Introducing WPC’s New Director of Children & Family Ministries (DCFM)

We are thrilled to introduce you to Marin Miller, our new Director of Children & Family Ministries (DCFM)! We have found a stellar candidate for this part-time position. Her resume, interviews, references, and sample videos have been confirmation for us that God provided just the right person “for such a time as this”!


Here are her own words of introduction from her cover letter:


“What a wonderful ministry you all have going at Westwood Presbyterian Church, and now I hear there is an opening in the Children & Family Ministries department. I am pleased and eager to introduce myself: Marin Miller, incoming first-year MDiv student at Claremont School of Theology and formerly the Director of Children and Youth at St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church in Rolling Hills Estates, CA where I served from 2017-2022. My husband and I moved away during the pandemic, pregnant with our first (and only) child, seeking a bubble of doting grandmothers in Nashville, TN. Now, we are moving back to L.A. as I begin graduate school, my husband continues his film career, and our daughter races towards 4!“ 


It is a providential blessing that Claremont School of Theology recently moved to its new location at Westwood United Methodist Church down the street on Wilshire Blvd., and that Marin has chosen to pursue her three-year Masters of Divinity degree there. Because Marin and her family are in the midst of moving back to the L.A. area, we are holding her start-date lightly, and will keep you posted. A huge thanks to Brooke Larson for holding down the fort as our Interim DCFM and chair of our Children & Family Ministries Committee!


We look forward to welcoming Marin Miller, Tyler Evans, and daughter Tegan Miller-Evans to our WPC family. On behalf of our search committee – Peter Helm, Dale Larson, and Callie Kramer - thank you all for your prayers!

Children & Family Ministries

At WPC we strive to create a welcoming and nurturing environment for preschool and elementary aged kids by focusing on three priorities:


Safety

All staff and volunteers who work with children go through thorough background checks and maintain policies designed to keep kids safe. We value body autonomy and believe that teaching about consent at a developmentally appropriate level is an important part of keeping kids safe.


Inclusion 

WPC is an open and affirming congregation that welcomes the full participation of LGBTQ+ families in all areas of ministry. We teach that God unconditionally loves all people, and that we should seek to show that same love to our neighbors.


Compassion

Jesus teaches us to care for ‘the least of these.” We strive to pass on this value to our kids through lessons that model the intrinsic value of all humans and hands-on opportunities to help others.

Sunday School

Sunday School is offered for elementary age children (K-5) during the worship service. We don't just listen to a Bible story: we experience it through science, art, music, and imagination. We currently utilize the Shine curriculum, which you can learn about here. Kids are welcome to sit with their parents in the sanctuary at the beginning of the service - they are dismissed to Sunday School following the children’s message.


CHILDCARE

Childcare is available for infants through four-year-olds each Sunday morning. Our experienced childcare providers create a space for our youngest kids that is safe, welcoming, and enriching for them.

Music

Seasonal Selections:

During Advent, Lent, and other special seasons, our children’s choir leads in worship through music. Rehearsals typically take place following worship on Sundays. We also put on two musicals each year!


Summer Musical:

We kick off the summer with a musical production that is fresh and upbeat.

In 2024 we will be performing “Acorns to Oaks,” a musical based on the parable of the sower – and there are roles for both older and younger kids. 


Christmas Pageant: 

Each December our kids tell the story of Jesus’ birth through story and song. The selection for 2023, A Gift Fit for a King, was written by 3 of our WPC kids!

meet our interim director of children & family ministries

Welcome to Brooke Larson as our Interim Director of Children and Family Ministries. A dedicated member who has served as Elder for the Children & Family Ministries Committee, and member of the Preschool Committee, Nominating and Student Ministries Committee, and Choir. Brooke brings a wealth of work experience developing training programs and curriculum for the World Bank, Laval and McGill Universities, as well as teaching children in Tanzania.  She is first and foremost a mom who encourages messy art, wild theatre, music, and kitchen dance parties with her children at home over baked goods.  

Family Events

CFM holds events for the whole family throughout the year, from small family mixers where you can connect with new friends in a more intimate setting, to big parties like our annual Easter Egg hunt or Trunk or Treat, where all ages can enjoy food, games, and fun activities! Check out our Events page to see what’s coming up, or sign up for our CFM newsletter for the latest on what’s happening for families with young kids.


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