Katie Palmer is a difference maker at the West Chester United Methodist Church. When she was a sophomore in high school, she had the idea to start a children’s chime choir. She presented a proposal to the Administrative Council of the church, complete with PowerPoint slides, to ask them to buy the chimes.
She sent letters to all the parents in the community who had children in kindergarten through the fifth grade to invite them to participate in the chime choir. Only two of the first dozen kids to join the choir had attended Sunday school.
Children and their families have become more active at the church because of Katie. As a result, she received the Harry Denman Youth Evangelism Award in 2015 from the Iowa Conference. “Parents of the children, some of whom had not ordinarily come to church,” Kim Palmquist said, “have attended because of her efforts.”
Katie’s initiative has sustained the chime choir to this day. Earlier this month on December 17th, they shared their music in worship in preparation for Christmas. Now a senior at Mid-Prairie High School, Katie is planning to attend Central College in Pella as an elementary education major with a specialty in reading.