I didn't want to be a lead teacher...I would do the puppets, help with whatever my sister needed...but I didn't want to be in charge.

However, a few months later, my sister decided to go to Bible College...and yes, you guessed it...she told me it was my turn to be in charge!

At this time, I was 18 years old. I didn't really see my future as a children's minister, but the Lord had different plans!

For a few years, I poured myself into children's church; but I had someone else do all the altar calls, even though I planned, organized, and ran the entire program. I just didn't feel "qualified" to pray with the children or lead them into an anointed prayer time. My staff and I worked endlessly to do everything the Kid's Power Hour suggested - we went above and beyond to make a great experience...but I knew that something was still missing.

A few years later, we were asked to do the morning services for children at the UPCI WI District Family Camp...with only 2 weeks to prepare!

We had never done anything like this before, and I panicked.

But God.... He had a perfect plan for me, that I could never imagine.

This Family Camp is where I met Sis. Vickie Vernon. A lot of you may know her and be familiar with her amazing ministry. When I was able to sit down and talk with her, I could do nothing but cry. I knew this was what I was missing all along. Sis. Vickie Vernon has been a wonderful mentor to me. I appreciate her so much! (AND she is one of the instructors you will hear from at KidMin Connect! :D )

I went through a stage in my ministry that I really struggled because I felt that I could never measure up to Sis. Vernon. But the Lord showed me that I don't need to "measure up" to anyone. As long as I am in His perfect will, He will use me the way He wants to use me...and it may never be in the exact same way someone else is used. Our Lord is so amazing! :-)

I hesitate to say that many years have passed, (it makes me feel too old, LOL), but the Lord has opened many doors that we would have never imagined. And even though I never wanted to be "out front" or "in charge", He has helped me and put the words in my mouth....and only because of Jesus, am I able to say, I AM a Children's Minister.

My husband and I have been working in this ministry for almost 30 years now...

wow how time flies! We have traveled around the state with seminars, crusades, and our faithful puppet team. We now have staff that received the Holy Ghost in some of our very first children's church services. They work with us in our home church and also teach and work on our travel team. Isn't God amazing?!

We believe that one of the most important things in Children's Ministry, is to see children receive the gift of the Holy Ghost on a regular basis...and that is exactly what we strive to see in our local body, and anywhere we go to minister. We have a full time staff, that work closely with our children, and we have a complete "kid friendly", Holy Ghost filled service every Sunday morning.

Our family was so blessed to go to Warsaw, Poland in 2011. While there, we helped with street ministry, held puppet programs in children's hospitals, helped with music, and more.

A second mission trip in 2012 to Okinawa, Japan was another great experience. There, we trained staff in children's ministry, built puppets, trained the young people in puppetry, and held children's crusades.

We have now travelled to Bangaldesh 2 times! In 2022, we went for a month to train their Bible School students in Children's Ministry, and to hold crusades in the village. We (along with our Pastor) were blessed to go again in 2023 for a quick, one week trip to dedicate a new church building in the village, as well as hold another children's crusade...30 children received the gift of the Holy Ghost, while we were in the village! :D

We are so humbled that the Lord has seen fit to use us in the lives of our future church leaders! We pray He will continue to open doors to be a blessing in this capacity, as His Day is quickly approaching.