Statement of Call

I had to create an official statement of call for my "'file." I thought it would be good to shart it here, give a little more insight into why I feel called to ministry. Here it is:

I grew up in the Methodist church, and I attribute my strongly rooted faith to the community that surrounded me and helped guide my path. I was very active in our local youth program and I also served on District Youth Ministries Council. I always felt called to lead and to create strong communities around me. I fell away from my involvement while in college, and I deeply felt the loss of my foundation. I wasn’t sure where my place in the church was, but I knew that God was calling me back. While working as the Director of Youth Ministries for Caldwell United Methodist Church, I first began to recognize and acknowledge my call to ministry. Through my work with the youth, I’ve grown more deeply in faith and have realized that God is calling me to serve others through ordained ministry.

And a little excerpt from my graduate school admission essay:

Within a week of settling back home, I was called by three people about a youth leadership position at Caldwell United Methodist. I got the impression that God was done softly calling for my attention, he was yelling. My passion for God and for seeing Christ work in others’ lives was re-ignited. I fell in love with the ministry, but still didn’t feel at home in the church. It was not a church that was there for me or my peers.

In the past year, I have finally allowed myself to realize I am being called to ministry. There are young people desperately searching for a church that speaks to them, that brings truth and faith back into their lives, and there are churches that want to reach out to the next generation of Christians but don’t know how to bridge that gap. The Methodist Church is so afraid of change that it is stifling the work of the Spirit. It is maintaining discriminatory practices while boldly claiming “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors.” Church leaders officially vote on strong social issues, but those issues are not discussed in local congregations. I am called to ministry in the church, but not the church as it stands now. I am called to be part of a movement of young Christians who know that our church can be better. I am called to help inspire those who have lost the spark of Christ after 20 years of church meetings and endless petty debates. All of us suffer when a strong community is lost. We become stale and settled and safe. Christ never calls us to be just safe, so I want to reawaken the curious, tenacious questioner in all of them

The first step *check*

I heard, very unofficially, that I was accepted to graduate school two days before I left for church camp.  Very unofficially has never worked well for me, so I worked out an agreement with my mom.  She would email Taryn (a camp staffer and my favorite person on the earth) with good news, and Taryn would deliver that news to me.  It was on my mind all week, needing to know if this next step was going to happen, wondering if God's timeline for my life would ever match up with what I wanted.  I spoke about it a little on Thursday - the danger of really trusting God means that you don't always get what you want.  I had an evil little knot in my stomach by Friday afternoon.  What if I'd misunderstood the admissions counselor?  What if I'd been hearing God's call wrong all along?  What next?  I headed into Friday night campfire a little stressed.  It was a fun evening.  All the crazy skits and songs that you can pack into an hour being led by two fantastically energetic  high school seniors.  Half way through the night, Taryn tapped me on the shoulder.  "So, I got an email," she started.  Katey, another counselor, jumped up cheering, I burst into tears, and the campers didn't hear a thing.  I collected myself, told the counselors around me, told a few of "my kids" (the youth from Caldwell) and then the camp.  And what a perfect ending for the theme of the week!  I was so grateful for the opportunity to show that trusting in God does work out.  

So the official details:  I was accepted to Iliff School of Theology in Denver, CO.  I will be attending a consortium school, Northwest House of Theological Studies in Salem, OR for at least a year.  I am beyond excited to move back to Oregon, I've missed that state a whole lot.  I don't have a job, yet, but I'm just staying confident that it will come.

So now I feel like the journey is really beginning.  I've spent the last year officially discerning my call, but I was sure long before that.  Now it's on to school and life in ministry.  I would say I'm terrified, but I'm pretty sure that will come later.  Right now I'm just excited about moving forward and SO very grateful for everyone who has supported me while I try to figure it all out.  

I'm hoping to use this blog as a place to keep everyone updated on what I'm doing, reading, thinking, whatever.  My call is rooted in the community that has raised and loved me, so I am hoping to keep that community around me no matter where I go.