{"id":23108,"date":"2023-12-08T22:19:09","date_gmt":"2023-12-08T22:19:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/?p=23108"},"modified":"2023-12-08T22:19:41","modified_gmt":"2023-12-08T22:19:41","slug":"introducing-young-adult-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2023\/introducing-young-adult-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing the Young Adult Steering Committee and the 2024 theme \u2018Transformed by God\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n

By Ruth Ritchey Moore<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This past October, the Young Adult Steering Committee met at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill., to begin planning for Young Adult Conference 2024, which will be held May 24-26 at Camp Shepherds Spring in Sharpsburg, Md.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our theme for the weekend will be \u201cTransformed by God,\u201d using Romans 12:1-2 (The Message) as our guiding scripture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was wonderful to discuss and plan together, using our collective gifts and experiences. When we are not working on plans for Young Adult Conference, we spend our everyday lives in a broad variety of jobs and activities. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
The Church of the Brethren’s Young Adult Steering Committee (with staff liaison Becky Ullom Naugle)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Read on to \u201cmeet\u201d the six members of the Young Adult Steering Committee:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hannah Smith<\/strong> is a junior at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College, majoring in sociology with a dual minor in religious studies and women and gender studies. Along with studying, she likes to crochet (coasters and bookmarks) and enjoys listening to music–especially Noah Kahan. Hannah had this to say about the YAC 2024 theme: \u201cI really enjoy the concept that a relationship with God is forever evolving. I like the idea that the relationship will continue to grow and develop. I also like the idea that individuals can still be immersed within everyday culture, yet it is imperative to be continuously thinking about honoring God throughout the culture we find ourselves in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas McMullin<\/strong> teaches 5th grade at Perry (Iowa) Elementary. Prior to teaching, Thomas pastored Fairview Church of the Brethren in Unionville, Iowa. Besides teaching, he coaches (8th grade volleyball, high school girls varsity basketball, and middle school soccer) and works in the pro shop at River Valley Golf Course. \u201cMy hope for the young adults in the Church of the Brethren is to be empowered to feel the love of God through the example of Jesus Christ. I pray that this empowers them to reach their fullest potential in all that they do,\u201d shared Thomas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lauren Flora<\/strong> (Bridgewater class of 2018) works at Bridgewater (Va.) College as director of Special Events, overseeing all institutional, presidential, and advancement events. \u201cI love working with the students and being a part of creating our annual and special events throughout the year. There\u2019s something magical and exciting about watching an event from start to finish and seeing how much joy it brings to campus,\u201d shared Lauren. When she isn\u2019t event planning she\u2019s often found taking photos and\/or videos of events. Why has it been important to her to stay connected to Brethren friends and activities as she\u2019s journeyed through life? \u201cGrowing up, I spent a lot of my time involved with youth group and church-related activities including FaithX trips, National Youth Conference, my district\u2019s youth cabinet, and being involved in our children\u2019s choir, handbell choir, and all the other youth activities at Bridgewater Church of the Brethren. Being so involved allowed me to gain lifelong friendships, but also shaped me as a person. I want to continue providing those opportunities to today\u2019s youth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luke Haldeman<\/strong> works for Mennonite Central Committee and Spring Creek Church of the Brethren. What are the best parts of each position? \u201cI usually work downstairs in the mailroom, but I really love being able to meet people from all around the world who visit our office or do service years and internships in Akron. It opens up a global perspective on the world for me like no place I\u2019ve been in before. I also really love that MCC allows me to be part of the work of Jesus in the world in a really tangible way,\u201d says Luke. \u201cProbably my favorite thing at Spring Creek so far has been the opportunity to work with our church\u2019s archives, learning about the past in a way which is both exciting (because of all the gossipy things in said archives) and spiritually challenging (because of how seriously our church members took their faith a hundred years ago, and how I want to do more of that today).\u201d This is Luke\u2019s first year on the Young Adult Steering Committee, and he has bright hopes for the coming years. \u201cI really want our denomination to do something special for the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism in 2025, and have a lot of ideas specific to that which I’d like to see at the Young Adult Conference that year. In addition, I hope to see better grounding in scripture, a greater emphasis on the rich history of the Christian faith, and more stories to inspire us of people who live differently because of their faith.\u201d According to Luke, young adults should consider joining the YAC 24 community to meet cool people, hear cool stories, and to find inspiration for what\u2019s next in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rachel Johnson<\/strong> is a senior youth ministry major at Messiah College, with a minor in child and youth service. She is licensed in Atlantic Northeast District and has been discerning her call to ministry through time on the National Youth Cabinet and doing volunteer and intern work at her home church (Mechanic Grove). Her favorite leisure activities include hammocking, crocheting, baking, and tending to her 18 non-edible plants. Rachel is in her second of a three-year term on the Young Adult Steering Committee. \u201cI have seen more and more young adults with a passion to be the church outside the church building and it gives me hope for continuing generations even if it means changing the way we have typically done ministry,\u201d she commented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am Ruth Ritchey Moore, <\/strong>a teacher of children ages 5 to 17 who are in the process of immigrating to the United States from Central and South America. Occasionally, my work includes reunifications. It\u2019s always very emotional and rewarding to be able to see the kids with their families! One of the main ways working for Bethany Christian Services has impacted my faith is that the other teacher I work with has been going through a crisis of faith for at least the past year and has shared many of his thoughts and feelings with me. It seems like I\u2019ve been thinking deeply about my faith for most of my life because my family provided a space for discussion and learning, and Manchester (University) was a safe space to keep questioning and growing. So I\u2019ve never come to a place where I suddenly felt like I couldn\u2019t believe in anything. I\u2019m really grateful for the different kind of Christian upbringing I\u2019ve had. Sometimes it\u2019s really discouraging to hear the kids\u2019 experiences of some of the worst ways people can treat each other, but I also get to see how generous and caring my co-workers are in their dedication to their work, and how resilient the kids are, even in their short time with us. When not working with kids, I love to run (20 to 25 miles a week–unless training for a marathon). My dog Hera occasionally accompanies me on shorter runs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are honored to be able to serve on the Young Adult Steering Committee together,<\/strong> bringing these and other experiences to the table and to Camp Shepherd\u2019s Spring when we get to meet in person for YAC next spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are a young adult or know a young adult who might be interested, please tell them about YAC and encourage them to visit www.brethren.org\/yac<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

———-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find more Church of the Brethren news:<\/p>\n\n\n