Answering a Call

When my family and I started attending our church, we jumped in quickly! Passing out bulletins, attending events, saying yes to classes, and small groups. We found ourselves settling into the kids' ministry, a place I didn’t quite feel qualified for, but it felt meant to be.

A few years later, I was offered a part-time admin role for our children’s ministry. I had been volunteering in our 4- and 5-year-old class on Sunday mornings, and I was transitioning from being a stay-at-home mom. I wasn’t sure where God was leading me next, but I took a leap of faith and said yes. Without a WHY behind what I was doing, it was easy to get lost in the curriculum edits, attendance numbers, and opinions. I loved what I was doing, and I remember the day I realized it was more than a job; it was a calling.

Defining My “Why”

We were hosting a volunteer appreciation dinner. This was my first time attending (and working). The director had placed a mini, neon-colored cardstock piece of paper at every chair. Later that evening, she asked every volunteer to write down their WHY. I didn’t realize how quickly I wrote mine down, but as a volunteer, I immediately knew exactly why I was doing what I was doing.

Planting Seeds

My WHY started back in 2015. My husband and I moved to my hometown with our 4-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son. I was a stay-at-home mom with two small kids and didn’t know anyone. In my research on things to do with kids in the area, I came across a MOPS group. They were advertising a hangout in the park, and everyone was welcome. I knew I needed a place where my kids could make friends and play, and I could have some real conversations with other moms. I didn’t realize that by accepting that nonchalant invitation, I would be accepting God’s calling on my life.

Over time, I watched volunteers give their time so effortlessly to love on my kids, want updates on their lives, and other moms opening up about real issues. I began attending church with my family shortly after, and I always had this one video in the back of my mind that we watched one day during a MOPS hangout.

They interviewed an elderly lady who was a previous childcare volunteer. The only thing I truly remember from that interview was her sharing a story. Years after she had stopped volunteering, she saw a grown man who looked familiar. He recognized her, too. They started talking, and she finally asked him, “Did you ever attend a mom’s group as a child?” He smiled and said he did, and that he recognized her as his childcare leader. Then he told her something she never forgot: she was the first person who ever told him about Jesus. In that moment, I realized kids' ministry isn’t about filling time; it’s about planting seeds you may not see grow for years.

Living the Great Commission

In Matthew 28:18–20, Jesus gives us the Great Commission, to go, make disciples, and share the gospel. Kids' ministry is one of the most intentional ways we get to live that out. We have an opportunity to spread the gospel while also having all the fun!
My WHY isn’t the costumes and fun events. Instead, it’s the hope that one day, many years down the road, a grown adult will approach me and say, “You were the first person who taught me about Jesus.” That WHY makes every postcard, every print job, and all the Sunday morning chaos worth it!

JoEllen Rivera serves as a Children’s Director with a passion for helping kids know who Jesus is. She cares deeply about the “why” behind everything her ministry does and loves equipping volunteers and partnering with parents. JoEllen’s focus is to create safe, intentional spaces where kids feel known, valued, and confident in who God created them to be. For JoEllen, children’s ministry is more than a vocation — it’s a calling to invest in the next generation with purpose and heart.