In the heart of every Jesus-movement, there is a shift towards the care and centering of children and youth voices and experiences. This is what I see happening in the Diocese of Missouri, at every level! It continues to be a privilege to serve the Diocese in this particular role, to practice the spiritual art of becoming more like a child and listening to children and youth. As children share generously, let me also share with you some of the exciting projects, events, plans and moments in the Diocese's Ministry for Children and Youth. If you would like to be regularly updated and join a community of those who work for and with children and youth, consider signing up for my newsletter (epickersgill@diocesemo.org), joining the Children and Youth FB group, or following us on Instagram.
Gifts for Graduates
My colleague the Rev. Aaron Rogers and I are sending all high school and college graduates a small gift to celebrate them! They are valued people in our community and we pray they will know the love and wisdom of God as they travel on to new adventures. It is not too late to send Rev Aaron or myself the details of graduates in your parish!
Rite 13 Celebrations
A collaboration between Holy Communion and the C + Y Ministries office has finished the initial year of the Episcopal Rite 13 pre-confirmation program. Four young people from four different churches are “graduating” as 13-year-olds this May, and we are so proud of them. We hope to start a new Rite 13 Cohort in the Greater St. Louis area for the 2024 - 2025 program year. Are you interested?
Book Groups
Thank you for the ecumenical group who met in April to discuss the culture-shifting book, “Woven: Nurturing a Faith Your Kid Doesn’t Have to Heal From,” by Meredith Miller. That title - right? We had a robust and nourishing conversation over lunch about parenting, theology, and healing. The next book we will read and discuss is “The Kingdom of Children: A Liberation Theology,” by R. S. Stollar. The book explores a new way to read the Bible through the lens of children and youth. Date and location TBD. All are invited.
Virtual VBS Collab
In April, several of us met to explore what a VBS might look like in this post-Covid world! We addressed the question: What would it look like to bless the families in our community this summer with what we have? We discussed that this could mean throwing away the old format of VBS programs and looking at things like family dinners, breakfast clubs, water play, story times, etc. Just remember to include these three things: Faith, Fun, Food! And for a fourth, if you’re able - Free! If you’d like a copy of this Zoom recording, please reach out to me.
Camp Phoenix Plans, August 4 - 9 @ Wyman Center in Eureka
The plans for Camp Phoenix this summer continue to be incredibly exciting! We are taking some of what has been, mixing it with some new ideas, in order to make Camp the most perfect place for a camper to be this summer. Counselor applications will close mid-May.
ECM Chaplain
A highlight of my job is to be an on-call ECM (Episcopal City Mission) chaplain for the young people who are spending time in the St. Louis juvenile detention centers. For my birthday, I took in cupcakes for everyone. Chaplain Deborah had me deliver them to every unit, and she had the young people sing me happy birthday every time! I have enjoyed these lighter moments, but there have also been more serious and prayerful connections, too. Every time I go into the Center, I catch a “whoosh” of Jesus’ presence. Could it be that Jesus’ words were true - that if we are looking for him, we might find him in the prisons, the hospitals, with the lonely and the sick?
LGBTQIA+ Small Group
A small team has led this online youth group faithfully since October 2023. We are going to change tact, slightly, from a content-driven group to a mutual sharing and discussion small group. If you have young people in your communities who would be interested in this group, please reach out to me for more details! Starting again in May, we will meet on the last Wednesday of every month.
Working together - Youth groups and mission trips
St. Timothy’s and St. Peter’s have been joining their youth together weekly throughout the program year! It’s been such a joy for these youth to get to know each other and spend time together. Later this summer, both churches will join with the Church of St. Michael and St. George for their Middle and High school mission trips. Amazing things happen when we work together! Is there a church nearby you can collaborate with?
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Jillian Smith and I have been working hard to have every church become aware of the Safe Church Safe Communities standards for our Diocese. Lately, we’ve been trialing a way to help churches record incidents that happen on a parish level. Also, we are looking forward to co-presenting at the Big Provincial Gathering on Safe Church practices. In addition to this work, we have been able to add to the resources the Diocese can offer to parish clergy and leadership, equipping them when they have a registered sex offender in their community. Please reach out to either of us for more information.
Plans to Consult for C+Y
For 2024-2025, I will be journeying with a small group of parishes in the Diocese to help them move into their next steps when it comes to children and youth. The application process will open during the summer!
Gathering Local Leaders
Starting in May, I will gather local children and youth ministers for a monthly lunch. These will be times set aside for sharing, listening, gathering wisdom, collaborating and dreaming. If you’re interested, please reach out to me for more details.