Bio

A student’s name and short bio appeared in the materials given to the congregation at the annual meeting at which officers are elected. The student is nominated for a one year youth term as an Elder, and the bio states that this student feels a call to ministry.

This comes as news to me, who knows the student as well as I know any student, having led them in Confirmation and half a dozen trips or retreats. First thought: I’m clearly doing something wrong, as the Associate Pastor for Youth, to not know that one of the church’s youth is discerning a call to ministry.

Second thought: that first thought is dumb. This is right and good. A student has told someone from the nominating committee about this discernment and then shared it with the congregation at large; if one of the goals of youth ministry is to help the church welcome the gifts and contributions of young people, then this is a positive sign. A wider circle than the Youth Ministry staff and volunteers are church for this student, and that’s what we want for all our students.

Another argument for youth officers.