Serving Families and Children
Serving others is not something Jana Kinnersley just does occasionally; it’s the family motto. The phrase “Love God and Serve Others” is displayed on a plaque in the Kinnersley’s dining room. “It’s what we remind ourselves,” she states, “even if it’s just pushing a grocery cart to help someone. We try to make service a way of life. We look for small ways to serve. They are all around us, right in front of you – all the time. We just use the opportunities right in front of us.”
Jana currently serves by teaching children’s church twice a month, leading the eighth grade girls’ small group on Wednesdays, and serving on the personnel committee. Although she also serves on a teaching rotation for an adult Sunday school class, her heart is for children. Jana’s heartfelt desire is to partner with parents to help them develop faith in their children and teens. She states the whole idea of helping children develop a real and lasting faith began while in seminary at McAfee School of Theology at Mercer.
“It is a blessing for parents to nurture the faith of a child,” she says. “It’s the best thing ever, and I don’t want to take that away from them. It’s creating memories and being there at the milestones, such as baptism and their first Lord’s Supper, that have a lasting impact on their faith. It’s having a child write a personal statement of faith and having that child understand that it’s more than just a piece of paper.”
Jana loved teaching the worship education class for first graders who were graduating out of children’s church and preparing for worship in the sanctuary. One reason she enjoyed it was because of the bond she developed with the children. “I want to come alongside parents and strengthen their bond with their children. I want to help families pastor and lead their own children in their faith development.”
Jana serves children and youth from her heart and through her gift of teaching. What’s your heart? What are you passionate about?