Meet Holli Kight

We are beyond thrilled to welcome Holli Kight as our director of children's ministry at St. John the Divine! Holli is finishing her time as Public Relations Project Manager for Sherry Matthews Group in Houston. From 2008 to 2022, she served as Director of Children’s Ministry at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church. Obviously, Holli brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this critical ministry, is highly familiar with our traditions and cultural context, and we could not be more grateful that Holli said “yes” to this call. She is married to Allen Kight, President of Camp Allen, our diocesan camp and retreat center, and is the mother of Ellie, our Associate Youth Minister. 

What called you to children's ministry?

The children’s ministry director at my church called me into the children’s ministry when I had my first baby.  She sent me a letter in the mail welcoming me to motherhood and to the nursery at our church.  She listed the dates I'd be serving as a volunteer in the baby room for the upcoming year. I was thrilled to be included in the new mom club and showed up for all my nursery volunteer shifts. I continued to serve in children’s ministry as a volunteer for years and found it so rewarding. Fast forward years later, and being asked to serve on staff officially felt like the most exciting invitation I’d ever received.

Tell us a little about your background.

I’m a 7th-generation Houstonian who grew up in the Methodist church as a very young girl before my family landed at Second Baptist Church.  My husband and I joined St. Martin’s Episcopal when we got married and have been there ever since—30 years this June! An early childhood memory for me was being taken out of Sunday school by my grandfather every Sunday when it was time for communion in the big church. He’d come get me, we’d walk into church together, take communion, say our prayer, then he’d walk me back to Sunday school. We walked down the long hallway together, holding hands while he hummed.  I think that sprouted church roots that have stayed with me ever since.

What do you think children—and their parents—are looking for in a church, and what is the best way to connect with them?

I think children and parents are looking for the same thing in church. Children, I believe, are looking to be known by name and made to feel like they are noticed. Parents, in my opinion, are looking for a community and friends who walk alongside them through life. Both those things are different definitions of community. I think we are all—children and parents—looking for a community. A community of friends, believers, supporters, encouragers, cheerleaders, mentors, and prayer partners. To best connect all of us and grow our communities, we’ll need to engage one another and bring each other into the fold. Much like my quiet, humming grandfather, I hope we can grab hands and walk together!

What excites you most about coming to St. John the Divine?

What doesn’t excite me about coming to St. John the Divine? I’m excited to jump out of the boat and into the promise (as cheesy as that sounds!). I’d been praying for a long while for God to make a clear path for me to get back to doing something I truly love. He cleared a way and didn’t necessarily ask me to understand it. He just asked me to be obedient, and that’s what excites me the most. I feel it in my bones—God has great plans for us to help us grow together at SJD, and I’m absolutely thrilled to be a part of what lies ahead.