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The Urbana United Methodist Church (UUMC) has appointed a new director of family ministry, Macie Cayot.

Cayot will lead the church’s children’s and youth ministries, from nursery through high school, and support parents in their children’s faith development.

Cayot, a graduate of Triad High School and Urbana University, is joining UUMC’s ministry team after six years as a teacher, primarily in middle school grades, for the Madison-Champaign Educational Service Center, Graham Local Schools and Triad Local Schools.

“Building relationships with kids is my favorite part of teaching, to have genuine conversations with them,” Cayot said. “I’m most excited about the opportunity to partner with our Sunday school teachers to help them develop and strengthen our children’s relationship with Jesus.”

She adds that she grew up in the Cable United Methodist Church, which played a key role in her early faith development. She and her husband, Taylor, are members of UUMC and parents of their two-year-old son, Grant.

“Our church is blessed to have Macie on our ministry team to help us further God’s kingdom in our community through her skills in education and love for Jesus,” UUMC Lead Pastor Christopher Dinnell said.

She is replacing Molly Meadows, who recently resigned after nine years as the church’s director of children’s ministry. “Molly has done an excellent job for our preschool and elementary children,” Cayot said.

In her new role, Cayot will continue the preschool and elementary ministry and develop youth ministry programming for middle and high school students.

Youth ministry previously was led by Dinnell from the time he joined the UUMC staff in 2010 until 2018 when he became a licensed local pastor and was appointed UUMC’s Pastor of Community Engagement and Family Ministry.

At the beginning of this year, he became the church’s lead pastor, following the retirement of Lead Pastor Jim Lillibridge.

Info from Urbana United Methodist Church