“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13, English Standard Version)
MY MINISTRY EXPERIENCE IN THE CHURCH
Through the years, I have been blessed to be able to serve in educational ministry as a member of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, in a variety of ways. As you continue to explore this page, please take the time to review the ways in which I have been able to give to and grow in ministry.
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY EXPERIENCE
Through the years, I have been able to gain a wealth of experience within Children’s Ministry by serving as a Sunday School teacher, a Midweek teacher, and a Vacation Bible School teacher.
SUNDAY SCHOOL
In 2013, I began teaching 3rd and 4th grade Sunday School while studying to receive a degree in education. Eventually, as more teachers became available, I moved toward just teaching for the 3rd grade class, and although I completely moved away from teaching in the winter of 2020, the experiences that I have gained from teaching this grade have proven incredibly valuable. I was also able to gain some experience with serving as a choir leader for 3rd through 8th grade Sunday School students.
During my time serving in the Sunday School program, I lead students through thoughtful conversations about Bible lessons, I helped students to grow in their understanding of how to navigate their way through the Bible, I supervised students as they worked to rehearse parts for the yearly Christmas program, during practices, and I lead Upper Division students through music practices.
During the summer of 2020, the Sunday School program at my church decided that it would be best if we provided video instruction to our Sunday School students as opposed to having everyone come to the church for in person classes. Given the developing nature of various factors during the pandemic, we decided to prioritize safety, and although many of our teachers were hesitate to offer instruction through this type of format, the teachers who were able to record videos helped to maintain a regular flow of instruction and communication between the Sunday School program and our families.
To help fill the gap between the teachers who agreed to help by creating instructional content, I offered my help with creating a few videos, as well. In this video, you will see me as I work to teach the students about our Good Shepherd.
MIDWEEK
I began teaching Midweek in 2017, and when I started, I served as a team teacher, with another teacher, in the 3rd and 4th grade class. In the following year, I moved toward teaching the 3rd grade class, individually, and from that point on, I have gotten the unique opportunity to help 3rd grade Midweek students as they work to grow in their knowledge of the faith.
As a Midweek teacher, I have gotten the opportunity to invite students to participate in lessons and activities that relate to Bible stories and specific Bible teachings. In addition, by developing lessons plans, activities, and materials, I have grown in my ability to create and provide valuable educational experiences to a variety of students.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Of my educational ministry related teaching experiences, Vacation Bible School (VBS) is the one in which I have been associated the longest. I began teaching VBS in 2009, and until 2018, I was often associated with VBS, in a teaching fashion, in some capacity. Through serving in various roles, helping as a VBS teacher has given me the opportunity to wear many hats, all while discovering which of those hats ultimately fit the best.
During my time as a VBS teacher, I was able to participate, in varying degrees, in facilitating, at least, one aspect of the many educational experiences that could take place during a typical VBS opportunity. Some examples include, co-managing a class, leading a games station, leading a Bible stories station, and leading an opening and closing presentation.
LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCES
In the last several years, opportunities to strengthen my skills as a leader, manager, and administrator have presented themselves, and while serving in these roles did proven sometimes challenging, I was ultimately able to gain insights that were both enriching and eye opening. These opportunities include serving as a Sunday School Coordinator, serving as a Vacation Bible School Coordinator, and serving as a National Youth Gathering Sponsor/Chaperone.
SUNDAY SCHOOL COORDINATOR
In 2019, largely to gain practical experience in the areas of leadership and administration, I began serving as the Sunday School Coordinator for the Sunday School program at my church. During that school year, I was able to split my time between serving as both a teacher and a leader. In the winter of 2020, though, I decided to move away from teaching, so that I could focus on being available to the teachers during the Sunday School hour, each week. While giving up my teaching position was difficult, it ultimately became necessary, and being available to provide for the needs of the teachers has been an encouraging adventure, in and of itself.
In my time as a Sunday School Coordinator, I have been able to oversee a Sunday School program, coordinate various volunteers individuals, serve as a point of communication between various parties, organize meetings, review materials, facilitate various Sunday School initiatives, and create informational documents for the purposes of education and promotion.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL COORDINATOR
Through the years, I had had little opportunity to serve in a leadership position, and for that reason, I knew that I needed an opportunity to improve in this area. To that end, in the leadup to our yearly Christmas Eve program, I expressed interest in serving as the director of this program, and in response to this request for leadership experience, I was asked to, instead, serve as the 2019 VBS Program Coordinator. Being my first, real, experience with serving as a leader, it was at times stressful to be the person that other people looked to, but with that being said, this experience really did do a lot to help to prepare me to be able to serve as a leader in many areas.
During my time as the VBS Coordinator, I was given the opportunity to direct a Vacation Bible School experience for multiple grade levels, lead a committee that planned and developed the five day experience, oversee committee meetings, offer advice to various volunteer individuals, and provide updates to parents and congregation members using a variety of print and technological means.
NATIONAL YOUTH GATHERING SPONSOR
Before this opportunity, I did not have a lot of experience working with the Youth Group at my church. In the lead up to the National Youth Gathering, I was asked if I would be available to serve as a volunteer sponsor/chaperone for this upcoming endeavor, and even though I was not able to often attend fundraisers or meetings throughout the year, I committed to assisting with this summer initiative. All said, the experience was, at times, overwhelming, exhausting, and intense, but despite the fast paced nature of this type of event, it was more so incredibly educational, uplifting, and fun.
In my role as a Nation Youth Gathering Sponsor/Chaperone, I was given the chance to travel with the Youth Group for the purpose of serving as an additional sponsor/chaperone for the LCMS National Youth Gathering, provide leadership support to the Youth Group leadership team, and guide the involved youth members in attendance as they worked to explore and appreciate the overall experience that was provided by the National Youth Gathering event staff.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
In the past several years, I have had the opportunity to both join, and periodically teach for, the College and Young Adult Bible Study and Fellowship Dinner experiences. Being able to associate with, and sometimes teach for, this group of individuals has been a new type of experience for me, especially since it allows me to work with a dynamic variety of individuals who are going through a unique season of life.
COLLEGE AND YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY
After learning about this type of ministry work during my DCE studies, I became more and more interested with working with college aged students and young adults within my current church context. My church is located near a local college campus, so as such, I believe that we have the unique opportunity to reach out to these students and make a positive impact during their college years. Additionally, my church did not have a lot of ministry opportunities for young adults, until recently, so for that reason, it is exciting to be able to see as my church works to grow in their potential to reach this type of age group.
As a member of this group, I am able to attend regular Bible Studies, attend Sunday evening Fellowship Dinners, and interact with other members of this group. As an occasional teacher, I am able to engage students in thought provoking conversations about applicable themes, engage students in dialog about Scripture, and interact with the members of this group, largely for the purposes of fellowship.