Children's Ministry Institute
NGUMC Children’s Ministry Institute (CMI)
2020 is a very different year! Many of the ways we have done ministry have been significantly altered and changed by the global pandemic. Traditional children's ministry programming has been moved aside for creative, new ways to teach and tell our faith stories. None of us is equipped for where we have found ourselves. The NGUMC Children's Ministry Institute is more important than ever in providing a learning community for children's ministry professionals. You are invited to join Cohort IV as we learn and grow in new ways. Participation is encouraged for all new children’s ministry directors and/or those leading local church children’s ministries wishing to 
grow in their leadership skills. Potential participants’ senior pastors will be made aware of the opportunity for their director to participate. Upon successful completion of the cohort, participants will receive appropriate NGUMC and local church acknowledgement. The NGUMC CMI is:
- Informational
- Practical
- Accessible
- Relational
- Theological
The Children's Ministry Institute 2020 Cohort IV is a hybrid model incorporating both online presentations and in person, district small group gatherings. Content presentations are held on Zoom from 10-12 PM on Thursday mornings beginning September 17th. There was a one-hour orientation on Zoom Septmeber 3rd from 10-11 AM. Sessions are recorded for those needing to assist children with schoolwork or other necessary absences.
After an Enneagram workshop, a small group from Cohort IV created hats based on their
Enneagram number, then guessed each other's number!
In addition to large group gatherings on Zoom for learning, participants are expected to attend a district/regional small group. Each small group has:
- A district/regional Coach/Mentor who has graduated from CMI
- Monthly gatherings determined by group members and mentor
- Private social networking site for continuing active participation, idea sharing, support, prayer, questions, et cetera. Access to Zoom meetings, and additional on-line resources.
- Resources and books (see list below)
- A designed in-house training/planning session for cohort participant and his/her ministry team at cohort participant’s local church as scheduled.
The schedule for the Cohort IV Zoom learning sessions is:
September 3 Orientation One hour meeting
September 17 Soul Tending Continuing to grow in faith as a leader
October 8 Wesley Primer How does our Wesleyan heritage impact our ministries?
November 12 Creating Beloved Community How do we engage children in an atmosphere of love and justice? This presentation will be the conference wide Done in a Day offering for 2020
December 3 Experiential Learning How Children Learn-Age appropriate Faith Formation
January 7 Leading a Children’s Ministry Creating a team, Trust building
February 4 Celebration and Evaluation One hour meeting
Each participant receives the following books and resources:
- Faithful Families: Creating Sacred Moments at Home. Traci Smith
- Age/Stage Developmental Chart
- Prayer and Spiritual Disciplines Guide
- Sustainable Children’s Ministries: From Last Minute Scrambling to Long Term Solutions. Mark DeVries and Annette Safstrom
Additional resources as suggested and prepared by session leaders. These materials will be emailed to participants prior to the session.
Cost: $120 per participant. This includes the fee to take the Enneagram test. A discount will be given for more than one person from a congregation. It is our expectation and hope that participants’ congregations will support them financially and prayerfully.
By accepting the invitation to participate and signing the CMI covenant, the cohort member agrees to attend ALL sessions and fully participate in the assignments and session discussions.
Would you like to participate in the next CMI Cohort?
If you are interested in participating contact: Debby Fox