Kids Ministry Zooms are online gatherings for those involved in children’s faith formation in the Michigan Conference. Join their next meeting on September 18.
JAMES DEATON
Content Editor
Dilemma #1: You’ve agreed to plan vacation Bible school next summer but don’t know where to begin. What if your church can’t afford it or find enough volunteers to pull it off successfully?
Dilemma #2: The pastor has asked you to prepare an Easter-themed devotional resource for every child connected with the church, but you’re stuck and don’t have anyone to help you.
Dilemma #3: You are exhausted from church work and feel like giving up. You need a listening ear and someone to help you think of ways to regain your energy and set healthy boundaries.
When you find yourself in one of these situations, you’ll discover a caring group of church leaders in the Michigan Conference’s Kids Ministry (Min) Zooms. This group meets twice a month online and is coordinated by a team of lay leaders.
It’s free to join, and you’ll be supported by other people who are involved with children’s ministry. You’ll be able to ask questions, learn from others, and grow together.
The next Kids Min Zoom is scheduled for Wednesday, September 18, 2024, at 10 am Eastern / 9 am Central. The topic is “Connecting Home & Church,” and the guest speaker is Elizabeth Christie, a consultant with Practical Resources for Churches.
Complete this form to receive the Kids Min Zooms link and future email reminders. They typically meet on the first and third Wednesday of the month. Click to review the calendar of topics through the end of 2024.
The Michigan Conference implemented a new Sustainable Children’s Ministry Model earlier this year following a time of discernment. This innovative approach has four areas of focus, and Kids Min Zooms is one of them. Click to learn more about the other three teams.
Susan Adam-Rita, Director of Children’s Ministry at Chelsea: First UMC, is the team lead for Kids Min Zooms. Susan is supported by three others: Kerri DeZwaan, Director of Young Disciples Ministries at Georgetown UMC; Kate Robbins, Christian Education Director at Muskegon: Lake Harbor UMC; and Heather Stefan, Sunday School Coordinator at Trenton: Faith UMC. They work together to choose each gathering’s topic and invite special speakers.
Susan is glad to serve in this role. She is a trained psychologist by profession and was a member of Chelsea: First before being invited to direct the children’s ministry there in 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Churches were in crisis mode then, and Rev. Kathy Pittenger, Michigan Conference staff member, acted quickly and started Kids Min Zooms to bolster churches. Pittenger explains, “I started the weekly gathering when COVID-19 shut everything down as a way for leaders to stay connected and share ideas, concerns, fears, and frustrations, and it has continued on as a twice-a-month gathering. We have presentations from guest speakers and local leaders, conversations around different topics, and more. It’s become a community of shared ideas and trust.”
Adam-Rita started attending this online group of peers during the pandemic as she began her new position leading children’s ministry at Chelsea: First. One of the most valuable aspects of Kids Min Zooms that she experienced and now encourages others to experience is the sense of community and support from others doing ministry with children.
“I think there is a sense of loneliness among those involved in this kind of ministry,” Adam-Rita says. “We may feel pressured by rapid changes in the church and the need to come up with innovative ideas. So, Kids Min Zooms lets us know other people are going through similar things. It’s not only me who is struggling with what to do for Advent or whatever it might be.”
This community of trusted peers has helped children’s ministry leaders pivot through the pandemic and beyond, providing a safe space to think outside the box and share their struggles. Time is often set aside for participants to highlight ways they are doing things differently, especially for seasonal activities like vacation Bible school (VBS).
Church leaders often ask what they can do in the summers instead of VBS, which can be costly and may not be as effective in bringing new families into the church as it used to be. Plus, some churches still struggle to find enough volunteers to pull off a large production like VBS.
At Chelsea: First, Adam-Rita says they don’t do VBS anymore. Instead, they hold a series of one-off summer workshops called Fun Wednesdays on various topics, such as music or cooking, and kids can invite a friend to join them. She has found that it is working well for her congregation.
Churches are learning that they can and must do programs like VBS differently. It begins with a change in mindset and an openness of spirit. This is one of the major shifts in faith formation related to children that churches are wrestling with now.
Adam-Rita says faith is a lifelong journey that involves continuous growth, exploration, and understanding. It requires navigating doubts and challenges while deepening one’s connection to spiritual or personal beliefs. Churches can assist this process by creating a place where children have a voice and feel comfortable expressing it. It’s about creating “wondering” experiences where children can be curious and ask questions without being given all the answers.
“We are all teachers, and we are all learners,” she says, “Let the children come up with their answers and give them space to talk instead of me being the one who teaches and tells a particular story, asking them to sit there and listen.” This journey can bring a sense of purpose, comfort, and community as one seeks meaning and understanding throughout life.
The culture we are raised in impacts how we read and interpret scripture, a lens that church leaders need to recognize in our ministry with children. Adam-Rita grew up in Brazil and realizes she interprets things a certain way because of her formative experience there. But hers is not the only valid interpretation or answer to a faith question.
“If we teach children how our interpretations may differ,” says Adam-Rita, “they will grow up with the sense of I’m not going to get this as a final answer. I’m going to have to think about this and interpret it my way, which is a mindset we really need today.”
Kids Min Zooms has become a valuable place where, as Susan Adam-Rita notes, such perspectives on faith development can be discussed with others. It’s a welcoming, supportive group; everyone is welcome to join, regardless of their church’s children’s programming size.
Do you have questions? Contact Susan Adam-Rita, the Kids Min Zoom Team Lead, and she and the other three members of the Kids Min Zoom Leadership Team will be glad to answer them. Her email address is [email protected].
Last Updated on September 17, 2024