Wednesdays with Women in Kidmin

Wednesdays with Women in Kidmin is about bringing together some of the leading 

women in children's ministry to share their knowledge and passion. 

For us to gather and learn from each other...to sharpen each other.

As iron sharpens iron,

so a friend sharpens a friend.

Proverbs 27:17

Being Single in Ministry
- Andrea Kier

What an honor to be able to share some thoughts on being single in ministry!

I have to be honest and admit that the very same week Wendy asked me to consider writing about some of the struggles of being a single woman in ministry, my mom convinced me to join a Christian dating website! Ha! So, yes, there are days (many of them) when I wish God would send me a God-fearing, loving husband. However, God has chosen for now not to provide me with a husband.

He has chosen to give me the privilege of telling kids and their families about the greatest news in the world! That Jesus Christ loves them and died on a cross to make a way for them to be with their Creator in heaven! I also have the privilege of helping kids and their families grow in Christ-likeness. I absolutely love doing what I do!

I have come to understand that I do not have to have a family of my own to minister to families. This was one of the greatest concerns for me when first starting in Children’s Ministry. I know that in order to truly have an influence on a child’s life, you have to minister to the entire family.

I often hear from certain people, “How can you minister to parents when you yourself are not one?” Or, “What do you know about kids? You don’t have any of your own.” These questions used to haunt me as a single person in ministry. I would find myself questioning why I was in the position I was in. I started to believe that I couldn’t minister to kids or families without having a family of my own. And let me just clarify right here, that this is the farthest thing from truth!

I have come to realize that my calling from the One who created me is to minister to kids and families in a way that they cannot. I have been called to love them, encourage them, equip and empower them. I can’t say that I, in and of myself, have anything special on the table to offer. But God has given me unique talents and gifts coupled with a lively passion for seeing kids and families reach their full potential in Christ. I know beyond a doubt that I was created to minister to kids and families alike, whether or not I have a family of my own!

I do not find my identity in whether or not I have a husband or kids. I do not find my identity in what I do. I find my identity in the One who has created, restored and redeemed me. I have come to understand my position as my calling, not merely just a position to be filled or mundane job. I have been called by my Creator to speak truth into the lives of kids and families. So those questions no longer haunt me, but instead provide an opportunity to share about how God has created me and has called me to do what I do! It has fostered conversations about a vision of  families discipling their children and leaving a legacy of faith for future generations! These questions have instilled in me more confidence of who I am in Christ. I am no longer discouraged when I am asked these questions, but rather encouraged because it is evident that God is the One at work in the ministry when kids and families come to know Christ, and are growing in Him!

Another dimension of being single in ministry is not having that built-in “person in your corner” there to support you and partner with you in ministry both through the good times and the rough times of ministry. One of the best things I’ve done in the past few years in ministry is seeking out mentors. Finding those mentors, that have already walked the road ahead of me by a few years, and make me long to love Jesus more, have been crucial for me in my walk with the Lord as well as in my ministry role. They have become my support system and words of wisdom. I regularly connect with mentors on FaceTime, through social media, as well as in person. These people are the ones that I can rejoice with when ministry is going strong and I’m seeing the fruit of my labor. They are also the ones I go to when ministry is just plain rough, and it feels like all I am doing is in vain (let’s face it, we all have those times!) God has blessed me with a network that reaches across the nation - and at times even internationally - to support me and sustain me in ministry and life! Being single in ministry can be very isolating, but taking the initiative to ask people to be a mentor, and surrounding myself with people I can glean from has been the most beneficial thing in my ministry life.

Overall, I am so blessed to be able to do what I am so very passionate about for a living! I get to influence people’s lives for the Kingdom of God! I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life! Yes, there are some struggles with being single and in ministry. However, there are also struggles with marriage, and balancing family and ministry. God has called me to minister to kids and families, and I am beyond humbled that God would use me to be an instrument in transforming lives for Him!

Andrea Kier is currently the Pastor of Children's Ministries at Manor Church in Lancaster, PA. She attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago IL, majoring in Bible and Evangelism & Discipleship. She worked on Staff at New Community Church in Chicago for 3 years as well as interned for 2 years prior. Andrea is passionate about reaching the next generations for Christ by partnering with families to lay the spiritual foundation for their kids.