When a child is baptized, parents make a big promise to teach their child about God. In the busyness of family life, it can be challenging to fulfill this commitment. Milestone Ministry at Gloria Dei is aimed at supporting families in integrating faith practices and conversations into their daily lives.
Using milestones in a child’s life as opportunities for families to engage in faith discussions and incorporate faith practices at home, Milestone Ministry helps to bridge the gap between church and home. In conversations with three Gloria Dei members, Christie Pekoske, Bobbi Thury, and Christa Coughlin, the profound impact of milestones on their families’ faith journeys becomes evident.
Bobbi Thury, a mother of four, shared her experience with Milestones at Gloria Dei, stating, “For us, it was a chance to break out of that busy life… pause and reflect on where we’re at and celebrate with a child… and also have that learning moment.” These Milestone events provided a space for their family to take a step back from the hectic pace of life and intentionally focus on their child’s faith journey.
Christa Coughlin emphasized how milestones facilitated faith conversations within her family. She expressed gratitude for Milestone Ministry’s initiation and guidance, stating, “Just by the initiation, we’re able to go home and have all the resources that we need to have those conversations.” Milestone Ministry equips their family with the tools and resources necessary to engage in meaningful discussions about faith.
The impact of milestones extends beyond individual events and permeates various aspects of family life. Christie Pekoske shared “It’s been really fun for us to be able to have someone help us with all of our big transitions… to sit down with [our children] and do some activities and pray and just be together the three of us at that time.” Not to mention the lasting memory created when her family made clay worry stones at a Milestone event. She explained, “We all still have our stones… It’s so memorable.” These tangible symbols serve as reminders of the milestone and continue to spark conversations about faith within the family.
Fostering a faith in Christ that continues to bubble up in conversation and be a natural part of family life is what Milestone Ministry is all about. With the hope that families find support and guidance in fulfilling their promise to teach their children about God, the ministry ensures that faith practices and conversations are woven into the fabric of everyday life. It provides families with a framework for integrating faith into important milestones, such as starting kindergarten, beginning church school, or entering confirmation, and empowers them to nurture their child’s faith journey and the many milestones to come.
