Making Meaning Together, a grant-funded initiative to nurture children in worship and prayer, announces its 2026 church partners and provides several important updates.
Making Meaning Together (MMT) is a grant-funded initiative supporting congregations as they more fully include children ages 0–12 in worship and prayer. Rooted in a shared commitment to welcoming and listening to children, MMT partners with congregations to create worship spaces where children are fully engaged and heard. Through collaboration between the Michigan Conference and the Rio Texas Conference, MMT is building a cross-regional learning community where churches experiment, listen, and shape intergenerational worship with intention and care. Learn more about MMT.
In the fall of 2025, congregations across both conferences participated in the MMT application process, including a key step called Listening with Children. As part of this process, churches gathered children from their congregations — with parent and child permission — to wonder together about worship in their church. These conversations helped inform each congregation’s project focus and direction as they discerned their work with MMT. Many churches are thoughtfully attending to the needs of children and their families — exploring sensory elements, acoustic improvements, opportunities for movement, and simplified language to support deeper engagement in worship. These commitments reflect the heart of MMT, and we look forward to learning alongside these congregations in the year ahead.
Michigan Conference
Kalamazoo First
Battle Creek: Chapel Hill
Dearborn First
Lansing: Grace
Okemos Community Church
Wesley Park
Chelsea First
Goodrich
Nardin Park
East Lansing: University
Detroit: CentralRio Texas Conference
Manchaca
Saint John’s
Northwest Hills
Bee Creek
Fredericksburg
Leander
La Trinidad – San Antonio
Schertz
What We Accomplished in 2025
Last year marked several important milestones for Making Meaning Together. We launched our first application process, inviting congregations across both conferences to listen deeply to children and discern their next faithful steps toward more intergenerational worship. We formed an Advisory Board that meets quarterly to ensure the executive team is staying faithful to the grant.
Throughout the year, the MMT team met with experts in change management, leadership development, and children’s spiritual development to shape learning opportunities for our partner churches. We also offered office hours for congregations in both conferences, creating space for questions, reflection, and encouragement during the discernment process.
What’s Ahead in 2026
Beginning in January, each partner church will live into its project plan, carrying out the commitments named in its application while adapting as needed with support from the MMT team. Churches will gather for monthly cohort meetings, where leaders from both conferences learn from one another, share stories from worship, and exchange practical ideas and resources that support child-inclusive practices.
MMT will offer additional learning opportunities throughout the year. These shared spaces are designed to celebrate what is going well, name what is challenging, and lift up practices to share with the wider MMT community across Michigan and Rio Texas.
If your congregation would like to be notified about future participation in the initiative, please join our interest list. We look forward to continuing this work with more churches as they listen deeply to their youngest members and reimagine worship for all ages.
Stay Connected
Website: https://www.makingmeaningtogether.org
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @makingmeaningtogether
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makingmeaningtogetherworship
Making Meaning Together Team
Rev. Dr. Tanya Campen, Executive Director
Rev. Kathy Pittenger, Executive Director
Laura Schwarcz, Project Coordinator
Last Updated on August 26, 2026