Grandview Children and Family Minister equipped to equip parents for discipleship at Discipleship & NextGen events

Originally from Alvarado, Lindsay Farmer, minister to children & families at First Baptist Church Grandview, and her family moved and began attending the church in 2020. Farmer said she can now see moving to Grandview, “obviously it was a God thing.” 

“He was leading us [here],” said Farmer. “My sons, they weren't in school yet, but they were seeing their friends that they met here at First Baptist Grandview and then playing sports. So it just felt like this is where we were going to start doing life. Then [my sons] ended up coming to school here… Everything just started to transfer.” 

Shortly after placing their membership at FBC Grandview, Farmer and her husband started serving in the children’s ministry by teaching Sunday school. Farmer said when the children’s minister position opened up, she was approached by Lead Pastor Corey Cornutt to be considered.

“I didn't have any formal ministry education, but I grew up in the church and have served really since my youth days in the children's area… So when the position came up at our church, my pastor just approached me about it, and he said, ‘Hey, we think you would be a great candidate. You have education experience [of] working with kids, and we see your heart for service and leadership,’” explained Farmer. 

After “lots of prayer,” Farmer decided to leave education and accepted the Minister to Children & Families position in the summer of 2023.  

Discipleship Certification Program teaches importance of family discipleship

On Farmer’s "first official Sunday on staff” at FBC Grandview, Jennifer Howington, associate director and childhood ministry specialist for Discipleship & NextGen at Texas Baptists, paid her a visit and told her about the Discipleship Certification Program, a certification program that equips both new and experienced leaders with practical ministry skills. The program is designed for ministerial staff and lay leaders in a church’s Preschool/Children’s and Youth Discipleship ministry. 

“I didn't have any kind of ministry background when I accepted this position. I was an [elementary school] teacher… So I was very willing to learn more and to hopefully get some knowledge about the position and have a group of support,” said Farmer. “So it was really a no-brainer for me. I was going to need all the help I could get.”

Farmer said it was valuable to have “a leader like Jennifer to help facilitate” discussions and “guide us through those growing pains” as she and her fellow cohort members were “learning the ins and outs of the job.” She said it was also comforting to be in a cohort with ministers she could “confide in [and know] we're really all in the same boat.” 

Farmer said the Discipleship Certification courses “opened my eyes to… how meaningful this time [the kids’] lives are and how critical our role can be.” 

“It's a short amount of time [and] the importance of what we do [is] not only for the kids, but for their parents, equipping parents [for] the discipleship of their children,” said Farmer.

She said since completing her Discipleship Certification, she has been able to “walk alongside [the kids’] families.”

“Encouraging the parents, that's definitely been weighing heavy on my heart… [because] that's another one of those things you just don't really realize because I grew up in church, so it was always going to be me and my husband bringing our kids to church and teaching them at home. But that's not how it is for everybody,” explained Farmer.  

She said she has a “good group of solid volunteers” who model to families how to disciple their children and support them as they do so.

Farmer said working in children’s ministry is “the most rewarding thing.” She encouraged those considering serving in children’s ministry to “just give it a shot.” 

“The kids are so uplifting,” said Farmer. “They're very willing and loving… [so] just give it a shot. Worst-case scenario, you find out that's not for you, and you move on. Best case scenario, you are incredibly blessed by the work that you get to do.” 

Equipped to facilitate decisions for Christ at Discipleship Collective

During her Discipleship Certification cohort, Farmer learned about Discipleship Collective, a ministry that provides training and resources to Sunday school, small group and other discipleship leaders “to equip [Christ’s] people for works of service” with the goal of unity in his church and maturity in his followers.

“A normal, everyday churchgoer has no idea that that kind of [resource] exists… [so] I was immediately like, ‘I want this for my church, for my people. I want to take them to one,’” said Farmer. 

After finding that traveling to a Discipleship Collective would not fit into everyone’s schedules, she asked Howington, “Would we ever be able to do something near the area, somewhere closer to Grandview?” 

“I emailed [the Discipleship Collective team] and said, ‘Hey, if there's ever an opportunity for one in the Johnson County area, I'd love to attend,’ and they said, ‘We just need a host church.’ So I said, ‘Done.’ That was a no-brainer for me,” explained Farmer. 

Farmer received approval for a Discipleship Collective to be held at FBC Grandview. She said she has “a great support system [at FBC Grandview]” and was “glad for the opportunity to get to have our people here and be trained by somebody other than me or the other staff members.” 

During her Discipleship Collective session, Farmer attended a children’s ministry breakout session led by David Butts, children's minister at First Baptist Church Arlington.

She said she “really loved hearing how [Butts] approaches [discussions with] children who have made decisions for Christ,” including expressing reservations about a child’s sincerity if there is any and encouraging parents to let the kids be heard and talk with the leader facilitating the meeting before they chime in. 

“There were several, very practical things that he shared that were good for me to hear because… [facilitating these meetings] is something that, being new to this position, I did not feel equipped to do,” said Farmer. “Oftentimes, I would call my pastor in to do it… but [the kids may] not be as comfortable with him, but they do have a relationship with me. So now I feel more equipped to have that conversation with them.” 

Farmer encouraged NextGen ministers or volunteers considering Discipleship Certification or Discipleship Collective that “the resources are invaluable… and we need those reminders constantly [in ministry].” 

God is in control 

Farmer said she is grateful for the resources and leadership that Texas Baptists’ Discipleship & NextGen team provides.

“It was so helpful to have [the Discipleship Certification cohort] to get me through that first year of ministry,” said Farmer. “I think [Texas Baptists] has a really great team… They’re very passionate about what they do, and they're very good at what they do, ministering to ministers.” 

Farmer said serving in the children & family minister seat, she has learned “just how in control God is of everything.”  

“Looking back at how everything aligned the way it did to where we got to this [church] at the time [we did]... [I know] I can’t do this on my own,” said Farmer. “It's nice to have a support system, but to know that I can go to God the Father and cast all my burdens on him and he's there for me… I'm grateful that we have such a loving and almighty God that we get to serve.”