Director of Children and Family Ministries
Chloe Klingstedt with James
Dear Friends,
For most of this year, we have been looking for the right person to shepherd our ministries to children and families. From the beginning, we knew this would be a niche search, almost like looking for a unicorn. We wanted a person who loved children, loved the Lord, had an active and robust faith, and was passionate about helping families discover the joy of a Christian home. The greatest challenge was finding someone local who could work part-time. If they had an active and robust faith, they wouldn’t want to leave their own church for a part-time position. If they were available, that might mean they weren’t active in a church home. We have generally been reticent to hire church members for obvious reasons. What to do? As God said to Job in the King James Bible, “Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?”
I believe we have found such a person. I am so very pleased to announce Chloe Klingstedt as the Director of Children and Family Ministries. As a young mother, Chloe is focused on raising her two small children in a Christian home. She understands very well what’s at stake and the challenges that young families face. She is from Texas and has a degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma. Most recently she was an Assistant Editor of Our State magazine.
With Chloe in this role, the vestry and I are certain she will be a tremendous gift to the children and families of this parish. Chloe’s public facing ministry will begin after the new year, but she will start in December planning, connecting, and coordinating. Please send her an email (chloe@sttimothys.ws) welcoming her to this new role.
I could not be more excited! From henceforth, let us invest deeply in the spiritual lives of children and let us do that by supporting the budget that will make Chloe’s ministry possible. Please remember to pledge for 2026.
Floreat Sancti Timothei!
Fr Steve Rice
PS:
I thought of Chloe early on in this search process, but hesitated because she is married to Fr Luke. After months of prayerful reflection and consultation, I am no longer hesitant. Firstly, Chloe’s character and devotion to the Lord is above reproach. Secondly, I have asked vestry member Amanda Miller to be the liaison between the parish and Chloe. Meaning, if in the future, anyone has concerns about children’s ministry, they would first bring those concerns to Amanda. Amanda would then bring them to the vestry, removing any conflict of interest with the clergy. Thirdly, I have discovered other contexts where this exact model not only works but works well. Case in point is our sister parish in Raleigh, St Timothy’s. The rector’s wife is also the director of children’s ministry.