Staff Highlight: Katie Flynn
Sometimes serving in ministry means stepping into a new role while carrying the experiences of the previous one with you. For Katie Flynn, her first year at New Song was spent living with and caring for six children as an In-Home Mentor, while supporting the home’s Houseparent Couple. This fall, Katie began her second year with New Song as the Director of Ministry Advancement, a new position in the ministry! Those first-year experiences with the children have been a huge help in shaping the way she communicates the ministry to others.
As an In-Home Mentor, living alongside the students allowed Katie to experience the ministry in a very personal way. She shared everyday life with them—meals schoolwork, activities, conversations, celebrations, and the countless small moments that happen in a home.
Through that experience, Katie saw firsthand that New Song is about much more than providing a place for children to live. It is about relationships, consistency, belonging, and creating opportunities for children to grow academically, spiritually, and personally while pointing them toward Christ.
Now, Katie is serving in a different capacity. Her role includes marketing, communications, events, and building relationships with churches and ministry partners. The year she spent caring for the children in the home we call Hope House, however, continues to influence the way she approaches each of those responsibilities.
When Katie shares about New Song, she can speak from the heart, having experienced living life alongside of the kids and serving with her fellow staff members. Katie has seen the servants of Jesus behind the ministry and the relational aspect of the ministry, so her understanding of how the everyday moments contribute to a child’s growth is deep. A story about a student, a classroom, a meal, or an activity is more than an update-it represents real people and real relationships that she had the privilege of being part of.
“I’m thankful for the year I spent with the kids in Hope House. I got to experience the ministry through everyday life with them, and now I get to share that experience with others. I’m thankful that I can tell New Song’s story not just because I know what we do or the programs we offer, but because I’ve had the opportunity to see the impact of those things up close.”
Her first year at New Song also taught her that some of the most meaningful moments don’t always look significant at first. Those small, mundane times are part of what makes New Song a home. They are also the stories that continue to shape Katie as she serves in her new role.
As this role develops, Katie is excited to continue serving the children of New Song while inviting others into the work God is doing here.
“I’ve gone from being part of the everyday life of the children to helping others see that life and understand why it matters,” Katie says. “I’m excited to see how God uses this new role to connect more people to New Song and to the children we love and care for!”