Mission
Serving families, the Church, and the community by equipping children to be wholehearted in knowing and applying the Word of God in their lives.
Vision and Values
At the very core of the Children’s Equipping Center (CEC) is our mandate to establish a culture that equips and releases children to be devoted to God and live in His love.
Our desire is to see children all over the earth involved in the prayer movement and moving in signs and wonders. To this end, we have set in place priorities and programs that will pass on the biblical values of prayer and the Word of God, which are foundational to night-and-day prayer.
The heart of our vision is to intentionally develop opportunities for children of all ages to be equipped to heal the sick through the laying on of hands; to prophesy, preach, and teach; to give from their heart to the poor; to worship; and to evangelize the lost. Finally, we want to provide opportunities for them to express and grow in their gifts and develop as musicians, singers, and prayer leaders.
Core Beliefs
- Bible literacy: We equip children with a heartfelt knowledge of the Bible through godly content and creative teaching methods.
- Prayer: We teach principles about enjoyable prayer that assist children in developing an intimate dialogue with God and a thirst for communion with Him.
- Praise and worship: We aspire to create an environment where all children receive the opportunity to express their love for God and receive His love for them.
- Power, signs, and wonders: We teach children that they can walk in boldness, zeal, and the power of God and participate in ministry to one another in such a way that signs and wonders can be released through them.
- The prophetic: We teach children to believe the promise given to us in Acts 2:17 that in these days His Spirit will be poured out on all flesh and that they are the ones who can receive the Holy Spirit’s ministry.
CEC Leadership Team
Lenny and Tracy La Guardia
For over three decades, Lenny and Tracy La Guardia have devoted their lives to equipping, empowering, and mobilizing young people, parents, and leaders with kingdom of God truths and relevant strategies for ministry to children today. Lenny and Tracy serve on the leadership team at the International House of Prayer, where they direct and oversee all local, national, and international ministries relating to children ages 1–12. They have been married over thirty-five years and have five children: Lenny, Leatha, Andrea, Adrienne, and Shontavion.
Executive Leadership Team
Lenny La Guardia: Executive Director, Children’s Equipping Center
Tracy La Guardia: Associate Director, Children’s Equipping Center and Camps
Nadia Bricco: Assistant Director
Athena Runyan: Executive Assistant to Lenny La Guardia
Amy Wood: Senior Ministry & Executive Assistant to Lenny La Guardia
Joshua Hulkkonen: Communications Director
Matt Mills: Resource Development
James Bricco: Facilities & Security
Young Messengers (Elementary) Team
Brad & Amy Carlson: Pastors/Directors, 7–12-year-olds
Sari Robinson: Pastor/Coordinator, 7–8-year-olds
Zoe Bootsma-Reis: Pastor, 11-12-year-olds
Tendershoot (Early Childhood) Team
Amy Szu: Pastor/Coordinator, 1–2-year-olds
Rebecca McNutt: Pastor/Coordinator, 3–4-year-olds
Kristina Dech: Pastor/Coordinator, 5–6-year-olds
Scout Team
Elizabeth Johnston: Director, American Heritage Girls
Alex Rafael: Director, Forerunner Scouts
Support Ministry Team
Mariana Rafael: Welcome Center Director
Jaime Robinson: Special Projects
Kevin Kingsbury: Director of Food Services
KidCity7 Outreach, Neighborhood, Families, and Schools Teams
Joshua Thompson: KidCity7
Amy Wood: KidCity7 Assistant Director/Site Pastor, Ruskin Heights
Lauren Sliker: Site Pastor, Daisy Walnut
Salemah Wong: Site Pastor, Calico Farms
Lenny La Guardia: Site Pastor, Greenfield Village
Danny Lima: Worship Pastor
Zack Nicholson: Schools