Kim Burnett is the Director of Christian Education at Calvary United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kansas. She has served the past 16 years as a certified Christian Educator equipping, encouraging and supporting leaders in children and adult ministries. Other joys in Kim’s world include grandparenting, cooking and traveling with her husband.
Tanya Campen is an ordained deacon and currently serves as the Director of Intergenerational Discipleship for the Rio Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. Tanya holds a doctorate of philosophy in Christian education and congregational studies from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. Her research focus is children’s spirituality. Tanya writes, teaches, and consults, regularly on issues concerning children, families, and intergenerational ministry. Grounded in United Methodist theology, Tanya’s ministry seeks to help all persons discover and live in response to God’s grace and love. Tanya lives in San Antonio with her husband, son, and portuguese water dog, Bela Esperanca.
Elizabeth Christie is a consultant in children and family ministries, with a passion for finding ways to make certain that those with special needs are fully included in the life of the church. She especially enjoys helping congregations grow strong cores of faith, connecting everyday rhythms with liturgy, making worship a priority for all ages, and developing lifelong faith formation plans for all. Elizabeth lives in Allentown, Pennsylvania with her husband and posse of blonde tornadoes (a.k.a. their 7 children)
Debby Fox is a consultant for the Center for Clergy Excellence of the North Georgia Conference in the United Methodist Church. Her emphasis is on Christian Education, Children's Ministry, leadership development, and Safe Sanctuaries. An ordained deacon certified in Christian Education, Debby has served in three annual conferences (North Georgia, Kentucky and West Ohio). She has created the Children’s Ministry Institute (a five-month training initiative for those working in children’s ministry) and has developed the NGUMC conference-wide Children's Retreats. Debby is passionate about connecting everyday life with the life of faith, offering support and nurture to those engaged in ministry with children and helping congregations create safe, loving and sacred spaces for people to grow as disciples. Debby is the mother of four and grandmother of seven. She and her husband Jeff live in Dahlonega, Georgia where they enjoy the mountains and a little golf.
Christine V. Hides is the Director of Christian Education at Kenilworth Union Church, parent of teenagers, and author of the website Bless Each One. As a commissioned deacon in the United Methodist Church, she is called to develop faith formation resources that nurture imagination and participation in God’s vision of peace and justice. She lives in the northern suburbs of Chicago.
Kathy Pittenger is the Children’s Initiatives Coordinator for the Michigan Conference of The United Methodist Church and is an ordained Deacon in the UMC. She is responsible for building community among children’s ministry leaders and curating and creating resources for ministry leaders, children and families. She is passionate about kids min, building systems for thriving ministry, and playlists. Kathy and her husband have two boys and two cats and live in the greater Lansing area in Michigan.
Emma Williams is the Faith Formation director for the North Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church and an ordained Deacon. Her conference work includes coordinating children’s and youth conference events, training age-level ministry professionals, and supporting work for racial and gender representation and equity in the local church and conference-wide. She is also the Children’s Pastor at Grace Chapel UMC, where her husband serves as co-pastor. They live in the Dallas area, and have a three year old son, an eight month old son, and gigantic black goldendoodle.
Melinda Shunk is currently the Arkansas Methodist Conference Children's Coordinator. It brings her joy to work with so many talented Children's Ministers across her state as she serves, connects, and equips churches in all things dealing with faith formation. Before her Conference Coordinator position, she worked for nine years in public education and 12 as a full-time Children's Minister at Faith Lutheran Church in Iowa. She is cherishing every minute raising four teenagers with her amazing husband in Hot Springs, AR
