Couples Cookie Exchange is a Great Way to Connect Families
contributed by Melinda Shunk, Children’s Ministry Coordinator Connecting parents with each other is vital to sustaining a children’s ministry that does NOT revolve around the children’s minister! A way to accomplish that as the Children’s Minister is to have caring get-to-know-you kind of conversations with each parent in the hallway, out for coffee, during a […]
Across Generations
contributed by Melinda Shunk, Children’s Ministry Coordinator Children’s ministry can sometimes be thought of as a ministry ONLY for those parents raising young children to serve. It is a great misconception and one that leaves out so much love and experience that intergenerational volunteers who are done raising young children can offer to our children. […]
Worship for All at Jacksonville First UMC
contributed by Melinda Shunk, Children’s Ministry Coordinator Last March, the Rev. Nathan Kilbourne shared with the ministry team at Jacksonville First UMC that he really wanted to develop more of an intergenerational worship service so that in worship the span of mature members and young members could all have their worship needs met. Stephanie Dunn […]
Messy Church Helps All Ages Feel the Love of God
contributed by Melinda Shunk, Children’s Ministry Coordinator It is the dog days of summer! Vacation Bible School is done. It is not quite time for promotion Sunday. Families seem to be hit and miss on Sunday due to traveling for summer vacation. Travel teams are finishing up those last summer games. Kids are at Tanako […]
Building Better Moms
contributed by Melinda Shunk, Children’s Ministry Coordinator There are some tried and true ministry outreaches that so many churches use to make disciples who make disciples, but sometimes a church finds a very specific niche that serves their community best! West Memphis United Methodist Church has done just that! When Children and Youth minister Carissa […]
Hope UMC Holds Ecumenical VBS
contributed by Melinda Shunk, Children’s Ministry Coordinator The definition of ecumenical is promoting or relating to unity among the world’s Christian churches. Rose Gagon is doing precisely that at First United Methodist Church in Hope for the second summer in a row! In 2017, Rose met the new Baptist pastor of First Baptist Church of […]
First UMC Crossett uses VBS to gather donations for hungry children
contributed by Melinda Shunk, Children’s Ministry Coordinator First United Methodist of Crossett has a long history of feeding children in need, but when Autumn Smith came to work there, the program had run its course and lost its momentum for a couple of years. Autumn was hired as the new Children’s and Youth Minister in […]
Lights, Cellphone Camera, Action!
contributed by Melinda Shunk, Children’s Ministry Coordinator Nick Garrison, the youth director at Maumelle UMC, was in a planning meeting with his senior pastor a year ago discussing how they could get the whole church involved in a spring cleaning of the church grounds. The suggestion was made that they could make a video of […]
Lakewood UMC children participate in Children’s Sabbath Sunday
contributed by Melinda Shunk, Children’s Ministry Coordinator Lakewood United Methodist Church in North Little Rock is a mid-sized church that worships about 450 congregates every Sunday. Lakewood sees such value in ministering to children that they have a created a team! Most importantly, this dynamic duo has recognized each other’s spiritual gifts, and they know […]
Children’s Ministry Matters
Coordinator for Children's Ministries seeks to equip church leaders with vital resources
From a very young age, Melinda Shunk knew she wanted to pursue a life of faith. Even as a kid growing up in Iowa, Shunk loved spending her summers at church camp, attending youth events at her church, and being what many would consider your typical youth group kid. “My mother thought it was very […]