A Sunday School surprise in small town Manitoba

In 2008, I attended a family wedding in the small town of Altona, Manitoba. While celebrating with loved ones, two unexpected highlights unfolded. First, I was introduced to the delicious tradition of Mennonite Faspa—freshly baked buns, jam, cold cuts, and pickles. Yum! Second, I stumbled upon a pivotal moment in my Sunday School journey.

After the ceremony, curiosity led me to peek into the Sunday School wing of the church where the wedding was held. The space was creatively transformed, resembling a summer camp, with each room designed as a themed activity area. One room was an art studio, fully stocked with paint supplies and smocks, ready for kids to dive into creative projects. Another room was a mini movie theatre, complete with tiny rows of theatre seats facing a large screen. I had never seen a Sunday School space like this before, but I could immediately imagine the kind of engaging learning and play that would take place here. It felt like a miniature version of KidTropolis, right in a church setting. In that moment, I knew I had found a crucial piece of the Sunday School puzzle.

Intrigued, I reached out to the church staff and learned that they were using a resource I hadn’t come across during my search—Rotation Ministry. They pointed me to rotation.org, unlocking an entirely new approach to Sunday School. An approach that happened to connect with most of my checklist!

Just like that, my plan to press the snooze button on my Sunday School dream was derailed. I was catapulted into the next step of my journey, hitting the ground running as I began creating a Rotation Ministry for the church we were attending.

Rotation ministry was foundational for how I began shaping my approach to ministry. I think of these years as my "intensive training experience" as I learned, adapted and began exploring how my visions for children's ministry might take shape. You can read more about it here.