Kids are amazing!  Kids are wonder-full!  Just ask Janet about North Kids! One of her greatest joys in teaching Godly play, a Montessori method of teaching Christian Education and spiritual formation. She studied with Sonya Stewart and Jerome Berryman who co-authored the book, “Children and Worship,” that started a movement of teaching children about God’s mysterious presence through sacred stories, parables, and the sacraments. Janet’s helped churches establish Godly play classrooms and train teachers in various states and is helping North church to make this transition in our elementary grades.

Janet comes to North as an ordained pastor in the Church of God, headquartered in nearby Anderson, Indiana. Together she and her husband, Chuck, have pastored churches in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. Most recently she served for ten years at East Side Church of God in Anderson as Pastor of Discipleship and Missions. At the present time her husband, Charles, serves as an interim senior pastor in Shorewood, Illinois.  

In her growing up years the church was an important part of her life. Janet’s grateful for her Christian heritage, for specific people and events that helped form her spiritually. She’s experienced first hand the powerful influence of Godly people and the positive impact of the church in her life. She values the ways she was spiritually formed by events and opportunities to serve, too. These are all important aspects of children’s ministries!  

Janet graduated from Ferrum College, a Methodist college, and Anderson University, a Church of God institution.  She received her Master’s degree from Western Theological Seminary (Reformed Church of North America). She is certified spiritual director, completing the program offered by the Sisters of St. Benedict at the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception in Beech Grove. You can tell she values diversity and ecumenism!  

Janet and Charles love just being with their children – Judson, who lives in Nevada, and Jarrett, Becca and Isabelle who live about a mile away! Janet enjoys researching her family’s history in colonial Virginia.  Just ask her about the landing of her family on the shores of Jamestown in 1624!