Children and Family Ministry

As I began to look over the 2022-2023 Ministry year, I am so blessed to be a part of a faith family that never loses hope that God can do big things!  I may have days where I wonder, but then God opens my eyes to the many things He has done!  We also were able to partner with Thrivent to get Thrivent Action Team Dollars for 5 of our special events.  Once a project is approved, Thrivent gives us a $250 gift card as seed money to help offset costs and supplies. 
 
Children’s Ministry

• Thanks to our Nursery staff, Ellie Jensen, Kelly Ellison, and Maggie Gatschet, we can offer nursery at both 9:00 & 10:30 for children under 4 years old with an average of 2 to 6 children on any given Sunday. 
• We added a blessing given by the pastor after the children's message to send the children off to Kids Adventure Klub
  
• We changed our 1st-5th grade curriculum from Orange to Sunday School Planet.
• We offered Kids’ Adventure Klub classes at our 10:30 service for children 3 years old through 5th grade.  We began this year with 32 children registered for classes and ended the year with 50 children registered. 
• We added a class this year and had 5 adult volunteers join our teaching team.  God so blessed our children with some of the most amazing volunteers who loved and celebrated each and every child that walked through our doors because of the heart and hands of our volunteers.
• We had a total of 7 youth volunteer that served on a weekly basis.
• We had a Halloween party and kids dressed up and got to go trick or treating in each staff office area.
• Pastor Mark directed his first Christmas Program.  We had over 30 children dress up and participate in an in-person family Christmas Program.  Community breakfast followed.

 
Family Ministry/Special Events
July

• Made 24 new children's activity worship bags

August/September

• Backpack Blessing as part of our Joy!Serve service.
• Had 26 people participate in our Neighborhood Love Project, by decorating planters and planting a flower to give to someone who might need some extra love and support.
• At the Anniversary Celebration, we had each family sign a quilt square which will be made into a quilt hanging in the hallway.

October

• Offered a 3rd annual Drive In Movie Night.   Due to lack of interest we cancelled this event.

November

• We gave away 11 Bibles to children in first grade and older
• Offered an in-person Advent project where families decorated an Advent Blessing box. 18 families (55 people) came together for food, fellowship and to make their blessing boxes.  I love that we are a community that supports families with young children

December

• We hosted our second annual Journey to Bethlehem where 22 families a total of 85 people began their journey with a sleigh ride and ended with a sing along with choir and hot chocolate and cookies. We collected many diapers for our partners Keeping Kids Covered in Waukegan.

January

• We brought back the Soup and Chili Challenge!  We worshiped together at 1 service and came together for fellowship!  We had 11 Chili registrations & 10 Soup!  A great time was had by all!

February

• We brought back our Ash Wednesday Supper and Kids’ Activity!  59 people came together for dinner and worship.  Kids’ went to KAK following the kid’s message to make a special project to remind them that we come from dust and dust we shall return.

April

• 22 families (47 people) came together to lunch and to make their Resurrection Garden. This activity helped families to grow deeper during Holy Week.
• 6 children made their First Communion at our Maundy Thursday service.  Families enjoyed cake together following the service.
• Approximately 100 children participated in our 3rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt prior to in-person worship and had a special guest appearance from the Easter Bunny,

May

• Where’s the Word and Flat Jesus is back!  We gave away 40 buckets filled with summer activities like chalk, sunglasses, playdough, bubbles, a journal and a bingo card of places they can read their Bible!  We will be collecting pictures of families/children of places they have brought Flat Jesus and read God’s word.  Watch for the pictures on the board in the hallway between the entrance and the bathrooms!

June – Stellar Vacation Bible School
What an amazing week at Vacation Bible School!  Thanks to this year’s vision to support families with young children, VBS was free to all participants!!!  God showed up in big ways!

• Approximately 111 children participated in the week!
• 89 volunteers participated (5 Administrative Leaders, 16 station/area leaders, 36 adult leaders, 28 youth leaders (28 of those volunteers where 1st time VBS volunteers at Joy).
• We brought back our celebration party!  We had over 100 people come and celebrate with their Jr. Astronauts and experience a day at VBS.  We had worship, a presentation from one of our mission projects, a photo booth, snacks and crafts!!  So FUN!!!

This year we supported 2 mission projects.  Children and families were able to bring in food items for Avon Township Food Pantry.  They support Grayslake, Hainesville, and Round Lake Communities by providing food twice a month to local residents.  The Second organization was Reach Rescue.  They are a foster-based adoption center for animals in need of their fur-ever home.

• Our goal for Avon Township was 1000 pieces of food and paper products.  We were just a little short of that goal with 970 pieces to help fill up their shelves.
• Our goal for Reach Rescue was $2000 in supplies.  Children were encouraged to bring in their change and pool their money with classmates and go “shop” for items in our Cosmic Critter store.  Thanks to MANY of our very generous congregation members, we raised $3600 in supplies and financial support for the many vet bills they have.
• One of our members at Joy adopted the dog that was at our Stellar Celebration.  Just love how God works!

We had a total of 11 baptisms through this year.  10 of those in-person during worship and 1 private due to health concerns of the family.  I love that each child receives a tie blanket and each knot represents a prayer for that child and their family.  Helen Main has been making all our baptismal cloths for MANY years that we dry the child’s head with.  Thank you, Helen!

I can’t begin to thank the people of Joy for the love, support, encouragement, time, talents, treasures, hugs, and abundant blessings you shared with this ministry.  It is an honor and a privilege to serve with such amazing and gifted team of leaders.  So very blessed to be a part of this community…and can’t wait to see what God has in store for us in the coming year!

With love and thankfulness,
​Cheryl O’Neill

Back to Annual Report