Discovering Your Vision for Ministry

Dr. Mimi Larson is the Executive Director for the Center at Faith and Children and Assistant Professor of Educational Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Prior to joining the TEDS faculty, she served for over 25 years in practical church ministry and was Visiting Assistant Professor of Christian Formation & Ministry at Wheaton College. Her research is in the area of children’s faith formation with a particular interest in how faith is formed in early childhood.

She serves on the board for the Society of Children’s Spirituality: Christian Perspectives, and her latest book is Bridging Theory and Practice in Children’s Spirituality: New Directions for Education, Ministry and Discipleship (edited with Robert Keeley, Zondervan, 2020). Dr. Larson regularly consults with churches regarding their ministry with children and families and has developed curriculum for children’s ministry in the local church. As a recipient of Calvin’s Institute of Christian Worship’s teacher-scholar grant as well as a worshipping communities grant, her current research focus is how ministry leaders thoughtfully engage children in worship.

Kirsten Hitchcock is the children’s pastor at The Practice Church in South Barrington, IL and is the Director of Children’s Discipleship Resources at David C Cook. She also serves on the Board of Children’s Spirituality Summit. She holds a MA in Christian Formation and Ministry from Wheaton College Graduate School. Since 2010, Kirsten has served in churches large and small, helping create and revitalize ministries with children. She desires to help children discover God’s wonder and notice God in their everyday lives.