Christ the King Church - Family Engagement
Christ the King
4000 Ave Maria Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Background
Christ the King parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan has some unique ministries to engage families and equip and form children. Christ the King is a personal parish of the Diocese of Lansing. As a personal parish, it does not have a territory like most parishes. Instead it is officially called to minister to Catholics who are seeking a deeper presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Their liturgies and overall ministry are oriented to encourage growth in the Holy Spirit and the charismatic gifts that He wishes to provide.
Strategy
Family Engagement
Among the many ministries at Christ the King, the parish has several unique ways to engage families. Some of these events were developed by Caroline Gambale-Dirkes, a pioneer of multi-generational ministry through 2Tim4 Ministries, which she co-founded with her husband Dan. Caroline engages audiences of all ages through their family friendly Fire It Up Parish Missions, life in the spirit seminars, retreats, youth events and praise and worship. The “secret sauce” of her work is her method for reaching families where they are by engaging them with games and activities, prepare them for an authentic encounter with Christ, and then creating an environment where that encounter can happen.
Caroline coordinates the Upper Room events at Christ the King. Upper Room occurs on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month. Each evening begins with Mass, followed by dinner and fellowship and then concludes with charismatic praise and worship. Upper Room, working under Adult Discipleship, also offers special events and a variety of resources to help people grow in the power of the Holy Spirit.
When Caroline accepted the job to coordinate Upper Room in 2018, she and the Upper Room Advisory Council discerned that God was calling them to share this experience in a new way – with the whole family. When they re-launched Upper Room in January 2019 with an emphasis that people of all ages were welcomed, attendance numbers tripled and Upper Room began consistently reaching between 150-200 people per night.
With the influx of so many young families, Caroline, her team and many others began to pray, fast and ask God what he wanted to do next. Through prayer and discernment, Caroline felt called to develop an Upper Room Series for Kids. Taking place right before Upper Room, The Upper Room Kid’s Series equips and sends forth children ages 6-11 to advance the Kingdom of God. Each session incorporates worship, multimedia, fun activities, presentations, and time to practice what they are learning. Afterward, the children join everyone else in the Upper Room for praise and worship and the whole family is welcomed, appreciated and invited to experience the Holy Spirit together.
Each session of The Upper Room Kids Series has a unique theme to help children dive more deeply into a life in the Spirit while engaging them in fun and exciting ways. The topics include:
- Royal Identity - This session sets the foundation for the rest of the series and teaches the children that they are deeply loved by the Father, that they have been given an inheritance, and what it really means to be a daughter and son of God.
- Hearing God - This is a fun, interactive, and powerful session that helps children to recognize God’s voice. It also teaches their parents the different ways God speaks to us, helps them identify how God speaks to their child, and shows them how to encourage listening to the Lord in their home.
- Hearing and Speaking God's Heart -This session helps children connect with the love of the Father and hear what He has to say to them for others through His loving heart. Parents see prophetic words in action, gain insight on how to encourage their children to listen to the Lord, and learn ways to share His wisdom in their home.
- Healing the Sick - Children are taught that even though they may be little, they have a big Holy Spirit that lives in them and that God wants to use them to do miraculous things, including healing the sick. Children receive an opportunity to pray with one another for healing and with all of the other participants at Upper Room.
Through this Kids Series, children are positioned to encounter God's manifest presence and experience the Father’s love for them through worship, healing, prophetic art, prayer, and prophecy. As a result, Christ the King is seeing fruit in the lives of the children attending the Kids Series: joyful adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, greater surrender to Him, and a deeper desire to know the Lord through His Word.
In addition to the Upper Room Kids series, Christ the King also offers fun, community-building events such as the Praise ‘n Play Festival and Family Fitbits. The Praise n Play Festival is a summer event, which includes free hot dogs, several bounce houses, carnival games, face painting, snow cones, praise and worship and then a movie night outside under the stars. Events like the Praise ‘n Play festival have helped Christ the King reach many people who don’t attend Upper Room and engage them in a fun and relational activity while also giving them a little taste of the beautiful praise and worship found at Upper Room. Family Fitbits is a once a month event where topics relevant to parents are discussed right after mass. Childcare is available at the same time.
Results
Through this Kids Series, children are positioned to encounter God's manifest presence and experience the Father’s love for them through worship, healing, prophetic art, prayer, and prophecy. As a result, Christ the King is seeing fruit in the lives of the children attending the Kids Series: joyful adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, greater surrender to Him, and a deeper desire to know the Lord through His Word.
