from Andrew Hagen, Director of Youth Ministries
When I was in high school, Todd Seiler was my confirmation mentor. To tell the truth, I don’t remember much about anything we talked about … I barely remember breakfast this morning. What was more significant to me was that I knew that there was an adult in my life who took a genuine interest in what was going on in my life.
It was Todd who told me that I was destined to work in youth ministry. While I’m sure that God had a larger part in bringing me to EPUMC, Todd’s suggestion surely helped grease the skids.
Had the church I grew-up in had our “tag line” of “Big enough to make a difference. Small enough to care”, every youth who wanted one would have had a mentor as invested in their lives as Todd was in mine. Everybody needs a champion in their life — someone to advocate for them and be on their side. For most youth, that’s their parents.
We know that youth who can name specific adults in their lives as influential grow-up to be well-balanced adults.
We know that EPUMC has enough adults and enough youth that each youth can have one adult who is an active part of their lives on a regular basis.
This program is not intended for adults to solely mentor youth but for the mentorship to be a two-way partnership wherein youth mentor adults and adults mentor youth simultaneously.
This mentorship-partnership is intended to be a space wherein participants will accompany each other on the journey and guide each other along the way to discovering what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
Community requires the investment of time — it is impossible to hurry-up and create healthy, authentic community.
Community requires that we think of the other — “Community is the fruit of our capacity to make the interests of others more important than our own.” ~ Henri Nouwen, 'Bread for the Journey'
Community requires stepping-out — Sometimes we have to be the ones to take the first step; sometimes we to risk rejection in order to be known.
That’s why, starting in April, I am asking youth and adults to take a risk, make an investment, and step-out into community and partner with someone older or younger than themselves and explore their faith together.
Both youth and adults who are interested in this experience should contact me at AndrewH@prairiechruch.org
Blessings,
Andrew
It was Todd who told me that I was destined to work in youth ministry. While I’m sure that God had a larger part in bringing me to EPUMC, Todd’s suggestion surely helped grease the skids.
Had the church I grew-up in had our “tag line” of “Big enough to make a difference. Small enough to care”, every youth who wanted one would have had a mentor as invested in their lives as Todd was in mine. Everybody needs a champion in their life — someone to advocate for them and be on their side. For most youth, that’s their parents.
We know that youth who can name specific adults in their lives as influential grow-up to be well-balanced adults.
We know that EPUMC has enough adults and enough youth that each youth can have one adult who is an active part of their lives on a regular basis.
This program is not intended for adults to solely mentor youth but for the mentorship to be a two-way partnership wherein youth mentor adults and adults mentor youth simultaneously.
This mentorship-partnership is intended to be a space wherein participants will accompany each other on the journey and guide each other along the way to discovering what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
Community requires the investment of time — it is impossible to hurry-up and create healthy, authentic community.
Community requires that we think of the other — “Community is the fruit of our capacity to make the interests of others more important than our own.” ~ Henri Nouwen, 'Bread for the Journey'
Community requires stepping-out — Sometimes we have to be the ones to take the first step; sometimes we to risk rejection in order to be known.
That’s why, starting in April, I am asking youth and adults to take a risk, make an investment, and step-out into community and partner with someone older or younger than themselves and explore their faith together.
Both youth and adults who are interested in this experience should contact me at AndrewH@prairiechruch.org
Blessings,
Andrew
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