Recently, our team had the privilege to attend the Children’s Pastors Conference (CPC). This is a conference hosted by the International Network of Children’s Ministry. During our time there, we hosted a booth in the Resource Center, Dr. Mimi Larson led a breakout session, Dr. Ahyuwani Akanet co-led a breakout session, and Joy Wendling coached two children’s ministry leaders. We also had opportunities to network with other colleagues in ministry and spend some great time together as a team.
A Look at CFC at CPC
Reflections and Curiosities
We entered this week not only with a heart to come alongside ministry leaders, but also with eyes and ears open, hoping to learn from others. Knowing our theme for January is curiosity, we wanted to model what that can look like. Here are a few personal reflections from our team about our time at CPC and what sparked our curiosity.
Mimi’s Curiosity
I have been attending the Children’s Pastors Conference for over thirty years, and it has consistently been a meaningful space for learning, connection, and renewal—this year was no exception. As I reflected on how the conference has evolved, I was deeply encouraged by a noticeable shift away from an entertainment-driven approach toward a more intentional focus on nurturing faith with children. While there is still work to be done, it was heartening to see both practitioners and resource providers engaging more thoughtfully with the spiritual formation of children and seeking strategic ways to support their relationship with God. This direction feels both hopeful and necessary for the future of children’s ministry.
One area that sparked my curiosity was the limited focus on early childhood faith formation. Although a few workshops addressed this stage, I struggled to find strong resources specifically designed to equip children’s ministry leaders in nurturing the faith of very young children. This raises important questions about how we prioritize early spiritual formation and how we might better support leaders working with our youngest learners.
Ahyuwani’s Curiosity
This year was my third CPC experience. It was unique from the first two because I co-led a breakout session in addition to booth presence, which was the primary focus for the first two. While I connected with the participants at the booth on various topics related to children’s ministry during the first two interactions, this year’s experience allowed for a richer engagement, both through the breakout session and at the booth. I was encouraged by people’s stories regarding their challenges and how they are striving and eager to find solutions. That re-energized in me a deep sense of commitment to what God has called me to do both at CFC and in my local church as I serve families.
I had a conversation with a children’s ministry leader who shared about how God grew their attendance from 10 to over 50 in a short time. With that also came a new yet valuable challenge: how to work with children from diverse backgrounds. We reflected together about the need for biblical hospitality and creating a good welcome that brings about a sense of belonging. One of the key takeaways from that conversation and a lingering question is how might children’s ministries in various contexts practice hospitality one family at a time, while also emphasizing the importance of the church family through communal activities and interactions.
Joy’s Curiosity
This was my first time at CPC, and it was an incredible experience. The opportunity to meet and listen to children’s ministry leaders from across the country, even a few from Canada, was moving and powerful. I was particularly struck by a couple of conversations I had with one leader who is taking a non-children’s ministry position at a different church because of some church brokenness. What an honor to hear her story, pray for her, and celebrate her and her service in a small way. I continue to pray that she knows that God sees her and loves her deeply.
Listening to her, and my two coaching conversations, made me curious. How can we provide meaningful opportunities to come alongside the leaders of local churches and listen? Is that something that would be helpful and/or untilized? I know there are many great resources out there that we don’t have the time to utilize them all. We all want to feel heard, but would we take the time to make that happen?
Connection and Creativity
Overall, our time at CPC 26 was full of connections and creativity. I had so many ideas inspired from conversations, other booths in the resource center, and just time to play and relax with our team.
Now, I am curious, did you go to CPC 26? If so, we would love to hear from you about your experience. If not, which conference would you like to see us at?