would it look like to [...]
Children’s Ministry Rooted in Scripture, Shaped by Relationship
Children’s Ministry Rooted in Scripture, Shaped by Relationship - I keep two items on my desk as I work. Both were purchased during my travels in the first year of my role as CDM’s Children’s Ministry Coordinator. The first is a well-worn copy of Catechism for Young Children, published in 1910, which I discovered in a used bookstore in Nashville. This tiny [...]
You Are Not Alone
You Are Not Alone — One year after becoming the children’s director of a very large church in New York City, I sat down with CDM and GCP staff members, Sue Jakes and BA Snider, to talk about children’s ministry. I was young, new in my role, and craving any help I could get! I’ll never forget sitting across the table from [...]
A Revised Heirs of the Covenant
A Revised Heirs of the Covenant— Revising Heirs of the Covenant was not on my to-do list. I was amazed it was still in print after almost thirty years and never thought about a revision. It was Stephen Estock and Karen Hodge who saw the need and the potential of the book. When I originally wrote Heirs, my ministry experience as a [...]
First Things, First!
First Things, First!— In our first article on Advent, we looked at the reasons why the Church reserves Advent as an important part of the Church calendar. In Advent, we prepare our hearts by remembering Jesus’s first coming, and we look hopefully to His second coming. We are reminded to lay aside the busyness and clinging to idols that only leave us [...]
Busy or Beholding?
Busy or Beholding?— Busy. The word usually follows a justification regarding an absence, a lack of service, or a dropped responsibility. It is often a bedfellow of self-absorption as well. “I’m sorry that I didn’t put more thought into your birthday, I’ve just been so busy.” “I’m sorry that I forgot to check on that for you, I just got busy.” “I’m [...]
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