A Message from our new Minister for Youth and Families
Hello, my name is Brad Gough, and I have been the Minister for Families at Church of the Redeemer for six years. I have recently taken on a new role - the Minister for Youth and Families. In my prior position, I spent a lot of my time working with kids infant through 8th grade. Tommy Kirk, our Children’s Formation Leader, and I worked together to ensure these kids were building relationships with one another and adults of the church, learning the stories of our faith, and learning what it means to live as a Christian in the world. While these goals will remain the same, we have introduced a new member to our team, Hannah Teetor. Hannah will now serve as the Director of Children’s Formation. With her on board, my main area of direct interaction will shift toward working with Youth, Young Adults, and the parents of Church of the Redeemer.
Our goal as a Family Ministry team will be to make our programs from birth through parenthood cohesive. This cohesion will provide more continuity for the kids of Redeemer as they grow up, while also ensuring a more significant amount of retention throughout our programs. Simply put, we want our 1st through 4th graders who love their formation programs, Club CoR and Children’s Liturgy, to know what it will mean to be in our middle school youth group - BEATs - and look forward to it, as well as to look expectantly toward Youth Group, college, and being a young adult at Church of the Redeemer.
As the head of the Family Ministry Team, I will be able to better support family units. I will lead the Team in innovating new and exciting ways to form the children of Redeemer and to educate their parents. I will continue to provide fun ways for us to gather as a community and build relationships of trust and love. Finally, I will continue to support and encourage parents, kids, youth, and young adults in their Christian formation.
If you are not a teenager or young adult, you may not notice a difference, but I hope that you will keep in mind that I am here to support your needs. Whether you need an ear to listen, a word of encouragement, or some advice on dealing with an issue at home, please know that the Family Ministry team and I are here for you. We have an excellent library of resources for parents and kids, and a wealth of knowledge for how to utilize them. As we transition back into getting together in person, I hope to find time to grab lunch, coffee, or a walk with you. For now, you can call, email, or visit me virtually during my office hours on Thursdays from 4:00 - 5:00 pm. Overall, I hope that the Family Ministry Team can support you in whatever ways you need as you grow through the stages of life and family.
Tags: Family Ministry
