Children's Director
Alan Burdge
Alan began leading Elk City UMC’s 4th, 5th and 6th graders as Hwy 456 Director in 2024. He is a Bible study leader, Sunday school teacher and event planner for this big, boisterous, fun group of tweens and seeing them grow closer to God is the best part of his job! Alan says faith, family and respect are the values that drive him. When he’s not teaching tweens at church or teens at ECHS where he is a 9th grade science teacher, he loves spending time with his wife, Rev. Kaela; daughter, Elisha; and twin sons, Thomas and Samuel. He also enjoys playing games. One of his favorite outreach events to volunteer for is Vacation Bible School. He’s been known to put his acting skills to the test, whether in human or VBS puppet form. “Putting a smile on the children's and other volunteers’ faces while watching them grow in their faith is an amazing experience,” he said. Alan’s favorite Bible verses come from Isaiah: Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. – Isaiah 55:7-9. His hope and prayer are that every kid who comes to Hwy 456 feels the love and mercy of Christ and finds a place where they belong.
