On a Sunday morning at Emery Chapel UMC in Springfield, Ohio, 9-year-old Connor Kennedy approached Pastor Ben Webster with a question he had clearly been rehearsing.

“He was a little nervous,” Pastor Webster said. “You could tell it took some courage for him to come up and ask if he could talk.”

Connor had an idea, one he had first shared with his grandparents, Mike and Marta Kennedy, longtime members of the Emery Chapel congregation. Connor wondered if the church’s small outdoor chapel, built several years ago and used primarily for outdoor children’s church during good weather, could become something new: a children’s library for the neighborhood.

“We told him, ‘You should talk to Pastor Ben about it,’” said Marta Kennedy. “It was his idea, and we wanted him to take ownership of it.”

The chapel, which contained old two-person pews and wood flooring, had been used less frequently in recent years. Connor saw it as an opportunity.

“I thought kids could come and get books,” Connor said.

When Connor explained his vision, Pastor Webster didn’t hesitate.

“As soon as he finished telling me what he had in mind, I said, ‘Let’s do this,’” Webster said. “This was exactly the kind of thing we want to encourage, seeing needs and responding with love.”

That same morning, Pastor Webster shared Connor’s idea with the congregation during the announcement portion of the service.

“I told them how Connor came to me with this vision and that we needed to get behind it,” Webster said. “And they did.”

With the church’s support, Connor began working alongside his grandfather to transform the space. The pews were removed, the flooring was replaced, repairs were made, bookshelves were installed, and the inside of the building received a fresh coat of paint.

“It turned into a real project,” said Mike Kennedy. “Connor was involved the whole way. He was excited to see it coming together.”

Today, the former chapel is a children’s library, located just outside Emery Chapel UMC and open to the public during daytime hours. Children in the neighborhood are invited to take a book, return it when they’re finished, and choose another.

Mike and Marta Kennedy continue to help Connor keep the library stocked and accessible.

“We wanted it to be welcoming and easy for anyone to use,” said Marta Kennedy. “No barriers, just books.”

Pastor Webster said the project is a powerful example of what ministry can look like when young voices are encouraged.

“This didn’t start with a committee or a program,” Webster said. “It started with a nine-year-old who cared about other kids.”

For Connor, the library is simply about helping others enjoy reading. For Emery Chapel UMC, it has become a visible sign of community engagement and creative outreach.

“What a way for a child to lead us,” Webster said. “Connor reminded us that sometimes the freshest expressions of ministry come from the youngest among us.”

What began as a quiet conversation before a Sunday service now stands as a lasting resource for the neighborhood — proof that faith, imagination and a little courage can make a big difference.