Family Ministry at Lakeland Community Church
Family Ministry plays a crucial role in helping kids and parents grow together in their faith journey. It’s about creating a supportive community where families don’t have to navigate the challenges of raising children alone, while providing intentional opportunities for spiritual growth at every stage of development.
At Lakeland Community Church in Lee’s Summit, we believe that by fostering a culture of curiosity rather than certainty, we encourage our parents and kids to return to the Scriptures with open hands and hearts ready to be shaped.
Interview with Family Ministry Director Trissa Lucht
Trissa Lucht is the Family Ministry Director at Lakeland Community Church. She champions our families and helps ministry team leaders feel empowered to cultivate spaces where kids feel safe in wrestling with their faith, are excited to learn about God’s love and kindness, and flourish in their gifts.
Q: How can Lakeland get involved with Family Ministry?
A: There are several ways to get involved, both if you have kids and if you do not.
For Parents with Children in the Home
If you have children from birth through 12th grade, there are several ways to engage with family ministry. Your children can participate in Sunday morning programming designed specifically for their age group, along with special events and milestone celebrations throughout the year.
Parents can join graduating year groups – small communities of families with children in the same grade. These groups serve multiple purposes: sharing information about upcoming events, offering prayer support, and creating connections between families. If you have multiple children, you can participate in several groups to stay connected with all your children’s peer families.
These parent groups often organize service projects, park meetups, and other activities that help children build friendships with their peers while strengthening family bonds within the church community.
For Those Without Children
Family ministry isn’t just for parents. There are numerous ways to serve and support families in your church community. You can volunteer during Sunday morning programming, help with youth group activities, or assist with behind-the-scenes preparation like gathering materials, copying resources, and organizing supplies.
Some people contribute by cleaning toys and maintaining children’s spaces. Prayer support is always needed and deeply valued. Additionally, there are opportunities to give financially to help students attend camps and special trips who might otherwise face financial barriers.
Q: What is one thing you wish every parent knew?
A: You are not alone and despite what social media, magazines, or television shows might suggest, there are no perfect parents or children or families. The polished images we often see don’t reflect reality and can make parents feel like they’re failing when they’re actually doing just fine.
We are here, at Lakeland, to support parents by creating a community where they can stand shoulder to shoulder with others facing similar challenges. Whether you’re learning from parents who are further along in their journey or connecting with those experiencing the same struggles, you have access to a supportive network.
Q: What is your favorite part of Family Ministry?
A: Watching the people who serve with kids really living out their gifts and also discovering their gifts. It is beautiful to watch someone who you least expected to be able to connect with a certain kid do it, and do it beautifully—do it better than I could have ever thought of.
It is also beautiful to see people that are growing in their skills and giftings that maybe they didn’t even know that they had those skills or gifts. They are living it out right in front of kids, right alongside kids, and it is a beautiful thing to see.
Q: How does Lakeland partner with parents in helping their child(ren) grow in their faith?
A: At Lakeland Community Church, our goal is to provide parents with support through a spiritual lens. That support is found in Sunday Programming and Milestones.
Sunday Programming
Lakeland Community Church uses an intentional, sequential curriculum designed to help children hear Bible stories, develop curiosity about faith, and explore how spiritual principles apply to their daily lives. This programming is carefully planned to support children’s spiritual development at age-appropriate levels.
Milestones
The Milestone journey at a church in Lee’s Summit is a spiritual path with specific steps along the way that mark important phases of faith development. Here at Lakeland Community Church, the path looks like this:
Each milestone includes classes and parent support to help them continue spiritual conversations and growth at home.
Home is Primary
The home remains the primary place for spiritual growth. Lakeland Community Church’s Family Ministry serves as a partner and support system, not a replacement for parental guidance. Parents maintain the primary responsibility for their children’s spiritual development, with the church offering resources, community, and encouragement along the way.
Q: What upcoming events are you most looking forward to?
A: Some of the curriculum that is coming up on Sunday mornings. Full disclosure, we are changing to a different curriculum that embraces Lakeland’s Core Values—Curiosity, Contemplation, and Community to name a few. We are changing because they do a lot of things the way that Lakeland does them and we are super excited about that.
Fun activities coming up specifically for the summer:
Camp913 [nine-thirteen]. For elementary students (K-4th grade) on Tuesdays in June. It’s a way for them to connect during the week outside of Sundays since its summer.
Middle School Camp at Youthfront. We love what they do at Youthfront; it really aligns with what we are doing here at Lakeland. This is a place where they can have fun but also where they can really explore their spirituality and their journey with God.
The Clearing Summer Trip. For high school students (9th-12th grade). This year, our high schoolers will be going to Northwest Arkansas August 3-7.
Family Ministry Programming and Activities
There is always something to do with Family Ministry at a church in Lee’s Summit for kids of all ages. Lakeland Community Church hosts ongoing programming, Milestones, yearly events, and one-off activities. However you decide to be involved, it is a great way to get connected with other families and support your child’s spiritual journey in a fun and accessible way.
Sunday Programming
- Kindling (Infant-PreK) meets at 10:30a during Sunday service.
- Campfire (K-4th grade) meets at 10:30a during Sunday service.
- Trailhead (5th-8th grade) meets at 10:30a during Sunday service.
- Clearing (9th-12th grade) meets at 5p on Sunday nights.
Yearly Events
- Elementary Family Fun Night (twice during school year)
- Trailhead Fun Night, 5th-8th grade (twice during school year)
- Camp913 (Summer, June)
- Clearing Summer Trip, 9th-12th grade (Summer)
- Youthfront Middle School Camp (Summer)
- Halloween Haunt, 7th-12th grade (October)
- Trunk or Treat (October)
The Blessing Closet
The Blessing Closet is a ministry at Lakeland designed to help families access what they need when it comes to clothing for their children. We all know how quickly kids grow out of things, so whether you’re looking for a place to donate gently-used clothing or needing the next size up for your growing kiddo, The Blessing Closet is here to help!
Open Sundays and last Saturday of each month, 9a-12p.
Dreams for Family Ministry and the Community
The Family Ministry leaders dream of expanding their reach into the broader community of Lee’s Summit. This could include opening the church facility for regular community play times, creating more opportunities for families to connect outside of Sunday programming, and building bridges with families who might not otherwise engage with a church in Lee’s Summit.
Additionally, Family Ministry thrives when more people get involved. It’s all about connection, growth, and mutual support as we all seek to be authentic followers of Jesus, together.