And now, my children, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
Proverbs 7:24
I grew up attending Ingomar UMC near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In addition to my immediate family attending church there I was also blessed to have my grandparents and aunt and her family also attending. I loved church and wanted to be there as much as I could. My parents signed me up for every activity that was offered by our kid’s ministry! If the doors to the church were open, I was there! I remember a moment when I was in elementary school. I was in the sanctuary practicing for our church program and felt overwhelmed by a sense of God’s love. It was a moment I will never forget and one that I struggled to put into words as a young child. Reflecting back upon that moment as an adult, I am reminded how the adults at my church showed me by their actions that God loved me and that I could trust Him with my life. Church was where I belonged and I was known by an army of people who took the time to get to know me. There were many Sunday school teachers, Wednesday night programming leaders, friends of my parents and grandparents who all invested in some way (big or small) in helping me understand who God is and what faith in Him looks like. I really don’t remember anything that I was taught or told. Instead, I remember how those adults made me feel. I remember the joy and laughter we shared, the ways that they made me feel special, and how they took an interest in me by getting to know who I was and what my interests were.
I am thankful for the many ways that I see adults at Trinity showing our kids who God is and helping our kids know that they belong and matter to our church family. There are many who serve in our kid’s ministry either in our nurseries or with our elementary schoolers. I see adults engaging kids and talking to them during our fellowship times between services. There have been many adults who help with VBS and other kids’ events like our Fall Festival in October. I feel so blessed to be a part of this community and to be able to work with our kids at Trinity! They are truly a delight!! Take some time today to reflect on how you are helping kids at Trinity to have a place where they are known and belong. Think about how you might be able to help kids understand what an authentic faith in God looks like.
Jen Williams