Annual Report 2024-2025 - Flipbook - Page 22
BOARD OF CHILDREN, TEENS, & FAMILIES
Chair: Rachel Bruns
Vice Chair: Heather Groben
Secretary: Alice Fuglsang
Chair of Education Committee: Tracy Codel
Chair of Safety and Space Committee: Joe Hotek
Chair of Fellowship Committee: Jen Fox
Staff Liaisons: John Tyson, Samantha Whalen, Barb Godwin
Plymouth Nurse School Liaison: Jennie Knoebel
Trustee Liaison: Tim McCulloh
YEC Liaison: Lina Tucker Reinders
Mission from Bylaws:
The Board of Children, Teens, and Families is a 12-member
board, with four members elected annually to serve three-year
terms. The board will assist in recruiting, training, and placing
volunteers for their board’s associated ministries. The board,
with pastoral and staff assistance, will plan and implement all
programs including, but not limited to, Church School and
Vacation Bible School. The board will approve choice or design
of curriculum for children up through 6th grade, Confirmation
Classes for middle-school students, and programs and activities
for high-school students and families. The board will procure
necessary materials and equipment for this programming and
maintain the children’s library. The board will have a liaison to
the Plymouth Nursery School Board of Directors.
Major Events/Achievements in 2024-2025:
The Board of Children, Teens, and Families (BCTF) had a
busy year supporting programming for the younger members
of our congregation. Activities ranged from Church School
and Confirmation to Easter egg hunts and pick-up games of
basketball! We are grateful to the Plymouth staff that have made
this programming possible, including Pastor of Faith Formation
and Social Justice John Tyson, Assistant Direction of Children
and Families Samantha Whalen, Interim Family Ministry
Coordinator Barb Godwin, and previously, Director of Children,
Teens, and Families Shana Johnson.
Church School:
The academic year started off well with a successful Back-toChurch Night co-facilitated by BCTF and the Children’s Music
Program. BCTF sponsored a free meal, with the option for
families to make a donation toward food cost. A fun new feature
of the evening was a Bingo Scavenger Hunt, which encouraged
families to visit all areas of interest in the music and educational
areas and then be entered into a drawing for prizes. In addition to
Back to Church Night, staff and board members led training for
Church School teachers.
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The number of Church School classrooms was expanded for the
second consecutive year. There are now six classrooms (PreK, K,
and grades 1, 2, 3-4, and 5-6) serving the 205 registered children.
Classrooms continue to use the Sparkhouse curriculum purchased
two years ago. New technology equipment purchased for the Teen
Room has freed up audio/visual resources that can now be used
in Church School classrooms for Sparkhouse videos. In previous
years, younger Church School students began each Sunday
with an all-group lesson led by a pastor, but this practice was
discontinued due to insufficient staffing. Instead, children spend
the full time together in their classroom.
Safety practices associated with Church School remain
important. Plymouth continued its use of check-in kiosks before
service so that parents can check their children in and out of
Church School. This year, we updated the check-in procedure to
identify if any children had been checked in but not arrived in
their classrooms so that staff and parents could be notified. BCTF
board members continue to staff our Welcome Kiosk each Sunday
morning to answer questions about Church School and other
programming for children and teens.
In the upcoming program year, Plymouth staff and BCTF will
pilot a summer Church School program with two classrooms
(PreK/K and grades 1-4). Older children are invited to help out in
Church School as “Bible Buddies.”
Confirmation:
The confirmation program has been an area of strength this year
with the hiring of Pastor John Tyson and his willingness to jump
right into leading the program. Prior to Pastor John’s arrival
in September, BCTF and Plymouth staff spent the summer
recruiting adult confirmation guides and planned and led a guide
training in August.
