Greetings!

Hello from Pastor Sangram! I am originally from India. I am now an American citizen. I met my wife Sarah in 1997 while working in full time missions. We have been married since 2000. We have three children; Jewel, Jeremiah and Judah. Sarah and I have a heart for missions and to see young people being molded into what God would have them to be. God gave us a great opportunity to serve here in Stonington as the Associate/Youth Pastor. We enjoy small town life and have met many people from the area. We love to have people over to our house, especially to introduce them to a little bit of my home culture, namely CURRY! If you are reading this and have never been to our home, give us a call!

YOUTH
My heart is for discipleship. So many Christians do not know the meaning of being a disciple. This is what I preach, to the youth--to be a good disciple of Christ. How do we do this?

• The Fear of the Lord (not being afraid of God but giving Him reverence in every aspect of our lives)
• The Kingdom of God (Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit)
• Respecting their authorities (parents, teachers, pastors, etc.)
• Sharing their faith (through dramas, music, one-on-one conversations)

I also am very involved with mission trips. We take short-term mission trips to India every year. But we are not limited to India, currently we are praying about trips both outside of and inside of the USA. Right now we are looking into a inner city outreach in St. Louis.

Our youth meet every Sunday night at 5 PM at Joy Assembly. Sometimes we meet at my home for a fun night but our regular meetings are at the church and will include the 3 Ws. What are the 3 Ws you may ask? Worship, Word and Witness.

This semester we are learning about Romans. We'll focus on that for the next three months.

I have an awesome youth group! I really enjoy working with them. They are very talented and have a heart after God.

CHILDREN
I am very excited about our children's ministry at Joy. Sarah and I share in this ministry. There are many opportunities to learn more about and grow closer to God.

• Sunday School: is from 9:30-10:15. In Sunday School children will learn the basics of the Bible. There are classes for everyone ages 3-Adult. Nursery provided if needed. After Sunday School the children join their parents for the Praise and Worship time, after that children 3 and under can go to our newly remodeled nursery and all kids 4-11 are welcome to come to Junior Church.
• Junior Church: Junior Church is a place where we learn more about how to live for Jesus. We teach using object lessons, games, skits and video. There is also usually snack and sometimes a craft. Currently we are learning the 16 fundamental truths of the Assembly of God, our denomination. We call them the Faith Facts!
• Wednesday Night: Oh my goodness! I am so excited about Wednesday night! Sometimes we are so busy in our lives that we skip church on Wednesday night, I understand, things can get hectic! But I see Wednesday night as a time to re-connect with the rest of the Body of Christ and draw near to God as a group. We are doing that in our children's program! We spend alot of time in praise and worship (which includes jumping and hopping around!), praying together and I also pray for them. Last semester we learned about how Jesus is the Lamb of God. This semester we are finishing up learning how Joseph is the model of an obedient servant of God. Next we will learn how to listen to and hear the voice of God - through the life of Samuel. We welcome all kids age 4-11 and we'd love to see you there! Nursery provided for children 3 and under.

My goal for all the children is that they would know Jesus. That they will follow Him and please Him. We choose teachings that we pray will further that goal.

If you would like to talk more about the Youth and Children's Ministry at Joy, please feel free to contact me! My cell number is 217-827-4931. God bless you!