2023! I can’t believe we are already here. Life has been a wonderful tailspin of joy in the Children’s Ministry program this past year, and we are so excited about all the amazing things already taking place this year.
Let me catch you up on some highlights. If you haven’t seen them already, we have newly renovated classrooms and nursery spaces, thanks to our incredible parish donors and vestry volunteers. We also updated all of our Bibles and added new books and artwork to celebrate diversity.
Additionally, we added new bulletin boards, a diversity resource library, and interactive resource walls that enable transparency of our programs and ways for families to continue the Sunday morning conversation at home.
With a goal of designing a program that empowers our children to not only think for themselves but also promotes them into leadership positions, we have more than doubled our opportunities for children to get involved in the life and decisions of the church. For instance, we have had listening sessions with our children in Chapel about curriculum, and leadership roles, and encouraged them to develop ways for them to lead the adults in spiritual formation. As a result, our children have led us in services, led outreach projects for refugees, and unhoused children, written prayers and collects, created interactive, intergenerational formation curriculum for adults through our Holy Week Cross Walk, and continue to be an integral guiding voice in the development of the Children’s Formation Programs. Every week they have prayed for the church, led in church, and challenged all of us to see God through their eyes.
Listening to them question us, confront the hard topics with grace, and remind us of what is truly important, is one of the greatest joys of my life! I never want cookie-cutter children of faith, and I am so proud to say…. our children are fearless in both their faith and their diverse voices.
To everyone who has loved our children, YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB!!! We have brilliant, powerful, and wise children here and I am beyond proud of them. I can’t wait to see what they do next this year…2023!
If you have questions about Children and Family Programming at The Falls Church or want to get more involved, I would love to hear from you! Don’t hesitate to reach out to me via email.
Lauren Breeden,
Director of Children's & Family Ministries
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