Laity Spotlight: Connie Offer, Children’s & Youth Formation Team Leader When Connie Offer agreed to head the Children's and Youth Formation Ministry, she (or anyone else for that matter) had no idea that less than a year later, Covid 19 would force the closing Connie Offer of houses of worship and require church leaders to totally reinvent the way they ministered to their congregations. With her team of four, that's exactly what Connie Offer did. Although she is stepping down from her leadership role, Connie looks forward to continuing to serve at PUMC, a church that, for the Offers, began as a compromise. Connie moved from Ohio to New Jersey after graduate school for a career opportunity. She joined First Baptist of Lincoln Gardens and involved herself in children's outreach there. When time allowed, "I volunteered with their Ministry for Foster Children and Families," she explained. Outside of church, she became a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer. (The CASA program helps monitor abused and neglected children in out-of-home placements.) In between work, church, and volunteering, Connie met her husband Stephen. After marrying, they began looking for a church to join that could serve as a compromise between her Baptist Church and his Church of England. " We were looking for a community that was diverse and welcoming and had a strong children's program," she said. They found all that at PUMC. Two years later they welcomed daughter Victoria to the family. When Pastor Skitch invited Connie to chair Children's Ministry, she had an active four-year old, and a busy career in healthcare management. "After much conversation with [my family] and prayerful consideration, I accepted," she said.
Four programs fall under the umbrella of the Children’s and Youth Formation Ministry Team: Sunday School, Confirmation, Youth Group, and Vacation Bible School. That is a lot to say yes to, but Connie is drawn to working with kids, and the Ministry’s mission sets a goal important to her. “The Ministry was established to teach young people about God and to foster in them a growing relationship with God,” she said, adding "It also provides an atmosphere of community that creates in our children and youth joy built around Christ and church." To help these programs flourish, Connie and her team work closely with the families, teachers, and mentors of PUMC children and youth "by teaching, training, encouraging, and supporting" them in their work. When Covid struck, having this family of volunteers proved invaluable to the team, whom Connie describes as collaborative and inclusive. "We invite feedback from our kids and parents, which helps us design (or redesign as the pandemic required) goal setting and programming to reach those goals," she said. The camaraderie of team members and volunteers helped the Ministry pivot during quarantine and continue to meet the goals of the team. One of the best-loved children's events put on by Children's Ministry is the annual Easter Egg Hunt. Brightly-colored eggs uncovered with shouts of "I found one!," the Easter Bunny hopping around sharing the children's joy, and music create a joyous experience.
Compassion Campers at Vacation Bible School Continued on page nine.
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