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I drove down Perry Street on one of those gorgeous days we’ve had recently, and I spotted a toddler’s chubby little hand reaching out of an open car window. I pulled beside the car and saw a little girl gazing with the most contented look on her face. The sky held her rapt attention. I imagine she dreamed all kinds of wonderful creatures in the clouds. What a gift to witness!

As adults, we benefit from the perspectives our children offer us. They so often remind us of the wonder of our world. And they possess a vitality that, in our focus on our myriad of adult responsibilities, we sometimes forget.  Our youth, those children in grades 7 through 12, are no exception to this; yet they are unique in that they exist in the transformative space between the wonder-filled child and the busy adult. I consider it an honor to partner with parents and our wider church community to nurture our parish youth during a pivotal time in their development.

As our parish’s Youth Minister, I will foster an atmosphere of acceptance, safety, and trust for our youth to explore their faith. Together, we will build a community where our young people encourage one another, challenge one another, and form strong friendships. I have seen how empowered a person becomes when they understand their value, and I will strive for that for each young person in my care.

I anticipate the tough questions we will discuss and all the fun we will have as a group. I am brushing up on my clever answers to questions like, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” and “How do we know God exists?” Our time together will serve the goal of making each young person’s faith relevant in their lives. I have high hopes that something meaningful will form between our youth through our consistent gathering to learn, worship, serve, and have fun.

We begin our year at Kickoff Sunday on September 7. We will have Sunday School at 9:15 and evening youth group from 5:30-7:30. Several special events are being planned for the year. Our first event will be Happening #87, which St. John’s hosts November 7 - 9. All 10 through 12-grade youth from across the diocese are invited to attend the weekend.

If you are not familiar with Happening, in short, it is a youth retreat conducted primarily by youth leaders: youth ministering to youth. Young people give talks on topics related to their faith, lead small group discussions, and provide entertainment throughout the weekend. Happening attendees consistently characterize their weekend as a significant part of their spiritual development. Both my boys attended Happening and remember their weekends with the utmost fondness.

Hosting a Happening weekend requires the support of the entire parish. St. John’s provides all meals for Happening participants, as well as homes where participants shower on Saturday and Sunday mornings. If you would like to be involved, contact me at jr@stjohnsmontgomery.org.

Witnessing our young people learning, growing, and gaining the self-confidence that comes from belonging to a loving community excites me.  I look forward to my new role as Youth Minister at St. John’s and all the blessings it will bring.