TreeHouse Kids had a wonderful conclusion to our 2025–2026 Wednesday Night LifeGroup season on May 13th. We welcomed 44 children for an evening filled with dance parties, celebration, and special Bible recognition with Pastor Brad as we celebrated the spiritual growth and Scripture milestones of many of our children throughout the year. We also honored our six graduating fifth graders as they prepare to transition into student ministry this summer.

We are thankful for the volunteers, families, and church staff who helped make this year so meaningful for our children. As we partner with student ministry, we are planning several fun transition events for our graduating fifth graders this summer, with more details to be shared soon.  Wednesday Night LifeGroup will begin again after Labor Day on Wednesday, September 2nd, and we are already looking forward to another exciting year together.

On Sunday mornings, I continued to meet with middle school students for a brief Bible study and discussion group. It’s been fun to see how students think through all the ways the Ten Commandments interact with their daily lives. We’ve covered one of the “Ten Words” each week, so while it’s not the same students every week, any given middle schooler should know about five of them really well by the end of this, ha! 

The high school students were able to have their final Spring session back in the Mill! Despite the displacements and the need to be flexible, attendance in the student ministry has remained about twice as high as on the same dates last year. We’ve been diving (pun intended) into the story of Jonah and learning all sorts of fascinating ways God’s character is painted in this strange upside-down book. 

Timberlake hosted the Brookville Baccalaureate again this year. It was a meaningful service for the families and a good representation of our church’s care for our community. Pastor Jesse gave a brief message to the students about considering God in all the important decisions ahead of them.  

Throughout May, I was happy to attend several schools’ year-end plays and concerts as well as several graduations and grad parties. I am proud of all our students representing Jesus at nearly every school in our area. Join me in praying over them as our seniors move on to the next season of life. 

Jon Shepherd - Director of Student Ministries

Over the past several months, we have watched more of our young adults begin stepping into areas of service throughout the church and within the community. Increasingly, our group has grown into a culture of serving one another with genuine joy and intentionality. Young adults have begun helping with ministries like the Fillin’ Station, are soon helping with chair setup, and are taking initiative to care for both new and existing members of the group in practical ways.

One of the most encouraging parts of this growth has been watching them serve each other so naturally. People are reaching out to new young adults during the week, inviting them into conversations and gatherings and helping make sure no one feels overlooked or alone. That’s one thing that has always been a part of our culture: the desire within the group for everyone to feel welcomed, loved and included in what God is doing.

One young adult recently shared how deeply meaningful it was to help serve food and pray for people at the Fillin’ Station. What may have seemed like a simple act of service became something profoundly personal as he experienced the joy of encouraging and ministering to others firsthand.

It has been such a blessing to watch the group increasingly reflect the servant-hearted love of Jesus. Thank you all for your prayers!