“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it,” Proverbs 22:6, KJV.
This passage of Scripture highlights the importance of investing in children’s ministries and fostering faith from a young age. Local ministry leaders have noticed how Taylor students have been living out this calling in Grant County’s churches.
Zach Germann, a sophomore accounting major, serves at Pierce Church’s youth ministry program every Sunday during service. Interested in getting more involved in the church, he spoke with the director of Pierce’s children’s program a few weeks into his freshman year.
Germann worked primarily with second and third graders during his freshman year. However, he transitioned into discipling the middle school group at the beginning of the 2026-27 academic year.
“I worked at a summer camp over the summer, and while I was at the camp I got the email about the middle school youth group,” Germann said. “I knew it was an opportunity from God because it was the exact age of the kids I was working with at the camp.”
Germann has witnessed growth within the children he disciples, even in his limited time at Pierce Church. As a result of the ministry, he has seen how second and third graders grow to genuinely enjoy church and the word of God.
German has seen immense spiritual impact, is seen in his ministry with the middle schoolers.
“It’s been cool to see them think deeper and ask questions when they are prompted,” Germann said. “It gives them a chance to think and go deeper into these questions than they ever have.”
Germann is not the only Taylor student to see growth in the children’s ministry he is involved with. Cooper Hudak, a sophomore youth ministry major, also loves the impact these discipleship opportunities have on young adults, he said.
Hudak volunteers in the kids’ ministry at Destiny Christian International in Muncie. A standout moment in Hudak’s time with the children was at the Reverb Conference the church held in Illinois in the winter of 2025.
“I was able to see one of the kids finally dedicate his life to Christ,” Hudak said. “It was cool that, even with no adult leaders anywhere around, both younger and older kids started laying hands and praying over him. I think that was a really big testament to the way they’re growing in their faith.”
Not only has Hudak seen the youth affected through the Destiny children’s program, but he has also seen change and growth within himself.
As a youth ministry major, Hudak is constantly challenging himself to become a better servant leader, and he is grateful to have the opportunity to develop leadership skills through the program, he said.
“I’ve realized that being able to sacrifice my time to minister to those kids has really helped me see what it truly means to be a servant leader,” he said. “I think it deeply reflected the ministry that Jesus did.”
Church leaders have noticed the hard work Taylor students put into discipling younger children. Katelyn Rodman, the Basics coordinator at Upland Community Church, is among these leaders.
Basics is a weekly Bible club affiliated with UCC and teaches the basics of the Christian faith to children in the community. It runs smoothly thanks to the time sacrifices of Taylor students, Rodman said.
“It would be so easy to just stay on campus and to focus on yourself,” she said. “I think serving outside Taylor broadens the students’ horizons and helps them realize that not everybody is 20 years old.”
Volunteering in programs such as Basics prepares students to serve in churches, which she hopes they will be doing for many years after college.
Students impact youth even after they leave Taylor, Shannon Dewar, the Basics Jr. program director, said.
“Students commit to the kids and care about them even after they graduate,” Dewar said. “I even had one leader come back for our end of the year celebration after she had gone off to grad school. That kind of relationship is gonna change a kid’s life.”
Despite the enormous positive impact students have made on local youth ministries, there is still a need for more volunteers to disciple children.
Taylor students can meet this need. They should ask youth leaders at the churches they attend how they can serve, Hudak said.
“It’s much needed because a lot of the youth nowadays are very disconnected from the church — even those who are already within the church,” Hudak said. “Youth ministry is something that just needs to be continually poured into.”
