Grace Miller : My Leadership Pathway

My journey towards leadership began when I was young, though I may not have realized it then. I have seen so many great leaders all of my life in my church, friends, and family, but God chose me for ministry more than I chose it. I did not attend school for ministry; it wasn’t even in my plan. After graduating from college, I was struggling to figure out what my next steps were. The more I worked with children serving as an instructor for a therapeutic horse riding camp and serving in the church, the more I felt God pulling me towards ministry. 

Today Grace serves as a Children’s ministry resident at Bethany Christian Church in Washington, Vincennes, & Princeton, Indiana.

With Leadership Pathway’s residency, I am learning, not only how to lead, but how to be a good leader. For me, the hardest part of residency has been communication. Everyone communicates a little differently, so getting used to working with and understanding new people can be a bit difficult at times. I love getting to be in the classroom talking and playing with the kids and watching them grow. I don’t particularly enjoy scheduling; planning ahead and getting people in classrooms can be a challenge! 

At the beginning of the residency, it was important for me to learn all of the processes of children’s ministry. I needed to figure out how to schedule, how to set up lessons, and how to make social media posts. Now I find connecting with people to be my focus. 

In the next year, I hope to improve my leadership skills by working as part of a team. Sometimes it can be easy to try to get everything done on your own, but I need to remember that I am surrounded by people who can and want to help.

I would advise anyone considering going into ministry to talk to people who are already in it doing it. Ask questions. Shadow someone whose position interests you. Find ways to serve in and outside of the church to connect with people and do what you feel called to do. While connecting with people is great, connecting with God is even better! Pray consistently, asking God for guidance and answers as you start on your new journey.

I’m Grace Miller, and this is my leadership pathway.