Announcing Our New Director of Children's Ministry

Introducing Kara Clark

As Our New Director of Children's Ministry

Dear First Presbyterian Church:

After an extensive nationwide search that included a pool of several highly qualified candidates, the Search Committee for Director of Children’s Ministry is pleased to announce Kara Clark as First Presbyterian’s next Director of Children's Ministry. Kara most recently served as a middle school teacher at McCracken Middle School and for ten years has worked at Montreat during summer camps, most recently as Director of Children’s Camps.

We believe that Kara’s extensive experience shepherding children, ability to build strong relationships with families, and high energy with thoughtful purpose make her uniquely qualified to lead our church in this most important work.

Her references describe Kara in these ways:

• "Kara is dedicated to her own discipleship and how to share that with others."
• "Kara’s energy level and dedication to children is simply unmatched."
• "Coupling Kara’s remarkable teaching abilities to her passion for Christ and children is brilliant!"

Kara graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelors in Early Childhood and Elementary Education and then from Converse University with a Masters of Education. She will be joined by her family including husband, Douglas (an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church USA and professor at Wofford College) and two boys Huntington (8) and Shaffer (4).

Kara's first day as Director of Children's Ministry will be August 7. In the meantime, our children's ministry will continue under the outstanding leadership of Ansley, Beth, and the Children's Ministry Committee. Please join us in warmly welcoming Kara into the family of First Presbyterian Church, Spartanburg and into this role as Director of Children’s Ministry!

In Christ,
Director of Children's Ministry Search Committee
Anna Blanton (chair), Katherine Halligan, Jennifer Hoy, Whitner Kennedy, Septima Smith, Mary Helen Wade

A Note From Kara...

Dear Members and Friends (especially children!) of FPC,

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to get to know you, to work with you, to play with you, and to support you here at First Presbyterian as Director of Children’s Ministry.

I am an educator, having served as a middle school teacher for sixteen years, and having also served in various forms of children and youth ministries at Montreat Conference Center over the course of ten summers, including as director of Montreat’s day camp “Clubs” program. My family and I moved here from Tennessee last summer and have been attending FPC for the past year. We have loved getting to know this church, and I was delighted when the opportunity arose to serve the church full-time, in a position that brings together my dual vocations of education and ministry.
As a Christian educator, I believe that God delights in seeing us play, paint, dance, create, work together, help one another, make a joyful noise, apologize, try again, wonder, and love. Children and families, I am excited to share in your joys and to accompany you in navigating the challenges of living out an everyday faith, remembering that God is big enough for all of our messes and worries.

At First Presbyterian, I plan to build on this church’s longstanding tradition of nurturing children from birth into adulthood. I have been supported and loved by so many amazing people in my own church background and in the PC(USA) at large. I am honored to have the chance to continue those legacies as I serve alongside other staff, parents, and volunteers as we pour God’s love into the children of this congregation.

My goal for the children of FPC is to enrich their foundation of faith by focusing on three Rs:

• Remember - learning and connecting to key stories of the Bible.
• Relate - building relationships with all of God’s children and creation through Jesus.
• Respond - sharing God’s steadfast love, light, and faithfulness with others.

Parents, you are your children’s first and most important spiritual mentor. I am so excited to partner with you to guide and support the children of this church as they grow as vital members of our Christian community.

I look forward to meeting everyone and getting to know the congregation in the coming weeks.

Sincerely,
Kara Clark