"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God's service…" 1 Corinthians 3:6-9a

United Methodist Churches across the Dakotas are taking this verse to heart by ministering to and with children in their communities through after-school programs. Lake Preston UCC/UMC and Hettinger United Methodist Church are two of those churches.

Darlene DeKnikker serves snacks at the Kids for Christ after-school program at Lake Preston UCC/UMC.

Lake Preston UCC/UMC

Spurred on by the influence and impact of her church experiences as a child, Darlene DeKnikker started the Kids for Christ ministry in 2009 when her children were young. Now, her grandchildren are enjoying the blessing of this ecumenical ministry.

"We started out with 8, and then it was 10, and then through the years, it just kept getting bigger," recalled Darlene. "Then that church closed down, and we moved over here, and we started getting a lot of other kids, yeah, from all denominations."

As you enter the church basement on a Wednesday afternoon, it feels like coming into someone's home. Kids drop their jackets, boots, and backpacks by the front door and are welcomed by Darlene and other team members, Mona Gunderson and Pastor Kris Larson.

"Our main focus is always a Bible-based story—you're going to get something out of it—and then a craft and a snack," explained Darlene.

The KFC kids in Lake Preston delivered Valentine goodie bags to elderly community members.

The group's activities occasionally include an outing to the bowling alley, pizza party, or end-of-year trivia competition. The week of Valentine's Day, a portion of the group delivered goody bags to elderly members of the community.

"We like to go out to show them service, to be respectful and polite," said Darlene. "We want to keep practicing those old traditions like going to the less fortunate."

The program, which includes pre-K through 6th graders, has grown to upwards of 30 kids on some weeks. Volunteers have rotated through the team over the years, even including confirmation youth who have wanted to help. They are also supported by other churches, including the Lutheran parish, which donates supplies to support this community ministry.

The energy in the room is delightfully chaotic as kids share what they like about the program and how they ended up at KFC. "I like the projects," shared one 5th grade boy. His friend added, "I like how we can get together and learn Bible verses."

The leaders of this ministry trust that it is making an impact far beyond what they might ever see.

Darlene recalled a story one of the team members shared. "They were in the library one day, and one of the boys made a comment about God and creation and this and that, and she asked him, 'Where did you hear that?' and he said, 'At KFC!'"

"God's words did not fall on deaf ears," Darlene shared enthusiastically. "They were ingrained and planted, and that makes me just say, 'Thank you, God!'"

Kids in grades 1st-6th gather for KWOW at Hettinger UMC. (Photo from Laurie Kidd)

Hettinger

In the opposite corner of the Conference, Hettinger United Methodist Church is sharing the love of Jesus with kids in their community through its Wednesday after-school ministry, KWOW: Kids Worship on Wednesday.

"A woman in our church started the ministry a few years before I arrived here in 2022," shared Pastor Laurie Kidd, pastor of Hettinger UMC. "We don't have a lot of kids in our church because it's a smaller and older church. So we're planting a seed, and that's what's exciting."

The ecumenical ministry has grown to average 24 kids each week from first through sixth grade as kids have invited their friends.

"They love hearing the Bible story, so we kind of dumped the curriculum we were doing and have been going online to Sermons4Kids.com and a couple of other children's Bible stories websites that give you activities, games, crafts, and songs," said Pastor Laurie. The one-hour time frame also includes a snack, which members of the church sign up to provide.

The ministry is led by a team of volunteers—women and men who love children and the church, some with experience in teaching, and some with grandkids or great-grandkids in the program.

Hands-on and visual elements have helped kids encounter the Bible stories in new ways. One activity involved building a 9-foot-tall Goliath to give the kids a better understanding of what David was facing. The lesson made an impact.

Kids stare in awe at a 9-foot-tall Goliath during KWOW at Hettinger UMC. (Photo: Laurie Kidd)

"The next day, one of the volunteers, who was still teaching at the school, came back and said, 'These kids are talking about David and Goliath at school,'" shared Pastor Laurie. "The teachers were coming up to her and saying, 'What are you doing with those kids that they're so engaged in this story?'"

What they are doing is providing a place for kids to learn about a God who loves them and a church that does too—something they are reminded of at the end of every Wednesday gathering with their "KWOW Cheer"—a message that some are hearing for the first time.

"A couple of years ago, when I first started, this brother and sister came in," recalled Laurie. "He walks in the door, and he comes up to me with the brightest smile and says, 'I've never been in a church before,' and I'm like, 'Well, I'm glad you're here."

She continued, "Then we did our Christmas program, and we were delegating who would do what, and I said you're going to be Joseph. He said, 'Who's Joseph?'"

"You don't realize that some of these kids don't know all these basic things, and so afterward, when he found out who Joseph was, he was so psyched about what he got to do," said Pastor Laurie.

Pastor Laurie has seen the impact of this ministry not just on the kids who attend but on the people who serve and make it possible.

"I've seen changes not just in the kids but in the workers," shared Laurie, a testament to the importance of answering God's call to love our neighbor and plant seeds of faith that will bear fruit beyond what we might ever see. It's why, she explains, we can never make the excuse that 'we've served our time' and neglect the ministries God calls us to.

"I tell people, I tell boards, I tell churches – we are disciples from the they we're born to the day we die," said Pastor Laurie.