Student Ministries Team Update: April 2024

The Student Ministries Team is continuing work on our second “sprint.” Each sprint is a series of tasks that we work on for a few months based on prioritizing recommendations from the Ministry Architects report. We are making progress on our sprint #2 tasks. We are continuing to work on the larger task of connecting with youth and families to determine their wants and needs for ministry programming. We began by grounding ourselves by reviewing our mission which states:

We nurture and equip children, youth, and families to grow as disciples of Christ through love, service, and inclusion, in order to deepen connection to God, self, and others, and positively impact the world.

We are working on the following Sprint #2, tasks:

• Recruiting additional volunteers for Sunday AM children’s ministry programming
• Connecting with youth (grades 6-12) and families to gain insight into what is going well and what their visions are for future programming
• Scheduling regular offerings for service opportunities and fun/fellowship events for youth (grades 6-12)
• Evaluating confirmation with the assistance of the clergy/staff and input from a key group of parents
• A poster describing the work of the student ministries team is on display in the community room and will be updated regularly

Other updates:

• We discussed the success of the easter egg hunt and how wonderful it was to have the high school and middle school students help with the event. 
• We have started the new sacred studio class for 3rd and 4th grade students; the feedback from the first class from the student and leaders were very positive.
• A childcare coordinator search is ongoing
• Brainstorming and planning for the May Sacred Studio Volunteer thank you event

If you have any questions or feedback on our work, contact Katie (kmorris@hamlinechurch.org) or another team member: Desirae Gillis, Krista Evans, Carrie Faust, and Brittany Pennington, Lauren Scott (youth representative).

Listening Sessions for Student Ministries

We value the children and youth of our church, and we are committed to building sustainable children’s and youth ministries that are going to have a deep impact. That’s why we are developing a game plan together. In November 2023 we invited Ministry Architects to visit us (Learn more about them at www.ministryarchitects.com) and conduct focused listening groups. After spending a day in these listening groups (and taking copious notes), the Ministry Architects team created a report, sharing with us what they’ve heard about the children’s and youth ministries – including assets, challenges, and how we compare to ministries around the country –  and where it seems that God might be taking us next. More about the visioning process here.

Student Ministries Team

We’ve recruited our Student Ministries Team - Desirae Gillis, Krista Evans, Carrie Faust, Brittany Pennington, and Lauren Scott - and they’re getting started with orientation with our consultant in a “Quick Start” training. They’ll make a game plan in January to start on recommendations from Ministry Architects, and continue from there. Thank you for your support of this work!