My name is Heather Lilly and I am blessed to be the Children’s Minister at Temple Baptist Church. My family and I are thankful to be a part of this church family and for the Godly people who have become our family and love us like their own. 

God is doing great things for the Children’s Ministry and I am honored to be a vessel for His work.  We at Temple are focused on loving others as Christ loves us. Every child that steps foot in our building will know they are loved by God as well as by us. The children are taught Bible lessons each week with application and reinforcements that can relate to their life here and now. It is our job as a body of Christ to make sure that both children and their parents are equipped with the necessary resources and support to nurture young hearts and minds so they grow to love their Savior and Lord. One the verses I use as a daily reminder in my own family is Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

My whole life, I grew up in church, being taught God’s word. I remember being at a young age and speaking with my Children’s Minister about becoming a Christian. I went through all the steps; said the prayer, walked the aisle, and was baptized. It wasn’t until I was a freshman in college, that I realized even though I knew what it meant to be saved, I had never really surrendered my life to Christ. I always said I knew in my head, but not my heart. I had the knowledge, but not the experience.  

After graduating high school, I chose to go to William Carey University in Hattiesburg, MS.  I always knew what I wanted to do with my life. My goal was to be a teacher as well as work in Children’s Ministry. God had given me the desire to reach children in all aspects of my life.  In 2009, I graduated with a BS in Elementary Education and soon became the Children’s Minister at Temple. In 2012, I realized that I had grown stagnant in my relationship with Christ and resigned as Children’s Minister. I knew that God was not finished with me, but also knew I was not in a position to lead. I continued my education and received my Masters in Gifted Education. 

I married the love of my life, David Lilly on March 28, 2015. We met through mutual friends and little did we know that God had bigger plans in mind. During all this time, I had stayed connected with Temple Baptist. I knew that this was where God had called me to be and I never wavered from that. I stayed involved and grew in my walk with Christ. In 2015, God had placed Children’s Ministry back in my heart. I had my closest friends and prayer warriors in constant prayer with me because I didn’t want to do anything without God leading it. Weeks later, the Children’s Ministry position was opened back up to me and I knew that this was exactly what God had planned. It’s funny how we run from things only for God to bring it back full circle. One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know that plans I have for you- declares the Lord- plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope.” We may run from things that God has planned for us, but if we will just surrender to Him, He will restore us. 

David and I have four amazing children. Eric, Sophie, Emma, and Sailor. Our children keep us on our toes, but they bring so much joy to our life. I am so glad that God saw fit for me to be their mom. 

I not only get to mentor the families of Temple, but I also teach. I've taught Kindergarten and third grade at Eastlawn Elementary in Pascagoula, and I am currently teaching fifth grade at East Central Upper Elementary in Hurley. I love going to work every day and sharing Christ with my work family as well as my students. 

In my down time, I enjoy quality time with my husband and children. I also enjoy cooking and reading a great book. We love outdoor activities and opening our home to our family and friends. Our home is always open! 

Our children’s program goal is to equip every child with the knowledge and desire to reflect Christ through their lives. It’s important for every child, no matter the age, to recognize that God has a purpose for them in every aspect of their life; at church, at home, at school, with friends, or when they are alone. 

If you do not currently have a church family, we would love for you to join ours!