TEDxSEIA Recap: When Creativity & Community Connect

Last spring, leaders from the Children, Youth, and Family Network (CYFN) gathered for a retreat and began brainstorming ways to connect leaders and volunteers from across the Southeastern Iowa Synod. The goal was to build relationships, spark creativity, and learn from one another’s ministry experiences, but the Network knew they had to address a few challenges as they planned: People are less willing than they once were to travel long distances for gatherings, and increasingly complex congregational and family schedules make finding a time that would work for everyone difficult.

A new idea emerged: a hybrid event. Instead of asking everyone to travel to one central location, participants would gather at multiple sites across the synod and connect by Zoom. Each location would host a local group to foster local connections with colleagues and neighbors; each location would also host a speaker who would share an 18-minute talk about an aspect of their ministry they found compelling, surprising, or challenging. The hope was that participants could connect locally while also hearing passionate leaders share about their ministry from across the synod.

Pr. Dan Kuckuck

So TEDxSEIA was born! On a mild Sunday afternoon in January, TEDxSEIA convened in Clive, Cedar Rapids, and Anamosa. Participants heard about creative partnerships for Vacation Bible School, meaningful ways to involve young people in the worshiping life of congregations, building community-focused Wednesday evening ministries, and supporting the faith formation of the adults who walk alongside children and youth.

TEDxSEIA Presenters

More than the presentations, however, the gathering created space for connection. Children, youth, and family ministers—many of whom serve in part-time or second-call roles—were able to share stories, challenges, and hopes. One participant reflected, “I think this worked really well. It was an amazing opportunity to connect with other CYF staff or volunteers in the area.” Another shared, “I am definitely hoping to involve our kids more in worship services! I also got some good ideas for a joint VBS—we have done one the past couple of years, but feel like it hasn’t gone the best.”

There is hunger for connection, collaboration, and fresh imagination in ministry with children, youth, and families. TEDxSEIA was an experiment that revealed what is possible and reminded leaders across the synod that they are not alone, but walking together as we share our passion for caring and nurturing families of faith.

If you’d like to connect with the Children, Youth, and Family Network, send an email to cyf@seiasynod.org.

If you’d like to watch a video recording of the TEDxSEIA event, click here!