I’m CSPC Elementary Ministry Associate Rachel Meeks, and this is how I’m living deeply.

“My earliest efforts at evangelism happened in a sorority house, of all places! In college at Kansas State, I made the decision to follow Christ and started growing in my knowledge of the Bible, discipleship, and sharing the gospel. I began sharing Christ with my sorority sisters, but deep in my soul, I really felt this pull toward ministering to younger kids. It’s powerful when the foundational knowledge of Christ gets planted early, and I felt called to be a part of that. The summer before I graduated in 2014, I interned at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Wichita, and that really cemented my passion for working with kids. I was teaching both high schoolers and younger children, and I found a deep joy in planting seeds of faith with the younger kids, helping them understand who Christ is, and witnessing how God was working in their hearts. (And I love that they’ll ask just about any question that comes to mind—no filter or pretense! That’s something we tend to lose as we move toward adulthood.)

Right after college, I moved to Memphis for a nine-month biblical studies program. During that time, I volunteered at a younger church that hadn’t yet established a kids ministry, so I served in an inner-city ministry. That was a huge cultural shift for me. I had grown up in a predominantly white, suburban community, so serving inner-city kids was a whole new world. Many of them didn’t come from stable homes. Some only went to church with their grandparents, while others were navigating life between split households. It was challenging but also incredibly rewarding. I wasn’t just tutoring them or keeping them out of trouble; I was sharing Christ with kids who hadn’t been exposed to Him in a consistent way. It was messy, and it was hard, but it was also beautiful. That time shaped so much of who I am and how I see ministry. I learned to meet kids where they are, whether they come from church backgrounds or not, and to simply love them by sharing Christ.

In my last year with that ministry, when I was pregnant with my first daughter, a 14-year-old girl I was ministering to at the time was also pregnant. She wasn’t really getting the support she needed at home, so we walked through pregnancy together. I actually got to be with her when she was giving birth to her daughter. My heart for her during that time really grew. I think she wanted to know Christ, but, as a teen mom in a difficult environment, she was struggling spiritually. And that’s one of the hard parts of ministry—you so desperately want to see good outcomes but don’t have control over whether they happen. Control is something I’ve struggled with for as long as I can remember. I always want to hold on tightly, to make sure things go the way I’ve planned. But time and time again, the Lord has shown me that His plans are better than anything I could imagine. Every time I finally release control to Him, I’m amazed at where He takes things.

Our family’s move to Knoxville last year is a prime example of how letting go has opened doors. When I got here, I applied for a job at a school, thinking that’s where I was supposed to be. Yet it also didn’t feel totally right—it wasn’t what I was passionate about. Deep down, I knew I still wanted to share God’s love with kids in a deeper way. So I let go and trusted God for the right opportunity to come. Not long after, that right opportunity—working at CSPC—fell into place. But this surrender to God’s timing wasn’t just a one-time decision. It’s something I return to daily, both in my personal life and in my ministry work here at the church. When you’ve got a room full of kindergarteners and first graders (the age groups I lead) on a Sunday morning or Wednesday evening, there’s no controlling everything. But what I’ve seen is that when I let go and trust God with the situation, He brings order out of the chaos in ways I never could have expected. And that creates an environment where kids can begin to learn His truth. So whether it’s dealing with a chaotic group of kids or facing an uncertain future, I’ve learned I’m not in control, and that’s okay. The Lord is, and that brings me peace.

Besides growing in my ability to surrender control, another big way God has shaped me for my current role at CSPC (which I’m only a few months into, by the way!) is by impressing upon me the importance of community in the Christian life. When Sam and I moved to Knoxville with our two young daughters, we didn’t know many people. But God surrounded us with a community that has been such a sweet picture of the gospel. For example, our neighbors—fellow CSPC members Alex and Leanne Widmer—have become like family. They’re a big part of why we ended up at CSPC. We do life together—our daughters are about the same age and play together a lot—so this has given me the chance to see the way they parent and the way we parent. Both are gospel-centered, yet at the same time look different. What a blessing to see God shaping and strengthening us through the community created by our friendship with Alex and Leanne! That sense of belonging is what I strive to create for the children I minister to. Kids, even from a young age, are searching for acceptance and love. Society tells them they have to look or act a certain way to be valued, but church should be a place where they can be their true selves, free from those pressures. Wednesday nights at CSPC, we let them be wild and crazy, but we also teach them about Jesus and what it means to be part of God’s family. When kids see that they’re part of something bigger—a loving, diverse body of believers—they begin to understand what healthy relationships look like. And that’s something they’ll carry with them through elementary school, into middle and high school, and beyond. It’s laying the foundation for a lifelong relationship with God. God has surrounded my family with people who reflect His love and faithfulness, and my hope is that the kids I serve will experience that same blessing. Community is where we see God’s goodness up close. It’s another of His many reminders that we’re never walking this journey alone.”