This past weekend marked the beginning of something new here at Emmanuel. On Saturday morning, people were invited to be part of the beginning preparations to have children inhabit this space once again. The building was filled with laughter, hard work, and fresh ideas. We cleaned toys and tables, bounced around some fun ideas, and opened cupboards full of flannel graph treasures. All in all, it was a good start to getting things moving for children’s ministry here at Emmanuel.

There is something exciting and scary and mysterious about starting fresh. We are working on building a new Emmanuel on the foundations that are already here. There are days where that seems to be a helpful foundation and other days where I think how much easier things would be if we were starting from scratch. That is part of the beauty and the mess that we have chosen to give ourselves to.

As I move forward with plans, preparations, and dreams of what this children’s ministry could look like, I am excited at the prospects. I am excited about creating a safe place for children and families. I am excited about opening up our incredible building on 50^th and Dayton to families in the community. I am excited about learning and growing through this experience. I am excited about connecting people to what it means to really serve our community. I am excited about seeing the gifts and talents that people bring to this ministry. And I am excited about all of the unknowns and surprises that are bound to come up along the way.

savannah s. | intern at Emmanuel