At Chosen Footsteps, my heart is simple: I want children to experience God’s love in ways they can truly feel.
I didn’t grow up in a home that practiced following Jesus. We were poor, always moving, and I didn’t have the guidance or stability children need. I didn’t discover God’s love until I walked into Family Life Church in December 2003. I became baptized in February 2004, and that moment changed my life. It was the first time faith felt warm, joyful, and real — and I often wished someone had shown me His love in a way I could feel as a child.
That same year, I began serving as a nursery teacher at Family Life Church. Teaching little ones every week is where I learned Jesus — not just in sermons, but through the eyes of children. Those years shaped me. They taught me how children feel, how they learn, and how much they need gentle, joyful reminders of God’s love. Everything I learned in that nursery is what prepared me to build this immersive venue.
The vision for Chosen Footsteps came during a season of prayer and surrender. At a faith-centered event (ChosenCon), God showed me a clear picture of immersive rooms where children could walk through His love with all five senses. That moment changed everything. It wasn’t a business idea — it was a calling. And I said yes.
I’ve always had a heart for children, and I believe they learn best through joy, imagination, and play. I wanted a place where faith didn’t feel like a classroom or a church service, but like childhood itself: bright, warm, sensory, and full of wonder.
I also didn’t create Chosen Footsteps to replace church — I already have an incredible church family at Family Life Church. I believe church is a fundamental part of growing faith. But this isn’t a children’s ministry or a Sunday School program. It’s something different: a place where children can experience God’s love through play, imagination, and sensory wonder. Our hours will never conflict with normal church services (Sundays and Wednesday nights), because Chosen Footsteps is designed to support families and partner with churches, not compete with them.
I wanted to create something children don’t have anywhere else: a place where faith becomes an immersive experience. A place where they can follow His footsteps, be brave, love like Jesus, pray with Jesus, and shine His light in ways that feel real and unforgettable.
Children are our future, and they deserve fun, magical, immersive experiences that help them grow in kindness, empathy, courage, prayer, and love.
Every child matters. Every child is chosen.
JAN BUEGELER
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A Childhood Without This Experience
I didn’t have a place like this growing up — and that shaped my calling.
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A Heart for Children
I want kids to learn faith through joy, not pressure.
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A Vision God Placed on My Heart
Chosen Footsteps was born from a longing to help even one child feel His love.
A Heart Shaped by Experience
My journey — from discovering Jesus, to serving children for over twenty years, to corporate leadership, to coordinating community events — has shaped every part of Chosen Footsteps. Teaching little ones at Family Life Church taught me how children learn, how they feel, and how deeply they need gentle, joyful reminders of God’s love. My years in leadership and community work taught me how to create spaces where families feel safe, supported, and welcomed.
Those experiences became the foundation of Chosen Footsteps and the Five Pillars that guide everything we do.
Why Chosen Footsteps Exists
Chosen Footsteps is the place I wish I had as a child — and the place I believe children need today. It’s built on the Five Pillars: following Jesus, being brave, loving like Jesus, praying with Jesus, and shining His light. These pillars guide every room, every activity, every workshop, and every moment we create.
My hope is simple: that children walk away knowing they are loved, chosen, and created with purpose.