When we were young, time seemed to stand still or at best to crawl. Birthdays were marked at the half-way point when as children we told people we were 6 and ½ or 12 and ½ to indicate we were nearing a milestone. Christmas seemed forever away. School would never begin or end. The older one gets, the faster time seems to move. Birthdays come quicker. We are only five months from Christmas. Career changes and retirement seem closer than ever. Wedding anniversaries sneak up on us and before we know it, we have been married for twenty-five or fifty years.
On May 1st, I began my fiftieth year working with young people. It has been a wondrous adventure. My career as director of a children’s home, the executive director of the Richmond Cerebral Palsy Center, and as youth minister in two local churches, passed quickly. It seems like yesterday that Dr. Slatton asked me to consider coming to River Road. Twenty years passed quickly. I retired! In 2012, Dr. Clingenpeel asked me to return to the staff as the church looked for a new youth minister. After 19 months, I retired again! Having retired twice, I was enjoying my time in the pew, my service as a deacon, and as a Sunday school teacher.
Last November, I was asked to once again return to the staff as Interim Minister of Visitation. In April of this year, when Michael Kellett resigned, I was asked to serve as the Interim Minister to Youth. So, here we go again! I still have the heart and enthusiasm for the task and I appreciate the skill and talent of the young people. I do not want to see them without leadership when there is so much to be done. Bible study, music, community outreach projects, retreats, and planning for next summer will keep everyone busy.
I will be asking adults to become involved in the process. As a part-timer, I will need everyone’s help to ensure our youth are properly grounded in the faith and ready to assume their role in the life of our church. I ask for your prayers as I once again assume the role as an interim youth minister.