Nurturing Care is pleased to report new Gratitude and Trust Makers Space prototypes giving children across Nazarene congregations room to lead—reciting scripture, praying publicly, and serving their communities alongside adult volunteers—according to recent ministry reports from the Southwest Native American District and Southern California. 

Leaders say the approach blends worship with lessons on trust, compassion, gratitude and trauma-informed care, creating structured moments where children can participate meaningfully during church meetings and service projects. 

In September and October, teams working across the Southwest Native American District reported that after Friday-night trainings for leaders, Saturday services and meetings intentionally made space for children to share what they learned—through songs and scripture recitations—before congregations that included parents and grandparents. At one service, 22 children attended with family members even though no separate activity had been planned for them, the report said. 

A children’s worker who had attended the training stepped in, using the unplanned moment to guide the children in sharing scripture and explaining what it meant to them, creating what the report described as a positive and supervised environment for kids who otherwise had no structured programming during the meeting. 

The district report also highlighted a missions service where visiting churches from New Mexico and Colorado joined Southwest Native congregations. When Rev. Yazzie asked for offering ushers, two children volunteered immediately—then prayed over the offering—an act that adults from multiple districts described as striking for its confidence and willingness to serve. 

A similar emphasis on scripture, gratitude, and children speaking in front of adults was reported in Sandia Valley during a January gathering themed “Gratitude is the new Attitude.” Children recited Psalm 107:1, discussed what the verse meant to them, and wrote down what they were thankful for. Leaders also provided notecards for encouragement; one child wrote a card for every family member, including a two-year-old sister, according to the report. 

The session ended with a group activity using different-colored Skittles to prompt children to share specific moments of thankfulness—an interactive closing that organizers said helped kids practice gratitude while working side by side in the “maker space.” 

In Hesperia, California, the GratiGrow ministry at the Hesperia Church of the Nazarene reported growth in both volunteers and community impact during December and January, including training new volunteers—about half of them local youth who had never attended church before. Through community-service hours, those youth served alongside the ministry and heard the Gospel, the coordinator wrote. 

After continuing volunteer readings and devotion time in December, the group launched its first community outreach in January, working despite cold weather. Families participated “with great enthusiasm,” and children were described as respectful, unified and kind as they cleaned a pastor’s yard, learned to clean an old car, moved wood, and helped inside the home. Parents later reported their children returned home joyful and proud—many having helped in that way for the first time. 

The outreach drew gratitude from neighbors and from the pastor who received help, according to the progress report, and the ministry said photos and videos shared with the congregation led three more children to sign up to serve in February. 

In a separate thank-you letter dated Jan. 10, 2026, Pastor David Penn and Ruth Penn wrote to coordinator Lucia Y. Babb-Rodriguez to express appreciation for “capable willing workers” from the children and youth ministry. The letter singled out two youths—Levi and Jeremiah—for moving wood that needed extra effort, and noted the Penns included a check as a token of appreciation for summer camp ministry for young people.