Anna Jo is a high school student, and every month she shows up at Immanuel to lead a room of third graders. She’s a classroom leader with IBCKids, serving in The Summit on Sunday mornings at our Corbin Campus, where kids gather for worship, a game, and teaching before splitting off by grade to dig into that week’s Bible passage.
For Anna Jo, it started with a simple desire to get more involved. But the reason she landed in kids ministry specifically says a lot about how she thinks about serving.
“I knew that kids are sometimes more comfortable talking to someone closer in age to them,” she said, “so that’s why I chose kids ministry.”
What She Actually Does on Sunday Mornings
Anna Jo works mainly with third graders, helping them feel comfortable, learning their names, and teaching them about Jesus. It sounds simple, but she’s clear about what’s underneath it. She wants every kid in her classroom to feel two things: that church can be fun, and that they have someone they trust.
“I wanted to help kids have fun at church while still learning about God,” she said. “I also wanted each kid to know that they had someone they could talk to and trust.”
That combination of warmth and consistency is what makes a classroom leader more than just a supervisor for an hour. The kids in her room aren’t just being watched. They’re being known.
A Room Full of Bold Faith
Ask Anna Jo what makes serving worth it, and she doesn’t point to a single dramatic moment. She points to the small, repeated ones that build over time.
“Some of the moments that mean the most to me are when the kids are happy to see me,” she said. “When they remember my name or get excited to see me, it reminds me that what I’m doing matters.”
But there’s something bigger she’s watching happen in that room too, something that goes beyond a single Sunday.
“Whenever I see them raising their hands during worship or sharing the gospel without any fear or shame, it really encourages me.”
Third graders raising their hands during worship. Kids talking about Jesus without hesitation. Anna Jo isn’t just leading a classroom; she’s watching faith take root in real time, and it’s changing her too.
Growing in Patience and Boldness
Serving hasn’t just shaped the kids in Anna Jo’s classroom. It’s shaped her.
“Serving has definitely helped me become more patient,” she said. “It’s shown me that I can always have patience even when things don’t always go the way I expect.”
She’s also noticed a shift in how open she is about her own faith, something she credits directly to the fact that a room full of kids is always watching.
“It’s encouraged me to be more open about my faith through worship and participation, especially because I know the kids are watching and learning from me.”
That’s a weighty realization for a high schooler to carry, and Anna Jo carries it well. She serves at least once a month, and shows up for kids ministry events whenever she can, treating consistency as its own kind of ministry.
Her Advice to Anyone on the Fence
When it comes to encouraging others to serve, Anna Jo keeps it simple.
“I would say just go for it and give it a try,” she said. “There are so many different places to serve, and if you don’t like one thing, you can always try something else.”
She has a specific word for students her age too, ones who might assume serving is something for adults to do.
“Don’t let your age be an excuse not to serve but see your age as an opportunity to serve instead.”
Anna Jo shows what it looks like when a student takes that seriously. She isn’t waiting until she’s older to make a difference in the church. She’s a classroom leader, a familiar face, a trusted person in a room full of eight and nine year olds who need exactly that. She’s living out what we say at Immanuel: students aren’t just the church of tomorrow. They’re the church of today.