Family Ministry Update: Fall 2024
Hello Families!
Greetings from the Family Ministry team. It is the start of another school year, and we are excited about where we have been and where we are heading as a ministry.
Over this last year, we have implemented needed safety and security measures for our kids and families. We have added more structure to our Sunday morning Kid’s Church and teachers have been willing to teach for more consecutive Sundays. Tim and Lori Wilkinson even committed to a full year of teaching during the second hour. We have seen fruit in the areas of consistency, connection, engagement, behavior and discipleship.
We started offering Fifth Sunday specials like the Big Drop and Olympic Sunday, which has been good for our ministry staff, the teachers and the kids. We feel that this summer’s BOTR was one of the best day camps yet with more church involvement and a closer working partnership between Beulah staff and Freshwater, all while BOTR continues to connect with those outside the walls of Freshwater.
Lastly, we started a monthly gathering for 5th and 6th graders in January called Tuesday Night to see if God was truly leading us in this direction. God confirmed, it was well received, and the need for a 5th and 6th grade ministry became even more apparent. I would love to say that I always know beyond a shadow of a doubt where God is leading, but sometimes, the conformation doesn’t happen until after you step out in faith. Praise the Lord for all that He is doing and thank you to the many adults and teens that serve faithfully in the ministry.
That was last year. What about this year?
We are glad you asked! We have some other changes coming this fall that we want to make you aware of. We are excited about the HUB reorientation and that it will be ready to use this Sunday. These changes in the HUB will make it more conducive for connection and discipleship. Our annual Fall Hoedown will be Wednesday, October 2. This year, it will serve as the kickoff for our kid’s programming during the week, so please put October 2 on your calendar. This means all our Tuesday and Wednesday night programming will begin the second week in October.
We are expanding the Tuesday Night ministry to two times a month, beginning on October 8, and we will continue to offer the 5th and 6th grade classes on Sunday mornings. With the addition of Tuesday Nights, our GEMS (girls’ ministry) and our Trail Life (boys’ ministry) will now be for 1st – 4th grade, will remain bi-monthly, and begin October 9. These changes in midweek ministries move us closer to the vision and strategy of offering ministries and environments that are more age and developmentally appropriate for each child, eliminating some obstacles that can make the discipleship process more difficult.
The Gen Now Youth Ministry will remain on Sunday nights from 5:30-7:30pm, although these times may look slightly different as we consider Freshwater’s direction regarding discipleship. We had our annual Kickoff Retreat last weekend, where we revealed our new theme, Here & Now, our direction of expectation without agenda, and our theme passage, Ephesians 1:15-23. Also, we looked at God still speaks in the Here & Now, God is building His family in the Here & Now, and God is still on mission in the Here & Now. What might God be up to in this next season of youth ministry?
Even though we are excited about these changes and feel like this is the direction God is taking us, we recognize that change isn’t always pleasant and can be challenging. One of the things we wrestled with was having ministries that could divide a family multiple times a week. Youth on Sunday night, and kids on some Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Although we currently have space to meet on the same night for the Tuesday and Wednesday ministries, we believe we will see growth that will require separate nights in the near future. Experience has shown it is better to start and develop a culture and rhythm on a set night instead of changing the nights after a couple of years. Please see Pastor Len if you want more information on the reason behind this decision.
The Trail Life ministry was another difficult decision. It was made over several months, conversations, and prayer. In February, we decided that Trail Life would not be our long-term solution for the boy’s midweek discipleship ministry. We discussed the option of a transitional year starting this fall, giving Trail Life a year to relocate and for the Family Ministry to find or build a new boy’s program for fall 2025. Once we realized that the 5th and 6th-grade ministry was expanding and the Wednesday night programs would be moving to 1st-4th grade, Trail Life requested to look into relocating this summer.
Their vision and desire are not to limit things to 1st-4th grade but to expand the ministry through 12th grade. They have been working with a couple of churches in the area, but they recently learned that the churches cannot invite the troop in at this time. Last week, the decision was made to follow through on the original plan to offer Trail Life for one more year for 1st-4th grade. We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this late decision has caused you and your family. This decision is not meant to reflect poorly on the Trail Life ministry; it is based on a difference of vision and direction. The Trail Life leadership team remains hopeful that one of the churches may work for Fall 2025. Please see Pastor Len if you have any additional questions.
Lastly, we have the following serving opportunities available in the Family Ministry this fall. If you are curious to learn more, please get in touch with Nikki Madachik at kids@thefreshwater.church.
- Preschool 3-4 year olds: 3 teachers (1 teacher for first service, two for second service)
- 5yrs old & kindergarten: 1 more for second service
- 5th & 6th grade on Sunday morning: We need 1 more person to teach every other month second service.
- Trail Life: 5 leaders (meet the 2nd/4th Wednesday of most months)
- GEMS: 2 leaders – one for crafts and one to teach (meet the 2nd/4th Wednesday of most months)
- Youth Ministry: We need 2 men to serve as leaders in the high school on Sunday nights.
As a Family Ministry team, we desire to follow God’s lead so that He builds the ministry, to partner with families as they disciple their kids, and to do what we can to prioritize children and teen discipleship in authentic, multigenerational relationships that point them to Jesus.
Please consider joining our team and praying that we continue to discern and follow God’s leading for the Family Ministry.
Keep Lovin’ & Livin’ for Jesus,
Pastor Len and the Family Ministry Team