Called to Cherish All Children

We are your Cherish All Children Ministry Team – Mike, Joy, and Tricia, along with National Director, Amy Hartman. Please allow us to introduce ourselves, and tell of our mission as one of the Committees on Public Witness in the Saint Paul Area Synod.

Cherish All Children Ministry Team works to educate and engage congregations in action to prevent child sexual exploitation. While we all see occasional reports on the news and our hearts are moved and troubled, this issue is too often hidden from our everyday lives. We want to believe this happens “somewhere else, not in my community.” But in fact, child sexual exploitation happens in cities, suburbs, out-state, and with children from all ethnicities and economic backgrounds. We feel called to advocate for all God’s children through prayer, education, and increased involvement in solutions.

As a team, we plan to connect with each Saint Paul Area Synod congregation in 2017 to provide information about the issue of child sexual exploitation and how your congregation may get involved. This can take many forms. We can provide an adult forum, internet safety presentation, host a documentary viewing with discussion time, or work with your congregation in a way that best fits your needs.

Cherish All Children has a 4-part prevention model: Pray, Educate, Connect, and Act. For more information, go to www.cherishallchildren.org, or contact any of us on this ministry team:

Mike Banks               dad5519@gmail.com  651.644.5974

Joy McElroy              joymcelroy22@gmail.com 651.207.3357

Tricia Niesche          tricia.niesche@gmail.com  612.281.7497