Awesome KidMin Conference 2024 participants are anchored in community

EMC well represented with nearly one-quarter of attendees.

Main speaker Connie Jakab.

“PEOPLING IS HARD,” said main speaker Connie Jakab at the first session of Awesome KidMin Conference 2024. And, she said, “It’s gotten even harder post-COVID.” Yet Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 emphasizes the importance of community.

On March 8–9, just over 200 people gathered at Eastview Community Church in Winnipeg, Man., with the theme Anchored in Community. Attendees had opportunities, through main sessions and breakout sessions, to receive training and resources in children’s ministry. Of the attendees gathered, nearly one-quarter were from EMC churches, with a few coming from as far away as Bow Island and Picture Butte, Alta.

During the first session on Friday evening, Community Starts with Me, Jakab reminded attendees of their responsibility in creating and upholding community. Using the analogy of two people who each hold one end of a rope, she said we can choose to keep holding onto our end of the rope no matter what someone else does with their end of the rope.

Saying, “we teach what we know but we reproduce who we are,” Jakab encouraged those in attendance to “invite God into our emotional suitcase” and to allow ourselves to be known.

When attendees gathered again on Saturday morning, they heard from Jakab on how Community Starts with Jesus. Jakab asked how we can bring down barriers in building community around Jesus. Our goal as translators to an unchurched generation, she said, is not for people to be “churched” but for them to know Jesus.

Saying Jesus didn’t work from fear, control or punishment, Jakab encouraged attendees that when we notice ourselves going to that, it’s important to acknowledge without judging. The more we live in his love, she said, the less we live in fear. Jesus’ love turns fear into courage. “I’m not afraid,” she said.

Attendees then had three opportunities to choose from a variety of breakout sessions on topics ranging from the role of brain science in children’s ministry, to apologetics, to teaching children to pray, and much more.

Regathering for the closing session, Community Starts Together, attendees heard from Jakab on how even in brokenness, there is still a vibrancy in Jesus. From John 11:38–44, Jakab highlighted how Jesus took a moment to identify with the emotions of Lazarus’s sisters. And just as Jesus told them to take off Lazarus’s grave clothes, she said, we are called to reveal each other’s true selves. Closing with “when I encourage, you get courage,” Jakab told attendees to turn to their fellow ministry team members and speak encouraging truth over them.

The planning committee has announced the conference in 2025 will take place on March 7 and 8, and once again be hosted by Eastview Community Church.