I'd love to introduce you to my friends Trey (Certified Strengths Advocate with StrengthsFinder) & Candice (Certified Storyteller and Trainer with Tell THE Story) Brooks. They are experienced KidMin Pastors and would prove to be a wonderful resource for your KidMin Team!
Read to see how they may benefit your KidMin Team.
"We are excited to share with you about Equip to Engage. Equip to Engage is a ministry born out of a burden God placed on our hearts for local children’s leaders.
As local Children’s Pastors, we knew from personal experience how much it meant to us to have relationships with these people that were serving in their local churches just like we were. Not all children’s leaders have such a support system. Often times, they feel alone, underappreciated and unsure of the ministry that they are trying to accomplish. From this place, came our burden to come alongside to encourage and support other children’s leaders.
It all started with an event called SPARK. SPARK is a grass roots event that was born in 2011 when two Indiana Nazarene districts partnered together and has grown from there. It is a low cost 3-day/2-night retreat for Local children’s leaders at camp and conference centers. It begins on Thursday evening and concludes Saturday early afternoon. At this event children’s leaders from all over the local region make connections, build relationships, and learn from each other. They go home with resources in their hands feeling encouraged with the task God has set before them and spiritually renewed! At this event they realize and embrace that they are all on one team from different cities and states, but all called to serve God, children and their families.
This coming spring, there will be three SPARKs located in Indiana, Oklahoma, and Georgia. For more information about SPARK, email info@equiptoengage.org
To make a long story short, with the strong burden for children’s leaders and the need for more and more SPARKs around the country, we began to open up our hearts and minds for how God may want to change our current situation and use us in a way we couldn’t completely imagine or predict. In May of 2015, we resigned as the Pastor to Children and Families from Central Church of the Nazarene in Lenexa, Kansas to pursue this burden and call full-time with our family. When we said, “Yes” to God, our path has taken some twists and turns! We are now seeing God’s preparation in our lives for this moment that we didn’t recognize previously. Equip to Engage is a ministry that has become more than just a SPARK retreat. Candice is a certified storyteller and trainer with Tell THE Story. It is a simple, interactive method for telling a Bible story accurately. Together the group discovers deep truths as each person shares their perspective. Trey is a Strengths Advocate with StrengthsFinder. This is a tool that helps leaders learn and understand their God-given strengths. Through this understanding, individuals and teams can better serve others and with each other for God’s glory. We also both enjoy the opportunity to speak in various events from church camp to retreats to family revivals.
This is what we are about in a nutshell:
Equip to Engage inspires children’s leaders through quality, affordable, local leadership development. This is accomplished with retreats, weekend events and specialized programs.
What makes Equip to Engage unique?
We concentrate on equipping, encouraging and connecting local children’s leaders and local churches. We understand many children’s leaders are lay people and are unable to attend national conferences.
Equip to Engage brings resources and encouragement to the local church or geographical area. Equip to Engage collaborates with local and district leaders as it seeks to make gatherings and resources as cost effective as possible for children’s leaders.
We would love to come to your area and serve alongside your ministry team in whatever capacity that may be helpful. We do not claim to have all of the answers, but we humbly offer our experience and deeply desire to offer encouragement and support as we all serve God together. Check us out online at equiptoengage.org."
I know that your ministry would benefit from Trey & Candice coming and pouring into you and your team. Check them out!