Growing on the Go

Driving skills came slowly to me when I was a teen. Though I aced the written test, getting behind the wheel was a different story. Merging onto the highway was especially terrifying: “I’m supposed to speed up to drive into 70 mile-an-hour traffic—are you kidding me!?!”

The back roads worked just fine . . . that is, until I left the suburbs and had to learn how to maneuver a huge white church van full of giggling preteens through narrow city streets and across busy highway overpasses. Looking at me, wide-eyed and white-knuckled, I doubt one would have sensed the Spirit at work. Yet those drives were moments of growth and deep spiritual surrender!

Children’s ministry is no different. We jump behind the wheel—some of us well-trained and confident, others unsure and reluctant, and before we know it we’re sailing through lesson planning, teacher training, and the many speed bumps of ministry. We grow as we go, with God as the navigator and source of strength for the journey. And if we’re wise, we make a pit stop every once in a while to tune up and refuel.

That’s why I’m excited to invite you to the GROW Conference—it’s the perfect place to pull over and take a look under the hood!

Mark Your Maps

I hope you’ll join me and children’s ministry leaders from across North America as we GROW together on August 1-2 in Orland Park, Illinois and October 17-18 in Langley, British Columbia!

Why GROW?

• You’ll learn from leaders like Bob Keeley, keynote speaker and author of Helping Our Children Grow in Faith: Nurturing the Spiritual Development of Kids. You might recognize Bob’s sense of humor if you’ve ever used one of the Quick and Easy Christmas Dramas!
• You’ll choose GROW sessions that will stretch you to dig deeper and reach wider on topics like praying with kids, dealing with discipline, reaching your neighborhood, feeding your soul, marking faith milestones, making music with kids, and connecting with families.
• You can explore Walk With Me and Kid Connection in fun workshops designed to help you and your kids get the most out of each session.
• You’ll laugh and sing along as kids share drama and songs while their leaders offer how-to tips for your program.
• You can swap ideas with teachers and ministry directors from across North America, and plug in to local networks for ongoing support.

So pick the GROW location nearest you, and buckle up for the adventure! Visit www.FaithAliveResources.org/grow for all you need to know about GROW.

Hope to see you there!