Dear Church,

During July and the first several weeks of August many of our kids at COTC are worshipping with us throughout the whole of the service. The Sprouts and Roots classes, specifically, are taking a break over these weeks. This provides the opportunity for the volunteers of these classes to take a break and to plan for fall. 

This change in our regular rhythm has reminded me of how grateful I am for the many children at COTC! In her book Creative Confident Children, Maxine Hancock invites her readers to see children as they are seen in Scripture, and reflects upon Psalm 127:3 to conclude that children are “a good heritage, an exciting heritage. A heritage of immeasurable worth.” Thanks be to God for these many gifts to our community and to His world.

This break has also reminded me of how grateful I am for the tremendous service that takes place every week in caring for and training up our children in the knowledge and love of God. Heather Silsby, Blake Matthews, Shannon Coelho, and Katy Schreur in particular take the lead in coordinating caregivers and thoughtfully planning curriculum, and dozens of volunteers through the year help to make sure the kids of COTC are loved, served, and equipped well. Thank you to all of you who serve so cheerfully and faithfully! 

The name “The Garden” is no haphazard title. Our desire is that our community and these times and spaces with our children would be a place of cultivating maturity in Christ. We long to work in obedience to and partnership with the Holy Spirit toward our children’s fruitfulness in the kingdom. In this work the church serves alongside parents and families to support their work in cultivating children in discipleship to Jesus. In her book, Hancock suggests that being a parent “demands the very best of what we have to offer.” Parenting is a high and holy calling. What a blessing these children are, and what a privilege and responsibility to have this important work to do! 

During these weeks please be sure to thank those who serve with our children, pray for the many kids at COTC and their growth in the Gospel, and pray for COTC that we would be faithful in supporting families in the raising up of children.  

In Christ