We’re excited to introduce Addison Dills, Mari Pickard-Carlisle, and Stacy Winter, the newest members of our Family Ministry team. Alongside Talitha Huber, Family Ministry Instructional Coordinator, they’re creating a welcoming space where children can grow in faith and community. Each brings unique experiences and passion for working with children, and we’re grateful for the gifts they bring to First Church. Read on to learn more about their backgrounds and what inspires them in their ministry.
Addison Dills
I grew up in Kendallville, Indiana, where my family attended a local Lutheran church regularly with my parents and two older brothers. I participated in all sorts of things during school, such as dance, the science club, student council, etc. I’m currently living in West Lafayette while attending Purdue to obtain my undergrad in biomedical health science. After my undergrad, I plan on attending school to become an anesthesiologist assistant.
I was drawn to First Church because I have been looking for a church to join for a while—and also a job! First Church checked off both those boxes, but I was also very happy to learn of the welcoming environment that First Church stresses. It is so lovely to be in such a warm space.
I am completely new to First Church and the Methodist Church in general, but so far, I find it to be very welcoming and a great fit! I found out about First Church through a job posting on Indeed.
I am very excited to be working with kids again, as I miss working with them from my past job as a camp counselor. I am also excited to gain some experience in teaching and spreading God’s word. I hope to plant the idea of God in these young children’s minds in a way that is loving and will help them grow throughout the rest of their lives!
Mari Pickard-Carlisle
I am a recent graduate of Indiana University with a degree in elementary education. I am now a second grade instructional assistant at Sunny Heights Elementary in Indianapolis, where I get to work one-on-one with students.
I grew up going to church and have always been involved in church life. When I was in high school, I worked in the nursery of the church I grew up in—Broadway UMC. I enjoyed building relationships with the younger children during the worship time. I think this is when I began to recognize how much I enjoyed working with children, and this helped direct me in my vocational path toward elementary education.
When I was in college, I continued to serve in the nursery at Bloomington First UMC, helping out with the youngsters there. I have spent a lot of time in different congregations being a part of family ministry work.
My dad is the lead pastor at First Church. He knew we were looking for ministry team members who would be willing to nurture and build faith in the children of our First Church families, so he connected me with Talitha Huber, and I applied to join the team.
I hope that through the work we do and the time we spend together, children will gain a sense of belonging and value. I want every child to know they are special and important. I hope our young people will have an experience of God’s unconditional love through the people of First Church and that they will take that experience with them as they grow up to do good in the world.
Stacy Winter
I was part of a Christian education program in a previous church, and I really missed being able to minister to kids and parents after I left that position. When I saw the opening at First Church, I was more than excited to be a part of it. Then, when I learned that this is a relatively new ministry (at least since the pandemic), my anticipation grew, and I felt honored and humbled to be a part of getting this ministry off the ground.
I’ve worked with children in the past, including day care in college, assisting in a kindergarten classroom, and teaching summer courses to school-age children. Although it was a challenge to combine kids with clay in a ceramics class (oh, the messes …), the enthusiasm and creativity I witnessed during those summers have remained in me as something I want to foster.
When I had my own child, I homeschooled for most of their life, reveling in every light-bulb moment, then saw my own knowledge surpassed in many ways. There’s nothing like it.
I didn’t have a previous connection to First Church, but I was drawn by the church’s inclusion, acceptance, and welcoming stance. I knew that I could belong here easily.
I want to really get to know these kids and their caregivers. Teaching to the individual is so much more effective than blanket lecturing or preaching. Sometimes, I get ahead of myself and go “off book” during a Sunday school class, but that usually happens when I really listen to what the students need. Following their lead allows the message to be heard and internalized, and our tangents can then be brought back to the message at hand.
Overall, I am adoring this position and feel that my role here is not only to guide and teach the kids in my own class but to connect with all the families at First Church, whether they are in Sunday school, nursery, confirmation class, or in the main service. I want to be available as a resource, adviser, counselor, and safe space for everyone who needs it.
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