We value the children and youth of our church, and we are committed to building sustainable children’s and youth ministries that are going to have a deep impact. That’s why we are developing a game plan together. We have invited Ministry Architects to visit us January 11-13, 2020. (Learn more about them at www.ministryarchitects.com.) Ministry Architects will spend the majority of their time listening to a variety of groups within the church through focused listening groups. We hope to see participation in those groups from a broad spectrum of parents, volunteers, staff and people who just love our children and youth. We want your insights, your frustrations and your dreams to be heard. After spending two days in these listening groups (and taking copious notes), the Ministry Architects team will hunker down to write a report, sharing with us what they’ve heard about the children’s and youth ministries – including assets, challenges, and how we compare to children’s and youth ministries around the country – and where it seems that God might be taking us next. On January 13th at 2pm, the report will be presented to the congregation in the sanctuary, laying out specific recommendations and a blueprint for how to move forward. If you would like to be part of this process and have your voice heard, please contact Becky Ericson at becky@countrysideumc.org or Rebecca Bowles at rebecca@countrysideumc.org or by phone at 266-7541. Below is a list of the various listening sessions that weekend. If you fit into more than one category, please choose the time that works best with your schedule. Day 1: Saturday, January 11- Listening Groups (meetings start in Room 4) ● 12:30 – 1:45 PM: Children's & Youth Worship & Arts staff and volunteers (choir, bells, puppets, etc.) ● 3:30 – 4:45 PM: Children’s & Youth Ministry Volunteers ● 5:00 – 6:15 PM: Parents of Youth Day 2: Sunday, January 12 - Listening Groups & Writing ● 8:30 AM: Parents of Children (Room 4) ● 9:45 AM: Youth (Youth Room)