Western Maine Children’s Ministry Hub

Based at the First Congregational Church of Bridgton, ME, UCC, the Western Maine Children’s Ministry Hub (the Hub) is a center for resourcing and connecting churches doing innovative, inclusive children’s and intergenerational ministry in northern New England.

The Hub was established in November 2024 with support from Lilly Endowment, Inc.’s Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer grant initiative and First Church. Led by an advisory board of First Church lay and pastoral leadership, the Hub is directed by Spencer Law, First Church’s Minister for Intergenerational Innovation.

Four-part grant structure:
1. Innovation in intergenerational ministry
2. Creating First Church’s model space
3. The Church Cohort Program
4. Resourcing the local church

First Church has spent the first year of our five-year grant period exploring and experimenting with intergenerational worship and prayer in our congregation, evaluating and learning from our experimentation, and building even deeper relationships among people of all ages in our church. Now, the focus of our grant program turns outward as we invite our neighbors in faith to join the Hub through our church cohort program, which will run for the remaining four years of our grant period.

From 2025 to 2029, we will invite four cohorts of churches from any denomination to join the Hub, collaborate with our staff and consultants, apply for micro-grant funding for their own ministry initiatives, and build relationships with neighbors in faith.

Explore more about this initiative and how to get involved on our Hub website!