Update: Ministry to Children and Families

Dear Church, 

I’m excited to announce that Mike Schumann, our church planting resident, is transitioning into a full-time staff role as Director of Ministry to Children and Families!

Mike joined our staff as the planting resident in January, which is a part-time role that serves as a kind of utility provision. One of our biggest needs entering this year has been to restart our serve rotations and ministry to children on Sundays, and Mike has been leading this. Things are slowly getting back to normal, and we’re grateful for the administrative energy he’s been pouring in behind the scenes. We’d like to harness that energy, and Mike’s wisdom and skill, for the next year as we spring out of the pandemic and dig in to be rooted. 

What does this mean for church planting?

As Mike steps into this full-time role, he will continue simultaneously as a planting resident. He and his wife, Amelia, are still working to build a larger church planting team and they intend to launch sooner than later — we’ve just extended that runway!

Our aim in planting churches considers several pieces, including the formation of a new leadership team, the strategic locations throughout the metro, and the needs of Cities Church proper. I love that church planting draws on an agricultural metaphor — it’s farming, church, and farming takes time! 

As Mike steps closer into the leader planter role, his gifts will be a great blessing to our church in the area of children and families. Having led this ministry at Redeemer Church, and having volunteered at Cities Church in years past, not to mention his experience teaching at the high school level, Mike will bring some much-needed zest to this discipleship effort. 

You’ll continue to see Mike and his family on Sundays, and the next time you do, take a second and thank them for sticking with us a year longer. We’re grateful!

With joy, 

Pastor Jonathan